EDITORIAL...............TEL CLITHEROE 22324 ADVERTISING..........TEL. CLITHEROE 22323 CLASSIFIED.................TEL. BURNLEY 22331


claim refuted


Shoplifters’ paradise


several incidents in which goods and cash registers — and even premises — have been left unattended.


only a month after the Clitheroe and District Chamber of Trade and local police united to mount a blitz on the grow­ ing town centre menace.


The comments come


immediate counter-attack from the Chamber presi-


Unclaimed reward


THIEVES who stole a valuable flock of Swaledale ewes from a Slaidburn farmer are still at large, despite the offer of a £1,000 reward.


Hill Farm, said that his offer brought in some calls from the public, but there was no breakthrough.


him out of business, hut he has vowed to carry on as b e s t he can with a depleted stock.


Thefts threatened to put


meanwhile, are continuing extra patrols of the high fells.


Neighbouring farmers,


Hoping for


a say


CLITHEROE Chamber of Trade hopes soon to have a voice on the East Lanca­ shire public transport liai­ son committee.


days la s t y e a r have revived interest in the reopening of the local line and the Chamber has worked closely with Rib-; ble Valley Rail, whose chairman Mr Peter Moore is one of its members.


believe that in a wide­ spread rural community such as the Ribble Valley, transport is a key issue. The success of the rail


tion is to be considered by the Lancashire Public Transport Sub-committee. Clitheroe shopkeepers


The Chamber’s applica­ Mr Alan Scott, of Lamb The criticism brought an


comes from a local shop assistant, who claims that careless practices by traders are offering open invi­ tations to thieves. The a s s is ta n t l is ts


C L I T H E R O E traders have come under f ire this week for putting the town on the map as a “shoplift­ ers’ paradise”. The b r o a d s i d e


THE LETTER


of Trade members. One owner had left the shop unattended while he popped into another shop. Another owner was moving his ear and I could have taken half his stock.


blame for a lot of it. This week I have been in four different shops, three owned by Chamber


* CLITHEROE is fast becoming a shoplifters’ paradise and we arc to


He could have lost over £1,000 worth of equipment in two minutes. The last shop is where I work and we are losing stock daily. Why should


In another shop, the assistant had to go downstairs to get some advice.


dows are not enough. He more alert. J BEMUSED.


dent, Mr Roland Hail­ wood, who denied that the town was becoming easy prey for shoplifters, claim­ ing that Clitheroe’s prob­ lems were “no worse than elsewhere”.


cism, he said that the big­ gest threat came from organised “con men” with


sophisticated techniques, rather than local shoppers left alone in premises by trusting shopkeepers.


lem not confined to Clith­ eroe," he declared. “It happens everywhere and is a sickness in our society.


“Shoplifting is a prob­ In answer to the criti­


we go home worried when most of the traders don’t seem to bother? Come on, traders, get your fingers out. Posters on your doors and win­


I do not agree that the town is becoming a shop­ lifters’ paradise.


he could have helped him­ self to goods after being left alone in shops. So is he telling us he is not to be trusted? “ Shopkeepers make


course, is the only answer, but there still has to be some form of t r u s t between shopkeeper and customer. “The shop assistant says


th e ir own assessment about a person’s honesty and if they are at all suspi­ cious do not leave the cus-


“Eternal vigilance, of


tomer alone.” The Chamber of Trade


recently launched a poster campaign, urging traders to display anti-shoplifting literature on their prem­ ises and, d espite the writer’s comments, Mr Hailwood hopes that more shopkeepers will support


tackled by both traders and general public,” he said. “Alertness by both sections of the community could help catch thieves and reduce shoplifting dramatically.”


th e C h am b e r in i ts initiative. “I t is a problem best


SNAILS alive! This healthy-looking speci­ men may not be everybody’s idea of a tasty mollusc for supper — but he means big business as far as Sabden’s Keith


PHOTO: JOHN BARRY


Stansfield_ is concerned. To find out more about Keith’s fascinating, enterprise — which is growing at anything but a snail’s pace — turn to page 7.


