| 29th
April : UK Tourist Dies As Jetski Hits Anchor Chain. |
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A British doctor holidaying
in Australia has been killed on the country's Gold Coast after being
catapulted on to a sandbank when his hired jetski hit the anchor chain
of a moored boat.
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Dr Sridhar Shekar, 31, from
Meanwood, Leeds, sustained serious head and body injuries, including a
broken pelvis, in the collision yesterday morning local time.
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Witnesses tried to administer
emergency first aid but were unable to revive him.
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His wife, Dr Divya Patel, 32,
who was a passenger on the jetski, suffered minor injuries and shock
in the accident on Broadwater, north of Surfers Paradise.
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Police said the boat's owner
was on board at the time of the fatal collision and was treated for
shock.
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Shekar had been under
supervision and was using a dedicated jetski course when staff alerted
him he was going too close to a boat just moments before he crashed at
around 10.30am.
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Trevor Gibson, part-owner of
the jetski hire business, said:
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"I'm not sure if it was
his first time or not. He had done a couple of circuits of the course
already. Our staff had warned him that he was going too close to a
moored boat."
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He added that the moored boat
was around 100 metres from where Shekar had set off from the beach
after being warned about the hazard.
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"It is inexplicable that
it happened," Gibson said. "I just have no idea how he could
have hit it. The company has been operating for 13 years and nothing
like this has ever happened."
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The area is popular with
tourists and water sports enthusiasts because of its calm, protected
waters.
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The Foreign Office confirmed
yesterday that a British national had been killed as a result of a
jetski collision in Queensland.
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State police said an
investigation had been launched.
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Asked whether inexperience
could have played a part in the accident, acting senior sergeant Mark
Kelly told reporters:
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"It can be very
difficult to drive a jetski. I believe the person, it may have been
his first time on the jetski."
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Anna Bligh, Queensland's
premier, said state authorities would ask whether the regulations on
the hiring of jetskis should be tightened.
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"We expect that our
tourists will be involved in adventure and often sometimes quite risky
behaviour, but we need to also satisfy ourselves that all reasonable
care has been taken by the operator,"
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she said. "This
investigation will assist us to determine whether we need to toughen
up any of the regulation of this industry."
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Shekar is believed to have
qualified at the University of Mysore in India before coming to
Britain. He had worked at Bradford Teaching Hospitals trust as a
senior house officer in rheumatology.
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A trust spokesman said:
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"Everyone here is
saddened to learn of Dr Shekar's tragic death. We would like to take
this opportunity to pass on our sincerest condolences to Dr Shekar's
family and friends at what must be a very difficult time for
them."
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Meena Matharu, one of the
couple's neighbours, said:
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"They were a very
outgoing couple who were cheerful and helpful whenever they could be.
They were always laughing and joking, making people smile.
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They were very happy together
and every time I saw them they were enjoying life."
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Guardian.co.uk
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| 28th
April : BRP Appoints A Seadoo
Watercraft Dealer In South Wales. |
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BRP Recreational Products UK
Ltd has recently appointed World Wide Watersports Ltd as a Seadoo PWC
(Personal Watercraft) dealer within its authorised dealer network.
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“It is an exciting time to
join our dealer network, with two new high performance Seadoo
watercraft introduced at the beginning of the year to mark the 20th
anniversary of the brand.
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It was the perfect time to
appoint the World Wide Watersports team, whose passion for PWC riding
and excellent product knowledge will ensure the highest standard of
sales and service support to our customers in the South Wales
region,” comments Mark Rowley, Commercial Representative for BRP's
Seadoo watercraft.
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Situated in Tondu, Bridgend,
World Wide Watersports supplies the entire range of Seadoo watercraft
and a wide selection of used watercraft, as well as offers an
excellent after-sales service from its in-house modern workshop
facility.
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“We are delighted to be
representing the brand in the region – each Seadoo watercraft
features innovative technologies designed for both new and
accomplished riders, from the learning key to the high performance
engines.
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We recently held an open day
to introduce the Seadoo product range and were delighted with the
response from customers,” says Jason Roberts, Manager, World Wide
Watersports Ltd, who is actively involved in PWC riding and is highly
experienced in servicing and fine-tuning race watercraft.
