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 The Gazette, Tuesday, April 1, 011 www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk

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INSIDE EDITION NO: 43,140
Resort
death
crash
save services
By ALEX ROSS
biker
named
A BLACKPOOL motorcyclist
FYLDE coast teen- who was killed following a
agers have revealed horrific collision with a car
in Cumbria has been named
their despair over the as Andrew Mitchell.
Firefighters dampen down the aftermath of a dramatic fire
on sand dunes in St Annes Page 4 loss of a vital service. The 44-year-old, of Stanley
Advice and guidance Park Close, Marton, was pro-
National News & Weather 6 service Connexions will nounced dead at the scene of
Opinion and Letters 10 be axed in May as part of the crash, which happened on
Television Centre pages £27m cuts by Blackpool the A684 near to the village
What’s On 34 hall at Garsdale, Sedbergh,
Council.
Duke’s Diary 35 One of the main areas on Saturday.
Crossword, stars, Sudoku 36 where the axe has fallen is Mr Mitchell’s silver 900cc
Memory Lane 37 on youth services, leaving Honda Motorcycle was in-
Shares 38 the future of the some of volved in a collision with a
Sport 43-48 the most deprived and vul- dark green Volvo V70 estate
nerable youngsters from shortly after 2.30pm.
COMING UP Blackpool in doubt. Despite the efforts of para-
medics, air ambulance crews
The latest environmental issues on Green Page Children and volunteers
and a local doctor, they were
in The Gazette tomorrow and every Wednesday from Blackpool Boys and
Girls Club in Queenstown, unable to save him.
INTERNET TOP TEN who were put onto the club Arrested
by the service, told The Ga- The driver of the Volvo,
YESTERDAY’S top stories on zette about the work Con- a 74-year-old woman from
www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk nexions do helping young- FIGHTING TALK: Connexions members with volunteer worker Danni Lincolnshire and a passenger,
n Toxic cocktail killed mum, 54 sters find a direction into Hickenbotham who describes the club as her ‘second home a 72-year-old man escaped un-
work and training. hurt.
n Drama as rising tides trap 70 Many of the children and said: “We don’t know what
A petition has been The woman was arrested on
n Tormentor of comic on run from signed by thousands of
teenagers said they had the Government’s plans suspicion of causing death by
police found solace in the service are but what we want to
young people in Blackpool driving without due care and
n Drugs bust nets £350,000 of and many had been able to know is their commitment
to save the service and attention and taken to Kendal
plants reform their bad behaviour to areas like this.
those youngsters who had Police Station.
and felt at home since tak- “No young people
n Flash protest held in resort their lives turned around
ing part in sessions.
She has been released on
have been asked across bail until June 30 while fur-
n Clash over report into pubs by Connexions have
Daniel Taffs, 17, from
jumped on board. Blackpool about these cuts ther inquiries into the inci-
impact Blackpool, said: “I didn’t and how they should hap-
n Wenger hails Ollie’s spirit Danni Hickenbotham, 18, dent take place.
have any confidence and pen – they are just happen-
organised the protest and The A684 remained closed
n DJ: We all believe been there through thick didn’t want to talk to any- ing.
says she is scared her “sec- and thin and I can tell them until 8pm while police col-
n Pool go down fighting ond family” will be broken
one but the workers at “It’s a shame and a mess lision investigators carried
n Five children left in squalor whatever I want. I would be Connexions helped me out and you are going to end up
up because of the cuts. mortified if we lost this and out investigation work at the
so much and my life has with more youth crime be-
She said: “We heard we were all crying when we scene.
changed because of them.” cause there are less activi-
CONTACT NUMBERS about all the job cuts which heard about the cuts.” An inquest is expected to
The teenagers claim ties.”
were going to happen and Gemma Donegan, 16, be opened at South Cumbria
General inquiries......... (0153) 400888 nobody from the council Work is currently being
we found out a lot of people from Grange Park, added: coroner’s office in the next
News desk................................. 361865 consulted them before tak- done by Blackpool Coun-
are going to go from here. “It’s really upsetting be- couple of days.
Picture Desk............................... 3618 ing away Connexions and cil to review youth serv-
“My fear is if we don’t cause I care for my two Mr Mitchell’s family have
Photosales.................................. 361867 many have never even met ices and options to replace
show our support it will brothers at home but I been informed of his tragic
Sport.......................................... 361863 a councillor. Connexions are under con-
shut.” have a care worker from death and are currently
E-mail: [email protected] Rob Swarbrick, who is sideration.
Stacey Robinson, 19, Connexions who helps me being supported by specially-
taking voluntaryredundan-
Fax.............................................. 361870 from Layton, added: “Eve- alex.ross@ trained police officers in the
out and now she won’t be cy from his job as a youth
TEXT...............GAZTEXT [space] 84555 ryone in Connexions has there.” blackpoolgazette.co.uk resort.
(If you don’t want to receive details of other worker a result of the cuts,

Mum tells of first son’s fight for life

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St Annes....................... (0153) 7436
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n FROM PAGE ONE so nerve-racking. She added: “I just want to say a
“First of all we were told he had a big thank you to all the staff who
The condition caused little Char- very rare condition to do with bile looked after him, especially at Ron-
lie’s skin to go yellow, his stomach salt which is produced by the liver. ald McDonald House.
to swell and his blood sugar levels “But when he took the medicine “They provided us with some-
to rise to dangerous levels. for it his stomach started to swell where to stay, it was a brilliant fa-
He became so sick his bones up and he was sent for a biopsy of cility which without I don’t think
started to break as he was not pro- the liver. we would have coped.
ducing enough calcium to develop “Something went wrong with the “You get to speak to other parents
properly. biopsy and he ended up in intensive going through the same thing which
Mum Lucy, of Blackpool Old Road, care – it was such a shock to see him helps in so many ways.”
described the first few months of on the ward, we were really panick- Ronald McDonald House Chari-
Charlie’s life as “horrific”. ing. ties (RMHC) is an independent
She told The Gazette: “We didn’t “Following a further urine sam- charity which provides free “home
know anything was wrong as I had ple doctors said they had ruled out away from home” accommodation
a great pregnancy and all the scans cancer and he would need a liver in hospitals.
had come back OK. “All we knew was after the first transplant.” Dr Peter Curtis, consultant pae-
“When Charlie was born he few hours his jaundice levels should Five weeks later Charlie under- diatrician and clinical director for
seemed to have trouble breathing have dropped but Charlie’s kept ris- went a successful transplant and child health at Blackpool Teaching
84555 and was making a grunting noise ing.” was released from hospital just be- Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,
so he was taken to the special care After a week in Blackpool Vic- fore Christmas. said: “We’re delighted Charlie has
unit. toria Hospital, Charlie, now eight- He has now passed the critical made such good progress and is do-
“I was so scared because this was months-old, was transferred to a three month stage during which ing so well and we wish him all the
my first child and I knew this wasn’t specialist ward in Birmingham. time the patient may reject the do- best for the future.
how things were meant to go. Lucy, 27 and Charlie’s dad, Ben, nated organ. “His condition was particularly
“It was the longest wait of my life, 28, then had to wait an agonising And Lucy said she couldn’t have serious when he was born as it was
we kept asking what was happening four weeks for the first diagnosis. handled the ordeal if it had not been so rare.”
but no-one could really tell us any- She said: “It was just one scan and for medical staff and those at Ronald carla.george@
thing. investigation after another, it was McDonald House in Birmingham. blackpoolgazette.co.uk