Clean air campaigner are being used as human guinea pigs


™ Cement about persistent haze and by Tim Procter


ONE of the air quality cam­ paigners living near the Pimli­ co industrial area of Clitheroe claims that he and other resi­ dents are human guinea pigs for "a hotch potch of big busi­


ness." "There's nothing wrong with


shared prosperity," declares Mr Dave Mortimer, of Green Drive - who then goes on to cricitise sev­ eral firms and regulatory bodies. His comments come after another enforcement notice issued to Castle


odour. The notice was issued on Thursday


afternoon and was lifted in the evening after the company had altered its process to deal with the


problem.


Local MP Mr Nigel Evans reflected the concern of local people by demand­


, ,


ing that the kilns be shut down for a time for investigations into some solu­ tion to the problem. He feels that slow­ ing the process, down only on the issue ot an enforcement notice is not acceptable. Mr Mortimer maintains that there is


not the faintest chance that Castle Cement can deal with the operating condition about haze and odour, which had been "hailed as the ultimate solu­


tion." He says the agency enforcement action has simply meant that the com­ pany has had to turn the kilns down for short periods, under protest. Mr Mortimer asks that, if Castle


Cement's high stacks cannot get rid of "nasties", what chance has Tarmac, the nearby auction mart and "the haulage and fuel firms which have prospered in Castle Cement's shadow" of doing so? Suggested new operating conditions


for Castle. Cement, due to it being allowed new trials of Cemfuel, are a vast improvement, concedes Mr Mortimer. However, the campaigners make no


concessions to the often-repeated stance of the regulatory authorities - that, whatever goes into the cement kilns or is emitted from other places, air quality in the area is almost always good.


™


Traces found of airborne material like- ly to pose health problems are always well under the danger levels and only rarely exceed the allowed levels. But the campaigners continue to question virtually everything about


oirWnfi material like-


official actions. Castle Cement is not responding


directly to the MP’s closure call, but is again emphasising the amount of money it puts into environmental work. General manager Mr Ian Sutheran


says: "We have no wish to cause nui­ sance to our neighbours. We acted as soon as the agency informed us of the alleged incidents of odour outside the work's boundary by implementing an internal procedure which ranges from slowing the kiln, right through to stop­ ping it altogether, if necessary.


Horses shine brightly as Susan grabs a fistful of show rosettes


.............. ii nit 1 1 r-'~ .* ti-B"^ ' "Castle has and will conttinue to


invest in Ribblesdale works' environ­ mental performance. We installed the £5m. gas scrubber om the dry kiln last year and this has made a dramatic improvement to plume dispersion. |


"The company intends investing a


further £25m. over the next two years, which will bring further environmental improvements through the moth- | balling on the energy-intensive wet kilns and an increase in capacity on the dry


kiln."' Castle Cement received several calls


on Friday about dust in the Wadding- ton Road area of Clitheroe. The compa- | ny says there is nothing to suggest that the dust came from its works, but earlier this week was awaiting the results of


analysis.


Meat cleaver man has to pay £390


A F T E R being kicked unconscious in a town centre incident, a Clitheroe man


returned to the scene with a meat cleaver. Jason Paul Hitchen was arrested.


(29), of Duck Street, Clitheroe, was fined £350 with £40 costs by magistrates at Black­ burn after pleading guilty to having a sharply-pointed blade in a public place. The court heard that


Hitchen told police he had been drinking all


day. Officers called to the


town centre found a num­ ber of people shouting and screaming at each other.


People said that Hitchen had been waving a meat cleaver around and had hidden it in the back of his


trousers. Hitchen ran away, but


Mr Basil Dearing


(defending) said that Hitchen was on his way, home when he was attacked | and kicked unconscious, and his jaw dislocated. "He had to pass the Buck


Inn and it was outside that establishment that he was


set on," Mr Dearing told the court. "There had been some trouble earlier in the evening - unfortunately, that is something that is not unusual in Clitheroe town centre at the week-end." Hitchen had only a vague


recollection of the incident, but accepted he had gone


home and got the meat


cleaver. "This is something which


was totally out of character for my client," emphasised Mr Dearing.


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Q U EU E 'S .no su b s t itu te J o r , good breeding as 'Bashall Eaves horsewoman Mrs


Susan Tootle will testify! Along with some careful groom­


ing, it ensured she returned home to Kitchen's Farm with a clutch of rosettes from last weekend’s Royal Lancs Show, held in Chorley. Mrs Tootle's hunter mare, Burn­


ing Bright, won the riding horse breeding class and was made reserve champion. The horse was also second in the hunter breeding class, while her foal, Time Out, proved it was all in the genes by achieving seconds in the foal classes of both hunter and riding horse cat­


egories. The wins follow previous success­


es at the Great Eccleston Show, where Burning Bright achieved the


Christmas really is on the way!


