BURGLARS made away with a retro bike after entering a garage in Lemon Street, Truro.
The 1950s Raleigh bicycle was stolen some time between December 13 and Christmas Day.
The bike is black and has curved, swept-back handlebars.
Anybody with information or who may have seen the bike is being asked to contact PC Tangye via 101 quoting crime reference 132937/14.
CUSTOMERS can recycle their Christmas cards and wrapping paper in a collection box in the upstairs corridor at Truro's Sainsbury's store until January 14 as part of a partnership with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
The chain will make a donation to FSC UK based on the volume of cards collected in its stores.
Store manager Mark Winsor said: "This is a great way to ensure that your cards are put to positive use, and is all part of our 'No Waste to Landfill' commitment."
A BREAGE man took his own life as a result of accumulating financial pressures, a coroner has ruled.
Robin Edward Adair, 47, killed himself in his caravan, parked in a Penzance layby, and when they searched the caravan police found several items of post relating to credit card debts.
Assistant coroner Andrew Cox concluded that Mr Adair had been living beyond his means and fully intended to take his own life.
Mr Cox recorded a verdict of suicide.
THE police are appealing for information about a woman in connection with thefts from a high street shop.
Officers in Falmouth say they would like to know the identity of the woman pictured above, who they believe may have been involved in shoplifting clothes from Fat Face in Falmouth on November 23.
Details of the offence have only just been released.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, and quote the crime reference CR/124866/14.
THE NHS will hold blood donor sessions on January 22 at the community centre on Foundry Row, Redruth, between 1.15pm and 3,30pm and 4.45pm and 7.30pm.
NHS Blood and Transplant says it would particularly welcome donors with blood group O Rh negative and those who have the rarer blood groups A Rh negative, B Rh negative and AB Rh negative.
To book an appointment to donate visit its website at www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 2323.
AS AN alternative to sending cards to each other, staff across Truro and Penwith College collected food to be donated to local foodbanks.
Enough items were collected to fill the stairwell of the Kenwyn Learning Centre at the Truro campus.
The idea originated with the learning services team, but caught on and spread to staff across the college.
PARENTS and children at Lanner School have raised more than £250 for charity during the festive season.
Pupils collected £200 for the Cornwall Air Ambulance through their six Christmas productions which included Noisy Nativity, Gold, Frankincense and Mirth, and Strictly Come Christmas.
They raised a further £76.41 for Save the Children during the Christmas jumper day.
CORNISH Pirates director of rugby Ian Davies said his side fully deserved their 27-19 victory over Plymouth Albion at Brickfields.
Davies' men were 12-8 behind at half time but a second half yellow card for home back row Rhys Oakley gave Pirates impetus for a second-half comeback, culminating in Bodilly's late score to take all five points.
"In the first half, we spoke about the fact they would be full of attitude and work-rate," said Davies.
"We had to match them but we didn't really do that in the first half. We gave away some sloppy penalties and Declan Cusack kicked really well for them, he is a class act.
"That gave them the lead at half time, but when we spoke as a team, we felt they didn't really offer a lot in attack in the opening 40 minutes – it was only our errors that allowed them in the game.
"We knew, if we took that away from them and kept the pressure on, we should score some points in the second half.
"Their yellow card came from our pressure and they had to give a penalty away to stop us scoring. We then exploited that situation very well – gave an interception when we could have scored a try – but then finally got our reward with the fourth try near the end.
"It was a lovely bit of footwork from Max Bodilly to score and I think we deserved the bonus point win because we played really well."
The only negative for Pirates was an injury to prop Alan Paver. The 36-year-old damaged his knee and was replaced in the first half.
Staying
Albion coach James Shanahan, meanwhile, struggled to hide his disappointment but vowed to continue fighting to steer his team clear of relegation.
He said: "I'm staying. If the board make a decision, they make a decision. That's their choice.
"I think we controlled large parts of the game against the Pirates, but we just gave them too many easy scores.
"We got back into a good position at 22-19 down and had a line-out but lost it and then they scored after that, which killed the game. Our line-out did not function. I reckon we lost 10 or 11 line-outs and you are not going to win a game of rugby if you set-piece does not function.
"Our set piece was not good enough and that's why we lost. It is a hard one to take."
Meanwhile, former Albion man Kieran Hallett admitted the Pirates' performance was far from perfect.
"We made hard work of it at times and bombed a few opportunities," he said.
