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' The Clitheroe Thursday, January 31st, 2002 No. 6,030


VIP day for the hospice


page 8 AT A G LAN C E


Former Clitheroe man Anthony Duda changes his name and hits the national headlines.


- " ,' / . " . / page 3


A Sunday newspaper features a Billington school as one of the top five in the country in areas of reasonable house prices..


..—..."V page 5


There was an emotional farewell as a vicar left a troubled parish.


■... ^ ~i ' page 11


A top comedian offers his help to a flying doctor service.' •


■ ■'■.... ■■ page 5


Whalley builder Darren Helm (left) undertakes a two- hour skip to raise £500 for a brain damage charity.


' page 7


Owners of Land-Rovers are warned that their vehicles are being targeted by thieves.


' ’ p age 13


Questionnaires are to be sent out next as the initiative to improve the quality of life in Clitheroes moves forward.


''Rain, heavy at times, with gale- force .winds. ■ v , -


FOGGITT'S WEEKEND WEATHER: ,


SUNRISE: 7-42 p.m. SUNSET: 4-46 p.m.


LIGHTING UP TIME: 4-47 p.m.


1 . ' ' page 17 CALLUS


News: 01200422324 ' Advertising: ■


01200422323 Classified: ,■■■■■ 01282422331 Fax: 01200443467


Editorial e-mail: clitheroe.editorial@ rim.co.uk


■ ■


run put lives at risk


Higher risk of tragedy happening as trains are diverted through town


by John Turner


CHILDREN as young as seven are putting their lives at risk playing the game chicken/—and. running across the track in front of rail­ way trains in Clith­


eroe. - A British Rail Police


' operation caught 12 youngsters —between the ages of seven and 13 - playing the life- threatening game a t the Franklin Street Crossing.


barriers are lowering, then run across the track in front of trains


They wait until the


, of a tragedy happening; because’ main line trains


.travelling a t up to 60 m.p.h. There is a higher risk


are being diverted through Clitheroe for 12 weeks while work is being carried out to the track between Preston and Carlisle. I t means 40 extra


their parents are being contacted. PC Julie Holding was


one of the squad which pounced on the gang last


; ly .dangerous. .They were.; ' Waiting for .the barriers/


. were doing was extreme-; She said: "What they


to come down before they went across.'- V "We mounted • the;


trains a day are travel­ ling through Clitheroe. The names of the chil­ dren were taken and


observation after being alerted by a local resi­ dent. The children were from two. ^different schools and, for some of them, it was not on their way home. "They were obviously going to the crossing


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vertiser an imes n ew s and v iew s from the C e n t re of th e King d om ”f e y ) 1


^ ti au a champagne break for two at a top Ribble Valley hotel page 14


V ' n H l iu


Panto fun for all the family


page 10


Police alert off as missing Gemma (22) is found safe


A MAJOR alert for a missing Clitheroe woman ended happily when she was found safe and well on Tuesday after more than two days’ absence. There were fears for the safety


of 22-year-old Gemma Wrigh- ton, who disappeared after leav­ ing a Blackburn nightclub at


around 2 a.m. on Sunday. ■ A police operation was mounted because it was "completely out of character" for Miss Wrighton (pic­ tured) not to return after a night out


with friends to her father, Mr Colin Wrighton, of Mitchell Street,, Clitheroe. Friends also thought it was. strange for her not to have been in touch with any of them. And there was.worry over the man-


ner of her disappearance. . She was said to have got into a taxi


outside the Utopia1 Nightclub with a former boyfriend. But, as the taxi : drove away down the exit ramp to the adjoining multi-storey, the boyfriend: jumped out of the car and it' is bel­ ieved the taxi proceeded on its way, carrying just Miss Wrighton.


The former Ribblesdale High School


Technology College pupil, who worked part-time behind the bar of a Clitheroe public house, was with a group of around 10 friends who went to the nightclub. Police took her disappearance seri­


ously. They talked to taxi drivers and made investigations with her bank to see when she last withdrew any cash. They also examined closed-circuit television tapes from around the nightclub area, hoping for sightings of Gemma in Blackburn town centre. A police spokesman said on Wednes-


. day: "She was located on Tuesday, safe and well, in the Ewood area of Black­ burn and her father has been told. That ends our involvement with the matter."


w w w .e a s t la n c a s h i r e o n l in e .c o .u k . P r i c e 5 0 p


n a Lots of lively letters


page 12


Criminals are to stay away


CRIMINALS living in cities and major towns in the North West are receiving letters from Clitheroe police.


The message, the


same in every case, is: "Stay out of the Ribble Valley." I t is one of the meth­ ods police are using to


pickings in the Ribble Valley. Inspector Bob Ford


target travelling thieves iished in the recent who are finding easy Crime and Disorder


said the figure of 80% of crimes in the Ribble Valley being committed by local people, pub-


Reduction Strategy, was misleading. The figure was based


on an audit which only included crimes for which people had been arrested and dealt with, he said. There were a signifi­


Ribble Valley purely to commit crime. "People perceive that


cant amount of crimi­ nals who drove into the


the rural areas are a soft touch and I have to say in some cases they are a soft touch. In many cases there is very little security over things like plant equipment, trail­ ers,'lawn mowers and garden equipment. Criminals take advan­ tage of the isolation. "One thing we are


doing is targeting those responsible. We are writ­


ing. ;.tb. addresses, in B la c k p o o l . T jan c a s te r , . Burnley ahd'Rdchdale;


THE “chicken run” railway crossing at Eshton Terrace in Clitheroe


deliberately for a dare." . She said the children


would be interviewed because their actions amounted to the offence of trespass. They would probably be reprimand­


ed if it was found to be a first offence, but they were in jeopardy of receiving a heavy fine if they continued. • "We take this very seriously," she added.


