AND HERE IS THE NEWS…
…. a weekly update of local news in the Pyrenees-Orientales
With Caroline Hill
Wife held prisoner by husband – A 19 year old woman has been kept isolated in her home in Cabestany for 2 months following the birth of her son. Her husband had disconnected the telephone and internet, had behaved violently towards her and had even made her eat a cigarette as a punishment. The police were called by her concerned family and the man has been ‘detained’ for questioning.
Cat attacked – A little girl is mourning the loss of her 10 month old kitten who was found on the doorstep of her home in St. Genis de Fontaines in a pool of blood having been shot in the head. A complaint has been lodged with the gendarmerie but the culprit remains unknown.
Ultralight Aircraft Crash – The pilot and his instructor were extremely lucky to escape unscathed last Wednesday evening when their ULM crashed into a field outside Corneilla-La-Riviere. An enquiry is underway to determine the cause of the accident.
Candid Camera? – several ‘foot-patrol’ policemen in Perpignan have now been issued with HD cameras which are strapped to their chests. Apparently they have the right to film anything and anybody without having to ask permission.
You’ve been framed! – No escaping becoming a film star this week in Perpignan – the Mappy car has been touring the town collecting images for its’ ‘Urban Drive’ travel route application. Mappy wants to be different from Google Street View by concentrating less on residential areas and more on town centres. Some sarcastic commentators on L’Independent’s website are wondering if the fact that the Cimitiere St. Martin is featured as the ‘heart of the town’ means that Perpignan is really a ‘dead town’!
Medicine on the move – A new ‘medical’ bus, Le Bus Solidaire, is now travelling the region. Inside there is an ‘office’ for consultations, an examination table, and a team of doctors and nurses offering treatments and advice. From July the bus will make regular stops at Fuilla, Olette & Vinca, and is already in several locations around Perpignan.
Too many Vide-Greniers? – Antique dealers around the region are concerned that vide-greniers are killing off their businesses. In Perpignan there are now just a dozen antique shops. They say that they are not against Vide-Greniers in principle but that people should respect the rules i.e. that households can only participate in 2 vide-greniers per year and can only sell their own, used belongings.
Abandoned car leads to police search – When a grey Seat Leon with Spanish plates was found abandoned in Amelie-les-Bains, a check of police records showed that it belonged to a 34 year-old Spanish man who was reported missing on 24th April. There is still no trace of David Piella.
4 years in prison for attacking a handicapped friend – 2 men explained in court this week how they had decided to go to Le Barcares for a sandwich but then chose to go and visit an acquaintance of theirs. The friend refused to let them in so they forced the door, attacked him and stole mobile telephones and chargers. Already handicapped after a motorbike accident, the injured friend spent several days in intensive care after the attack and felt unable to attend the trial.
Garage fire injures children – A fire in the garage of a house in Alenya was quickly put out by the pompiers but a 10 year old child suffered superficial burns to his face and 3 other children (aged 3, 6 and 13 years old) suffered from smoke inhalation.
Body found near Bolquere – A group of young people who were cutting wood were shocked to discover the body of a man. 76 year old Jean-Pierre Gadel had been missing since 26th February and despite an extensive search of the area at the time, his body had lain undetected. He was identified by his clothing.
Lorry breakdown causes delays – Traffic was blocked for several hours in both directions Friday morning on the RD914 between Paulilles and Port-Vendres when a lorry broke down on a hair-pin bend.
Spanish Sailors rescued from burning Catamaran – 3 spanish sailors found themselves in dire straits last Wednesday morning when their fishing boat caught fire off the St. Cyprien coastline. As the rescue helicopter approached they jumped into the water and were recovered by lifeboat and were then air-lifted to hospital where they were found to be suffering from mild hypothermia. They will be facing further questioning into the discovery of ‘chemical substances’ found in the wreckage of their boat, Le Mar Brava.
And finally …..
Magazine Editor nearly has heart attack – By way of trying to help Kate with her mammoth task of keeping the website up to date I occasionally add items to the What’s On section. Due to keyboard problems (see latest blogpost for full details) I pressed the wrong button and had to make a frantic phone call advising that I had possibly deleted the whole month of June! After 5 seconds of silence (and for those of you who know Kate this is a rare occurrence!) and some frantic tapping of computer keys in the background, she replied that she had managed to press Save and that I had only lost the last item. Many apologies! (Accepted. Ed 
)
