Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) 2 Clitheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, May 5th,2005


INSIDE YOUR CLITHEROE ADVERTISER AND TIMES


H Valley Matters ............................... 6,7 H Village News .......................... .11,12,13 HLetters ................


...16,17


H Weekendplus . . . . . . . . ----- .18,19,20 H Weekend TV ................................24,25 B Family Notices ...................... BReadersplus..................


.22,23 20


H Jobs............ .................... .45 to 47 HPropertyplus ...... ............... . . . 2 9 to44 H Motorsplus........ .......................51 to 67 H Sport.................. ..............:.........68 to 72


AT A GLANCE ...


Decade of youth theatre - page 8 Plough match success - page 12 Roefield price rise - page 16 Award for midwife - page 22


INFORMATION


Duly chemist: Buckleys Chemist, 4 Railway View Road, Clitheroe, Sunday, noon to 1 p.m. I’elicc: 01200 443344. Fire: In emergency 999 and ask for fire service. Electricity: 0800 1954141. Gas: 0800 111999. Water: 0845 462200. Councils: Ribble Valley Borough Council, Clitheroe 425111. Clitheroe Town Council, 424722. Hospitals: Blackburn Royal Infirmary: 01254 263555. Queen's P a rk H o sp ita l, Blackburn: 01254 263555. Airedale General Hospita l, Steeton: 01535 652511. Clitheroe Community Hospital: 427311/ • i ’ , . . 'Alcohol Information Centre: 01282 416655.


Aidsline: 01282 831101 (7 p.m. to 9 p .m .) .. Domestic Violence Helpline: 01282 422024.


j-,:.' ' :. ' '


Cruse liereavcmenl Care: Ribble Valley 01200 429346. Environmental Agency: Emergencies - 0800 807060. Drugs: Local confidential advice and information line: 01200 444484. National: 0800 776600, Rilrble Valley Talking Newspaper: 01200 428604. Samaritans: 01254 662424. Monthly Volunteer Helpline: 01200 422721. Lancasliirc Rural Stress Network: 01200 427771. QUEST (specialist smoking cessation service): 01254 358095. Rihble Valley Citizens’ Advice Bureau: 01200 428966.


CONTACT US! News: 01200 422324


Advertising: 01200 422323 Classiried: 01282 422331 Family Notices and Photo Orders: 01282 426161, ext. 410 Fax: l)i20n 413467 editor e-mail: vivien.meatli@eiisllancsnews.co.nk news editor e-mail: duncan.smitli@eastlancsnews.co.uk sport e-mail: edward.lee@eastlancsnews.co.uk


WEATHER H SLAIDBURN


DUNSOP BRIDGE B


B GISBURN CHIPPING I


CLITHEROEH-,'/? LANGHO


I BURNLEY B ACCRINGTON ICHATBURN Change of heart over centre of the kingdom • continued from page I ’’


and soirie 1km north west of Turner Fold.


' By a bizarre coincidence, and


WEEKEND IVEATHER: Saturday is set to remain dry with sunny spells, while Sunday is expected to be brightallday.'


SUNRISE: 5-29 a.m. SUNSET: 8-45 p.m. LIGHTING UP TIME: 8-45 p.m.


creating another Ribble Valley link, the exact centre of England and Wales is now near Sutton Coldfield, at a property called Hurst Green Farm! Many people wrongly believed


the exact Centre of the Kingdom (GB+401) was the public tele­ phone box in Dunsop Bridge. In


fact, the call box contains infor­ mation quoting the Grid Refer­ ence, so walkers in the area can find it, but as Mr Thorpe points out, that inforraatibri will now. have to be revised. The good news for walkers, he adds, is that “i t also means that if you stand at the Centre GB+401, you are no longer sinking into Brown Syke Mossl” According to Mr Thorpe: “The


Ribble Valley’s ‘exact heart’ was transplanted twice during 1991 as


news broke that \ye were at the Centre of the Kingdom. Claims th a t it was. at a barn near Chaigley, or the Hodder Bridge,


. were superseded by the official preference of the Ordnance Survey Office for the site 500 metres west


of the Whitendale Hanging Stones. “Now, it Seems, the Ordnance


Survey Office has changed its mind and the exact centre is on the move again!” On hearing the news, Coun.


