■i ■M The Clitheroe Thursday, July 17th, 2003 }No. 6,106 news and views from the Centre of the Kingdom imes AT A GLANCE


With temperatures soaring, the heat took its toll on the 110 people who undertook the Three Peaks walk.


"" page 5


Furious members of a Whalley family have dismissed an emo tional expose as “ a pack of lies”.


— page 3


We reveal the winner of our Hair Salon of the Year 2003 competition.


1 page 12


Clitheroe business man John L a n ­ caster has received an honorary doc­ torate at UMIST.


—■■■" page 3


Homes are needed for 24 tor­ toises as a sanctuary announces it is full to bursting.


page 3


Clitheroe canoeist Jon Schofield takes on the best in the world.


■■ ■ page 30


Ex-Claret Andy Payton is in the line-up against Clitheroe FC on Saturday.


—"


WEEKEND WEATHER:


Warm with some sunshine, but with thundery showers.


SUNRISE: 4-59 p.m. SUNSET: 9-31 p.m.


LIGHTING UP TIME: 9-31 p.m.


page 30 CALLUS


News: 01200 422324


• Advertising: 01200 422323 Classified: 01282 422331 Fax: 01200 443467


Editorial e-mail: vivicn.meath@ eastlancsnews.co.uk


Workers a____ ^ _____ save the life of a friend


by John Turner


M O R E than 100 work­ mates rallied to a lifesav­ ing call as soon as Wendy Boyer was diagnosed with leukaemia. Workers from Tesco Stores


at Clitheroe and Blackburn came forward offering to be tested for a rare blood group to match that of mother-of- two Wendy, pictured right. Doctors found the required


six donors to supply B-plus blood which can be used for her treatment at Christie’s Hospi­ tal, Manchester. Wendy (45) of Shawbridge,


Clitheroe, was diagnosed with the disease two weeks ago and has been having treatment in Manchester ever since. A t first her ex-husband,


Clitheroe postman Mr Bill Boyer, was nonplussed over where he would find enough donors of the rare blood group. That is when he turned to


Claire Hirst, manager of the Clitheroe Tesco Store. Mrs Hirst gave the the 100


staff on duty on Tuesday the time and facilities to carry out telephone detective work and check their blood groups with hospitals in which they might have previously been patients. Three of the staff were found to have B-plus blood and she


Mrs Hirst roped in staff at


the Hill Street, Blackburn, store. One employee was found with B-plus blood at Black­ burn and Mrs Hirst sent yet another employee racing to Blackburn to drive her to Manchester. A fifth donor was found at the workplace of a Tesco employee’s husband as the message spread about the emergency. Mrs Hirst said: “Work isn’t


important when something like this happens.


“We originally needed four


immediately despatched another employee to drive to Christie’s to donate blood for Wendy’s treatment.


donors. I f we need any more, we will get them. Wendy is fan­ tastic. She has been at this store for 13 years. She is part of the furniture. She is a lovely


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Fury as council chief gives backing to mosque plan


OPPONENTS of another application for a mosque in Holden Street, Clitheroe, are angry that a meeting tonight will hear that Ribble Valley Borough Council Chief Executive Mr David Morris has recommended that the plan should be approved. They are also unhappy that minutes


sent out for a meeting of the Planning and Development Committee referred to the receipt of only eight letters of objection when, said its chairman, peo­ ple associated with the protest group had sent 250 letters. Trustees of the Islamic Education


Centre, who have had seven plans refused for the end-of-terrace cottage in recent years, lost what many thought was their last battle when a Government inspector ruled against them after a public inquiry for the mosque which would occupy an area only slightly larg­ er than an average car parking space. But the Muslims have now submitted


another application, the same as the one which was thrown out at appeal, except for one major difference. They now seek to limit the use of the proposed rear and side extensions of the building to between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. In his report to the committee, Mr


Morris states: “ It is still relevant to have regard to Policy G12 which recognises the importance of meeting the needs of religious groups for places of worship. Provided no demonstrable harm arises to the amenities of the area or nearby residents, consent will normally be granted. I therefore conclude that sub­ ject to limited hours of operation and


other specific conditions, it is accept­ able.” Among the conditions recommended


are that there will be no call to prayer, music or singing.


When the Government inspector dis­


missed the appeal earlier this year, she said the proposals would “unacceptably harm the living conditions of the occu­ piers of nearby properties by reason of noise and disturbance caused by the arrival and departure of people during the early morning and late evening dur­ ing the summer months.” The objectors of the Mearley Resi­ dents' Action Group are suggesting an


alternative site which, they claim, would be far more suitable. They have been in touch with mem­


bers of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have bought the now-disused Bright Street Nursery and plan to build themselves a new Kingdom Hall there. That would make their existing


premises in Back York Street available for local Muslims.


“ I t would be ideal,” said Mrs Sheila


Sims, chairman of the action group. “ It is not in a residential area, it has its own car park and already has plan­


ning permission for religious use,” she added. Mrs Sims said their members felt


Holden Street was not the right place for a mosque.


“ I have always fought against having


dwellings turned into something other than a dwelling. We are crying out for houses. Number 26 could be a lovely lit­ tle cottage. The mosque is going to cause all sorts of problems. I f they won’t at least have a look at the Back York Street property, I believe there is something wrong”.


