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Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified), www.eastlancsnews.co.uk


Police say be on alert after young woman alleges sexual assault


LOCAL police officers and taxi drivers were warning pas­ sengers to be on the alert, fol­ lowing an alleged sexual assault on a young woman from the Clitheroe area by a man claiming to be a taxi dri­ ver. The incident allegedly took


Man claimed to be taxi driver in early morning incident involving someone claiming to be a


plates on the rear of the vehicle. Unfortunately, people sometimes do not check these things and those claiming to be taxi drivers could be anybody," said the spokesman. Members of the Ribble Valley


place in the early hours of Satur­ day morning. Police would not confirm any further details at this stage, but say they are inves­ tigating the matter. A police spokesman urged young


women in particular to be on their guard when getting into taxis. "Bona-fida taxis must display


Taxi Association were swift to con­ demn the alleged attacker. A spokesman said members deplored the behaviour of a small minority of drivers and those claiming to be drivers which sometimes gave their profession a bad name. He backed the' police warning and added: "On approaching a vehicle, prospective passengers should check it has an illuminated sign saying 'taxi' and a blue hackney carriage plate adhered to the rear of the vehicle. "Before entering the vehicle, if


you have any doubts, ask to see the driver's badge. By law he must show you this badge. Most drivers display this badge on their dash­ board or wear it on their clothing. The badge has a picture of the dri­ ver along with his name and the driver's number. If he has not got a' badge with him do not under any circumstances get into the car." He continued: "A driver is not


allowed to dictate where a customer sits in the car. If you are travelling alone and wish to sit in the back, do so."


Ribble Valley Borough Council, Mr Paul Timson, confirmed his depart­ ment had received a complaint about an alleged sexual assault


Director of Legal Services at


taxi driver. He added: "We are checking with


the police what stage their inquiries are at. If we were satisfied that an offence had taken piace, then we could suspend or revoke the licence of a registered driver. If a driver was prosecuted for an offence, that would be good enough for us, but even if this does not happen we can


still take action. "However, we would need suffi­


cient evidence and we would .have to hold our own hearing. At this stage, though, we have only received one phone call in relation


to the alleged incident."


Worried villagers demand that dangerous bus stop is resited w


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Fine for owner of dog after lambs died


TWO lambs died after a dog chased them round


their field near Spring Wood, Whalley. And when the farmer farmer found one lamb


told the owner she should have had the dog on a lead, she did not seem bothered and told him his fence should have been more secure, magistrates at Black­ burn were told. Carole Taylor (52), for­


merly of Oak Close, Bar- row, Whalley, and now liv­ ing in Arnside, admitted owning a dog which wor­ ried livestock on agricul­ tural land. She was fined £50 and ordered to pay £70 compensation and


£45 costs. The court heard that the


A CHARGE against a former local headmas­ ter alleging indecency 26 years ago will be tried before a jury next


| March. Rae Carter (68), of


I Bleasdale Avenue, Clitheroe, used to be head of St Mary’s Hall, Stony- hurst. His bail was renewed


dead. Another was strug­ gling for breath and later died, and the deaths were put down to the stress and fright of being chased. Mr Nick Turner (defend­


ing) said that his client reg­ ularly walked two dogs in the wood. One of them ran off through a hole in the fence and she was angry and upset by its disobedi­ ence.The defendant accepted she was wrong in not keep­ ing the dog under control. "The farmer could have had a gun and quite legitimate­ ly shot her dog. She is grateful that did not hap pen," said Mr Turner.


Ex-head’s indecency charge


after the trial date, March 20th, was fixed by Preston Crown Court. The hearing is expected to last two days. At a separate hearing,


John Steel (75), of Copthorne Common, West Sussex, denied one charge of indecency and six of inde­ cent assault. His case was adjourned to a date to be fixed.


T r ia l for m e n ch a r g ed w i th a s s a u l t


TWO men from Clitheroe have been committed for trial at Preston Crown Court charged with assault. Joseph Bisping (20) and Benjamin Edward Parker (19),


remanded in custody. W O O D B U R N E R S Villager


n A .arrow V...


by Julie Frankland


RESIDENTS of a Ribble Valley village are missing the bus because, they say, it is too dangerous to stand


at the bus stop. Fears of being "sucked in"


and under the wheels of speeding vehicles, not to mention getting a drench­ ing in wet weather, have made the bus stop out-of- bounds, according to those living nearby in Whalley Road, Pendleton. They want it moved and a reduction in the road's


speed limit. Mr Arthur Bloazard, whose home borders the


I t w ill o n ly be a m a t te r of t im e before som eon e is killed - cla im


road, explained: "The bus stop is a sign on lamp posts at either side of the road by Limehouse Farm. There is no pavement or verge, which means there is no­ where to stand to wait for the bus except in the road, which has a GO m.p.h. speed


limit.