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For more information on the
Sea-Doo line-up from BRP or to find your nearest authorised
Sea-Doo dealer, visit
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www.brp.com
|
| 21st
April : Panic Buys Warning For Motorists Over Grangemouth
Refinery Closure. |
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By Craig Mcdonald
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Worried drivers were urged
not to panic-buy petrol yesterday after the bosses of Scotland's main
oil refinery sparked fears of a fuel crisis.
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Industry experts insisted
there was no threat of a shortage and pleaded with motorists not to
rush to the pumps.
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But many Scots ignored the
calls and long queues formed at filling stations. At least one garage
ran out of supplies and others said stocks were running low.
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The scare began when chemical
giants INEOS, the owners of the Grangemouth refinery, said a strike at
the plant would force them to shut it for a month.
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Chief executive Tom Crotty
claimed yesterday that the strike - over pensions - could have
"significant consequences" in Scotland.
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INEOS had warned
earlier:
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"Fuel shortages are
likely to begin in Scotland as early as April 25 and the whole of
Scotland could be without fuel for at least a month."
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But the Unite union, who
represent Grangemouth workers, accused bosses of "scaremongering"
and filling the press with stories about possible petrol shortages.
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And petrol retailers, oil
industry experts and motoring organisations flatly denied that
Scotland was about to run out of fuel.
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A spokesman for the Petrol
Retailers Association said a Grangemouth shutdown would be a
"headache" for garage owners because they would have to look
elsewhere for their supplies.
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But he added: "It is
business as usual because they will always be able to get petrol.
There is no need to panic buy."
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Douglas Robertson, of the
Scottish Motor Trade Association, added: "I think the statement,
'Don't panic' is a very valid one at this stage. There is certainly no
case for panic buying and filling your tank now."
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The AA assured drivers that
even if the strike goes ahead, there will be enough fuel available -
as long as mass panic buying does not jeopardise supplies.
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AA president Edmund King
said: "The last thing we need is panic at the pumps.
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Problems can arise if every
motorist with ahalf-full tank decides to full up early.
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"If half the cars on the
road fill up when they don't need to, that would lead to
shortages."
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Oil analysts said the UK held
70 days of fuel in reserve - more than enough to cover the shortfall
even if Grangemouth was shut for a month.
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But despite all the
reassurances, garage forecourts in parts of Scotland were crowded with
worried drivers.
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A sign at an Esso station in
Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, warned motorists there would be no
unleaded petrol or diesel until 8pm.
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And at the Shell filling
station in Lanark, a spokeswoman said: "We are very close to
running out. We were 50 per cent up on sales this morning and it has
been just as busy this afternoon and evening."
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Queues wound down the streets
outside some Glasgow filling stations with drivers waiting as long as
20 minutes.
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Supermarkets were the
busiest, with Tesco stations in Springburn and Shettleston both
mobbed. Independent garages were also busier than normal.
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One Glasgow driver,
32-year-old senior staff nurse Jenny Rodgers, said: "We are all
being told not to panic but nobody really knows what is going to
happen. I decided not to take any chances."
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Teacher Karen Anderson, 30,
of Giffnock, Glasgow, admitted she had been prompted into going for
fuel by phone calls from anxious friends and relatives.
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Speaking at the Morrisons
petrol station in Giffnock, Karen said: "I got phoned a lot this
morning. People were telling me supplies were short and there were
queues everywhere.
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"I was quite low anyway
so I thought I'd better fill up."
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Queues also built up at
petrol stations in Edinburgh. All 16 pumps were in constant use at the
Esso garage at Blackhall and cars were backed out of the forecourt at
the Tesco station in Corstorphine.
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Drivers also had to queue at
the Shell garage on Glasgow Road.
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Alan Smith, 41, a freelance
IT consultant from Livingston, West Lothian, said: "I do a lot of
miles each week. It can be Aberdeen one day, Glasgow the next and
maybe back to Aberdeen.
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"If there's a fuel
shortage, it's going to hit me hard."
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In Dundee, there were queues
at the Tesco Extra filling station on the Kingsway. More than15 cars
backed up on to a roundabout as their drivers waited to fill up.
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Jetski racer John Jessop,
28, from Angus, topped up the tank in his 4x4 and filled three
20-litre fuel cans. He said: "I've got some pretty important
races on Wednesday and I wanted to be sure I'd have fuel.
