AND HERE IS THE NEWS….
a weekly update of the local news
WITH CAROLINE HILL
Retired policeman to the rescue – A woman in the process of withdrawing money from a cash-point in Amelie-les-Bains was threatened at knifepoint by a young man intent on taking her money. Her cries for help alerted a passing couple and the husband bravely stopped the robber from escaping until the police arrived. The hero was a retired policeman who was visiting Amelie to take the cure.
Serious car accident at Porte d’Espagne – For an as yet undertermined reason, two vehicles were involved in a collision at the Porte d’Espagne exit of the RD900 at 3am on Saturday morning. The occupants of the vehicles are said to be gravely injured and an inquiry is underway.
Parent/Teacher meeting will be difficult – A 13 year old schoolgirl has been accused of punching a teacher during a French lesson at Saint-Exupéry college at Moulin-a-Vent, Perpignan. A hearing into the incident, which occurred on Thursday morning, has listened to differing versions of events – it is of no doubt that the teacher ended up with a bloody nose but classmates of the girl insist that both teacher and student exchanged blows as he pulled her to the ground after she threw a shoe at a window. The hearing continues.
TGV hits car – Just before midnight on Thursday night, a motorist lost control of her vehicle on the RD900 near Salses-le-Chateau and the vehicle ended up stranded on the train track. The driver was able to leave the vehicle but by the time she managed to alert the police it was too late, and a TGV train ploughed into the car. Luckily only one train passenger was very slightly injured but the car was totally destroyed. The driver, from the Aude, is helping police with their enquiries.
China Palace, Polygon Nord – This restaurant is not likely to be awarded a Michelin star anytime soon – having been closed last May due to hygiene problems, a follow-up visit following its’ reopening in November resulted in the discovery of yet more hygiene regulation breaches and also a secret door concealing the dwelling place of 2 illegally employed Chinese nationals.
Helicopter crash in Torreilles – two passengers enjoying a trial flight in a helicopter narrowly escaped death when the helicopter lost power and crashed to the ground in the solar panel farm outside Torreilles. The pilot managed to manoeuvre the aircraft between two lines of solar panels but several were damaged. The extent of the occupants injuries is as yet unknown.
No concrete evidence? – An eighty-year old man who had parked his car outside the Mairie at Cerbère while he was away on a trip was astonished to find, on his return, that a block of concrete had pierced the roof of his car and was resting on the driver’s seat. The block apparently came from the nearby SNCF track. An enquiry is underway.
Love triangle tragedy – David Gilavet and his wife Leila had always had what can only be described as a tumultuous relationship – stories of arguments, buckets of water being thrown at each other and loud music being played to stop each other from sleeping – but the final straw came when David discovered that his wife was having an affair with his cousin. The rows escalated and on the final night ended in disaster when David discovered his cousin outside his wife’s house, rammed his car with his car, and then shot at the tyres, somehow missing the tyres but managing to shoot his cousin dead. The trial continues.
Car Fires at Espira-de-l’Agly – 7 vehicles situated in the small parking area in the town centre were completely destroyed by fire in the early hours of Saturday morning. Residents were awakened by the sound of exploding tyres at around 3am and some managed to move their vehicles from the danger but others were less lucky – including an artisan who had left all his tools and equipment in his van, and a family whose car was packed and ready for a holiday to Spain that day.
And finally …….
Little luxuries in Prison – prisoners in Perpignan seem to be living the good life at the moment, thanks to their friends and relatives smuggling in luxury items during visiting hours. Acting on a tip-off guards intercepted the brother of one prisoner and foiled his attempt to deliver cigarettes, cannabis and a mobile phone, all wrapped in socks. Another recent search of the prison uncovered 2 litre bottles of alcohol, tequila, 3 1 ½ litre bottles containing chicken drumsticks, chicken cutlets and minced beef, 5 packets of cigarettes, some cannabis, a hookah (correct spelling!), some perfume and 7 mobile phones.
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