Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) 2 Clitheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, September 22nd, 2005
INSIDE YOUR CLITHEROE ADVERTISER AND TIMES
H Valley Matters ............................8 and 9 m Village N ew s ...............11,12,13 and 19 B Letters...................................................21 B Weekendplus ................... 25,26 and 27 B Weekend TV............................52 and 53 B Family Notices........................22 and 23 HReadersplus ........................................54 B Jobs.....................................................55 to 56 B Property plus .............................. 31 to 50 B Motorsplus........................................63 to 76 H Sport...................................................77 to 80
AT A GLANCE... Great North runners - page 5
Citizen of Year Award - page 7 Body found on fell - page 7 Hospital says farewell - page 9
INFORMATION
Duly chemisl; Buckleys Chemist, 4 Railway View Road, Clitheroe: Sunday, noon to 1 p.m. Police: 01200 443344. Fire: In emergency 999 and ask for fire service. Electricily: 0800 1954141. Gas: 0800 111999. Water: 0845462200. Councils: Ribble Valley Borough Council, Clitheroe 425111. Clitheroe Town Council, 424722. Hospitals: Blackburn Royal Infirmary: 01254 263555. Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn: 01254 263555. Airedale General Hospital, Steeton: 01535 652511. Clitheroe Community Hospital: 427311. Alcohol Information Centre: 01282 416655. Aidsline: 01282 831101 (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Domestic Violence Helpline: 01282 422024. Cruse Bereavement Care: Ribble Valley 01200 429346. Environmental Agency: Emergencies - 0800 807060. Drugs: Local confidential advice and information line: 01200 444484. National: 0800 776600. Riliblc Valley Talking Newspaper: 01200 428604. Samaritans: 01254 662424. Monthly Volunteer Helpline: 01200 422721. Lancashire Rural Stress Network: 01200 427771. QUEST (specialist smoking cessation sen ice): 01254 358095. Ribble Valley Citizens’ Advice Bureau: 01200 428966.
CONTACT US! News: 01200 422324
Advertising: 01200 422323 Classified: 01282422331 Family Notices and Photo Orders: 01282 426161, ext. 410 Fax: 01200 443467 editor e-mail:
vivicn.meath@
eastlancsnews.co.uk news editor e-mail:
duncan.smilh@
eastlancsnews.co.uk sport e-mail:
cdward.lee@eastlancsncws.co.uk
www.clitheroetoday.co.uk Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)
Chris’s return to UK ends Thai nightmare
by Faiza Afzaal
A RIBBLE VALLEY man who has endured an 18-month nightmare sen tence in a notorious Thai prison has finally been repatriated to a British jail. Former Queen Elizabeth
Grammar School pupil and university graduate, Christopher Egan (35), who was jailed in Thailand for narcotics offences in February 2004, has been transferred to Wands worth Prison, London. Throughout his ordeal,
Christopher, pictured, has strenously denied the alle gation and believes the drugs may have been planted by police inform ers, who profit from the arrest. The ex-English teacher
is being assessed and undergoing medical treat ment and could be trans ferred to a low-category Lancashire prison later this year to serve the remainder of his sentence. His relieved parents, Mr
and Mrs Tony and Joan Egan, of King Street, Whalley, have spoken of their elation on their son’s release from Klongprem Men’s Prison - better known as the notorious Bangkok Hilton. Retired accountant, Mr
Egan (63), said: “We are extremely relieved that he is finally in a British prison. “Since his arrival last
week, he has phoned home a few times, however, we are anxiously waiting for him to apply for a visiting order so we can go and see him.” Although the couple
said they were pleased that Christopher was in Eng land, they stressed th a t Christopher will now have to adjust to a completely new way of life. They are hoping that he will com plete his remaining sen tence in a Lancashire jail and could possibly be allowed out on a home detection curfew (com
monly known as “tagging” as early as
April.The fami ly has been warned that due to prison overcrowd ing, especially in the North West, he may have to stay in the high-security Wandsworth Prison for some time. He will, howev er, be totally free in Sep tember next year. “There is a lot to take
in,” explained Mr Egan. “Christopher is very con fused and insecure because of the lack of information. His head is all over the place and he is very much uncertain as to what is going to happen next. I think once he is in a North West jail, he will feel much better and think about what he is going to do in
the future. He has previ ously said that he wants to do something with drug rehabilitation." The couple expressed
their gratitude to the For eign Office and British Embassy who ensured their son’s transfer went smoothly and he was well looked after during the flight and on arrival in Wandsworth. During a phone-call last week, Christopher revealed he is being taken care of and has the comfort of a bed, mattress, television and radio in his room. In the past, he has been
extremely glad to receive letters from friends and people who have read about his plight in the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times. Mr Egan is once again urging supporters to continue to write to him until his release next year. He said: “All the letters
are very much appreciated and provide him with a great deal of comfort. The large amount of support he has received has really helped him." ® Anyone wishing to
write to Christopher can do so by addressing their letters to: Christopher Egan D4-27, PO Box 757, Heathfield Road, Wandsworth, London, SW183HS.
