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«S Thursday, January 30th, 2003 No. .6,082 , i l \


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Anew look portrait


AT A GLANCE


A Chatburn man caught with Internet porn has been jailed for nine months. :


■—■" page 3


A family of six are still living in temporary accommodation 16 months after floods wrecked their home.


— ...... page 5


The Prince of Wales “thorough­ ly enjoyed” his visit to the Rib- ble Valley and continues to talk about it.


..... ' 11 page 3


Teenage Clitheroe chef Dawn Holl- ings impresses the judges with her culinary flair.


i m i . page 5


A record number of grammar school pupils are offered places at Oxford and Cambridge.


M i' h i . ....page 7


Celebrations are under way in a small Valley village following a £181,000 Lotto grant.


" " ■■ page 2


A young Whalley goalkeeper receives a national call-up.


FOGGITT’S WEEKEND WEATHER: Becoming' warmer with rain. ■


SUNRISE: 8 a.m. SUNSET: 4-47 p.m.


LIGHTING UP TIME: 4-47 p.m..


................... ........■■... . page 36 CALLUS


News: 01200 422324


: Advertising: ' ’ 01200422323 ■' Classified: 01282422331


Fax: 01200 443467


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


Driver’s miraculous escape from smash


A DRIVER had a miraculous escape from serious injury in a horror smash on a notorious killer road. Janet Waring (43) - who had to be cut free


from the wreckage of her car - suffered a bro­ ken shoulder and minor cuts. Sgt Martin Bishop, of the road traffic polic­


ing unit, said Mrs Waring was travelling from Whalley towards Burnley when she came round a bend in her Alfa Romeo. The car collided'with a stone wall and spun


round 180 degrees before being in collision with a Ford Transit. The van was driven by Mr Douglas Harg-.


reaves (45), of Burnley. “She was lucky her injuries were not more


serious,” said Sgt Bishop. The accident happened in Whalley Road at


Simonstone, near the junction with Old Hey Farm, at 8-30 a.m. on Monday, closing the road. Fire-fighters from Padiham used specialist


cutting gear and spreaders to completely remove the roof of the Alfa Romeo to free Mrs Waring. While she was being freed, Dr Grant McKeating, of the Med Alert, organisation, tended to her. The air ambulance was called, but she was taken to Burnley General Hospital by road.


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The Valley - inside


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Postal raid: thieves’ haul now stands at


more than £20,000 THE haul from a Clitheroe postman in a carbon-copy raid has grown to more than £20,000. A gang wrestled the postman to the ground


as he walked from the Chester Avenue sorting office to his van with a container of high-value parcels ready for delivery around Clitheroe. The value of the stolen parcels has increased


daily as more people reported not having received their registered packets. They contained some High-value pieces of


jewellery due to be delivered to local jewellers and a large quantity of currency, including Euros and US dollars, on their way to local banks. The raid, at 9-30 a.m., had all the hallmarks


of a similar one in August last year when a thief smashed the window of a post office van in King Street, Clitheroe, and stole a number of registered packets from the passenger seat. The van driver in August was the same post­


man as in Wednesday’s incident. He was knocked to the ground during the robbery as the gang tried to snatch the container the post­ man was carrying. And the getaway vehicle on Wednesday was


EMERGENCY crews are pictured tending the injured driver at the scene of the incident (s)


Failed sniffer dog Fleck relies on his ears to aid young mum


by John Turner


FLECK,., an English working cocker spaniel,


was a flop in his first career as a police sniffer dog. He got the sack when


his sense of :smell was found to be not up to the exacting demands of the


force. But though his nose let


him down, his ears have led to a second, far more success­ ful, career as a hearing dog, helping a young mother from Clitheroe. And now he and his owner,


GIFTS & GEAR GADGETS


Neighbours’ action prevents major fire damage at school


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QUICK-THINKING neigh­ bours leapt into action to save their local school from being burned down. Cold-hearted arsonists forced


Headteacher Miss Fliss Wat­


an outside store cupboard hous­ ing outdoor toys used by the children of St Mary’s RC Pri­ mary School, Langho, put a fire­ lighter inside and set it alight. Before neighbours spotted the


smoke on Sunday afternoon and took their prompt action, the toys and cupboard had been destroyed and the flames had caused damage to windows and guttering. Nearby toilets had been severely smoke damaged. Estimates put the total dam­


age at £4,000.


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THE Clitheroe soldier, injured when he was hit on the head with a pickaxe on Salisbury Plain dur­ ing a military exercise is continu­ ing to recover. L/Cpl Konrad Bisping, a for­


son said this week: “The quick thinking by several neighbours prevented what could have been a very nasty outcome.” She said they were trying to


identify the neighbours who had helped in saving the building so that the school can formally thank them. She said all the toys in the toy


cupboard were lost to the flames. The toilet block was put out


of action because of the smoke, but the school had other toilets which can be used. Police carried out house-to-


house inquiries in a bid to catch the culprits.


Soldier on the road to recovery


treated in Southampton General Hospital and not yet able to be interviewed by police. . • A 17-year-old Blackburn


mer pupil at St Augustine’s RC High School in Billington, is now able to walk and talk to hospital staff,. However, he is still being


youth has been charged with attempted murder and has appeared at North Wiltshire Youth Offender’s Court. He is due to appear in court again on February 18th.