John Hill, leader of Ribble Valley Borough Council, said yesterday: “It is clear that the Centre of the Kingdom is moving towards my parish of Read and Simonstone all the time! But seriously, it all just goes to show that wherever you are in the Ribble Valley, you are never far from the Heart of the Kingdom.” For more facts and figures, you


can visit the Ordnance Survey website on the Internet at: www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk


wivw.clitheroetoday.co.uk Clitheroe’422324 (Editorial); 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


Bid to stop bogus callers at doormat


by Faiza Afzaal


ELDERLY and vulnerable residents in the Ribble Valley are being given doormats with the message “locked, stop, chain, check” in a bid to stamp out bogus callers. Specially-designed doormats are


being distributed to over 600 homes in the Ribble Valley and Hyndburn following a number of distraction . burglaries and bogus caller crimes. The innovative scheme designed


to raise awareness about the perils of bogus callers has been launched by local police in partnership with Rib­ ble Valley Borough Council, Trading Standards and Hyndburn Commu­ nity Safety Partnership. The yellow and blue printed mes­


sage “Locked, Stop, Chain, Check” means people should lock their door before they answer because bogus callers often barge in, stop and think if they are expecting anyone, put the chain on before they open the door and then check for identification. Spearheading the campaign is PC


Andy Liptrot, who is keen to help prevent this type of crime. He said: “Often the most simple


solutions are the most effective and the doormat is a visual reminder to elderly people that when they open their door the person on the other side may not be what they seem. “It is a sad fact that dishonest i


people will prey on the elderly arid vulnerable and we want to empower householders to take simple steps to make their homes safer and prevent


. becoming a victim.” The novel idea Has been backed by


local police, who stress that if any­ one has any doubt about a caller they should not let the person into their home. PC Peter Wareing, of Clitheroe


police, said: “During the past six months, we have had a number of distraction burglaries, in which eld­ erly residents have been targeted. “In one incident, an 83-year-old


Woone Lane resident was sold three panic attack alarms by a conman at her doorstep at £90 each, when the actual price was £5 each. “In another incident, a 70-year-old


vulnerable man collected his pension from the post office and was followed home by two tricksters who made their way into the house and stole his pension.


( “The message on the doormat is


loud and clear, it should stick in their minds every time they open the door. I t urges pensioners not to let bogus callers walk all over them.”


PC Wareing added that free door


chains and security packs were also being offered to senior citizens to raise awareness of the serious crimes and to make sure people knew what to do. Extra funding was being sought for additional doormats. He added: “These mats are not


just for people who have been a vic­ tim of bogus caller crime, but it is for people who are in doubt of opening the door to strangers. “When the elderly generation was


young everything was bought by sales people on the doorstep. . “Times have changed. Please


check a caller’s identification before letting them in. Always remember that a genuine caller will return by appointment if asked to.” 'The scheme has also been backed


by Age Concern. Twelve months ago. Age Concern in partnership


with WRVS and other domiciliary care delivered 15,000 paper napkins. The paper napkins, covered with a


printed warning “Don’t be sorry, be safe when someone knocks at your door make sure you know who they are before letting them in”, were delivered with Meals on Wheels to raise awareness of distraction bur­ glaries. The borough council’s Crime and


Disorder Reduction Partnership Ini­ tiative officer, Mr Bill Alker, said: “This is another initiative aimed at allowing elderly and vulnerable resi­ dents to make them secure and safe in their own homes.” Anyone requiring further informa­


tion about the doormats should call PC Wareing on 01200 458711. Our picture shows PC Wareing with one of the doormats. (B030505/4)


Pendle Club


BRIDGE winners at the Pendle Club were: Mrs Anne Cooper, Mr Harvey Jackson, Mrs Eileen Had- field, Mrs Eva Velvick. Solo whist winners were:


Mr K. Holding, Mr S. Holden, Mrs M. Holding. ■ Domino results were: 1 ( jo in t ), Mrs M. Davies and G. Berry; 3, Mrs V. Giles; 4;(joint), Mrs M. Tomlinson, Mrs R. Kid­ die, Mrs H. Simpson. > Sequence dancing is held


every Tuesday at 7-30 p.m. and line dancing every.Thursday at 1-30 p.m.'


Bridge results


WINNERS on Monday at Clitheroe Bridge Club were: N/S Mr and Mrs R. Atkinson, Mr D. Mor­ timer and Mrs B. Wilson; E/W Mr C. Pollard and Mrs S.‘Johnson, Mrs I. Park and Mr B. Guha. On Thursday, winners


were: N/S Mr (j. Pollard and Mrs M. Lawley, Mr J. Pawlicki and Mr B. Guha; E/W Mrs B. Wilson and Mr J. Renton, Mr G. Wharfe and Mrs R. Spencer.


