AND HERE IS THE NEWS…

….a quick glance at the latest local news with Caroline Manson

Weather report

Heavy rain and storms swept the coastline last week and while they were nothing like the terrible storms experienced in Spain, they still caused a lot of damage. Torrential rains poured over Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, Saint Cyprien, Canet and Torreilles and five roads were closed to traffic. Firefighters were called to rescue the occupants of a car trapped in a flooded car park in Saint-Cyprien and and the occupants of two apartments had to be evacuated. The good news is that the Tramontane is back with a vengeance from Sunday, sweeping away the clouds – but also bringing a big drop in temperatures. We will start the days with just 8° and can expect a maximum of just 12° in the afternoons. These temperatures are below the normal average for this time of year and will be felt more strongly as we have been enjoying temperatures way above average recently.Man shot dead in Perpignan

A drunken altercation outside a bar in the early hours of Saturday morning had a fatal outcome when a 22 year old man was shot, and died of his injuries in hospital. The man, a father of two, was said to be a member of the gypsy community of Le Vernet and was in the B’Fly, a late night bar popular with the community. An investigation has been opened but so far no arrest has been made.

Missing 65 year old man found safe and well

A 65 year old resident of Ille-sur-Tet had gone mushroom hunting with his family on Friday afternoon but did not return home with them and was reported as missing. The search started in a place called ‘Creu de Marqueixanes’ near Rabouillet and the mountain team criss-crossed the entire sector searching through the night. Gendarmes and firefighters were aided by around sixty civilians, including the man’s family.  The man was finally found on Saturday afternoon at the Col de Jau, having spent the night sheltering in the forest between Conflent and Fenouillède.

Protestors demand the reopening of trainline

Since the accident on July 24th when a train derailed and hit a bridge, the Perpignan to Villefranche trainline has been closed.  A group called “Train en Têt” mobilised at least 100 people to form a blocade at the entrance of Prades where they formed a fake railway barrier to filter the traffic from 9am to 11am. They are angry that despite 3 meetings with experts, there is still no news on when the line will reopen. For the moment, a bus service has been put in place but this apparently takes travellers twice as long and does not run on Sundays.  

Prison sentence for fake landlord

A 42 year old man who rented an apartment for a long weekend on a booking platform has been convicted of fraud for trying to rent it out on an annual basis. Soon after collecting the keys for his ‘holiday’ rental in the Saint-Martin district of Perpignan, he advertised the apartment on Le Bon Coin as available for long-term rental.  Several people showed an interest and at each visit he pocketed a sum of money as a deposit. The three victims were said to be ‘vulnerable’ – one was elderly and the other was under guardianship. In total, the scammer pocketed 3,200€  Luckily, relatives of the real owner came across the advert and recognised the photos and the crook was arrested. Apparently he is a repeat offender and was already wearing an electronic tag following a recent conviction. He was sentenced to two years in prison, banned from staying in the Pyrenees-Orientales for 3 years and obliged to pay compensation to his victims.

And finally…

At long last an animal rescue story with a happy ending! A hunting dog fell down a hole in a rock formation near Formiguères and was trapped for 3 days. Firefighters and specialist rescue services were mobilised but the cavity was in a difficult to reach area in the middle of a forest and the hole was too small for them to see inside. Eventually the ORSEC underground rescuers and the Spéléo Secours Français team of cavers arrived, enlarged the entrance and managed to rescue the dog who was trapped 4 metres from the entrance. The fox terrier is said to be in satisfactory condition, just dehydrated, with a small wound to one leg and ready to be returned to his owner.