AND HERE IS THE NEWS…

….a light look at the latest local news with Caroline Manson

Car found in water near Bompas

Firefighters were alerted when a car was spotted in the water just beside a Passage a Gué in Bompas.  Having first checked that there were no occupants and nobody was trapped inside the police scanned the number plate and were able to trace the owner.  He explained that the car had broken down so he had abandoned it on the passage a Gué, from where it had apparently drifted and ended up in the deeper water.

V-16 rotating beacon obligatory in Spain

From January 1st 2026 Spanish motorists are obliged to have a V-16 rotating beacon in their car, this is a flashing light which is to be placed on the roof of the car in the event of a breakdown and replaces the warning triangle, which is deemed to be dangerous.  After initial confusion the Spanish Directorate General of Traffic, and also the French Embassy in Spain have confirmed that this law only applies to vehicles registered in Spain, and the French drivers can continue to use their warning triangles without risking a fine.

Motorcyclist rescued from the Agly

A difficult and dangerous rescue mission was carried out last Tuesday when a motorbike rider lost control of his bike and fell about 15 metres off the Fou Bridge in the village of Lesquerde, landing in the Agly river.  At first the Dragon 66 helicopter was sent to the scene but the access was too difficult so the ground team had to remove him by means of ropes and pulleys. The 22 year old man was conscious but in a serious condition and finally transported urgently to Perpignan Hospital.

Alert announced for parasite deadly for dogs

Cases of ‘angiostronglylosis’ have been reported near Salses-le-Chateau and a young dog has died of the infestation in just a few weeks.  Angiostrongylosis is characterised by the presence of worms in the body of the infected animal, these parasites come from rat droppings which are then ‘absorbed’ by gastropods (ie slugs and snails) so if a dog eats an infected slug or snail they become infected themselves.  Although it seems highly unlikely that dogs will be tempted to eat snails (even French ones), vets have confirmed several cases of this disease, mainly in the Southwest of France, and warn that pets should be seen by the vet at the very first sign of this illness, which can be treated but only if seen quickly.

Ski resorts break all records

Thanks to an excellent quantity of snowfall, the resorts of Cambre d’Aze, Formiguères and Porté-Puymorens announced that they have beaten their absolute attendance record, with 8,305 skiers on the slopes on Sunday 28th December.  The conditions are perfect as up to 1.60m of snow have covered the slopes.  At Font Romeu they are also celebrating with a new attendance record of 14,958 skiers in just one day.

Abandoned dog rescued by animal welfare

The callous owners of a property in Baixas moved house and left their dog abandoned in the back yard.  Neighbours alerted animal welfare (SEPA) who quickly arrived with the gendarmes and found the dog had no food or water for 6 days and had even started trying to eat fabric.  He was taken to the vet, and then on to the refuge in Ille-sur-Tet where it has just been announced that he has been adopted into a new and loving home.  The association has filed a complaint against the former owner, who could face 3 years in prison and a fine of 45,000€.

And finally….

It was a very happy start to the New Year for two domestic black pigs who escaped from their owner.  Around mid-morning on January 1st motorists on the D900 (where it passes Banyuls-dels-Aspres) had to swerve to avoid them as they ran up and down the road.  It took the rescue services some considerable time, and large quantities of tranquillisers, to control the two animals who were duly transported back to their owners.