Islamic Education Centre trustee Mr Sheraz Arshad would not give any hope


to the objectors that the Back York Street building might be suitable. He said: “We have always been open


to suggestions, but it very much depends on whether it is fit for prayers we need to do.”


“ It would seem to be more sensible to


pursue the Holden Street application to its logical end. We have invested a lot over the years in Holden Street.” Mr Arshad, who has accepted his


allotted three minutes to argue his case at tonight’s meeting, said cost, too, would be a major factor for the site in Back York Street. Planning committee member Coun.


John Hill appealed for people attending the planning meeting in the town hall tonight to “act sensibly and with deco­ rum” .


He said: “This is a very serious issue


and we have freedom of religion in this country. We recognise that, and we also recognise anyone can put in a planning application to establish a place of wor­ ship. We will be dealing with it strictly on planning grounds.” On the issue of the number of objec­


tors’ letters, planning officer Mr John Macholc said the minutes would be


updated before the issue was debated tonight. Since the minutes were printed there


had been about 80 letters of objection. He said that, bearing in mind certain


behaviour during the public inquiry, police had been informed about the meeting.


A police spokesman said: “We will


have a presence at the meeting. I f any­ one steps out of line or there is abuse, then action will be taken.”


person, the customers love her.”


Mr Boyer said: “Our divorce


papers have just come through, but I couldn’ t walk out and leave her with this. “ Tesco and all the people


who work there have been won­ derful. I cannot thank them enough. “And the National Health


Service has been brilliant. I ’ ll not hear a word against it.’ A spokesman for the Nation­


al Blood Transfusion Service said that although B-plus was not one of the rarest of the four main blood groups, only between three and four people in every 100 would be suitable donors


Police appeal for witnesses


A MOTORCYCLIST was said to be “critical, but stable” in hospital after being injured in an accident


on the Trough of Bowland on Mon day night. The rider, a man from Black-


bum, received serious injuries when he lost control of his Suzuki machine near Dunsop Bridge at 9 p.m. and collided with a metal railed fence.


I t was the latest in a series of


incidents in,which motorcyclists and their pillion passengers have been injured in the area.


The rider was airlifted from the


scene to Royal Preston Hospital by the NW Air Ambulance. He was suffering from a badly-broken pelvis and broken legs.


Police have appealed for witness-


Chemical spill at CRGS


A CHEMICAL incident unit was put on standby after a spillage in a Clitheroe Royal Grammar School chemistry laboratory on Monday afternoon. But the “small spillage” of ethano icanhydride was dealt with by school staff and firefighters from Clitheroe. Lancashire Fire Service


spokesman Mr John Taylor later praised the way the school dealt with the incident. I t was a small spillage of a sub­


stance that was not too nasty. “ The school handled it pretty


well.” There were no children in the vicinity of the spillage at the time.


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OUTSTANDING — that was the verdict as Edisford Primary School turned back the clock with a musical extravaganza. Parents, staff and friends


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mance, enjoyed by audience and pupils alike. Songs from the last 50 years


were featured, including those by Lulu, Michael Jackson and Rob­ bie Williams. The school was the first to


make use of the newly-refur­ bished facility, with its state-of- the-art sound and lighting effects, for a public presentation. © Full report, see page 5. Pictured is Liam Bibby with


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page 8


Foundation to back Valley


‘flying doctor’


V IC T IM S of road accidents in the Ribble Valley are more likely to get fully-skilled medical help at the scene because of action by a local charity. The Lancaster Foundation has pledged


to pay £1,000 every month for up to a year to support the Med-Alert charity through which volunteer Dr Grant McKeating is called to road accidents or other emergen­ cies in a high-speed fully-equipped car. The “ flying doctor” , whose vehicle is


. t l


almost like a mobile intensive care unit, has rendered invaluable help to injured people prior to their removal to hospital on 150 callouts since the Preston consultant anaes­


thetist joined the service in December 2001. He is one of 14 doctors in Lancashire


geared up to make a rapid response in their blue-light-equipped cars. Dr McKeating, who lives at Brockhall


Village, said: “The grant from the Lancast­ er Foundation is marvellous news. We are struggling to fund-raise all the time. There are lots of small donations, but support of this nature is vital.” Dr McKeating said they were hoping


businesses in the Ribble Valley could find ways of following the Lancaster Founda­ tion’s example and help with funding. I t costs around £40,000 a year to equip


and maintain the service. Dr McKeating often arrives before ambulance crews and is able to perform


basic treatment and more advanced work before handing over the patient to para­ medic crews.


He can administer pain-killing drugs


which cannot be given by paramedics. Last weekend was a typically busy one


for Dr McKeating. He was called to a motorcylist with a


broken arm on the A59 and, before he had a chance to return home, he was diverted to deal with an elderly gentleman who had fallen from a wall at the De Tabley Restau­


rant, at Ribchester, and sustained a head injury. • There was news, too, this week about


another sponsorship deal with BMI


Healthcare, which owns Beardwood Hospi­ tal in Blackburn. I t has agreed to foot the bill for the £400


extra to be found each year to insure each doctor and his car when they are driving at speed under the blue light.


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