16 Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, October 5th, 2006
www.clitheroetoday.co.uk
Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)
Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) Letters to the Editor — Write to: The Editor, Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, 3 King Street, Clithcroe BB72EW Editorial e-mail;
yivicn.meath@
easllancsnews.co.uk
0 The Editor welcomes all letters, but they may be edited or con densed, must not exceed 350 words and should reach us by noon on
Tuesday. Letters with noms de plume arc only published if the editor agrees that the writer's identity needs to be withheld.
Foolish idea of
civil liberties IN my view, Robin Parker’s let ter (28/9/06 “What became of civil liberties?”) was extremely foolish. Insofar as it was possible to
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understand the point he was trying to make - because it was clearly an ill-considered rant - he seemed to be saying that it was OK to drink and drive, so long as you weren’t actually drunk. If many other people think
like him, no wonder there are so many accidents and needless fatalities on our roads! Perhaps Mr Parker ought to
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consider the following facts (which can be found, together with a vast amount of other useful information and some harrowing stories of loss and bereavement, on the website of the Campaign Against Drink ing and Driving - note: not ‘Drunk Driving’
www.cadd.org.uk): 0 In 2003 (the latest year for
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which we have definite statis tics), 2,170 people were killed or seriously injured in drink- relat ed accidents. • 19% of drivers and riders
UNCtMJNWAY
killed on the roads in 2003 were over the legal blood alcohol limit. • In 2004, 3.1% of men
involved in injury-accidents failed a breath test, compared to 1.1% of women. 0 In 2004, 56% of all alco
hol-related accidents occurred between midnight on Thursday and midnight on Sunday. •
In 2004, in the key 17 to 24
age group, 6.3% breath tested after an accident failed the test, compared to an average for all ages of 4.4% Source: Department for
Transport, September 2005. The point that Mr Parker so
obviously misses is th a t you can’t actually calculate your personal alcohol limit: the amount and type of alcoholic drink, your sex, age, height, weight and metabolism, all play a part. Any alcohol, even what seems
to be a “small” drink, has the capacity to impair driving abil ity. I t is widely recognised, although evidently not by Mr Parker and those others who, despite the evidence, still refuse to acknowledge the problem, that the only safe course is sim- ply not to drive when you’ve been drinking; however much alcohol you have had, or think you’ve had. Of course, the matter is fur
ther complicated by the fact that while, some years ago, you would struggle to find wines much more than 12% alcohol and beers much more than 3 to 4%, today wines of 13 to 15% (particularly new world wines) and beers of 4 to 8% are widely available. 1 am n o t a ‘temperance-
freak’; indeed, one of my favourite verses from the Psalms is 104:151 Neither do I advocate prohibition or a police state. I enjoy my wine (and a decent ale), but I make absolutely sure that if I have had a drink, I do not drive. Per haps it would be a salutary les son for Mr Parker to speak to someone whose loved-one (who may have been a child) has been killed by a driver affected by alcohol. We might then not be subjected to such rank irre sponsibility hidden under the banner of civil liberties.
THE REV. CANON DR PETER SHEPHERD, Easiham Street, Clitlicroe
Do not answer
your door! SUBSEQUENT to my letter expressing my concern at the presumed intrusion of police into our homes to breathalyse those drinking in their home, I received a visit from a police officer to confer on the circum stances. The circumstance would not arise if there were not a peevish tell-tale to inform the police that someone they con sidered had drunk too much was driving home. The police officer was courte
ous and patient in listening and interestingly informative in his explanation. 1. If a suspected drink driver
has been involved in an acci dent the police have the author ity of the law to make a forced entry into the person’s home. I would accept this as valid
after an accident, whether there was suspicion that the driver had been drinking or not. 2. If the police officer is
“invited” into the house, the officer has the right to breathal yse and subsequently arrest the person, if giving a positive read ing. 3. Reassuringly, assuming no
accident or incident on the way home, the police have no authority to break and enter. And there is no need for the per son to answer the door. I take exception to point two.
It is normal and natural, if not an accepted obligation, to respond to anyone knocking or ringing a t your door. I t is a courtesy to ask that person in, or even failing this, if a uni formed police officer requested entry, one does not wish to appear controversial or defiant by declining the request. The situation is one of hosts
and guests. For me it is sinister if not fringing on evil or evil itself for the guests to abuse the hospitality of invitation and seek to find cause for the arrest of the person who has offered the hospitality in the first place. The police officer and I were
in mutual agreement on the importance of goodwill rela
foojrcJiSif ^saf€ hands’
tionships between police and public, the police rely on public support and help; the public rely and appreciate police presence to maintain harmony in the community where there are dis ruptive elements. There are so many congenial
police officers who establish a friendly relationship with the public they serve. When the police “crash” into
people’s homes a t night, by “crash” I mean inveigle their way in by request, then that is self-defeating. Why antagonise the public who the police are there to serve? If there is sneaky perverse
person, who wants to “grass” on someone in whose company he has just been drinking, then of course the police have to respond seriously. But once the person accused
of drinking too much has already reached home without incident, then he/she was obvi ously capable of doing so and the police should leave the home undisturbed. And if not and in case it
should happen to you, and it could happen to anyone, in such circumstances always remem ber do not answer the door.