UNSEAS0NAL it may


be, but Clitheroe traders are about to be reminded that Christmas is comingl Appeal letters requesting


help in the funding of the town's Christmas lights are now being issued by the Clitheroe Christmas Lights and Clitheroe in Bloom Committee. The town hall committee,


made up of town council­ lors, Ribble Valley Borough Council officers and mem­ bers of Clitheroe Chamber of Trade, is currently work­ ing to prepare a long-term strategy for the improve­ ment of the town centre's festive decorations, but for this year it is maintaining the tradition of inviting local businesses to con tribute towards their costs. For further information, contact Clitheroe Town


.distinction of-.chrimpion light horse,-- and Time Out was champion foal.. .


'liar bonbure were therf achieved at the Goosnargh and Longridge and Great Yorkshire Shows and now Mrs Tootle and her father, Mr John Greenhalgh, of Rugglesmere Farm, Bashall Eaves, who looks after Time Out in the parade ring, are hoping for more success at this weekend's Garstang Agricultural Show, followed by the Harrogate Show and the National Hunter Cobb Show, which takes place in Worcestershire in September. Said mother-of-two Mrs Tootle,


As a pair, they were also winners m the’brood mare and foal class. Sim- ;■


brood mare.champion, owned by 'Mrs Shirley Hindle, lofiPaythorne. ■"While she has followed in her parents' success,, her first foal/


’ three-year-old Pole Star, has won age group classes, the yearling Whisper Gold looks as if she will do the same and Time Out has done well, so, I guess, good breeding


tells!" There was also Ribble Valley sue-


cess in the sheep classes, where Mr Harry Whitwell, who partners his brother Mr George Whitwell in running Pendleton Hall Farm, for­ warded a flock of six lonks in the care of his sons Robert, James and


who helps husband Adam with his Clitheroe milk round and dairy work: "I have had Burning Bright for nine years, during which she has foaled three times. She is out of Java Tiger, a stallion known for producing dressage champions, and Bright and Fair, a Great Yorkshire


Matthew. They achieved two show firsts,


taking the best gimmer lamb and best ram lamb titles and two sec­ onds, with rosettes in the shearling ram and aged ram classes. The Whitwells are now hoping that the forthcoming Trawden and Chip­ ping shows will bring more wins.


Sunny weather ensured the.


Royal Lancs "enjoyed, go.ddi crowds until thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon brought, an early end to the three-day event, with the show ground having to be abandoned. For next year, members of its


organising council have already voted to return the show to mid­ week; in June, after extensive research into weather patterns indi­ cated the month as offering the best chance of fine weather. They are also searching for a new


venue, the Chorley site having been deemed too small. Organisers are hoping to buy a permanent site, which would be used to host year- round activities. In past years, the Royal Lancs has been staged in Blackburn's Witton Park, Aintree Racecourse, Manchester and


Blackpool. Our picture shows Mrs Tootle


and her father with the winning mare and foal. (030899/12/15)


Spiral of debt leads to benefits fraud


obtain benefits. Magistrates heard how


Amanda Smith (39) had found herself locked into a spiral of debt following the break-up of her mar­ riage. She began to make false claims for benefit as she tried to put behind her the mental and physical suffering which had driven


her into hiding. While she had been over­


paid by £1,583, there was a backdated entitlement to benefit she had not claimed for over £735, magistrates were told. Smith, of Pendle­ ton Road, Wiswell, pleaded guilty to the charge and asked for 20 similar offences


to be taken into constdera- Magistrates


tion. ----------


adjourned the case until August 27th for the prepa­ ration of pre-sentence reports and indicated that all sentencing options should be kept open. Smith was remanded on bail. Miss Alison Gray (prose­


cuting) said that over a six- month period Smith had failed to declare her earn­ ings while working as a home-carer.


\ Miss Emma Morrissey


(defending) said Smith had suffered mental and physi­ cal torture at the hands of a man who had been her part- nnr fnr 19. vpnrs. the last five


as her husband. "She left the matrimonial


home without her husband knowing and was, in effect, in hiding," said Miss Mor­


rissey. She added: "She had no


financial support from him then and has not had any since. She left with massive debts and has had to find alternative accommodation as she attempts to rebuild


her life. ’■She is working hard to \


try and repay her debts and she hopes, eventually, to receive some kind of lump sum settlement from her husband that will help with


her efforts


Break from toiling in


the garden EVERYTHING stopped


for coffee when members of Clitheroe Gardening Club downed tools to enjoy a relaxing, but fund-raising,


break. Their coffee evening at


the Teewood Farm home of Mr and Mrs Stephen Berry in Waddington raised £300,


which will go towards stag­ ing the club's annual garden show on August 28th. Show classes, to be held


in Clitheroe Parish Hall, are open to all Ribble Valley residents. Schedules are available from this newspa­ per's King Street office, Clitheroe Tourist Informa­ tion Centre and the club's garden sales shed. The club still has limited


places available for its coach trip to Warwickshire, departing at 8-30 a.m. from outside Clitheroe Station on August 14th.


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