Elderly warned over bogus callers
ELDERLY people, especially those living alone in the Ribble Valley, are being warned to be on their guard. The stark warning has been issued
by Insp. Jenny Coulston, of Clitheroe police, after bogus callers struck twice in one day. In the first case, a conman, posing
as a workman tricked his way into an elderly man’s home in Franklin Street, Clitheroe. Once inside, the intruder asked the
victim to run the tap and watch for a dye in the water. While the man was looking out for
the dye, the bogus caller made a search of the premises and made off with some cash.
The incident happened between
11-30 a.m. and 1-30 p.m. last Wednesday and the offender is described as 20 to 30 years old, approximately Oft. tall, of medium build, clean shaven with short dark brown hair. He was wearing a dark green boil
er suit with a yellow stripe on the left side of the chest. In the second inci dent, an elderly woman was conned of money by a “builder” who tricked his way into her home in Moorland Road, Langho. The offender said she needed some
building work doing to her driveway and followed her around the house demanding payment.
The culprit is described as a white
male, around 5ft. 6ins. to 5ft. Sins, tall, of stocky build with short gin ger hair and had a local accent. Insp. Coulston has described the
burglaries as “despicable” offences and is renewing her plea to elderly residents to avoid allowing strangers into the home. She added: “It is real ly important that we prevent this from happening again. “When someone knocks at your
door, make sure you know who they are before letting them in. Always ask for Identification and if in doubt, call the police on 01200 443344. The police are always happy to offer sup port and advice.”
Soccer stars back cancer campaign
A TEAM from Clitheroe-based con servatory giant Ultraframe was among the first in Lancashire to pledge their support to a charity foot ball tournament promoting aware ness of male cancers. Taking place at the JJB Soccer
Dome at Trafford Park this Sunday, the five-a-side “Playing with Balls” event has been organised by Health- Sure, the Manchester-based health care provider. The seven-strong team of Ultraframe workmates have secured their place at the tournament and will be able to demonstrate their footy skills in front of soccer legends
and sporting greats, Gary Owen, Alan Kennedy, Mickey Thomas and Graeme Sharpe. Mark Davies, Ultra frame team captain, commented: “We’re really looking forward to the possibility of proving ourselves on the pitch. As a company packed with football fanatics, we can’t think of a better way to educate people in men’s health awareness than a whole after noon of footie.” Laura Hickman-Sparkes, market
ing manager a t HealthSure com mented: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response we’ve had from foot ballers across the region. I t just goes
to prove how important this issue is. We’re hoping to raise plenty of aware ness and encourage men to take bet ter care of their everyday health and wellbeing.” The five-a-side tournament is part
of HealthSure’s support of “Check- em”, a new DVD and website project to raise awareness of men’s health and lifestyle issues including testicular and prostate cancers. Every team taking part will receive
a football signed by all four Legends plus a goody bag for each participant
including a T-shirt, Check-em DVD and more.