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"Normally, I'd fill
up closer to the venue but I didn't want to take the chance and arrive
to a shut petrol station."
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A Tesco spokesman played down
talk of panic buying and said Sundays were always their busiest day
for petrol sales.
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He added: "Many people
do their weekly shop on Sunday and plan to fill up their cars as well.
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"I would like to think
that customers will be sensible about this because there is absolutely
no need to panic buy.
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"We have great
contingency plans in place and there is no need to fear."
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Grangemouth workers are set
to strike next Sunday and Monday and INEOS began shutting down the
plant on Friday night. They say the refinery could be closed for up to
a month for safety reasons.
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Chief executive Crotty said
yesterday: "The union's planned strike could have significant
consequences for Scotland and the north of England and we would urge
them to work with us to find a way of resolving this issue."
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Phil McNulty, of Unite, hit
back: "The company appear to be inundating the press with stories
about imminent petrol shortages but the refinery is still in full
production."
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First Minister Alex Salmond
urged bosses and the union to get back to talks.
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He told the SNP spring
conference: "We have an impasse, threatening the disruption of
fuel supplies.
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"Let our message -
Scotland's message - be crystal clear. Both sides should stop debating
over the airwaves, return to the negotiating table and stay there
until they resolve their differences."
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'If half the cars on the road
fill up when they don't need to, it would lead to fuel shortages'
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dailyrecord.co.uk
|
| 16th
April : Slipway For Leisure Boat Users. |
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There might just be an answer
on the horizon to the vexed question of a slipway at Arbroath Harbour.
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Over the past year, pressure
for such a slipway for small boat users has intensified, with Angus
Council apparently setting its cap against building any such thing.
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However, the Council has now
issued a questionnaire to find out people's views about a new slipway
that would allow small, trailer mounted craft, such as sailing boats,
small yachts, power boats, dinghies and jet-skis, to be landed and
recovered.
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Commenting on the
questionnaire a council spokesperson said:
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"A new slipway would add
to the facilities already provided for boat owners at Arbroath Harbour
but, given the anticipated cost of such a development, the council is
keen to gauge the potential demand before taking the project any
further.
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"Potential users are
therefore invited to complete and return a simple questionnaire.
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This will provide the council
with specific information about anticipated use of a slipway - for
example would more people be encouraged to use the harbour more
frequently and if so when would they want to be able to use it? - and
help inform our discussions."
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Anyone who might use such a
slipway, however frequently, to launch a small, trailer-mounted boat,
yacht, dinghy or jet-ski, is invited to give their view on the
proposal.
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Copies of the questionnaire 'Arbroath
Harbour: New Slipway Proposals' are available from the council's
ACCESSLine on 08452 777 778 or online at www.angus.gov.uk/hys, where
views on the current consultation can be submitted.
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The closing date for comments
is Friday, April 18. Returns will then be compiled and considered by
the Arbroath Harbour Joint Consultative Committee and thereafter by
the council's Infrastructure Services Committee.
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This news came the same week
as the newspaper received a letter from an aggrieved, boat-owning
reader.
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Mr Bruce Stuart, 51 Kinghorne
Street, has lived in Arbroath for 40 years, and for the past five he
has been trying to be allocated a summer time berth for the use of his
small boat.
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Mr Stuart told us: "On
April 1 I duly ... enquired once again about the availability and
chance of being allocated a summer berth. I was informed that (the
harbourmaster] only has three and he is re-allocating them to the
people who had them last year! A totally unfair and prejudiced system.
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"In my opinion, as a
local resident who has had his name down on the waiting list and is
willing to pay the money, I should be given a chance to berth my boat
in my local area.
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"I was told that I could
launch my boat from the West Links, however I have done this before
and had my name taken by the local police as the road leading in to
the area is out of bounds!"
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arbroathherald.co.uk
|
| 14th
April : Billet G2 Snake Head. |
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Introducing the second
generation ATP 'Snake' Cylinder Head
|
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Fully Girdled Billet Cylinder
Head with interchangeable domes.
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This head girdles the
cylinder to help prevent the cylinder cracking.
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Fitting our head will raise
you engine compression giving you more bottom end hit.
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Kit includes full ATP Stainless
Girdle kit (purpose made), O'rings, ATP Domes ( Standard and Flat Top
available) and brass fittings fittings.