"I've played in a few of these Tamar derbies now and they are always tight – there are rarely a lot of points in them. We were happy to get a win, really.
"We were quite happy going in at half time, despite being behind. There was a strong wind going down the middle of the pitch in the first half and that made it hard for us and gain any territory. We were quite happy going in just four points down.
"We knew we would get more of a foothold in the game in the second half. And we knew if we were more clinical in their 22, we would come away with the points and we managed to do that at the right times."
THE Cornish Pirates play their only home Greene King IPA Championship game of January when they take on Jersey at Mennaye Field on Saturday (3pm).
And fly-half Kieran Hallett said they should now target a top half finish after Saturday's 27-19 victory at bottom club at Plymouth Albion (see page 102), moved them up to sixth place.
Hallett said that Pirates had always held greater ambitions than merely staving off relegation this season.
He said: "We are not thinking about relegation at all. We have got way too much quality to be involved in that. The win against Albion takes us up to sixth outright. We had a tough run of fixtures at the start of the year and you never know where you are until you've played everyone once, and we still haven't done that yet.
"We're looking forward to Jersey this week now, and we've targeted this period as being really important to us.
"We played a lot of the top four or five teams earlier on in the year, and now we're playing the teams around us.
"If you can't beat the top-four teams, you have to try and beat the rest – there's no hiding away from that.
"To an extent, we made lives hard for ourselves but we just have to keep winning now. It will be another tight game against Jersey, they have a lot of ex-Pirates and Harvey (Biljon) is their coach and that adds a little extra spice to it.
"They are a decent team, we will enjoy the win over Albion and then knuckle down again."
To purchase tickets in advance of the game against Jersey the club's ticket office 01736-331961 will be open on Friday from 9am-11am. Tickets can also be purchased on-line at www.cornish-pirates.com and from Rowe's Cornish baker shops.
Tickets will also be available at the gates on the day, which open at 1pm.
THE Cornish Pirates increased Plymouth Albion's relegation worries after they handed out a 27-19 defeat to their Westcountry rivals at Brickfields on Saturday.
Albion did not even pick up a bonus point from the Championship clash, which pulled in a bumper crowd of 3,982.
Part of the reason for the large attendance was the importance of the game for both sides.
Albion started the day rock bottom, but the Pirates were only two places above them in tenth spot. However, the Pirates have moved up four places to sixth with their bonus point win in Devon.
Albion, though, remain cast adrift at the bottom. The gap after this weekend is now ten points and up next for James Shanahan's side is a daunting trip to unbeaten league leaders Bristol on Thursday.
Albion led 12-8 at half-time thanks to four Declan Cusack penalties, with a Joe Atkinson try and a Kieran Hallett penalty accounting for the Pirates' first-half scores. But after the break the Pirates moved up a gear and their pressure led to Albion forward Rhys Oakley being sin-binned.
While the former Wales international was off the field, the Pirates scored two converted tries courtesy of Atkinson and Alex Dancer to take a 22-12 lead.
When they were back up to 15 players, Albion reduced the gap to just three points thanks to a converted try by replacement Tom Harrison. But the visitors sealed their victory with an impressive try by Max Bodilly late on.
Albion, who have not beaten their Cornish rivals since April 2010, had as much, if not more, possession and territory as the Pirates, but they did not have a cutting edge, unlike their opponents.
Albion have still not won a league game since March 8.
To make matters worse, a third of the Pirates' starting line-up had once pulled on a Plymouth shirt.
They included Kieran Hallett and Tom Kessell in the half-back positions, Jack Andrew and Alan Paver in the front-row and Will Carrick-Smith in the second-row.
Atkinson scored the first of his two tries after Pirates forced Albion into giving away a five-metre line-out.
Hallett, though, could not add the conversion and Albion responded almost straight away with a Cusack penalty.
That made it 5-3 but three minutes later Albion went in front with another three-pointer from Cusack.
The Pirates were giving away too many penalties and on 18 minutes they gave away another at the game's first scrum and Cusack made them pay with a long-range kick from just over the halfway line.
That made it 9-5 to Shanahan's side, whose tactical kicking game was keeping the Pirates pinned back. Pirates lost the services of Paver, who was forced off with a serious-looking knee injury in the 32nd minute. And, in first half injury-time, Albion extended their lead with a fourth Cusack penalty after the Pirates were again penalised at a scrum.
