AND HERE IS THE NEWS…
….a quick glance at the latest local news with Caroline Manson
Missing woman found
A 70 year old woman suffering from Alzheimers disease was reported missing from her home in Cases-de-Pène on Friday evening. The gendarmes were alerted around 8pm when the lady had not returned home since 10am. Around 15 men and a tracker dog were deployed but their initial search failed. The search continued the next morning, with the aid of two ‘green gendarmerie motorcycles’ but it was in fact local residents with their knowledge of the surrounding trails who chanced upon the woman. She was said to be safe and well, despite having spent the night outside, and was taken to hospital to be checked over.
Bikers protest in Perpignan
Around 250 bikers responded to the call by the FFMC (French Federation of Angry Bikers) to protest against the proposed MOT test for two-wheelers. This dispute has been going on since 2012 when the European Union first mentioned the idea that an MOT test for motor-bikes would be in the interests of environmental protection and road safety. One of the bikers said ‘I don’t need to pay someone 50 euros to tell me if my tyres or brakes are worn, we are careful’. The bikers assembled in the car park of the Palais des Expos and then toured the ring road through the north of the city, before finishing in the town centre. Apparently there should have been a larger turn out but many bikers were put off by the rumour of fuel shortages.
Retirement reform protestors march though Perpignan
To mark the 9th day since the controversial retirement reform bill was passed, a large crowd of demonstrators marched through Perpignan on Thursday. The prefecture stated that there were 7,500 protestors but the unions counted 20,000. The demonstration was largely calm, starting at Place Catalogne and passing through the town before returning to Place Catalogne around 1pm. Obviously as it was lunchtime a large portion of the crowd stopped for a break but others continued towards Pont Arago (which was not part of the official itinerary) with the intention of blocking traffic and complaining about the use of tear-gas during a previous demonstration. Just one person was arrested, for throwing a projectile at a policeman.
Child attacked by dog
On Saturday night two children were in the entrance hallway of the HLM Champs de Mars in Perpignan when a man arrived, accompanied by his dog, which was not on a leash. For no apparent reason the animal threw himself at the children, aged 7 and 11, and bit the youngest on the face, injuring the child’s mouth and nose. Firefighters and police officers swiftly intervened and the child was taken to the emergency room where he received a dozen stitches. The dog, a labrador/staffordshire cross was taken to the pound and his alcoholic owner is to face trial.
Employee of the CCI stabbed as she left work
A woman in her fifties was attacked as she left the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie in Perpignan after her day’s work. She was assaulted in the basement of the St Martin car-park and received stab wounds to her neck and arm. The concierge intervened and called the gendarmes, who arrested a man in his sixties. The assailant appears to be her former partner, who had already sent threats to her mobile phone during the day. The CCI remained closed on Monday as a mark of support for their colleague.
Dangerous fugitive arrested on TGV
A 33 year old man has been arrested on board the TGV between Perpignan and Figuères. The man was the subject of an investigation by the Italian police, and was suspected of having killed a 44 year old Italian military nurse in Rome. He was said to be ‘very dangerous’ and was travelling under a false identity, hoping to continue his escape the other side of the Pyrenees. The man is to be extradited to Italy.
And finally…
During a heated argument between a couple, the husband (who had been drinking) beat up his partner and she went to the gendarmes and filed a complaint. Bruises were found on her body. Shortly afterwards, the husband drove himself to the gendarmerie to confess – and was promptly arrested for drink driving. The man, who just happens to be the Mayor of Eus, is to face court in May and until this date he is prohibited from coming into contact with his partner and from carrying a weapon – as a rifle was found in the house on the evening of the dispute.