be getting heavier all the time, rattles past spraying water when it's wet, but making it unsafe for pedes­ trians. Unless something is done, it will only be a mat­ ter of time before someone


"Traffic, which seems to


is killed." A 54-name petition has


already been presented to Lancashire County Coun­ cil's Highways Department calling for the speed limit to be lowered to 40 m.p.h. from the A59 bypass turn­ off, signed Clitheroe, to the town's Primrose Bridge, where it then drops to 30 m.p.h. To bolster their cam­ paign, neighbours have also enlisted the help of Ribble Valley MP Mr Nigel Evans in an attempt to have the bus stop switched to a lay­ by nearer their homes.


A £107,000 handout from Government after it


admits funding blunder


THE Government has helped out with a £107,000 mar School cash problem caused by one of its own


ducing a scheme which means that the survival of some grammar schools depends on local ballots, it looks unlikely to affect this area, at least in the forsce-


able future. The money shortfall


And although it is intro- ballot system does not cur- ' ' rently threaten to affect Clitheroe, but is being close­ ly monitored’by the gover­ nors and head, Mr Stuart


arose entirely because of Labour's abolition of the grant maintained system. Financial allocations have been distorted as a result - and moving back to Lan­ cashire funding left the budget at CRGS and some similar schools short. The Government has made up the difference and also allowed an extra year for the transition to take place. The "close grammars"


sentation night audience to look at an analogy, by sup­ posing that people in the Greater Manchester area got better cancer treatment because of the work of staff at Christie's. "What if 1 were Prime Minister and said: 'This is unfair. All


Holt. He invited Friday's pre­


Clitheroe Royal Gram- policies.


cation for their children as a result of the work done by the staff at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School. You can see the point! "I hope that if a ballot


ever is called in the Ribble Valley, this community will remember the work this school has done over many, many years and vole accordingly. 1 am sure it


will.” This week, he reminded


must get the same treat­ ment. Shut Christie's!' It would be a national scan­ dal!" declared Mr Holt. "Let us suppose that peo­


ple in the Greater Ribble Valley area get better edu-


the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times that over half the 563 sixth-form students at CRGS come from other schools, a factor which, it is felt, favourably affects long­ term survival chances.


retired sales representative and would-be regular bus passenger since having to surrender his driving licence because of an eye condition: "There is a lay-by, which was used as a storage area for road chippings. If this could be lengthened, it


Said Mr Bleazard, a


would seem a logical, safer alternative and the buses, when pulling over, would not block traffic as they do


now." While a spokesman for


Lancashire County Coun­ cil's Highways Department


conceded that a new bus stop site was currently being investigated, he was adamant that at present, there would be no change to the road's speed limit. He said: '.'The county council has discussed the issue of lowering the speed limit on this section of road with the


police. "It has also carried out


traffic speed assessments, which showed that there was no justification for reducing the limit. The police agree with this view." Our picture shows (from


the left) Neave (one) and Sarah Bent, Mr Bleazard, Mr George Waddington and Mr Raymond Ilaythornthwaite. (210999/22/13)


Concern in the . Valley over empty houses


ALMOST one house in every 20 across the


Ribble Valley is currently empty! And Ribble Valley Borough Council Chief


Executive Mr David Morris says that bringing unoccupied homes back into use is not an easy


In'a report to the Housing Committee, Mr Mor­


ris explained what council actions were being taken to encourage owners to create homes from long­ term empty dwellings. lie felt that progress was | being made, but that there was no one single initia­ tive which would enable the council to encourage best use of the large' number of empty houses, at


present more than 900. They ranged from derelict to ones in an excellent


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state of repair, and some were second homes. In the past two years 10 empty houses have been


bought by New Progcss Housing Association, renovat- | ed and let to people on the council’s waiting list. And in 1998/9, 22 empty dwellings were brought back into use j following renovation with the help of a grant. This i scheme includes empty space above shops which can be


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of Brook Street, Clitheroe, were jointly charged with assaulting Sharon Brogan causing actual bodily harm. Bisping was also charged with assaulting Martin Kay on the same day. Bisping was allowed bail, but Parker was


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