CAMPAIGNERS fighting for a pedestrian crossing on the busy A39 may see their wish come true as early as January – with added benefits.

Cornwall Council has submitted plans to install a new toucan signal-controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing on the A39 between Mabe and Penryn, at Kernick Roundabout, near Asda and B&Q.

The plans submitted through the council's consultation process include a combined cycleway and footway on both sides of the A39, linking Mabe to Kernick Road.

Mabe Parish Council vice-chairman Richard Scrase, who lives in Mabe and has a son at Penryn College, said: "All the people I have spoken to are behind it.

Beneficial

"It's been a long time coming and it is particularly beneficial to people in Mabe getting to and from Penryn College."

Tessa Kingsley, who is a teacher at Penryn College and a Mabe Parish Council member, said: "I've been campaigning for a crossing for a number of years by writing to the council as a concerned parent.

"I've always been told that the crossing is safe, if parents walk with their children, but I fundamentally disagree with this, so I am delighted and relieved that my own children will finally be able to walk to school safely and remove the need for me to drive them there."

Local people have been campaigning for a crossing at the roundabout for many years.

In February 2011, Cornwall Council pushed the £400,000 scheme up its priority list.

The proposal was opened to public consultation three weeks ago – due to close today.

Ian Pearne, from Cornwall Council's economy, enterprise and environment team, said work on the scheme could start in late October and is expected to take around three months.

He added that the project had been allocated £135,000 as part of a Section 106 agreement – contributions from local developers towards amenity schemes and infrastructure improvements.

The rest of the funds will come from Cornwall Council's current local transport plan.

In its consultation proposal, Cornwall Council said: "Development in Mabe is resulting in an increased demand for pedestrian and cyclist access across the A39 between Penryn and Mabe.

"The main road can be difficult to cross, particularly at peak times and as a result of this, a proposal to improve crossing facilities has been drawn up."

Mabe parish councillors voted to support the introduction of the crossing at its meeting earlier this month.

Parish council clerk Fiona Collins said: "Their strong preference would be for barriers to be installed in order to direct the pedestrians to the correct place to cross, plus the installation of crash barriers on the island to ensure the safety of pedestrians."

A private company controversially given a £315 million contract to run Cornwall's cottage hospitals has been condemned as a "failed experiment" after it emerged that talks were under way which could potentially see it merge with an NHS organisation.

Peninsula Community Health (PCH), a social enterprise, and Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services in the county, have revealed today that they are in embryonic discussions about closer working.

The organisations stress that it is very early days, however in a statement they said if patient benefits could be proven both "could look to working together and help provide a stronger more resilient single organisation as they both share the belief that integrated working will deliver better, more efficient health services to local people."

The news drew exasperation from those who campaigned to stop Cornwall's 14 community hospitals being placed in the hands of a not-for-profit company.

Andrew George, MP for St Ives and member of the powerful Health Select Committee, said the best outcome would be putting the whole community health sector back in public hands.

"Providing that this brings our community hospitals and services back into the NHS, then this is a welcome move, though it raises questions about the wisdom of quasi-privatising the service.

"I can certainly see some significant benefits which could be delivered by integrating NHS services rather than adopting competition between fragmented private providers approach favoured by the Conservative side of the Coalition."

The campaign group Health Initiative Cornwall was an outspoken critic of community hospitals being taken out of the NHS.

Vice-chairman Graham Webster said he would be pleased to see PCH and Cornwall Partnership work closer together, but it had cost a lot of money which could have been spent on front line services to get to this point.

"As predicted this had proved to be a failed experiment which had diverted millions of pounds of NHS money away from front line services into corporation tax, VAT and other overheads."

PCH began operation in October 2011 with a four-and-a-half year contract for services estimated to be worth a total of £315 million. According to its only publicly available accounts, in its first 18 months the company made profits of £169,000 after tax.

Steve Jenkin, chief executive of the company, said talk of mergers and takeovers were very premature as the examination on closer working had only just begun.

"It is important to say that this is a study at this moment in time. It is not a done deal," he said.

