Gurkhas 'shame' and three figure parking cost - your views (From Keighley News)

Gurkhas 'shame' and three figure parking cost - your views

8:09am Thursday 7th May 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(8)

Gurkha vote - shame of MP

As a former soldier, I was outraged at the Labour Government’s shameful attempts to block Gurkha soldiers and their families from having the right to settle in the United Kingdom.

The Gurkhas have long been regarded as among the bravest of the brave on the battlefield and a great many have lost their lives or suffered horrendous injuries in so doing.

They have also, quite rightly, earned the reputation as very dignified men with the highest professional standards. All they have asked for are the same rights as other members of the Armed Forces who have served this country. Thanks to the combined voting efforts in the House of Commons of Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs, together with a small number of principled Labour MPs, I hope that this will shortly happen. However, as a local resident and ward councillor, I was angry to learn that Keighley Labour MP Ann Cryer actually voted to support the Government in its efforts to stop the Gurkhas getting justice. She should be ashamed of herself.

Cllr Glen Miller

(Conservative, Worth Valley) The Chase, Shann Park, Keighley

A good day for Britain

The Liberal Democrat defeat of the Government over its shameful treatment of the Gurkhas is a good day for Britain. Nick Clegg has been campaigning for a year on the issue of extending the courtesy of allowing retired Gurkhas to live in this country, the nation for which they have risked their lives. This is the first time the present Government has ever been defeated on an opposition motion.

In my opinion, Britain needs the leadership being shown by the Liberal Democrats and which those in power are sadly lacking.

Judith Brooksbank

Keighley and Ilkley Liberal Democrats

Still time for rail petition

I would be grateful if you could draw to the attention of your readers that there is still time to sign the e-petition on the Downing Street website to reinstate the Skipton to Colne railway: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/reopen/ The petition closes on June 26. Thank you to those readers who have already done so.

Reconnecting Skipton to Colne by rail would give access by rail from Keighley to East Lancashire, Preston, Blackpool, Manchester and stations in between. It would also enable residents of those districts to visit Keighley and the Aire Valley without bringing cars to choke up your streets.

We are due to meet with the Rail Minister shortly and the greater the number of signatories to the petition, the louder our voice.

This rail reopening is now supported by 202 councils, including in your area Keighley, Steeton-with Eastburn, Silsden, Addingham, Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury, Cullingworth and Bradford, as well as a huge number of politicians, businesses and other organisations, among them Keighley college and your primary care trust.

More information is on the SELRAP website selrap.org.uk .

For those not on the Internet who want to know more, if they would like to write to Roy St Pierre, 1 The Croft, Hollin Hall, Trawden, Colne, Lancs BB8 8SS, I will happily send them our newsletter.

Roy St Pierre

The Croft, Hollin Hall, Trawden, Colne

Disgusted by sick girl

After reading the article titled “Death threats made to sick girl” I would like to give my opinion on this matter and would be very happy for it to appear on the letters page.

I have watched the footage of what this 12-year-old girl did to Jasper the springer spaniel on the Internet and was totally disgusted with what I saw.

As a dog owner myself, along with the many other dog owners out there, we know that dog’s are very loyal pets. A dog owner could be cruel, beat the dog, starve the dog etc and it would still be happy to see the owner when it came through the door.

The 13 minutes of this terrible footage shows the child standing on the dog’s tail while she kicks him, hitting him with his lead and generally being cruel — she is not playing with Jasper, she is bullying.

Poor Jasper will not have known what was going on if one minute she was playing with him then the next minute she was kicking hell out of him.

From what I observed, Jasper tried several times to protect himself; warn the child off with his mouth, which is, after all a dog’s only means of protection.

I wonder what would of happened if the person had not filmed this incident and Jasper had actually bitten and hurt this child? With no footage would Jasper have been classed as a dangerous animal and put down ?

The child’s father is obviously speaking out to protect his child but if he believes that just because Jasper loves the child, wants to play with the child and that he would not go back for more abuse — then he is sadly disillusioned.

I am relieved that Mr Green has seen the light and will not let this child near Jasper again and I hope that the RSPCA investigation proves without a shadow of a doubt that this child is indeed attacking Jasper; bans the family from having any more pets and takes the cat they own off them if they feel she cannot be trusted to care for it.

Jill Guest

Blackhill, Keighley

Cheap, shallow headlines

I read with some bemusement, in last week’s Keighley News, the warm comments about the recent Budget from a local Labour Party representative.

She said she particularly welcomed, “the offer of training for everyone under the age of 25 who has been jobless for 12 months.” Firstly, the scheme will only apply to unemployed people up to the age of 24, not 25.

But much more importantly, she neglected to mention that this scheme, which so clearly impressed her, is likely to benefit only 30 people in the whole of Bradford district let alone Keighley. Had the Chancellor lowered the qualifying period for individuals claiming Job Seekers Allowance from 12 months to six months — as was suggested to him in advance of the Budget — it would have increased the number of individuals in the district eligible to benefit to 600. As ever with this Labour Government, it is cheap and shallow headlines that matter most rather than doing something tangible for people in greatest need.

Cllr Kris Hopkins

Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Keighley and Ilkley

£300 to park in Keighley

Keighley 2009 — What is it coming to?

I came into Keighley on Saturday, April 25, to buy parts for my vehicle. I didn’t get my parts but my visit cost me £300.

I made the mistake of going to the Motor World shop at the junction of Low Street, East Parade and Coney Lane. I know now but I didn’t know then, that the shop had closed down. I pulled up on what had been their car park. When I discovered that the shop was empty I took the opportunity of looking in a shop next door. I was away from my vehicle for a maximum of five minutes. When I returned I was confronted by two aggressive young men, without any ID, without any uniform or identifying clothing, demanding £115, otherwise my vehicle would be towed away. The vehicle was clamped.

I told them that I wanted to speak to the police. The young men challenged me to do so. I walked around the town looking for an officer. After two hours I gave in and called into a shop where the very helpful shopkeeper phoned for help. A police officer met me in the shop and gave me a number to call for one of her colleagues who would be able to help.

When I phoned the number I was advised that no officer was able to help. Apparently this was a civil matter and remarkably quite legal.

I returned to where my vehicle had been left to find that it was gone. I discovered that it had been towed away.

A gentleman from the Fleet Garage opposite offered to help and contacted the people who had taken my vehicle. The young men who had spoken to me initially returned with their superior. They refused to listen to any of my pleadings. They told me that they were acting on behalf of the police and the government and that the cost had now risen to £300. This included a “towing away fee” and, as my vehicle was classed as a commercial vehicle, an additional £35 clamping fee.

They “generously” told me that they had waived a £40 storage fee for the one hour that my vehicle had been held in their garage.

They refused to take a cheque and demanded cash. When I explained that I had no cash they simply said “your problem”. They gleefully explained that my vehicle had been impounded and that they would charge me £40 per day storage fee until the cash was paid. If I didn’t pay within a time limit the vehicle would be scrapped.

Eventually they agreed to take two cheques and some cash and I was “escorted” to collect the vehicle. I had to leave all my bank and card details. I have since found it necessary to cancel my cards at my bank. I have to say that even though I am not normally a fearful person, I felt distinctly intimidated by the young men’s behaviour, comments, attitude and body language.

I felt let down by a system that allows and condones practices such as this. I feel let down by the fact that I could not find a police officer in the town. Looking for a police officer cost me an extra £185.

Not much of an encouragement to visit Keighley again.

Quite a hefty fine for not much of a “crime”.

A sad indictment of British society 2009.

Name and address supplied

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(8)