The Clitheroe Thursday, May 12th, 2005:


Jack’s VEDay memory


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nature trail


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A son pays national tribute to lost father


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By Julie Magee


AN inquiry is to be held after some 40 local residents left a Clitheroe polling sta­ tion \vithout voting after facing lengthy


queues. Residents living in the Littlemoor Ward


were greeted with long queues at Brookside Primary School polling station for most of last Thursday evening.


- The queues were so long, at one point, that


many of the voters were forced to queue out­ side the building in the intermittent rain. Ribble Valley Borough Council recorded


Brookside Primary School as the second busiest polling station in the area with 1,261 voters turning out. The busiest polling station was Whalley Methodist Church Hall. It dealt with 1,621 voters during the day, but unlike Brookside, there were no reports of residents failing to cast their votes because of the queues. Leader of Ribble Valley Borough Council


Coun. John Hill, who described the election turn-out as excellent, commented: “It is a- shame really that people were discouraged because of the poor weather conditions and got sick of waiting so decided not to cast their votes. ■ "I don't think this has ever happened before


and the council will be launching an inquiry to find out exactly what happened." Meanwhile, borough councillor and Whalley


resident Coun. Joyce Holgate said she had never seen so many queues at Whalley and had


A DELIGHTED Nigel Evans and supporters (A050505/5p)


been extremely pleased with the turnout. A spokesman for the council said that elec­


toral turnout in the borough was not dramati­ cally higher than in previous years. It was also recorded at only five per cent higher than else­ where in East Lancashire. She added the problems of queuing at


polling stations may have been exacerbated by the weather. Staff reported an increase in turnout after the rain temporarily stopped at around 8-30 p.m. The council’s chief executive, Mr David Morris, who is also returning officer for the


^Ribble Valley constituency, said he believed there was sufficient staff at all the polling sta­ tions and that he did not consider 15 minutes - the length of time some residents cited that


they had to wait to vote - was too long. He added tha t the council’s hands were tied regarding the staffing of the polling station. “There is only one register of electors per


polling station, so more staff would not have made a difference. Photocopying the register would be completely out of the question, because of the fraud implications. “Our busiest polling stations, of which


Brookside was one, were manned by our most experienced staff. However, we will be under­ taking a review of stations that were heavily used to see if there is room for improvement. “I am sorry people had to queue, but am


very pleased with the way the election went and would like to thank our officers for their hard work.” ■ The Government recommends that an elec­


toral register should contain at least 2,500 vot­ ers before being split across two polling sta­ tions, but only larger venues can accommodate two polling stations. Meanwhile, an investigation has been


launched after around 100 voters were turned away from Ribble Valley polling station Longsands Primary School in Fulwood. Preston City Council, which ran the polling


station on behalf of Ribble Valley, came under fire for not having enough duty staff to cope. The police were called to the scene in case of


any public order problems - but were only faced with grumbling voters. ■' ' A spokeperson for Ribble Valley Borough


Council, said: “We will be launching an inquiry to establish exactly what happened.” • For election results, joy and heartache, turn to pages 4,5 and 7.


NEARLY 2,000 police officers killed in the line of duty were honoured with a National Police Memorial in central London - includ­ ing the father of a Clitheroe man. War reserve constable


Mr John Towers, of Black­ burn police, was fatally injured when he was assaulted while on patrol three days before Christ­ mas in 1943. He died from a fractured


skull on December 27th, aged just 39. Last month, the Nation­


al Police Memorial was unveiled by Her Majesty, the Queen. The marble and glass column, contain­ ing an honour book with the names of 1,600 coura­ geous officers (including Mr Towers) is positioned in The Mall.


• • This week, Mr Towers’


son, Mr Gerrard Towers,' of Victoria Street,


Clitheroe, pictured with the Prime Minister, has been re-living the moment he was able to pay tribute to his father and at the same time be under the same roof as the Queen. He said:“It is very com­


forting to know that my father’s name, along with the hundreds of brave offi­ cers, has been honoured in the memorial book.” Mr Tower (72), said the


Prime Minister Tony Blair) Conservative leader Michael Howard and Lib­ eral Democrat leader Charles Kennedy were also present. The unveiling was the


culmination of a 10-year campaign for a monument by Mr Michael Winner, who set up the Police Memorial Trust in the wake of the shooting of WPC Yvonne Fletcher in 1984.


FAIVIILY NOTICES... PAGES 28,29 ■ AT YOUR SERVICE... PAGES 8,9 ■ VILLAGE NEWS... PAGES 13,14,15


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Edisford Road, Clitheroe Telephone: 01200 442188


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