The interest of the patient was absolutely paramount in all their discussions, which he said would include as many staff members as possible.

Mr Jenkin said the company was operating in a tough financial climate and that nationally NHS finances were known to be under unprecedented pressure.

He said demand for PCH services was rising, adding: "We have our financial challenges, it's fair to say."

Mr Jenkin dismissed questions of whether PCH was sustainable as a stand-alone organisation, adding they had consistently hit their targets with staff recognised as providing excellent care.

"We are still a going concern," he said.

Cornwall Partnership and PCH said closer clinical working could enable them to meet the challenges of posed by an ageing population needing more long term care and their study will examine the benefits to patients of greater service integration.

They said the aim was to share expertise across the two organisations which are the major providers of community based services to the people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Phil Confue, chief executive of Cornwall Partnership, which has a £58million contract for services from commissioners NHS Kernow, said the study had just started.

"We are looking at options where patients will continue to be treated locally but with staff treating them being part of a wider team.

"We are just beginning this process but we will be involving our staff, Governors, members, local people and GPs in discussions about how we best develop services."

The outcomes of the study will be presented to both organisations in October 2014.

UPDATE: First Great Western has admitted that a separate incident had been recorded incorrectly on their website and the rail service was cancelled between Falmouth Docks and Truro due to a fault.

A spokesperson from First Great Western said a person had been hit by a train in Bath and Bristol "but for whatever reason that particular incident had been recorded incorrectly. The service [between Falmouth Docks to Truro] had been cancelled due to a fault".

EARLIER: A FIRST Great Western train service from Falmouth Docks to Truro has been cancelled after a person was hit by a train.

The 8.50am service had been due to arrive in Truro at 9.18am.

But according to the train company's website: "This train will be cancelled.This is due to a person hit by a train earlier."

Furthermore the 9.20am service from Truro to Falmouth Docks and the 9.50am Falmouth Docks to Truro have been cancelled.

A disgruntled resident has embarked upon a social media crusade to save his hometown.

Roger Dudley believes that Camborne is a shadow of its former self and has created two Facebook pages urging residents to join the fight.

He initially set up the Stop Destroying Camborne page and last week created The Fight to Regain Camborne which includes a ten point action plan to save the town.

His points include bringing down business rates to attract big name shops, an increased police presence, ensuring that the town's CCTV cameras are switched on and open public toilets.

He said: "I have become enraged at the deplorable state of the town and I'm encouraging the people of Camborne to join me and take action.

"It used to be a real pleasure going into Camborne but the same cannot be said anymore as it is full of drunks, dirty and there are no toilets.

"There are too many housing developments springing up around the town and the money would be better spent on improving infrastructure because since the closure of Holman Brothers the town has been lacking any kind of industry.

"I loved Camborne with all my heart but just putting flowers and hanging baskets around the town isn't going to improve things as more drastic changes are needed."

Mr Dudley then went on to accuse other residents of turning a blind eye to the town's problems.

"I can only try my best to see what I can get done, but how on earth can we entice people into the town?"

It would appear that one point of Mr Dudley's action plan has already been achieved with Camborne police confirming that there will be now be an increased police presence in the town.

PC Sue Buckley said: "There will be frequent high-visibility patrols in the square area as we continue to reduce fear of crime in the town.

"A specialised local policing team is now working in the community to address such issues and will continue to work with Safer Camborne and other agencies to make the town a better place to live."

Mel Martin, BID Manager for BID Camborne (the business improvement district) believes that the Facebook pages could be the catalyst to drive further positive change:

"Businesses and residents alike are naturally concerned about the state of their town.

"In 2013 BID Camborne launched the You Can Do initiative to try and tackle the numerous problems that Camborne has, from litter and graffiti to anti-social behaviour.

"The first stage of this included getting the various agencies, the police, town council and Cornwall Council to agree to 'operating agreements.'

"This was the first step towards real change and once again, I am calling on all residents and businesses in Camborne to keep pushing these issues."

