!l The Clitheroe Tl.u.«M».j,n„.nr ,14«.,2010 No. 6^ 1 TOWS and .tews f»m fh e c« « « rtlh e Kingdom imes


MINISTER SET TO WALK X ? ACROSS SPAIN


-^1 |! - No can do


BIG FOOT QUEST: Colin Warland’s size 8 feet are no . nialch for the size 15 Wellington boots (AllOllO/lb)


Are you big enough to fill these boots?


r,: PANTO season is upon s us and one Clitheroe


k; store is launching its own „-Cinderella-style search...


fc with a hig twist! . iii ;


same way


ft that Prince Charming is;had a quest to find the - owner of the famous glass 1- slipper, staff, at Ken. ft Varey’s Outdoor World it: are searching for someone


ft;Wdth “a whole lotta sole” ? - enough to fill a pair of s giant size 15 wellies! ; = vThe huge rubber boots re thought to be one of the'


■ largest pairs in Britain - : vi are a big attraction at the : i store in New. Market.


■ Street, which is now offer­ ing them free to the per­ son who can fit into them!


. Ken Varey’s Outdoor World manager Colin Warland said: “They are absolutely huge. A size 12 is quite uncommon, but a size 15 is ; very rare indeed. “We ordered the wellies


for a customer who never came to collect them. Now our quest is to find the person who fits them - it’s a.bit like Cinderella really!” >The man mountain (or


woman?) who can fit into Continued on page 2


by Faiza Afzaal


A FARMER who has ploughed snowbound remote rural roads in the Ribble Val­ ley for decades has been


ordered to stop. Why? Because under new health and


safety rules he isn’t qualified for the job!


. ‘ For almost 40 years the farmer from Slaidburn, who wishes to remain anonymous,'was con­ tracted by Lancashire County Council to use his two snow ploughs to clear routes to the impassable snow-hit -villages of Slaidburn, Tossidei Dunsop Bridge and Cow Ark—covering a 65-mile radius.


Instead of being thanked for


his efforts, he was shocked to be told this year he could no longer continue because he has not got a National Vocational Qualifica­ tion (NVQ) in snow clearing. He has branded the regula­ tions “a load of nonsense”.


, “It’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s bureaucracy gone mad!,” he said. “Just before Christmas I


received a call from the council, instructing me to service the two mow ploughs I use every winter in preparation of the adverse weather conditions forecast. “As. I was just about to begin


clearing the routes at the start of the big freeze at 7-30 a.m. on


v -


-Monday, December 21st, I received a call from the council, telling me I could no longer con­ tinue ploughing the snow


because I didn’t have an NVQ in snow clearing. This is absolute


nonsense - 1 have been doing this job for the past 36 years!


“I was absolutely shocked and


haven’t heard from them since. When am I supposed to take these exams? — in the summer when there is no snow! I f s absolutely crazy!’’ Cow Ark is one of the remote


locations that the farmer helps to clear every -winter. Last week the village hit the national headlines as families had been left strand­ ed in their homes for three weeks after snow and ice blocked their only access road. “Villages are cut off due to


lack of gritting and clearing of roads and pavements, plus food and fuel supplies run dangerous­ ly low,” the farmer added.


“There have been so many


accidents because of the treach­ erous road conditions. In one incident an elderly woman fell and broke her hip. It took four


hours for the ambulance to come to her aid. “Concerned people have been


asking me why the routes have not b^n cleared this year. People cannot be Isolated for weeks on end like this. It is unacceptable. “The situation is being handled


badly by the coimcil. Glitters are unable to get to these rural -vil­ lages and therefore it seems a waste of taxpayers’ money to ask private firms with the ‘correct qualifications’ to clear the impassable routes when experi­ enced farmers can do the job cost-effectively and efficiently.” Continued on page 2


www.clitheroeadveifiser.co.uk Price 72p


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