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Type 1 girdle kit is supplied
with the G2 Head.
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Type 1 has studs that go
all the way through the Cylinder, this is our preferred and
recommended system.
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The advantages of this
type of girdle are:
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This
Systems does offer a true Cylinder girdle, There are no fixings
on the Cylinder itself to cause any stress.
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Type 2 Girdle Kit is
available by request.
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Various Dome sizes are
available.
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Colours available: Anodised
Clear and new for 2008 Anodised Red or Blue (available shortly).
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Want to stand out from the
crowd, why not ask us about our Custom engraving service.
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Product Code: ATPG2
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Price: £260
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www.airtimeproducts.co.uk
|
| 6th
April : Welsh Boat Show 2008 - Nears Sell Out. |
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The first May Bank Holiday
Weekend 3rd to 5th May 2008 hosts the 2nd
Welsh Boat Show.
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As Exhibitor stand space
nears Sell Out, the ‘Official’ Welsh Boat Show has cemented it’s
position as the largest annual Fixed Indoor / Outdoor Boat Show to be
held at the United Counties Showground, Carmarthen,
Wales
.
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This year the event has grow
to become three times bigger than 2007 and is proving to be a very
interactive bumper filled show.
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Taking into account the
feedback the WBS Team received, the event will see the return of a
variety of popular features, complete with a Marine Fashion Show and a
large increase in Sailing craft and Marine Electronics.
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For the children, who are
free to attend the Welsh Boat Show, we have a huge new Kids Area with
a wider offering which is due to be unveiled very soon.
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For 2008
we are expecting between, 15 to 20,000 visitors and the WBS management
team are presenting the show through a high impact, creative and
innovative promotional campaign.
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This
includes the WBS website and chosen media partner BoatShop 24 Group of
publications, Boat Trader, Boats and Yachts for sale, Boats and
Outboards, Local and Regional Radio and BBC and ITV Wales Broadcasting
and Advertising campaign.
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For further information Log
onto...
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www.welshboatshow.co.uk
|
| 2nd
April : Jetskiers Who Rode Through Flooded Cotswold Town Found
Guilty Of Assaulting Neighbour Who Tried To Stop Them. |
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Two men who rode their jetskis through a town caught up in last
summer's floods were yesterday convicted of assaulting a businessman
who tried to stop them.
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Robert Breakwell, 26, and Michael
Pobjoy, 47, attacked Roger Sillick, 62, after he complained they were making the flood damage
worse.
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The pair had been performing figures of eight in the knee deep
water in the town of Stroud in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, as Mr
Sillick helped neighbours move their possessions out of the way of the
rising waters.
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When he complained, Breakwell and Pobjoy splashed him before
attempting to pull him into the water.
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Gloucester Magistrates' Court heard how a crowd of up to 100
gathered to watch as Breakwell roared along the flooded street on his
jetski dressed only in his black boxer shorts on July 20 last year.
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Mr Sillick, a cleaning company boss, told the court that many of
those watching were upset at being flooded out of their homes and
businesses. One neighbour was distraught at being told he had lost
property worth £30,000.
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But Breakwell, of Bagpath,
Brimscombe, and Pobjoy, of Brimscombe,
told the court the bystanders were enjoying the show.
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Pobjoy said: 'Everybody was watching and cheering. It was quite a
scene with everyone trying to get a vantage point to see what was
going on.'
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Giving evidence yesterday, Breakwell claimed to have put his arms
around Mr Sillick in a bearhug after seeing him with his hand on the
throat of Pobjoy's 24-year-old son Daniel, who was watching on the
sidelines.
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He said: 'Daniel was trying to pull him off with one hand and I put
my arms around Roger and walked him away.
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'It was strange really because nothing was said. I just calmed him
down and said: "It's okay, we're all going".
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'Daniel's a very good friend of mine and I was very worried for
him.'
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However, under cross examination, Breakwell's friend Steven
Dangerfield admitted that it was friends of Mr Sillick who had
intervened, not Breakwell's.
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Mr Sillick told the court earlier that although his own property
had escaped the flooding, he and his wife had spent most of the day
helping neighbours.
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He was annoyed, he said, when he saw a jet skier cruising along the
flooded street with one arm raised as if to say: 'Look at me.'
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He said he was concerned the water was polluted and that there may
have been cars submerged in it.
