7 Days of Headlines With Phil Mills
The March for England, playground improvements, diabetes research and cyclists told to pay up
Cyclists should pay road tax like other road users – that was the call this week from a taxi boss. John Griffin, founder of London’s largest minicab company, said that if cyclists want to share the highways then they should contribute to the cost and pass tests to increase safety. They should “get trained and pay up”.
The controversial call has led to a threatened boycott of the cab firm and protests outside its headquarters, but one Brighton cabbie said: “More consideration is given to cyclists these days, like provision of cycle lanes, and that’s a good thing. But they should pay their fair share.” What do you think? Email: comment@thelatest.co.uk
April has brought above-average rainfall but the hosepipe ban continues. A new appeal came from water companies to save bathwater for the trees, although they conceded that ladling out water into buckets and carrying them to trees isn’t everyone’s idea of fun after a soak in the tub. Meanwhile, sales of fake lawn grass in Sussex have gone through the roof.
The fifth annual March for England in Brighton saw 140 people parade through the city centre where they were jeered at and attacked by a minority among anti-march protesters. Bottles were hurled and two police officers suffered head injuries. Police horses also suffered cuts and bruises. Police made several arrests.
Almost £150,000 is to be spent improving five playgrounds across Brighton & Hove to provide new play equipment for children with disabilities. St Anne’s Well Gardens in Hove, Easthill Park in Portslade, Happy Valley playground in Woodingdean, Wish Park in Hove and The Level in Brighton will benefit from the work, being carried out by the city council with government funding from the Short Breaks Capital Grant Aiming High for Disabled Children programme, to make them accessible to all children.
A new helpline has been introduced for city residents to report instances of hate crime. The new number is 01273 292735 which puts callers through direct to the city’s community safety team, a partnership jointly run by the council and Sussex Police. The service is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5 pm (not including public holidays). All calls will be responded to within one working day, in line with the council’s victim and witness standards.
A Brighton woman with a learning disability has found work at at the Royal Pavilion tea rooms after a 12-week placement. Managers were so impressed with Jade Marshall that they asked her to continue working there. Jade is a client of Brighton & Hove City Council’s supported employment team, an adult social care service that helps people with disabilities to find and sustain work. Companies wanting more information should email SET@brighton-hove.gov.uk or phone 01273 295961.
Finally, one of Britain’s leading experts on diabetes, the University of Brighton’s Professor Adrian Bone, joined Brightion MP Caroline Lucas in calling on the the government to commit more funding to finding a cure. Professor Bone, funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), is leading one of the most innovative research projects to find a cure for the disease.
It has shown that, contrary to popular belief, insulin-producing beta-cells attempt to replicate themselves in response to the development of diabetes. Professor Bone said this offers hope that it might be possible to develop therapies which could allow some patients with Type 1 diabetes to renew their own capacity to produce insulin.
Some 40 young people and 20 adults with Type 1 diabetes were attending the first ever “Type 1 Parliament” lobbying event at the Houses of Parliament. Local teenager and diabetic Izzi Hickmott, was among those attending the event, organised by JDRF.