Shame on us all


a “home?” That is the question


to be lonely, penniless, pregnant and faced with one of these depressing caravans pictured on the left as


— in the shadow of Clith­ eroe’s gasometer off Ches­ ter Avenue, with outside toilets — are a shameful reminder that the Ribble Valley does have its home­ less cases and the tem­ porary homes for emer­ gency accommodation are an eq u a lly shameful answer to the problem. “Clitheroe is simply not


being asked by Area Youth Leader Jane Fee- ley, who is only too well aw a re th a t th e r e is another side to the Clith­ eroe coin. She feels these caravans


Jane Feeley


Ombudsman comes to probe claim


DON’T MISS THIS


OPPORTUNITY TO PICK UP A REAL


BARGAIN! Selected Lighting


REDUCED TO V2 PRICE OR LESS


Shades ★ Bases ★ Ceiling Fittings ★ Wall Lights A Standards


Fancy Goods REDUCED TO V2 PRICE


Including: Chokin Plates ★ Gold Plated Dishes ★ Gold Plated Crystals, etc.


THE Ombudsman is coming to Grindleton on Monday to interview


owside, complained about council houses in Ribble Valley becoming as “rare as gold dust” because of


the council’s housing policy. She cited the case of her


own son, Thomas, of Kem- pie View, Clitheroe, who has been on the waiting list for four years, and asked why the council did not adopt a points system as in other authorities.


about it because it is a dis­ grace what many people nave to put up with when it comes to housing,” she said.


“I still feel very strongly


driver, thanked people for their support.


Thomas, a local lorry


people have been saying they are right behind us, so this is very heartening.


"Since the publicity,


cerned there has been too much of a cover up over housing,” he added.


“As far as I am 'con­


Mr David Morris, Rib­ ble Valley Borough Health


ajid Housing Officer, den­ ied the Procters’ claims when they were exclusi­ vely re p o r te d in the “Clitheroe Advertiser and Times”.


resident Mrs Jean Procter over allegations of maladministration by the Ribble Valley Council. Mrs Procter, of Mead-


houses had been le t strictly in accordance with the council’s established lettings policy and there had been no favouritism.


He said that all council


which has thrown the national spotlight on the homeless, Jane Feeley believes the Ribble Valley should have grasped the nettle to ease the problem. If one young Clitheroc woman who last year had to spend over five months in one of the caravans had her way, the two mobile h ome s sh ou ld be demolished. She says the bedroom was uninhabitable and she


prepared for its home­ less,” she told us. “All they are offered on a take- it-or-leave-it basis, if they meet the vvry s t r ic t requirements are these terrible cara' ins, with their horrendous living conditions.” At the end of a year


Clitheroe Advertiser and Times


THURSDAY, JANUARY 7th, 1988 No. 5,296 Price 22p


SNAILS ALIVE!


10% REDUCTION ON ALL SUITS TO


SPECIAL OFFER MEASURE FRED READ & CO. LTD


9 MARKET PLACE. CLITHEROE _____ Telephone 22562


crews fight works blaze


Seven fire


SEVEN fire engines and dozens of firemen wearing breathing apparatus were called to deal with a blaze at Castle Cement, Clitheroe, which filled a huge stone store with black smoke.


A handful of men work


ing in that area of the plant were evacuated and nobody was injured.


tion Commander Mr Alan Clarke: “We were called at about 2 p.m. on Monday. Apparently repairs were being earned out to a rub­ ber-lined hopper in the stone store and a welder caused the rubber to catch fire."


He described the cone shaped hopper as about


2ft. in diameter at the bot­ tom and G to 8ft. at the top, adding: “There is a fair amount of rubber in the hopper so it created quite a nasty little blaze Although it did not do a lot of damage, the building was filled with smoke."


that fife crews had to be brought in from Great Harwood and Accrington because the blaze was in the centre of the building and men wearing breath­ ing apparatus had to be used in relay to cross the 150m. floor.


Mr Clarke explained


the rubber lining of the hopper.