Shanahan's side were in front at the break, but the Pirates turned up the pace in the second period. Albion were penalised repeatedly and the Pirates went for tries off their line-out, and they only prevented from doing so by Oakley's infringement, which earned him a yellow card.
Eventually that pressure told when the impressive Atkinson showed great strength and pace to score next to the posts. Hallett converted to make it 15-12.
And that became 22-12, six minutes later when centre Dancer scored a good try from a Pirates line-out 22 metres out.
The visitors drove initially but then fooled Albion by going inside quickly and there was Dancer to dive over. Hallett again converted.
Once Albion were back to 14 men they got back into the match when replacement Harrison went over from close range under the posts after good pressure by the home side. Cusack converted to leave Albion just three points behind.
Albion went looking for the win they needed. They got a kickable penalty on 76 minutes but went for the corner, only to lose the line-out – a common problem for them. That was a massive moment as within minutes the Pirates had gone up the other end and scored a fourth try courtesy of Bodilly.
The young full-back showed great skill to jink his way around a couple of Albion players to score and bag his side a full five points.
Hallett missed a long-range penalty at the end but it did not make any difference as the Pirates once again went home with a win.
Weymouth 1 Truro City 1
Honours ended even in the big New Year's Day clash at the Bob Lucas Stadium between the Evo-Stik Southern premier division's two in-form teams.
But it was City who were left the more frustrated, as they were unable to capitalise on playing against ten men for more than half the game after Weymouth's Chris Shephard saw red just before half time.
His dismissal in what was a full blooded clash at times, came when he completely lost his cool following a midfield melee, just after Rob Farkins had given the visitors the lead.
The big defender struck after 37 minutes, firing home a deflected shot through a crowd of players when Weymouth failed with several attempts to clear a Danny Greenslade right wing corner.
It was his fourth goal of the season for Farkins.
But in the second half, despite having only ten men, the home side came out strongly, pushing City back and in the end were good value for their point.
Their pressure was finally rewarded after 65 minutes when the linesman controversially adjudged Greenslade had fouled Stewart Yetton from behind on the edge of the area with the home striker going away from goal and the former City favourite made no mistake from the spot for his 27th goal of the season.
And it was Weymouth who then looked the likelier to go on and get all three points to make it ten wins on the bounce, as City were put under considerable pressure and forced to play on the break.
But to their credit, Steve Tully's men again showed their backbone to dig deep tand ensure they went home with at least a share of the spoils, as their six match winning run came to an end.
The game, watched by a boisterous crowd of almost a 1,000, was by no means a classic, but made up for that with the intensity shown by both sides with so much at stake..
City boss Steve Tully made just one change to his starting line up with Dan Green coming in for Arran Pugh with Shane White dropping back into the defence,
And in the first half it was City who held the upper hand, even if clear cut chances were at a premium in the tricky conditions.
No one could get on the end of a great cross from the right by Craig Duff, while at the other end Weymouth had a couple of shots blocked in a packed area.
But the deadlock was broken by Farkins to give City reward for their bright start and the dismissal of an enraged Shephard after he tangled with Duff, looked to have given City a great chance of going on to take the points.
However, a fired up Weymouth came out in determined mood at the second half, making light of their numerical disadvantage.
City were forced back and even though the penalty looked to be rather soft, there was no denying the home side's right to be on level terms.
Vassal almost regained City the lead but was agonisingly a whisker away from converting a Duff cross
Shane Krac, who had earlier replaced Matt Wright for his first City appearance, also tested Matthews, while Barry Hayles and Les Afful came on late on for Isaac Vassal and Duff.
In a frantic finale, Weymouth came so close through Steve Colwell's shot which just missed the far post and in the end the visitors were glad to hear the final whistle as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven in what was always going to be a difficult match against a Weymouth side who are unbeaten at home in the league this season.
However, it was a point apiece, leaving City still in fifth place, five points behind new leaders Corby Town, who are the next visitors to Treyew Road on Saturday week.
City have little time to rest as they are on the road again on Saturday when they travel to play Chesham Utd who beat them 3-0 on the opening day of the season.
Weymouth: Matthews, Wells, Wannell (Fiddes 60), McPhee, J Laird, Colwell, Kelly (Copp 79), Rigg, Yetton (capt), Sills, Shephard.
Subs (not used): West, C Laird, Will.
Yellow cards McPhee, Rigg.
