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YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS
For more than 50 years residents in Radbourne Lane, Mackworth, have parked their cars on a grass verge which runs between their houses and the road. During this time, pathways from the verge, through a hedge and down a steep slope to the houses, have been made by residents walking to and from their cars. These pathways are not legally public rights of way, but are used every day as a direct route to some 20 homes. The council said it was considering placing wooden bollards along the verge to prevent vehicles parking and that the unofficial pathways would be blocked off. This was in response to an insurance claim placed against them following a resident falling on one of the 'unofficial' pathways. Residents are now complaining that they won't be able to park on the verge and will have further to walk to their homes. Maybe if one of them hadn't claimed compensation from the council for slipping on an 'unofficial' pathway, they would still be using the verge to park their cars on.

MONEY FOR NOTHING
Sex shop owners in Derby are having their licence fees increased by between 25 and 50%. The council proposed that licence renewals are increased to £1,000 while new licence applications will cost £1,500. Corporate services director Michael Foote said, "The proposed fees are set at a level to recover the maximum anticipated costs incurred in providing the service." What costs? What service? What exactly do the council provide for the licence fee, apart from allowing the owner to carry on his business? Sounds like a protection racket.

THE POWER OF ONE
A group of residents in Chellaston battled for THREE YEARS to get the city council to re-open a footpath. Two years later, a style was placed across the path because ONE member of the public had requested it. Not so long ago, a picture was removed from Markeaton Cremetorium because one person had complained about it. This was despite it being there for a number of years and despite many people objecting to its removal. It seems that one person who objects to something has more clout than a 30,000 signature petition.

NOT OUR RUBBISH
Robin Mitchell has been running the Soul Deli in Green lane for four years and is angry about piles of rotting rubbish which he believes should be cleaned up by Derby City Council. The rubbish is regularly left to pile up next to large trade bins located on a turning space which was created by the council in 2003.

Mr Mitchell claims the land is council property and it has a responsibilty to keep the area clean, but the council claims the land is private and cannot do anything about the problem. However, according to a map held by the Highways Department, the land is council property.

City council spokeswoman, Theresa Knight, said that it only owns part of the land and it's not the portion where the bins are located so the council are not responsible for cleaning it. Mr Mitchell has two options. Move the bins to the councils portion or block access to the land and claim it as his own. The true owners will soon make themselves known.

WHY DO POLICE BOTHER?
Heroin addict Nicholas Smith, of Allenton, failed to stop for the police, and a two-and-a-half-mile high-speed chase followed. At times during the chase, Smith was travelling at up to 80mph in built-up areas, where the speed limit is 30mph. He was eventually arrested and admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

A few years earlier, Smith had been sent to prison for 18 months and disqualified from driving for three years for taking a car without consent and driving dangerously. He also had a string of previous convictions dating back eight years, including driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to report an accident and failing to stop. In spite of his past record, Smith was put on an 18-month drug treatment and testing order and banned from driving for one year.

SO THIS IS CRACKING DOWN ON CRIME?
Passengers on a bus in Stenson Road, Derby, called police when two boys were spotted with a BB gun. The bus continued to the city centre and, when the boys got off, police tracked their movements on closed-circuit television and an officer stopped them. Police seized the weapon and arrested a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old for possession of a BB gun in a public place.

The 12-year-old, who had been carrying the gun, was given a final warning, which means that more serious action could be taken if he is caught again. The other was "given advice". A police spokesman said, "If you carry a firearm you will be arrested, regardless of age." And immediately released, evidently.

TACKLING OBESITY
Health and council managers in Derby launched a new strategy for tackling the city's rising tide of obesity among young people. Central Derby Primary Care Trust and Greater Derby Primary Care Trust are teaming up with Derby City Council to tackle the city's problem.

Andrew Hopkin, the city council's assistant director for environmental health and trading standards, said, "We're not trying to create a nanny state, or tell people what to do. We're trying to encourage people to make subtle changes to their lifestyles, which can be dramatically beneficial to their health."

If this plan is as successful as the council's 'promoting public transport' scheme, it will never be heard of again.

FIREWORKS
Police and trading standards officers joined forces in an attempt to find the traders responsible for illegally supplying fireworks to children. The move came after two boys, aged 12 and 13, needed hospital treatment for burns received through playing with a firework. Residents in the area had been complaining about a series of loud explosions and believed youngsters could be making homemade bombs. New legislation in the Fireworks Act 2003 means certain fireworks, like airbombs, will be banned and measures such as noise curfews will be introduced. The sale of fireworks will also be restricted to certain times of the year, such as the run up to November 5th. This of course, will make little difference. Whatever sale or restriction of use methods are employed, while ever fireworks are available the moron element will continue to obtain them. Regarding the two boys aged 12 and 13, legally they are of the age of criminal responsibility so it could be argued they have no one to blame but themselves.

NEEDLE DANGER
A mother wants warning posters to be placed in parks around Derby after her five-year-old daughter was pricked by a discarded hypodermic needle which she picked up whilst playing. But seriously, how many five-year-olds would read the poster?

UNFAIR TO MOTHERS
Hannah Thake took her 10-week-old son with her on a girly night out which included a visit to UCI cinema. The film she chose to see had a 15-certificate and staff asked her to leave because her baby was underage. Mrs Thake said, "Mothers who are breastfeeding should be allowed to carry on with normal life. It's a shame that mothers who want to do that are restricted in what they can and can't do."

A BBFC spokeswoman said, "The licence tha cinemas holds prevents them allowing anyone underage into the film and, if they breach it, they could lose their licence. We wouldn't encourage people to take babies because they can be extemely disruptive." But the baby would have sat quietly throughout the film. Wouldn't it?