• Local railway enthusi­ ast, Clitheroe newsagent Mr Peter Brass, said even motorists were risk­ ing their lives. He had recently seen two cars drive across when the


I have seen people walk­ ing their dogs across while the barriers are down," he added.


warning lights were flashing. • "It is not just children.


gence was telling them which criminals should be targeted through the warning letters/


Footpaths cheer for Valley walkers WHITER GIFTS & GEAR


WALKERS in the Ribble Valley will be able to put their best feet forward on more public rights of way


from next week. Plans are in the pipeline


to reopen more footpaths from February 8th, in time for the half-term holiday. Although Lancashire was


declared foot and mouth free in November, continued vig­ ilance around those farms which remained under restrictions resulted in the rights of way staying shut. Further analysis of the


premises present any risk and should remain closed. As a result Lancashire


risks walkers using paths, across restricted farms would pose has led DEFRA to pro­ pose that only paths which go directly'through farm


County Council, backed by the Ramblers' Association and the NFU, is getting ready to reopen the majority of the rights of way network by Feb­ ruary 8th. Some reopening could take place before that date in areas where there is high demand.


rod, cabinet member for Pub­ lic Protection and Rural Affairs, said: "This is good news for our rural communi­ ties and means that more of Lancashire can be enjoyed just as it was before the foot and mouth outbreak. I would like to thank the local repre­ sentatives of the Ramblers' Association who have worked


County Coun. Tim Orm-


further 20% off sale-prices on winter clothing to make way for ■


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Crash coroner slams who left young


A CORONER slammed an ambulance service whose paramedics went away from the scene of a road accident, leaving the body of a 19-year-old mechanic lying in the road. The body of Thomas Can-


Award winning Children's Shop Clothes/:Shdes, &.


lay in the road a t Settle Road, Bolton-by-Bowland, for more than two hours during the early hours of the morning .of August 5 th last year.


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Coroner for Blackburn, Hyn-' dburn and Ribble Valley, said: "It is, perhaps, not a matter for- this inquest to investigate matters that hap­ pen after the point of death,;


Actions were ‘totally and completely unacceptable’


but I have to say I am appalled th a t the North Yorkshire ambulance service, having attended at the scene and, having pronounced life extinct, felt tha t it was no longer their responsibility to take . any. action with regard to ensuring that Mr Carr's body was taken forthwith to an appropriate hospital. "The body lay in the road


out of his Land-Rover when i t . left the road and collided with three roadside trees, had one and a half'times the legal drink-driving limit.


. into circumstances of a young man who hie lost his life trag­ ically in a road traffic acci­ dent."


for a considerable period. I t seems to me to be'totally and completely unacceptable."; He also laid down the law


over young people drinking and driving after, being told that the young driver, killed instantly after being thrown


, ence, the coroner added: "It is'- staggering that young people such as Thomas Carr place themselves in a position by having consumed excess alco­ hol and making the likelihood


Saying drivers need compe­ tence, prudence and experi-.


,


grieves me that once again I - am dealing with an inquest


Mr Singleton said: "It , ;


of an accident far greater, then failed to take the obvious precaution of wearing a seat belt.


that driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs is not only dangerous, but socially unacceptable. I t is not fair that his family should be subjected to such grief and distress by the circumstances of his death.


"They heed to understand


ultimate price, I t is my great hope tha t he will not have died in vain if other young people can learn from this tragedy. •- "I have a son of 18, and I.


"Thomas Carr has paid the ; ; '''


can only begin to imagine the distress and the grief that this' has caused," he added..: He recorded a,verdict of


.accidental death on Whalley- born Mr Carr, who lived at Duckmire Faring Chapel Street, Slaidbum. .■/■'. 7. . The inquest heard how he


■ Cisburn. They stayed there until 11-30 or 11-45 p.m., then


was one of seven or eight young people who met'at the Coach and Horses, Bolton-by- Bowland, on the Saturday evening. He arrived in his own Land-Rover, then the group ordered a number of taxis and went on to the White Bull at


• continued on page 2 Something exciting is happening with our award-winning Valley magazine - pages 2 and 24 >Aws®msi


Siriour newsmen fps Department's _ _ _ inducting selected;


^ ^ l i n e s f r o m T I U O m i a ,


positively with us and our partners to keep any risks to a minimum. , "There are currently over 80


farms still under restrictions although this is likely to be reduced by February 8th. Those farms tha t remain under restrictions will be sup­ plied with new dated signs to advise the public which foot­ paths remain closed."


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profile of travelling crim­ inals," he added. Police criminal intelli­


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