Three more attacks by muggers

By Helen Thomas

THREE more men have fallen victim to muggers in the Falmouth area during a spate of attack which police admit is "worrying."

Only last week the packet reported that a man was left winded and with a "dead leg" after being attacked on the afternoon of Friday May 6.

Since then three more robberies have been reported to police at Penryn.

Dc Jon Quick, of Penryn CID, admitted: "It is out of the ordinary for this town. It is obviously a very worrying aspect for all of us. This sort of thing cannot go unchecked."

He added: "We do not want to panic everybody. People should be aware of what is around them and their surroundings and of anyone acting suspicious."

The first of the latest mugging happened as a man was walking home after an evening out in Penryn. He was walking along the main road between the Treliever roundabout and Kernick Road when he was attacked from behind.

He was pushed to the floor and pinned down while his pockets were searched and some money stolen.

It is thought there were four men involved in the mugging, which happened between 10pm and 11pm, but as it was dark the victim has been unable to supply descriptions of his attackers.

Docks redundancies expected this week

By Stephen Ivall

MANAGEMENT at Falmouth Docks have been accused of breaking agreements with unions and forcing through the proposed 130 redundancies.

The workforce at the yard still do not accept they are in a redundancy situation as casual workers are still employed alongside them.

A mass meeting of the men was held on Friday when members of the yard committee told them that docks boss Stephen Jarvis "is coming out of procedure" and going ahead with the job cuts. He wanted them completed by early July.

"It is about time the rest of Falmouth is told what is going on down the docks," said one irate workman as he left the yard on Friday.

He said the once proud workforce was now at an all-time low. Morale was low and the atmosphere in the yard was appalling.

"In the 23 years I have been there I cannot remember a managing director treating the workforce like this," he said.

"Not once has he confronted the workforce en masse, only through the yard committee.

"We have now been told that names of those going will be announced this week.

"We don't accept we are in a redundancy situation at all. Now the casuals are finding it hard to talk to us as we work alongside each other, but we are the ones under threat."

The man, who like others does not wish to be named for fear of reprisal, said the yard committee were doing the best they could for the workforce but the management appeared to just do what they wanted despite national agreements.

No action had been taken by the workforce yet still the management treated them badly.

Setting sights on Europe

THE fight is on for Europe – June 9 is Euro-election day when the country goes to the polls to elect their member of the Euro-parliament and of the four West Country seats Cornwall and Plymouth looks like being the most interesting.

The Conservatives will be on the defence and hoping to retain the seat taken over by Christopher Beazley from his predecessor David Harris in the mid-80s and retained in 1989.

But the Tory who lives in Devoran, is fluent in several languages and a dedicated European has a fight on his hands.

When nominations finally closed on Thursday nine candidates had revealed their colours.

But it will be the Liberal-Democrats who have faired well in other elections in Cornwall who are confident of capturing the seat.

Despite calls for the constituency to be changed and for Cornwall to be represented without being attached to Plymouth the boundaries are the same as before and the Plymouth vote could be all important.