Stories for 10 July 2006

News

Clamping is taken one step too far

CLAMPING firms' employees may often adopt a surly and abusive tone when dealing with members of the public whose vehicles have been towed away, yet they are usually extremely careful to remain within the law. The latest Worcester motorists to have their cars clamped will probably derive little satisfaction from this.   more...

Police chief deluding himself over mergers

SIR - I was very concerned by L Spiteri's letter about the demise of the West Mercia Police (June 22) if only because I actually found myself agreeing with most of what he had written! Then I came to the final paragraph, where he tried to claim that the European Union was not responsible for the destruction of our community policing. Even more worrying were the comments by Mike Foster MP and a police spokesman in your article of June 29 headlined "Stay of Execution of West Mercia".   more...

Pre-election bribe on school's future

SIR - In reply to Mike Foster's recent letter, I would like to remind everyone that it was his party that used a pre-election bribe to hoodwink the electorate in Worcester with the promise of £12m for redevelopment of the current site - only to retract the offer after the General Election. Until recently, he has been telling us that the school must be rebuilt on the existing site only to stab the community of St John's in the back by changing his mind. People here are furious.   more...

Professionals who have failed us all

SIR - John Hinton talks about "professionals who advise our elected representatives" (Letters, July 5).   more...

Poor standard of the postal system

SIR - Hear, hear to John Norwood, for taking the Royal Mail to task over the poor standard of delivery service - and all in the name of chasing wider profit margins.   more...

Mystery of a crow and piece of bread

SIR - I just saw a crow try to swallow a piece of bread, but it was too large and hard, so the crow pushed the bread deep into the grass, pulled some cut grass over it, and walked away.   more...

Training expands for care and nursing professionals

DROITWICH company Train-2Succeed is celebrating as staff move into opulent new premises, which have been designed to create an environment conducive to training and learning.   more...

TV chef checks out children's food

A TV chef is helping children in Worcestershire improve their eating habits.   more...

Putting a sizzle into summer at the start of the school holidays

WORCESTER Arts Workshop is hoping to put the sizzle into summer with an array of hot events for the start of the school holidays.   more...

West End role for county actor Alex

AN up-and-coming star who grew up in Worces-tershire has landed a role in a Gilbert and Sullivan West End production.   more...

Colleagues pay tribute as an officer loses leukaemia battle

POLICE colleagues and community leaders have paid tribute following the death of a popular beat bobby from Kidderminster who lost his battle with leukaemia.   more...

Kind-hearted John, 81, is given award for helping neighbours

A SPRIGHTLY pensioner who helps others with odd jobs and shopping is among several kind-hearted souls to have been given awards in a new competition organised by housing chiefs.   more...

Wheelie bin show takes to the road

A SERIES of roadshows is being organised this month to help spread the word about the massive wheelie bin recycling scheme expansion in Worcester.   more...

Colleagues pay tribute as an officer loses leukaemia battle

POLICE colleagues and community leaders have paid tribute following the death of a popular beat bobby from Kidderminster who lost his battle with leukaemia.   more...

Crowds roar on city's dragon boat paddlers

THE beat of drums and sound of paddles splashing in the water -- it could only mean one thing.   more...

Why health plans will lead to production-line births

A Worcestershire midwife claims women will end up having "assembly-line labours" if plans to centralise maternity services goes ahead.   more...

Have your say on the future of key city sites

A MASSIVE public consultation is about to start on the multi-million regeneration proposals in store for various city centre sites.   more...

CLAMPED OUTSIDE THEIR HOMES

SHOCKED Worcester flat residents have had to pay more than £300 each after their cars were clamped and towed away -- from their own designated spaces.   more...

We need final word on homes

THE various powers-that-be have gone to great lengths to persuade everyone that the planned expansion of Worcester is nothing to worry about.   more...

Let's hope the football fans are just as keen on English history

lWHENEVER the conversation turns to issues of national identity, someone will reach into the cliches cupboard and, yank out Samuel Johnson's oft-quoted claim that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.   more...

Cancer fears don't stop the mad tanners

l WORCESTER'S full of sunburned people at the moment. They're all hues, from a tasteful terra cotta to angry matchhead red.   more...

We can't all say sorry for every action

A DESCENDANT of the notorious Elizabethan slave trader John Hawkins went to Africa to apologise for his ancestor's deeds.   more...

If I want your name, sign it

THE sight of people leaving the cricket ground in Worcester's New Road is always pleasing to the eye.   more...

Tyre me down

THIS time of year brings the usual warnings about the dangers of bathing in canals, quarries and rivers. It's sound advice.   more...

OI! MARIA! GIVE IT A REST, WILL YOU!

There's such a racket being made at this year's Wimbledon. At first, I thought the train-going-under-a-tunnel noise that occurred every time Russia's Maria Sharapova hit the ball was caused by the equipment she was using, but no - it's the silly wenchski herself. Thankfully, she lost in the semi-final, so we won't be hearing much more from her.   more...

City's new mayor tells banquet guests of his pride

NEW Mayor of Worcester Ian Imray has been officially welcomed into his new role.   more...