WMJ GPRE meeting


THE Campaign to Pro­ tect Rural England’s Rib­ ble Valley District Group will hold its next meeting on Thursday, May 12th. It will take place at Mit-


ton Hall Country House Hotel’s Conference Room at 7-30 p.m.


Cycle stolen


THIEVES rode off on a black and blue pedal cycle from outside Woohvorths in Clitheroe. The Carrera mountain


bike, worth £100, was left insecure outside the busy store in Castle Street when the offenders struck at 2 p.m. on Saturday.


For the result from the


Ribble Valley constituency in


. today’s General Election, log on to the Glitheroe Advertiser and


Times website at: www.clitheroe today.co.uk


i


% I


I


Youth project meeting


WITH weeks to i go before Whalley’s youth cafe opens its doors to teenagers, volunteers involved in the project are being invited to a special meeting. The irieeting will be


held at The Dog Inn, in Whalley, where volun­ teers will be required to complete the Criminal Record Bureau forms, which will be handed out by W i l le y ’s Com­ munity Beat Manager, Geoff Pennal.. The meeting is expect­


ed to start at 6-30 a.m. on Monday, and is open to anyone who can spare a few hours a week in running the youth cen­ tre.


Anyone requiring fur­


ther information on the project is asked to call PC Pennal on 01254 458727.


“THESE increases are highway rob­ bery” - a reader writes about the Roefield Leisure Centre car park charges - see Letters page 16


www.cIltheroeIoday.co.uk


Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, May 5th, J


Prison for ‘angry’ ex-con in early morning rooftop siege


By Dominic Wiggan


AN "angry,” ex-convict involved in an early hours rooftop siege and a two- day crime spree in Burnley has been jailed for two years. The town’s Crown Court heard how for­


mer nightclub worker Michael Davies (28), of Darby Street, Clitheroe, sparked the calling in of the fire brigade and the police helicopter and threatened officers after he broke into Burnley Miners’ Club and then ended up on the top of RDA Trading store after a police chase. ■ The defendant, said to have been frus­


trated and demonstrating his feelings against the system after he lost his job and could not get benefits, refused to come down, but finally gave in after four hours. In the days that followed, he held his


solicitor prisoner in a police cell and attacked two Group Four custody officers. Davies, who has 100 criminal convic­


tions, was told by Judge Beverley Lunt only immediate custody was justified. She added that the defendant, whose barrister had told the court he was in poor


health, had been fit enough to get on the roof and resist the efforts of police trying to get him down. Judge Lunt said Davies' behaviour had


been "wholly irrational" and she considered the most serious offence was that against his then lawyer, Mr Mark Bone. The judge added: "That was a most ter­


rifying experience for that man, who was there to help you." Davies admitted affray, burglary and


damaging property on January 22nd and false imprisonment and two charges of common assault against Adam Grace and Christopher Pate, on January 24th. Mr John O'Shea (prosecuting) told the


court the steward of Burnley Miners' Club, in Plumbe Street, Burnley, was alerted and found that a window had been damaged, two gaming machines had been broken into and £46.20 taken. Police were called and an officer heard


noises and saw Davies peering round the corner at her. He ducked, ran off and was chased. Another officer, in nearby Turf Street,


saw the defendant hiding on the roof of RDA Trading and asked him to come down, but Davies took things from his


Ambitious plans cut no ice with neighbours


Exclusive by Faiza Afzaal


AN ambitious proposal for a £4m. visitor centre in the Gisburn For­ est and Stocks Reservoir area is being explored. And as news of the major devel­


opment broke, outraged residents and retailers in Tosside and Slaid- burn expressed fears that the cen­ tre could scupper their businesses, spoil the area of Outstanding Nat­ ural Beauty, lead to an increase in traffic and pollution and discour­ age holiday makers from returning to the picturesque area. Earlier this week, the Clitheroe


Advertiser and Times obtained a document from a Slaidburn Parish Council member outlining the pro­


posals. Under the plans, it is understood


that the visitor centre will com­ prise a conference centre, office/workplace,


gallery,


cafe/restaurant, food and craft hall, commercial kitchen and butchery, cold store, a smoke house and an external eating area. The scheme could also include


12 high quality three/four bed­ room chalets, a 50-space car park, livery centre (accommodation for six stables for visiting riders) and bird hides.