ROBIN PARKER, Si Chad’s Avenue, Chalburn
Get yourself
seen, be safe CAN I through your paper issue a warning to all the pushbike users in the area about their cav alier attitude while using their bikes on these dark streets around Clitheroe. I for one cannot see people
who are sitting on dark coloured bikes, wearing dark-coloured clothing, travelling the highway without lights or even dim ones at best on these dark mornings and dark evenings.
I have no intention of knock
ing anyone off their bikes, but I do wonder what deathwish most bike users have in their attitude in trying-to be invisible to other road users and even pedestrians who are abound a t these dark times of winter. So do yourselves a favour and
get some high visibility vests (they cost about £5) and some decent lights and wear bright colours of clothing so we can see you before you are the next casualty on our roads.
RONLOEBELL, Edisford Road, Clitheroc
Some harsh
words I believe I WAS surprised by the intem perate words of John Leaver (Sept 28th) following Ron Loe- bell's criticism of the LCC Envi ronment Directorate. Could it be th a t your corre
spondents' complaints are misdi rected? The "six fatalities" idea
sounds more like a central gov ernment guideline than a coun ty decision, and the "wacky rac ers" of Accrington Road are surely a matter for the police, not LCC. We in the Ramblers' Associa
tion deal regularly with the Countryside Services part of the Environment Directorate and enjoy a very effective working relationship in maintaining pub lic rights of way. Far from being "faceless won
ders", the Countryside Officers and Area Network Officers are regularly to be seen out and about in the area.
ALLAN RICHARDS, Area Footpath Secretary, NE Lancs RA Stanworth House, York Street, Clitheroe
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Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, October 5th, 2006 17 f i18/■
Sir Bill calls it a day after a lifetime’s dedication
by Faiza Afzaal
A COMMUNITY stalwart, whose career protecting and developing th e in te re s ts of young people earned him a knighthood, is to retire. Sir Bill Taylor (54), pic
tured, has sp en t 33 years organising activities for young sters and has helped them to enjoy their spare time in a con structive manner. He will leave his post as the
district manager for the Lan cashire Youth and Community Service next month and heads into retirement. And the former leader of
B la c k b u rn -w i th -D a rw e n Council, who was knighted by Prince (Iharles three years ago, admits the time he has spent in the Ribble Valley has been the most “wonderful, creative and successful” time of his career. Sir Bill became the f irs t
youth team manager to be appointed in the area 11 years ago and over the years has wit nessed many changes. “When I first started, very
little was being done to help young people enjoy their spare time in a positive way, giving them a sense of responsibility and worth. There was no dis trict base, very limited staff were managed from Great Har wood and Preston, little work was done in the villages of the Ribble Valley, almost no work was bedded into our secondary schools and the Duke of Edin burgh Award was minimal to say the least,” he commented. However, this soon changed.
Sir Bill and his team began addressing issues concerning local youth from Chapel House in Clitheroe. The team gained more staff, began catering for more and more youngsters and soon outgrew those premises’ moving to their new base in Lancashire House, Whalley.
This venue quickly became a
popular place for groups and individuals, especially people from the statutory and volun tary sectors from across the district, who used the premises to host meetings, access IT equipment, photocopying and other facilities. Over the past decade, a lot of
money has been ploughed into preventing young people hang ing around on street corners and for them to have a place where they can meet in safe and friendly surroundings and benefit from the services pro vided. “We soon acquired two
minibuses and trailer, the ‘Rib ble Valley on the Road’ infor mation bus, which enabled groups of youths to go camp ing, climbing, canoeing and take p a r t in other enjoyable activities,” he commented. The Duke of Edinburgh
Award Scheme is one of the team’s successes, with 170 teenagers participating in it. Sir Bill lives in Blackburn
with his wife, Anne. He has two grown-up children, Matthew (24) and Katherine (20). Looking back on his eventful
career, he said: “I have loved my time here. I t has not always been a bed of roses, but that’s the cut and th ru s t of life in modernising public services. “I guess my highest award
was having a knighthood con ferred upon me in 2003 for ‘services to local government in Lancashire’. However, I believe my greatest reward has been working with you all to bring, sometimes eventually, smiles to hundreds, if not thousands, of our wonderful young people here in Lancashire, especially the Ribble Valley. “Please continue to have faith in them - their present is
our future.” Sir Bill paid tribute to all his staff, whom he described as
------------- being “top, dedi- s
cated, hard work ing inventive and fun people”. He went on to
th an k his col leagues a t Lan cashire County Council, head teachers, staff, governors and stu dents a t Ribhle Valley schools, police officers, especially Insp. Jenny Coulston, of Clitheroe Police, staff at Ribble Val ley Borough Coun cil, especially Mr David Morris, chief executive of the council and Mr Bill Alker, policy development man ager for crime and disorder in the Ribble Valley.
PAIR
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CLEAR, AND ANY FRAME, INCLUDING DESIGNER AND RIMLESS
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Pensioner bailed A GRINDLETON pensioner appeared a t Burnley Crown Court to deny charges of danger ous driving and common assault. Henry Taylor (67), of Sawley
Road, was bailed until the week starting November 20th.
kND
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