This really doesn’t add up to this


CLITHEROE’S apparent prosperity does not automatically mean that life is a bed of roses for all its inhabitants. How would you like


WE are prosperous — and that’s official. Clitheroe is a top town for quality of life, rivalling the


A prosperous- town — and it’s official


by Murray Walker


rid of these heartles s caravans. The next, Jane Feeley


she was burgled while liv­ ing there — and the police were unable to take fin­ gerprints because of the mould and damp! The answer? The first thing is to get


dreaded having to use the outside toilets where there was no lighting. To add to her worries,


with a lot of young people who feel trapped at home, and this can only lead to tension in the family. They want to leave, but have no means to do so. The com­ munity homes would give them a place of their own and a warden would give them someone to turn to, a bit of security.” The problem of the


homeless is miniscule locally compared with the


lots of those community homes, mixing different sets of people together,” she said. “Perhaps the council will consider that sort of scheme for the Rib­ ble Valley in the future.” “I come into contact


the way in Lancashire for building sheltered housing schemes for the elderly, but she is convinced that once again the young are being overlooked. “In Germany, there are


nity homes, like those on the Continent, for young people with homeless problems. The Ribble Valley leads


believes, is to investigate the possibility of commu­


Damage was limited to Said Clitheroe Fire Sta­


PRAISED FOR


SAFETY SCHEME


CONGRATULATIONS to Clitheroe Lions on their “Lock-up” campaign — not only from the elderly peo­ ple it is designed to pro­ tect, but from the town’s police force.


word of the scheme; Lions members are offering to provide door chains, win­ dow locks and so on, so that Ribble Valley pen­ sioners can have a little peace of mind in their own homes.


Times” has already passed on to the Lions about a dozen letters Irom elderly people asking for help to protect their homes, fol­


the safety devices, saving fading, eyesight and not- so-steady hands a some­ times fiddly job. The “Advertiser and


Members will even fit


lowing our front-page story last week — and


even more are welcome. Clitheroe Police Insp. Barry Wilson welcomed


tho campaign, saying: “Anything which makes


Lions, saying: “They are making it possible for peo­ ple who are already aware of their homes security drawbacks to do some­ thing about it, when they may not have the money to do it themselves. The c amp a i g n is m o s t commendable.”


people more security-con­ scious and especially offers help to vulnerable old peo­ ple is an excellent thing.” He also praised the


Security is the watch­


Mrs Fawcett


situation in some of our sprawling cities.


— as the Ribble Valley Council is quick to admit.


inquiries for accommoda­ tion between March and September last year, some were from people with homeless problems. Mrs Fawcett estimates


that one in 30 inquiries is O continued on page 3


CLOWNING ABOUT FOR MOTHER GOOSE


A TASTE of the fun to come . . . clowning about arc these charac­ ters from Trinity Meth­ odist Church's panto­ mime “Mother Goose”.


Leading players Kath­ leen Paul, Jane Har­ greaves and Steuart Kellington help provide the comic antics in the panto, which is being staged on January 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 29th a n d 3 0 t h , wi t h


matinees on the 23rd and 30th.


Rehearsals have been going on for some time to ensure that the panto is one to remem­ ber. Bookings can be ma de at Tr i n i t y between 3-30 and 6 p.m. on weekdays.


Advice Bureau manager Mrs Chris Fawcett is so concerned about the grow­ ing numbers of inquiries from people who are either homeless or faced with nowhere to live that she has compiled a detailed report on the situation. She says that of the 42


C l i th e ro e C it iz en s


TO CLEAR AT S A V I N G S


------- S T IL L O N --------- BEDS and BEDROOM FURNITURE But a problem there is


*


FITTED


BEDROOMS AND BED


SPECIALISTS loan Tel. 25155


SHAWBRIDGE STREET, CLITHEROE. LANCS


THE NEW EBAC HOMEDRY


windows and pools of water on sills Is only the start of your


Waking up to steamy trickling


first It Is Just Inconvenient but soon It can make life very unpleasant, not to mention expensive


condensation nightmare. At ■gJlIilMiM'.'HHMIliliUlMi KENDAL STREET, CLITHEROE — Tel. 2436C^J


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24