It is believed that the proposal is ' .


led by Lancashire County Council on behalf of a consortium of inter­ ested parties. Including United Utilities, the Forestry Commis­ sion, Ribble Valley Borough Coun­ cil, the Royal Society for the Pro­ tection of Birds and a number of other organisations. Among the traders objecting to


the plans is Mr Tim Gridley, land­ lord of the Dog and Partridge pub,


in Tosside. a g a M M ia He strongly believes the pro­


posed visitor centre will cause nothing but disruption and will discourage tourists from returning to the area. He also said that there was no


need for a visitor centre when there was a village hall. His opinion was backed by Mrs


Barbara Hodgson, a member of the Tosside Village Hall Social Committee. She fears the construction of the


massive project will spoil the for­ est beauty spot and take a lot of trade away from local businesses. Meanwhile, Joe Clarkson, who


runs Riverbank Tea Rooms, in Slaidburn, said: “At this time, I am unable to determine the affect the centre will have on my busi­


ness. “The officials involved are


remaining tight-lipped about the whole project and we are failing to get straight answers from anyone as to what is actually happening. There have been no public consul­ tations whatsoever. “I am concerned about the traf--


fic and pollution on the roads. The roads in this area are too narrow to


handle increased traffic.” A similar opinion was expressed


by Mrs Norma Dugdale, of New House Farm, Tosside. She commented: “Not only will


this development be harmful to the environment by increased traf­ fic and pollution, but it will siphon off trade from smaller businesses in Tosside and surrounding area. “This area must be kept as it is


and not turned into some sort of ghastly tourist site. ■ “The proposal totally disregards


the history of the area and the fact th a t so many people lost their homes and livelihoods when they


were compulsory purchased by Fylde Water Board last century. “It makes a mockery of the rea­


son why those people were given notice to leave in such a ruthless manner.” Meanwhile, Mr Jeff Wilson


(60), of Lower Gill Farm, Tosside, is the owner of five holiday cot­ tages two miles away from the vil­ lage. He believes the peace and tran­


quillity of the area will be ruined by the development. In response to local residents


and traders’ concerns, Coun. Rose­ mary Elms (Rowland, Newton and Slaidburn ward), said: “There is a lot of local concern about the plans, however, it is early days yet and we don’t even know whether enough funding has been secured enabling the project to go ahead.” As we went to press, a


spokesman for Lancashire County Council revealed a meeting was due to be held to discuss the fund­ ing so far secured for the proposed development. The outcome of the meeting will


determine the future of the pro­ posed ■visitor centre. A statement released by Lan­


cashire County Council reads as follows: “A proposal for the devel­ opment of a sustainable visitor centre came out of a consultation between the Forest of Rowland AONB and local tourism industry. “Some funding has been sought


from the North West Develop­ ment Agency and a decision is expected to be made later this week. Should funding be made avail­


able, further consultation with the public will take place.” • Against the plans - see letters,


page 17. tel:01200 429929


fax;gi2gg 442991 www.ultrafraiiie-conservatories.GO.uk


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pocket and threw them over the side. More police arrived, the fire service and


the police helicopter were summoned and Davies was repeatedly requested to come down. He picked up a roof slate, but did riot actually throw anything at officers. Mr O'Shea said the defendant was


offered the fire service platform to help him down, but was hostile and threatened to slit the throat of anybody who went near. About 7-05 a.m., Davies came down of


his own accord and was arrested. The defendant was remanded in custody and spat at a custody officer through the


hatch of his cell. Davies was with his solicitor, in the mid­


dle of his cell with his fists clenched and taking a "boxing stance". He backed Mr Bone into a corner using his arm to stop him getting away, was asked to release the solicitor, but four officers ended up having to go into the cell and restrain him. The defendant then kicked another cus­


tody officer in the groin before being brought to the floor and handcuffed. Mr Ken Hind (defending) said Davies


accepted he must go to prison. He had a relationship with a counsellor and gradu­ ate and they had a two-year-old daughter.


When he was released from jail she gave


him a home and stability and he was work­ ing at a nightclub. Lava Ignite, in Burnley. He lost his job after being arrested, had to wait to receive benefits and had no means of support. Mr Hind continued: "This was a man


who was angry. He was doing everything he could possibly do to sort himself out and he was demonstrating his feelings against the system. He fell through the cracks in the system." The barrister added the defendant


waved roof tiles at police, but never threw one. He never assaulted anybody and after four hours he came down. Nobody was injured, nobody was hurt. He gave himself up.


Mr Hind said Davies had taken excep­


tion to the hatch being opened when he was having a private consultation with his solicitor. He did not want his lawyer to leave. The defendant, whose partner was pre­


pared to stand by him, was in danger of becoming institutionalised. Mr Hind con­ tinued: "It is going to be harder to survive outside prison rather than inside."


i F E f ^ S A • Registered Copipsny.


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