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Asking the men to stop, they responded: 'There's always one' and
'you're a f***ing c**t and you're going to get wet'.
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Mr Sillick said: 'Initially, when they turned up, I felt annoyed
because I could see what was going to happen.
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'I thought to myself: "Keep calm, keep cool". When things
started to go wrong I was expecting verbal interchange but I was not
expecting to get pulled around.'
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He described the two defendants as being 'very aggressive'. 'It was
just a feeling I had spoiled their fun and they were going to take it
out on me,' he said.
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His injuries included a torn forearm muscle and bruising, which
took about six weeks to heal, he said.
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In police interviews, Pobjoy and Breakwell claimed they were only
out for a bit of fun and that the nearest place they could otherwise
jetski was Bristol.
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Breakwell said: 'It seemed like a fun thing to do.' When the police
officer asked him if he considered it orderly behaviour, he replied:
'I thought at the time but can see it was wrong when you look back at
things.'
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The magistrates found Breakwell guilty of taking hold of Mr Sillick
and Pobjoy guilty of splashing him, both constituting assaults. They
were also found guilty of using threatening words.
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The bench said they found that Mr Sillick had not been the
aggressor and had not attacked Daniel Pobjoy. Defence witnesses had
presented conflicting accounts and the story had clearly been
concocted between them to excuse their part in the incident,
magistrates added.
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Pobjoy was fined £300 for the assault and ordered to pay £450
towards prosecution costs, a £15 victim surcharge and £100
compensation to Mr Sillick.
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Breakwell, a beneficiary, was ordered to pay a fine of £100, £15
victim surcharge, £50 towards costs and £100 compensation. There
were no additional penalties imposed for the threatening words
offence.
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Speaking outside the court, Mr Sillick said: 'I think the
magistrates did a brilliant job in considering the evidence, because
it wasn't easy, but I am disappointed at the sentence.
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'It seems a slap on the wrist and they will soon get over it. I'd
have liked to have seen the fines equal between the two, and some form
of conditional discharge.
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'It was a point of principle. Having been involved in the flood
relief effort all day long, helping neighbours out, I just looked at
what they were doing, and thought, "You can't do that".
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'Most of my neighbours were flooded to a depth of about nine feet.
The waves they were making were coming in through the windows, with
people trapped inside their homes.
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'I hope they learn from this, but who knows?'
|
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DailyMail
|
| 2nd
April : Pair Fined Over Jetski
Rage. |
|
A businessman who was
splashed and grabbed when he asked two jetskiers to stop cruising the
streets of a flooded town centre, said today that he went to court
"on a point of principle".
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Roger Sillick, 62, was saving
his neighbours' possessions from the rising waters in flood-hit
Stroud, Gloucestershire, while Robert Breakwell and Michael Pobjoy
were practising their sport.
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When Mr Sillick told
Breakwell, 26, and Pobjoy, 47, that they were sending waves into
people's homes, they splashed him and tried to pull him in,
magistrates heard.
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Both men were fined and
ordered to pay Mr Sillick, who runs a cleaning company, £100 each in
compensation - a sentence he branded 'a slap on the wrist' today.
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Breakwell was wearing only
his boxer shorts and had attracted a large crowd, which detracted from
the hard work that needed to be done last summer, Mr Sillick added.
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Both men, from Stroud, were
convicted of assaulting Mr Sillick, Pobjoy by splashing him and
Breakwell by grabbing him.
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The pair were also found
guilty of using threatening words.
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Pobjoy was ordered to pay
£750 in fines and costs, and Breakwell £150. Each was told to pay Mr
Sillick £100 compensation.
|
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Mr Sillick said today:
"I think the magistrates did a brilliant job in considering the
evidence, because it wasn't easy, but I am disappointed at the
sentence.
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"It seems a slap on the
wrist and they will soon get over it. I'd have liked to have seen the
fines equal between the two, and some form of conditional discharge.
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"It was a point of
principle. Having been involved in the flood relief effort all day
long, helping neighbours out, I just looked at what they were doing,
and thought, 'You can't do that.'
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"Most of my neighbours
were flooded to a depth of about nine feet. The waves they were making
were coming in through the windows, with people trapped inside their
homes.
|
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"I
hope they learn from this, but who knows?"
|
|
metro.co.uk
|