Keepers hold next meeting
DO you want to be part of th e biggest community fund-raising campaign ever seen in Clitheroe? The Keepers of the Cas
tle group’s next meeting is on Tuesday a t 6 p.m. in Committee Room One at the Ribble Valley Council Chamber in Church Street, Clitheroe.
Ramblers
SETTING off from a car park at the side of Swinsty Reservoir near Blubber- houses, ramblers took a route down the Washburn Valley, climbing out to Norwood Edge Plantation. They then dropped
down through Lindley Wood to Lindley Wood Reservoir and back up the Washburn valley to Dob- park Wood, then via Carr Farm and Low Hall Farm to follow an old lane up to the hamlet of Timble. Field paths were then
followed to Swinsty Moor Plantation to Swinsty Hall and the edge of Swinsty reservoir was followed back to the car park. Despite the lack of views
due to the misty, hazy con ditions the variety of areas walked through made for a very enjoyable day out.
Pendle club
BRIDGE winners a t the Pendle Club were: Mrs Doris Farnsworth, Mrs Sylvia Walsh, Mrs Frances Porter, Mrs Doreen Marston. New members welcome
every Monday at 1-30 p.m. Solo whist winners at
the Pendle Club were joint 1, J. Thornton and M. Parker, 3rd, D. Knight. New members welcome
every Monday at 7 p.m. Domino winners were: 1,
P. Metcalfe, joint 2nd, M. Woods and E. Weaver, 4th, B. Holden, joint 5th, C. Waring, D. Knight, R. Seed. New members welcome
every Friday at 7 p.m. Sequence dancing is held
every Tuesday at 7-30 p.m. and line dancing every Thursday at 1-30 p.m.
FREE - with next week’s Clitheroe Adver tiser and Times - the October edition of the
Valley magazine.We meet local band Oversight, join the Mayor at her “At Home” and celebrate 100 years of Clitheroe Library. Order your copy now.
MORE than 50 guests enjoyed the first charity event organised by the Ribble Valley Mayor. With a casino theme, the odds
were in favour of it being a success, with more than £600 raised. Held by Coun. Mary Robinson,
at the council chamber, the event was supported by councillors, friends, business people and staff from the council. I t was also
mm Casino night is a winner for the mayor
attended by the Clitheroe Town Mayor Coun. Allan Knox and his wife. Sue, along with mayors from outside the borough. The Ribble Valley Mayor, who
will donate all proceeds from the evening towards her chosen chari ties, said she was delighted with the responset. “I t was a brilliant night and a great success,” she said.
“Everyone told me how much
they enjoyed it and I am grateful for the support it received from people in the Ribble Valley. I espe cially want to thank Mr Alan Hacking who did a splendid job with the lamb spit-roast.” Our picture shows the Ribble
Valley Mayor with some of the guest mayors at the charity casino evening. (T040905/10)
‘Angry’ man refused to give breath sample
A CLITHEROE man claimed he refused to provide a breath sample because he was angry with officers whom he felt had behaved in an aggressive manner. But Blackburn magistrates
heard the offence was Robert David Martin’s third drink-related driving offence in the past three
years. Mar tin (53), of Tower Hill,
pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He was made subject to a com munity supervision order for two
years with a condition th a t he attends the drink impaired driver
course. He was also disqualified from
driving for three years and fined £100 with £100 costs. A charge of driving without due
care was dismissed after the prose cution offered no evidence. Philippa White (prosecuting)
said police saw Martin driving at 1 a.m. When officers stopped him he ran off, but was arrested after a short chase. She said Martin had been dis
qualified from driving for 43 months in 2000 for an excess alco hol offence and had a third convic tion inside the 10 year time period. Daniel King (defending) said his
client was adamant that he was not over the limit. “He was mad with the police at
the time because of the way in which they behaved towards him,” said Mr King. “He is mad with himself now,
because if he had taken the breathalyser he would have passed and he wouldn’t be here today.”