Mrs Charlotte Cutts-Bland, of Pendleton, are being cited as examples of the benefits to be had from a major national fund-raising exercise by the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.


Mrs Cutts-Bland has had


11-year-old Fleck as a com­ panion since April, 1995. He helps her with sound alerts like the door bell, smoke alarms, cooking timers, alarm clocks or someone calling her name. He is trained to alert her to


danger by touching her with his paws and lying down in front of her. For less immedi­ ate alerts he touches Mrs Cutts-Bland, then leads her to the source of the sound. "He is a very good compan­


ion," said Mrs Cutts-Bland, who Has been profoundly deaf since birth. Until the birth of her son


two years ago, Mrs Cutts- Bland, whose husband is a plumber, worked for the Hear­ ing Dogs charity. Now she makes jewellery. The campaign in which she


figures is encouraging people to take part in a whole range of challenging and exhilarat­ ing events to raise money for Hearing Dogs. They have guaranteed


places in the London Marathon, Edinburgh Marathon, Great North Run and the London 10K Road Race. They are also keen to


seek sponsorship from those taking part in the Ben Nevis, the Three Peaks Challenge or other activities such as long­ distance cycle rides. Hearing Dogs for Deaf Peo­


ple is the only charity in the UK dedicated to training


dogs, mainly from rescue cen­ tres or similar, to alert severely or profoundly deaf people to everyday household sounds. Hearing dogs transform the


lives of their recipients by pro­ viding greater independence, increased confidence and secu­ rity, and valuable companion­ ship. In its 20-year history, the charity has placed nearly 900 hearing dogs. Nicky Litchfield, the chari­


ty ’s community appeals co­ ordinator for the North-West, says: “Hearing Dogs does not receive any government fund­ ing, and so relies on the fund­ raising support of the public. So go on - fulfil your New Year’s resolution, and raise vital money to help train more dogs to transform the lives of deaf people.” Hearing Dogs’ fund-raising


team is on-hand to give more information or to secure a place in any of the events. The team is available on 01257 260 988 or 07769 901 297, or Hearing Dogs’ national events co-ordinator Hannah Phillips on 01844 348113. Mrs Cutts-Bland is pictured with wonder dog Fleck, (s)


CCTV - one of the best in Britain


system are so sharp that courts will be left in little doubt about the identities of those captured


by the latest digital equipment. Insp. Bob Ford said this


week it was so accurate and gave such a clear picture that he was able to tell from a moni­ tor in the police station that a car parked along Church Brow some distance from the camera carried an out-of-date tax disc on its windscreen. “The quality of the images is


really, first class.,It. is like watching your television set at home; they are very high reso­ lution; what you would call top- notch pictures,” he said. The system, launched on


Thursday, is now up and run­ ning, with a team of operators at a control centre in Clitheroe monitoring .the cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are 17 cameras keep­


ing an eye on Clitheroe and the Roefield Leisure Centre and


OFFENDERS can be identi­ fied and caught on Clitheroe’s new closed circuit television surveillance system, even if they are 200 yards from a cam­ era. Images from the £600,000


SOMETHING SPECIAL


HAS ARRIVED IN


another three cameras in Whal­ ley. .


• Insp. Ford also dismissed


sonic, they had installed soft­ ware which prevented the cam­ eras becoming peeping toms and furtively spying into bed­ room windows. If the cameras panned across


any concerns there might be over any disreputable behav­ iour by the operators. In conjunction with Pana­


bedroom windows there was an automatic blanking out of the window. Ribble Valley Borough Council engineering manager


Mr Graham Jagger said: “The system is as advanced, if not more advanced, than any other system in the country. “We hope it makes people in


the area' feel safer and we hope it will give a better sense of security to people visiting the town.” Our picture shows the


Mayor, Coun Mrs Joyce Hol- gate, being shown the new sys­ tem by Chief Supt John Thompson, Insp. Ford and Det. Sgt Paul Elms. . (B230103/5)


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abandoned in Pimlico Road, exactly the same as the vehicle in the August raid. It is under­ stand both vehicles had been stolen earlier in Manchester. That is where police are concen­ trating their inquiries. Police believe four men were involved in last


week's raid, which was carefully planned with some local knowledge. Even though police roadblocks were quickly set up, the gang had slipped the net. Insp. Bob Ford appealed for information


from anyone who may have seen four men in a silver Ford Fiesta in the Pimlico Road area around 9-30 a.m. on Wednesday of last week.


Attempted murder charge


A MAN charged with attempting to murder Darren Leecy, of Clitheroe, has been remand­ ed in custody. Benjamin Edward Parker (22), of Brother-


ton Meadow, Clitheroe, appeared before mag­ istrates a t Blackburn. He is accused of attempting to murder Mr Leecy (33) at the family’s home in Standen Road, Clitheroe, in the early hours of Monday, January 20th. As reported last week, Mr Leecy was taken


to hospital with stab wounds. , Parker’s solicitor, Mr Robin Phoenix, applied


for bail, but the magistrates refused. They ordered that Parker be committed to


Preston Crown Court, in custody, for the case to proceed on a date to be fixed.


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