Firefighters were called into action on Monday afternoon after reports of a vehicle which was "precariously balanced" on a wall near Swanpool in Falmouth.

A crew of five from Falmouth Fire Station arrived on the scene at 5.20pm to find the vehicle with its front wheels hanging over the edge of a wall facing towards the pool.

The crew used a winch to recover the vehicle, and there were no reports of anyone injured.

It's taken six translators more than 20 years, but today, Cornwall's 532,300-strong population can read the Bible online - in Cornish.

Or at least, part of it. 

The New Testament and Psalms are now available as an app that's intended to bring God to the Cornish smartphone.

Developers hope it will bolster Cornwall's many churches, and have already used it in services marking the end of Speak Cornish Week.

The Revd Jane Kneebone, associate priest of St Michael's in Newquay and chairman of the Bishop's ecumenical group for services in Cornish, said: "Cornish is on an upward wave. It's gaining in popularity."

She said that the new app gave the language "probity" and "ratifies its existence."

She added: "I really hope it will encourage more uptake of the speaking of the language. It's putting Cornish before people's eyes."

Translator Graham Sandercock said it was "disgraceful" that it had taken so long for the New Testament to be translated into Cornish.

"The Cornish are very proud of their heritage," he said. "The language is becoming more respectable. The national minority status has made a difference, but there was impetus before that."

He said that the app made the Bible "accessible and convenient' for people."

"We don't know what the result will be, but it will be good," he

The new app was translated from Hebrew and Greek and drew on other Celtic languages including Breton where Cornish words weren't available.

The New Testament & Psalms joins a small number of books that are translated into Cornish, including Tin-Tin, A Christmas Carol and Alice in Wonderland. 

A DATE has been set for the start of repairs to a historic clock tower in a Cornish mining village.

St Day Parish Council has said work on the village's clock tower and war memorial will begin on November 3 after it received a grant of £40,000.

It declined to reveal the source of the grant.

The building, which dates back to 1832, is thought to be one of the tallest in Cornwall and was formerly used to lock up local miscreants at weekends.

The tower has been left to fall into disrepair due to lack of maintenance over several years and repair costs are estimated at more than £100,000.

Parish council clerk Stephen Edwards said: "One of the main problems is that due to the poor state of the roof and the pointing of the walls the inside walls are very wet. Patchwork repairs had been done, so the whole of the outside of the building including the pointing has to be redone. Work will also be needed to provide new lead sheathing to the roof and bell tower, the weather vane will be repaired and replaced and the walls, inside and out, will be completely repointed.

"It's in quite a bad state. The weather vane was removed six or eight months ago because it was dangerous and had rusted and could have come tumbling down."

Work to waterproof the outside of the building will finish around April 2015 and the tower will have to be left for a year to dry out before work can start inside.

It is estimated that the whole project will be completed in mid-2016.

St Day Parish Council agreed to take ownership of the tower and war memorial, and to foot the six-figure repair bill, after it discovered that Cornwall Council was thinking of selling it on the open market.

Mr Edwards said: "It was really important for us to see if the people of St Day wanted to keep the clock tower, because even after the repairs it will cost in excess of £3,000 per year for the parish council to maintain and provide a repair fund for it and the memorial, which of course would mean an increase in precepts.

"We did a lot of research and the response was an overwhelming yes – it's a very important building to the people of St Day."

The parish council has currently raised almost £80,000 thanks to donations from local businesses, the efforts of the community and funding from various organisations. However, it has promised that work will be carried out even if the full amount cannot be raised.

A DEDICATED and respected teacher took her own life three months after suffering a "dramatic" and "catatonic" reaction to an antidepressant drug, an inquest has heard.

The inquest on Monday, at Truro, heard Elizabeth Fleming, known as Liz, was found dead at her home on January 3. The special needs teacher taught across Cornwall, including at Trevithick Academy, Camborne, and latterly the child development centre at Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske and

The 51-year-old's mood plummeted after ill health.

