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Concerns over retained firefighter's appointment
DUCKS were the only ones able to make use of West Park's football pitches last weekend when torrential rain on Friday created a massive lake.
Goole and Thorne Sunday League matches had to be cancelled - and not for the first time this season.
Phil Batten, Operations Manager Amenities, with Goole Town Council, said: "It was as bad as it has been since the storms about three years ago but the whole winter has been very wet and there have been several weekends during which the pitches have had to be cordoned off.
"There is talk that the Goole and Thorne Sunday League season will have to be extended for them to get all their matches in."
THREE farmers have been fined 21,000 after animal health, welfare and food hygiene offences were uncovered.
Colin, Katherine and Mark Chambers were sentenced at Beverley Magistrates Court on Wednesday, February 24, following an investigation by East Riding of Yorkshire Council officers.
Between them Colin and Katherine Chambers were ordered to pay a total of 21,000 after admitting animal health and welfare offences and food hygiene offences discovered at their farm holdings situated at Rotsea Carr, Easingwold and Rudston.
Colin and Katherine Chambers were each given a two year conditional discharge and banned from owning, keeping or being party to arrangements for cattle sheep and other similar non-household animals for five years.
Colin Chambers was ordered to pay fines of 6,000 and prosecution costs of 3,000.
Katherine Chambers was ordered to pay fines of 9,000 and prosecution costs of 3,000.
Their son, Mark Chambers was also sentenced and was given a two year conditional discharge following being found guilty, and in one instance pleading guilty, to offences under animal by-products legislation.
At sentencing District Judge Earl, hearing the case, said: "I have given serious thought as to whether it would be appropriate to put you out of business completely.
"I also have to consider the public interest and public safety.
"Nothing heard indicates the public has already been harmed, but that does not mean that they might not have been in future. Had it continued along the downward spiral, that is what might be expected."
The investigation involved officers from the council's animal health, food services and legal teams alongside veterinary officers from Defra's Animal Health Agency.
It followed the receipt of a complaint from a member of the public in relation to the finding of sheep carcases whilst walking across land farmed by the Chambers family at Rudston.
When the animal health officer from the council attended a significant number of dead livestock were found at the site.
Later visits to the three sites farmed by the Chambers revealed moribund livestock, several of which had to be euthanised during the visits following examination by Defra veterinary officers and large numbers of dead livestock which had not been disposed of correctly.
In addition both cattle and sheep were found housed in unsuitable conditions and without feed or water.
Food services officers of the council were additionally involved in the investigation of poor standards of hygiene evident in the food preparation areas of the Rotsea farm unit
Colin and Katherine Chambers operate the Black Sheep Meat Company and are regular stall holders at farmers markets throughout the county.
They attended the monthly event held at The Courtyard in Goole when it first opened but organiser Linda Thornton confirmed this week that they hadn't been for over a year.
Paul Abbott, ERYC's acting head of public protection, said "This has been a fine example of the council working together in partnership with Defra's Animal Health Agency in securing a worthwhile conviction.
"This prosecution shows how seriously this council and its partner agencies take these crimes. We will continue to act to protect public health, and to protect the welfare of animals.
"The fact that the judge was willing to disqualify Mr and Mrs Chambers from keeping animals for a period of five years demonstrates the gravity of the situation."
by Kassie Holliday
QUESTIONS have been raised about the appointment of a retained firefighter who turned out to be a long distance lorry driver and so could not fulfill the five-minute response rule.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service took the man on, from Gilberdyke, to be trained as part of the retained crew at Goole because he said his place of work was in the town.
But now, a Goole Town and East Riding Councillor is asking how the authority failed to properly scrutinise the details given by the applicant and so ended up paying for him to complete part of the training course before discovering the error.
Coun Keith Moore said that although the applicant had provided inaccurate information on his application form, the authority should not have accepted it at face value.
"I would have thought that if the applicant put down his occupation as "lorry driver" then the authority would have asked where he delivered to.
"It will have cost a lot to put him through even part of the training process and it is also unfair to the applicant because it will have given him expectations that could not in the end be delivered."
A spokesman for the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said that the applicant had confirmed on his application form and during his interview that his employer would release him to provide cover from his place of work which was in Goole and that the Service currently had a number of personnel who provided cover on a similar arrangement.
"The person in question informed Humberside Fire and Rescue Service that he was employed as a local driver, it was only after he started his course that he mentioned that his work would take him out of the Goole area and he would struggle to provide the necessary cover. Subsequently his contract was terminated.
"He has since contacted Humberside Fire and Rescue Service to try and provide cover for Howden but he was informed that he was on the limits of the five-minute attendance criteria and subsequently we would not be following up his application."
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Weather for Goole
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: -0 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
