AND HERE IS THE NEWS…
….a light look at the latest local news
Yellow Vests’ day of protest – Saturday was known as ‘Act 6’ of the yellow vest protest and was one of the most violent to date. Protestors blocked access to the border again by closing the Le Boulou access, lighting fires and throwing stones onto the tarmac. They were also joined by Catalan separists – who had already brought Barcelona to a standstill on Friday.
Protestor killed in Perpignan – The ‘Gilet Jaune’ protests have resulted in the death of a tenth person – this time it was a driver (apparently a protestor) who accidentally drove into a stationary lorry at the Perpignan South exit of the A9. The victim was 35, and lived in Le Boulou.
‘Tis the season to … wear t-shirts – It is hard to feel ‘christmassy’ when basking in sunshine and blue skies, and the temperature is not helping – Sunday was the warmest December 23rd since 1983 (being just over 20°). The highest recorded temperature for a December day stands at 26.7° – but that was in 1925.
Hit and Run driver hunted – On Thursday evening a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and seriously injured while crossing the road in front of Le Napoli, Place Catalunya in Perpignan. The driver fled the scene – and police are calling for anybody who witnessed the accident.
Attempted kidnap in Sigean – Police have issued an identikit picture of a man wanted for attempting to abduct a 10 year old girl who was on her way to school. The man is in his forties with short black hair, a short beard, wearing black glasses and a silver ring on his right hand. He has a german accent and was driving a black 4 X 4 with a sticker of a green snake on the back.
Bar-owner killed in Perpignan – Barez Britz, a 63 year old ex rugby player, died in his bar after receiving fatal blows. He was apparently attacked by a 30 year old man who stormed into the ‘Bar and Britz’ bar, threw chairs at the window and then attacked the owner, who was allegedly punched in the head and died on his way to hospital. The attacker has been arrested.
And finally…
The criminal career of a young man was cut cruelly short, by his own stupidity. With a younger accomplice, the 18 year old siphoned off diesel from a stock in the works depot of St Hipployte council; but did not realise that there was a security cameral pointing directly at the number plate of his vehicle. When summoned to attend the police station, his second mistake was to turn up with all the tools of his ‘break-in’ in the back of his car, including the empty jerry cans. During his subsequent court appearance the judge asked if he was gainfully employed at the time of the crime – to which he replied that he was employed for the Vendange – which surprised the judge, bearing in mind it was the month of May. The defence lawyer asked for lenience as the young man had recently passed the tests to join the army and wanted to serve and protect his country. The judge let him off with a 4 month suspended sentence and added that ‘one prefers to see you become military rather than delinquent’.