She was forced to stop medication prescribed to relieve the pain of endometriosis while undergoing tests for breast disease. Her doctor, Andrew May, from Three Spires Surgery, said she was a "charming" patient who was dealt "a terrible whammy" by the worry of breast surgery and the exacerbation of her existing condition.

As she struggled with the pain the sociable and energetic teacher who loved the outdoors and was "quite a perfectionist" found her anxiety grew.

Ms Fleming agreed to try out the antidepressant drug sertraline, which was prescribed on October 21.

But just two days later she suffered what Dr May described as "a dramatic adverse reaction" to the medication, which left her in a catatonic state, the inquest heard.

Dr May said he had never seen such an extreme reaction before.

Her sister Alison said: "I think mentally when it was happening she thought she was dying inside…"

After the reaction to the medication, she began to have suicidal thoughts, the hearing was told. "She expressed suicidal thoughts most days, she wanted to die but she also expressed that she wanted to live as well," her sister added.

Ms Fleming was given diazepam and an urgent referral to the crisis home treatment team following the fallout.

She was also put into the care of consultant psychiatrist Rick Bowers.

She was prescribed another drug, pregabalin, on December 18, after an MRI scan and overcoming a fear that she would suffer a similar reaction.

Her dose was increased and her sister said in the last weeks of her life she seemed to be making improvements but then started to deteriorate again.

The court was told that Miss Fleming hanged herself.

Assistant coroner for Cornwall Barrie van den Berg recorded Ms Fleming had taken her own life and extended his sympathies to the family.

"It's a tragedy," said Mr van den Berg.

"It sounds like an adverse reaction to the sertraline tipped her situation to a point that she could not deal with but whatever the reason I conclude that it was deliberate."

After the inquest, her sister and brother Malcolm praised everyone involved in her care and the police's subsequent support.

Mr Fleming said: "Liz was a dearly loved and special person."

His sister added: "She gave her life to teaching and contributed to the lives of many children."

A MUM has spoken of how she is continually inspired by her five-year-old daughter who has overcome numerous health setbacks to live a full and happy life.

Charlie Penna, from Perranporth, said Teyah was finishing her first year at Perranporth School despite having continual hospital treatment in Cornwall and London.

The youngster featured in the West Briton a few months after being born with a rare condition that left her blind, before a cornea transplant and other surgery improved her sight.

She has since been diagnosed with conditions which affect her in a variety of ways, including making it difficult to walk and leaving her incontinent.

Charlie said: "We thought that her eyes were the only things wrong with her but I began to notice she wasn't growing at the same rate as others.

Size

"There were two children she spent a lot of time with who were a similar age who got bigger, and she was just staying the same size."

Tests, including an MRI scan, revealed epilepsy and a condition affecting her muscle tone.

Teyah has had continuing treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, at one point every two weeks, with supporters raising funds to help with the cost.

Charlie said: "Teyah has been great about the travelling; it didn't bother her at all. She was really happy and never moaned. We'd wake her up in the early hours and say we were off to London, she'd pick up her favourite teddy and we'd go."

Regular physiotherapy and hydrotherapy sessions have helped her walk with the help of a frame, and attend school since September.

Charlie said: "She loves it; she gets so much help and support from the teachers and her friends. Her one-to-one worker has been brilliant and really helped with her walking.

"The older children have really taken to her and I seem to have a constant stream of 10- and 11-year-olds coming to play with her."

While Teyah can walk short distances with support, she relies on a wheelchair much of the time, making it difficult to take her to the park and the beach.

Their home had a garden which was on several levels so, again with help from fundraising, Charlie landscaped it into a place that Teyah can enjoy, creating a little oasis with plants and sensory features.

However, another setback was discovered after Charlie voiced concern that Teyah was still having to use nappies. Further tests and another scan uncovered nerve damage which was causing incontinence.

As a result, driving or going by train to London proves too difficult and they must fly, with one recent appointment costing £700 to attend. Great Ormond Street was only able to reimburse £100, and a subsequent appointment had to be cancelled due to the cost.

Charlie said: "I'm going to have to try and find a way to meet the cost – but I don't want any more from the public.