www.clitheroetoday.co.uk
Clitheroe Advertiser &Times,Thursday, September 22nd, 2005 3
Standstill on tycoon’s offer of Brockhall land for jobs
By Faiza Afzaal
THREE months after prop erty tycoon Gerald Hitman offered free land and cost price buildings for employ ment use at his exclusive Brockhall Village site, no one has taken him up on his offer. The millionaire now hopes to
engage a firm of property con sultants to review the situation. He hopes will end a long-run
ning planning and employment dispute and finally see the com pletion of his “dream” develop ment. Ribble Valley planning offi
cials are working closely with Mr Hitman, with director of development, Mr Stewart Bai ley, stressing that the situation is in its very early stages. He added: “We are looking
into the possibility of employing specialist consultants to advise
4 it ■ W t " " ■ -■
the developer and the council on the marketability of the remain ing five acres of land at Brock hall Village.” When planning permission
was first granted in 1994, for the redevelopment and re-use of Brockhall Hospital to form a mixed village, i t was on the grounds it mixed employment with homes. That planning permission was
revised in 1999 to provide for more housing, eating away at the employment part of the site. Mr Hitman has always con
tended that there is little or no demand from employers keen to “set up shop” a t Brockhall, while the council insists employ ment uses must be found. In light of this, Mr Hitman,
who has been developing the luxurious site since the mid- 1990s, called an urgent meeting with Ribble Valley Borough Council’s Planning officers. He offered to build 60,000 sq.
ft. of conventional employment space on the land allocated for employment. Over the past three months,
he enlisted the council’s help in finding buyers for the buildings a t cost price with the land pro vided absolutely free. He wrote to every member of
the borough council, Billington and Langho Parish Council and 23 firms of commercial estate agents in Clitheroe, Blackburn and Preston, asking for the names of people who may be interested in the proposal. Apart from people requiring
buildings in which they could both live and have separate offices for their businesses, he had no response whatsoever. He did, however, receive some
interest following an article in the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times. “Two people phoned to ask if
I could build factories at the site for heavy industry and I had to
tell them that the land was too close to houses for there to be any chance of planning permis sion,” commented Mr Hitman. The developer now hopes that
his latest move will see an end to the long-running Brockhall saga. He claims he has attended
meetings with Mr Bailey and his team to complete the site as soon as possible by building live/work units. He commented: “The council
has asked me to provide the money for them to commission a national firm of property con sultants of their choice to pro duce a viability report on both options. “If the consultants advise
them that conventional offices and factories are not viable, but th a t live/work units are, the planning officers may consider a planning application ‘on its merits’.” Although Mr Bailey con
firmed th a t evidence was required to determine the con tinued development of the remaining land, he stressed that a number of key factors had to be considered, such as planning issues, before any decision was made. He added: “Further decisions
will be made depending on the outcome of the report.” O The latest move follows the
rejection of a scheme in January this year to build two apart ment blocks; each with flats and 14 “live/work” units.
• At the time, the project was described as a “completion of the exclusive village” and would have created 50 jobs. The devel opment also included a swim ming pool, complete with sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and sun ter race. However, councillors refused permission fearing the project would encroach further on to land earmarked within Brockhall for employment use.
Youth is quizzed on rape
A 17-YEAR-OLD youth has been released on police bail pending fu r th er inquiries after a 14-year- old girl said she was raped. Sgt. Nigel Watson, at
Accrington CID, con firmed the Clitheroe youth had been arrested on Mon day evening and ques tioned by officers, before being released on police bail.
The best cards
WINNERS at Clitheroe Bridge club on Monday evening were: NS Deanna Atkinson and Robin Atkinson, Jean Martin- dale and Jean Taylor. EW Isle Park and Doreen Blake, J. Pawlicki and John Renton. On Thursday evening
winners were: NS John Renton and Brenda Wil son, Sue Johnson and Ernest Ormand. EW Rose Spencer and Geoff Wharfe, Joan Bowker and Jean Taylor.
GP
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43