Red card: Shephard
Truro City: Burns, White, Gerring, Farkins, Green, Ash (capt), Duff (Hayles 77), Greenslade, Cooke, Vassell (Afful 77) Wright (Krac 62).
Yellow cards: Cooke, Farkins, Ash.
Subs not used : Pugh, Moore.
Goals: Farkins (37) 0-1, Yetton (65) 1-1.
Crowd 980
Referee Richard Copp (Frome).
A MAN who has dedicated much of his life to agricultural shows will be able to add a new title to his name after being named in the Queen's New Year's Honours list.
Michael Bowden is set to be appointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to agriculture, tourism and the community in Cornwall.
The 66-year-old Camborne man who has been involved with Camborne Show since he was a boy, and later Royal Cornwall Show, had no idea that he was in line for such an honour.
"The news that I am on the New Year's Honours list has certainly come as a shock, as I had no inclination at all and at first thought it was a joke," he said.
"I've been involved with Camborne Show since I was 11 and was recently made president which was a massive honour."
In 1971 an outbreak of foot and mouth disease ended the cattle section of the show, but through Mr Bowden's hard work it was reinstated in 1984 and remains one of the most popular and successful sections.
Mr Bowden, who still runs a farm in Penponds, has also been an integral cog in the organisation of The Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show since being asked to help out in the 1980s. He was made responsible for managing trade stands at the show in 2005. Under his watchful eye, the number of trade stands has increased steadily with more than 1,000 stalls at the fair each year.
He manages bookings and site locations and his MBE is recognition for his commitment in organising his own life around show calendars and seeking nothing in return.
When asked about his efforts Mr Bowden was modest in his response.
"It's an honour to be recognised for my work but there is a lot of others who have also put in a lot of effort to help the show run smoothly," he added.
"This year's Royal Cornwall will be my 20th show and I'm looking forward to it as much as ever."
A MAN who conquered a drug addiction and dedicated his life to helping others do the same is to receive a British Empire Medal after being included in the Queen's New Year's Honours list.
Richard Hall, 65, founded Falmouth-based Sailaday OKcorr in 2002 and lives in Reawla, near Hayle.
Sailaday OK is an adventure therapy charity that supports rehabilitation centre programmes that are helping people recover from addictions, trauma and abuse by providing sailing therapy.
A surprised Mr Hall said: "I feel honoured to receive the recognition of my work with Sailaday OK and grateful for the nomination and support of our brilliant team. I trust that this achievement will give hope and inspiration to all others who have also suffered/suffer from addictions, abuse and trauma.
"I am pleased that Sailaday OK is also getting this exposure and this may help us in our search for a patron."
Mr Hall's vision brought together psychological theory and practical learning and in 2006 gained charitable status. It has since then provided sessions for 50 to 60 clients each year who each go away for four days at a time.
The work of Sailaday OK has also made a significant contribution to the understanding of healing from psychological trauma and the charity is set to be the basis of further studies over the next year.
Mr Hall himself once battled a heroin addiction which took him the best part of a decade to beat.
"During my rehabilitation I spent time in residential housing and also on a boat where we were confronted and forced to deal with the elements," he added.
"Given the financial limitation we have, Sailaday OK's results are quite staggering and my award is great news for the charity. I hope it can be inspiration for other people who have suffered from addiction."
PENRYN residents have shown off their cake-making prowess in the town's first Bake Off competition.
A total of 18 entries were received including cakes of an igloo, the town clock and a sleeping Father Christmas.
Bonnie Baldwin's igloo won over the judges and earned her the title of Penryn's master baker, and there were four categories, cup cakes, cake, mince pies and gingerbread houses, won respectively by Tash Bigos, Betty, Florence and Emme, Philippa Holden and Felicia and Lacey Burrell.
The event was organised by Dave Mason of Dave's All Occasion Cakes, who judged the entries along with mayor Gill Grant, and it was held at the Number 20 wine bar.
Mr Mason said: "We hope this will be the first of many."
A CORNISH professional surfer has been crowned fifth in the world after competing in the World Longboard Championships.
Ben 'Skindog' Skinner has returned from competing in the 2014 GoPro World Longboard Championships at Hainan Island off the south coast of China.
Ben has been competing in the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) world championships for the past decade and this was his third trip to China to bid for the coveted title.
The 30-year-old was one of just 16 surfers worldwide to make it through to the qualification stages of the World Longboard Championships, which he said in itself was "a challenge, but fun".
