UNBELIEVABLE
A Derby nurse distributed syringes for
five-year-olds to take home at the end of a
lesson. Head teacher Phillip Eaton was horrified
and said, "We're currently running a series
of lessons on people who help us in society and
we asked the school nurse to talk about her
profession."
He added, "She brought along her equipment
and just before she left she distributed the
syringes and told them to play with them in the
bath. This was obviously totally inappropriate,
and I'll be speaking to the nurse and the Greater
Derby Primary Care Trust to find out how this was
allowed to happen."
Trish Thompson, director of operations at Central
and Greater Derby Primary Care Trust, the nurse's
employer, admitted that a "serious error of
judgement" had taken place. She said,
"The nurse concerned was showing the
children examples of medical equipment likely to
be seen by the children in a medical setting.
Sterile plastic syringes, without needles, were
included in the equipment shown to the children.
A decision was made to allow the children to take
the syringes home."
She added, "The trust acknowledges that this
was a serious error of judgement. Subsequently,
we have written to all of the parents of the
children involved to apologise and have advised
them to dispose of the syringes. We're also
offering the opportunity for the parents to meet
with representatives of the trust to discuss this
matter if they have further concerns. We're now
reviewing our guidelines and training procedures
to ensure that this type of incident is not
repeated." |
BIRD
IN A TREE
Firefighters spent an hour-and-a-half
trying to rescue a parrot from a tree. It had
settled in the tree after escaping from its
owners home. Firefighter Trevor Cleaver said,
"We tried to get close but it just kept
flying further up the tree." Well yes, it's
a bird, they do that. So we now have the fire
service rescuing birds in trees. What next,
rescuing fish from rivers? |
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MADNESS
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POPPY
SELLERS ARE BANNED
 The Burma Star Association has been
banned from selling remembrance poppies in the Eagle
Centre after their stall was branded a fire risk. The
Derby branch has set up a stall in the centre for several
years but the centre management said the group were
unable to do the same thing this year for health and
safety reasons. Julie Ralphs, from the centre, said,
"There is a lot of work going on in the centre at
the moment and we have really had to tighten up on our
health and safety. It would have been acceptable before,
but we are having to keep all areas quite clear at the
moment. It is unfortunate we have been unable to
accommodate them at this time." A neighbouring
indoor market and shop have stepped in to allow the
association to put up two stalls. (Source: BBC News)
GOING
ROUND IN CIRCLES
John Allcock, of Birchover Way, Allestree,
complained to the city council in September 2003 about a
manhole cover, which is on a grass verge next to the
pavement outside his house. The cover is next to a tree
and the roots have lifted it, twisting the cover and
cracking the surrounding concrete. Water has seeped in,
rusting the metal base and Mr Allcock and his fellow
residents believe it is dangerous.
Council workmen put up a barrier on the same day as Mr
Allcock's complaint, but vandals removed parts of it,
scattering them around the road. The manhole cover and
vandalised barrier were left untouched until April 2004
when another set of workmen from East Midlands
Electricity, now called Central Networks, set up a
triangular safety barrier.
The barrier remained until May when another set of
workmen rearranged the barrier into a square and
disappeared. The next day the barriers were taken away,
leaving the dangerous manhole cover exposed again. Mr
Allcock said, "It's ridiculous, it's just gone
around in circles. I dread to think of the cost. It's a
danger to pedestrians and needs to be fixed."
A spokesman for Central Networks said the firm did not
know about the manhole until April and was waiting for
the council's arboricultural officer for advice about the
tree. He said, "We went out to have a look and we
realised we couldn't do the work without affecting the
tree. We're waiting for the council tree expert to say
what we can and can't do."
A spokeswoman for the council confirmed it had put up the
first barrier and that the arboricultural officer was
looking into the issue. She added, "Our policy is
not to cut down trees unless they're diseased or
dangerous. This one may count as dangerous, but we're
looking into it. Our arboricultural officer will be able
to advise Central Networks after he's had a look at the
roots."
CANDLES
- A FIRE RISK
 Captain Tony Spacey, who sells honey and
hive products at Derby's continental market, was told by
a trading standards officer he cannot sell candles unless
he tells customers there is a risk they could start
fires. Captain Spacey said despite passing an inspection
the previous day, a trading standards officer said his
candles did not meet regulations. He said, "I was
absolutely dumfounded when I was told that I couldn't
sell candles because they don't carry warnings that they
could cause fire if used negligently. I thought that the
whole intention of lighting a candle was to have a fire
on the top."
He is demanding an apology from the council and insisted
he would continue to trade even if he was going to be
taken to court. The city council said some people had to
be reminded how to use candles. A statement from the
council said, "These candles were sold without
holders and therefore placed onto and burn down to an
inflammable surface such as a table or television.
Candles used in this way have sadly caused house fires
and deaths and are therefore required to have labels
explaining to consumers how to use them safely."
Mr Spacey was also told his jars of honey had to be
labelled, otherwise he could not tell customers what was
in them. He said, "I was told that, unless we had it
on the jar, we couldn't tell people what it was."
NO BREASTFEEDING
Dr Jackie Thomas, husband Lee and their
12-week-old daughter, visited the Jonathon Charles Big
and Tall Menswear shop in the Eagle Centre. While her
husband looked at clothes, she realised her baby needed
feeding. Dr Thomas asked for a chair but claims she was
told by the store's manageress, Wendy Hughes, she could
not feed the baby in the store. Mrs Hughes claims that Mr
Thomas then suggested his wife feed her baby in a
changing room and that she declined, a claim the couple
deny. Dr Thomas said, "When I said I was going to
breastfeed, the manageress said, 'You can't do that, it's
a gentlemen's outfitters'. I was amazed. There were no
other customers in the store." A company spokesman
said, "Our policy is always to help customers in
whatever way we can but we do consider breast-feeding a
personal matter that should be done in private as it
could be considered inappropriate in a gentlemen's
outfitters shop to some people." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)
SWIMMING
GOGGLES
A 10-year-old boy who went swimming at Moorways
Leisure Centre, Allenton, was told he could not practise
while wearing a plastic snorkel mask because it was a
danger to other swimmers. But he would have been fine
wearing plastic goggles. Theresa Knight, spokeswoman for
Derby City Council, said, "Snorkel masks are banned
at swimming pools across the city in case the glass or
plastic in them smashes."
She added, "We would have to clear the pool, drain
it and then clean it, which would inconvenience a lot of
people. Goggles are allowed in the pool because if they
break the pieces would be smaller. We have no signs up
indicating which items are banned because we would rather
educate people ourselves if we see them taking something
into the pool, which is not allowed. We're not planning
to put signs up, but it is something we may look
into."
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