"We've used all the money which was raised for getting to Great Ormond Street and to do the garden which is now great for Teyah.

"People have been so generous and I really appreciate all the help but I don't want to rely on handouts. I want to try and do it myself."

Teyah remains her inspiration: "Because she's been born with these problems it's just normal for her and she doesn't let it affect her at all.

"Without her I wouldn't have achieved any of the things that I have done. Every day she inspires me and I know she inspires a lot of other people too – but for her it's just everyday life and to see her happy is all I could ever want."

A tax break for tourism could help the industry survive without costing the Treasury a penny, a new report says.

Business leaders and MPs want to cut VAT for accommodation and tourist attractions from 20% to 5%, in line with many European states.

The Treasury has so far resisted pressure to implement the measure, which would cost £2bn in lost revenue.

But now a new report has calculated that slashing the duty could be "cost neutral" to Government finances within just two years.

Over a decade the surge in new visitors from home and abroad could even raise an extra £2.6bn for the nation's coffers, according to the study launched this week.

Adam Fox-Edwards, owner of the Arundell Arms Hotel, in Devon, and a board member at the British Hospitality Association, said the reduction was now "a no-brainer".

"Every year we wait for the country to be able to afford this measure which actually creates more revenue," he added.

"It is so frustrating that almost every country in Europe has so far chosen to do this, but now we have economic forecasts made using the Treasury's own economic model.

"We would really like to see this included in the Chancellor's Autumn statement or at least have a manifesto commitment from the major parties."

TEENAGERS in Cornwall have got a new place to rock out and jam thanks to a weekly music club.

The School of Rock was the brainchild of guitar teacher and session musician, John Bruce, who wanted to help local musicians form bands and improve their musical and performance abilities.

The sessions, which are open to under 18s, started at the dBs music building at Cornwall Collage, Pool, in June and Mr Bruce already has more than 15 students who travel from as far as Penzance to learn from his experience in the music business.

The 52 year-old said: "I have been playing since I was 14 when I used to sneak in to my brother's room and use his guitar so I have been playing and teaching for most of my life now.

"I got the idea for School of Rock from the film. My initials are JB and my students always call me Jack Black so it just seemed right.

"I just think it is so important for young musicians to have a safe place to practice and to have someone to give them guidance about the music industry and that is what I am trying to do.

"There are so many people out there who are willing to exploit young people trying to get in to the music industry which is very sad really."

Students at the school are initially auditioned before being placed with a group of other compatible musicians.

During the sessions they get access to up to five practice rooms where they learn to play together and write music with the help of Mr Bruce.

He said: "I am just there to keep an eye on them and offer some critiques on their performances. The musicians have access to songs and backing tracks on my website and I will ask them to learn a song or two for the following week and give them some pointers.

"I also give them advise in other areas for instance I work with them on how to interact as a band and how to interact with the audience so they aren't just stood like surfboards on stage.

"Then when they are established as a group I talk them through some methods of writing songs and eventually, if they want to, point them in the direction of contacts in the music industry."

The bands play all genres of music from pop to metal and the school is open to drummers, lead and bass guitarists, keyboard players and singers.

Mr Bruce said: "School of Rock gets young people and gives them the opportunity to join a band and that gets them playing at the next level really.

"It also allows them to forge friendships. One of the band has each of its members from a different school and they would never have met if they weren't at School of Rock."

The School of Rock holds two sessions, 11.30am to 1.30pm and 1.30pm to 3.30pm, each Saturday at a cost of £5 per musician.

For more information contact John Bruce on 07926 387 990 or email johnbruceguitars@gmail.com.

Firefighters were called to a stable in Ponsanooth on Tuesday after a horse trapped its rear leg between two metal bars.

The crew of five from Falmouth arrived on the scene at 1.08pm.

Fortunately the quick-thinking owner of the stricken beast had already called a vet, who sedated it to prevent the animal suffering any further distress.

With the environment made safe the team used crash rescue equipment to cut the metal bars and free the animal's foot.