Ben, who is now back riding Cornwall's waves, said he was pleasantly surprised by the "perfect conditions" brought on by an unexpected typhoon in the Philippines.
He said: "They couldn't have scripted it any better. It was amazing and gave me a real buzz."
After successful rides Ben was knocked out in the quarter finals and the world champion title went to Harley Ingleby for a second time.
The 11-time British longboard champion from Perranporth said he was "stoked" for his good friend but a little frustrated not to have caught the wave he wanted in the quarter-final and therefore missed out on the title.
He said: "I was scoring 9.0 rides throughout the first five rounds and then in the quarter-final I only needed a 7.0 ride, but the waves didn't come.
"That's just the way surfing goes sometimes, but I'll be back next year with the same goal, becoming world champ. All it has done is given me the fire in my belly to get back out there and better the fifth placement. It's been my goal since I was a kid to win a world title."
Ben, who started surfing when he was just three years old, said despite travelling the world he still loved surfing back home in Cornwall.
"There's a great scene, a great surfing community in Cornwall and I love being part of it," he said.
"The support that I've had from everyone at home during the competition was just overwhelming; I'd like to say 'Thank you' to everyone."
Ben said he was looking forward to 2015, with his sights on taking another European win and the coveted world championship title as well as the opening early this month of a new Skindog Surfboards factory, run with business partner Jason Gray, in Newquay.
A "KINDHEARTED" mystery person saved Christmas for a Truro shopper after returning her lost bag to the police station which contained her passport, purse and cash.
Apprentice electrician Tazmin Thomas was shopping for last-minute gifts in Truro on Christmas Eve.
While loading her car boot with shopping at Old Bridge Street Car Park by the Kathmandu Palace restaurant, Miss Thomas put her bag down and absent-mindedly drove off.
"Half an hour later my mum called me saying that someone had handed in my bag at the police station," she said.
"My head was full of so many things and I was in such a rush to do everything that I didn't even realise that I had lost the bag.
"I never even had a chance to panic."
The bag contained her purse, which had £45 cash and her debit card.
The 22-year-old, from Truro, was also carrying around her passport for proof of age in her bag.
The bag also had a personal notebook containing sentimental messages for handmade family Christmas presents, as well as proverbs and sayings which she had been collecting for 12 months.
"I was totally devastated," she said. "£45 is a lot of money to me. I would also have had to get a new bank card and passport – I was planning a holiday next year. These things mess up your life."
Miss Thomas is so happy to have the bag returned, she is appealing for the mystery person to get in touch.
"I just couldn't believe that someone had handed it in," she said.
"It is a really selfless thing and I think that person should be recognised for being so kindhearted.
"I think I am incredibly lucky and am eternally thankful that their kindness and good heart, which stopped my Christmas from being ruined."
If you are the mystery person and you would like to get in contact, please email wbnews@westbriton.co.uk.
Launceston's Alex Folkes has claimed he now has "categorical" evidence from the Metropolitan Police which proves he is innocent of the child pornography allegations which resulted in his arrest in 2006, and his dismissal from Cornwall Council's cabinet in November last year.
Mr Folkes, who continues to serve as a councillor, has sent an email to his former Liberal Democrat colleagues at County Hall, saying he has now received a letter from the Metropolitan Police which he says clears him of all suspicion.He was never charged with any offence in 2006, but the incident did lead to an "adverse entry" on a Criminal Records Bureau check which was not referred to Cornwall's child protection experts, and the Devon and Cornwall police, until October.
Mr Folkes has consistently protested his innocence and denied any wrongdoing.The case centres on what Metropolitan Police detectives found when they seized two computers belonging to Mr Folkes.
Mr Folkes says the police have now confirmed, in writing, that they found nothing.His claim increases pressure on Cornwall Council to publish at least some of the detail from its own dealings with the Metropolitan Police – detail which in November led the council to publically label Mr Folkes as "a serious and enduring risk to children."
The council has so far refused, on legal advice, to disclose any of this detail, and Mr Folkes has repeatedly rejected invitations to discuss it with the Cornish Guardian.No-one from the council has been available to comment on Mr Folkes's email but further developments are likely early next week when officials return from the New Year holiday.
Mr Folkes has now described the council's child protection procedures as "not fit for purpose" and is threatening legal action.His friends have launched a campaign to fund his lawyers' fees. But Mr Folkes has not yet answered Cornish Guardian questions about why he sent his email only to Lib Dem councillors, rather than all members of the council, or why he has not published the full detail of his Metropolitan Police evidence on his blog.
Mr Folkes, who voluntarily suspended his membership of the Liberal Democrats in November, has told his former party colleagues that he intends to re-apply.He claims to now have the support of Cornwall's Lib Dem group leader Jeremy Rowe.
This is the full text of Mr Folkes's email to Lib Dem councillors:
From: Alex Folkes
To: all Lib Dem group members
Monday Dec 29
Dear all,
I hope you've had an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas.I'm emailing to let you know of a particularly happy belated present I received: A response to my data subject access request to the Met Police which includes the categorical statement that no images were found on my computer, meaning I am entirely innocent.
Jeremy and Adam have been round to see this and go through everything this morning and, with Jeremy's support, I am now contacting the local, regional and national party in order to be readmitted.I hope the group will also vote to readmit me at your next meeting.If any of you wish to view this statement or the other evidence gathered I am very happy to share it with you.
I want to give my heartfelt thanks to all of you who have been in touch to offer your support and help.Over the past three months I have watched as the council and media have systematically destroyed my career and my life.They have never shown any evidence to support their allegations, and refused me access even to the details of the claims being made against me until after they had passed judgement.Since this happened I have been busy gathering the evidence needed to show that I am completely innocent.
When the council's allegations became public I posted the truth on my blog.Back in 2003 someone got hold of my debit card details and apparently used them fraudulently to access an illegal website displaying indecent images of children.I have never accessed such a site or viewed such material.The police, acting on information that my card had been used, arrested me in 2006.They conducted a full investigation and did not charge me because they found nothing on my computer.Thanks to information received from the Metropolitan Police, my bank, and others, I have once again proven my innocence.
The key points are these:
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed in writing that no images were found on my computer and that I was not charged because of a lack of evidence (the only evidence linking me to the offence was someone using my card and email address) despite the council's claims that the lack of charge was due to a technicality.
The council said the illegal website was accessed from abroad but refused to give me the date this occurred.I have now received the date my debit card details were used from the Metropolitan Police.My bank records show that I was in the UK at the time and that I withdrew money from a cashpoint in London where I worked.It is therefore impossible for me to be guilty of what the council alleged as I would have had to have been abroad.
My bank has confirmed that my debit card was used fraudulently and that they refunded money to my account as a result.Confusion occurred when the police asked my bank whether any fraud had been reported on my CREDIT card.Not surprisingly, the bank reported (correctly) that none had as it was my debit card details which had been used fraudulently.The police list my debit card number as the one used to access the site, but erroneously labelled it as a credit card, sparking the confusion.Rather than trying to find out the truth, the council suggested the lack of fraudulent activity on my credit card proved I was a liar, despite the fact that fraudulent activity was clearly shown as reported and refunded on my debit card and that the card was used to access the site.
The police investigated two laptops.One was the computer I owned when arrested and the other was an old laptop which I had given to a friend.The council claimed these laptops had been destroyed by the police after the investigation.I have been able to prove, thanks to a statement from the friend, that this was not the case and the second laptop was returned to him after the police investigation had concluded.I was asked if I wanted to apply for my laptop back too, but it was obsolete, I had already purchased a new one and I wanted to put the whole episode behind me as I opted not to do so.
The evidence I have gathered over the past two months proves that I have been telling the truth all along and am entirely innocent.In the meantime, my reputation and my life have been destroyed.Of course the council has to take matters to do with child protection seriously, but when an innocent man is treated in such a way it is self-evident that their procedures are not fit for purpose.If they had given me the time to gather this evidence and prove my innocence instead of leaping to judgement and writing to local schools and organisations labelling me a danger then none of this would have occurred.When the police originally investigated this in 2006 they did not publicise this matter and I did not lose my job.While the experience was traumatic it did not cause me to lose my income or reputation as the council and media's terrible handling of the allegations has this time round.
I will now be putting all the evidence I have received in the hands of the council and demanding an immediate apology.
Unfortunately, even though I have been proven completely innocent, my life will not be returned to how it was before the council did this to me.I have lost my cabinet job and my career prospects.The council, media outlets and individuals have made statements about me which were wholly false in both fact and implication and which have caused me immense damage.As councillors are not considered to be employees I cannot take the council to a tribunal to get my job or income back.I have no option but to consider action for defamation and I am in discussions with lawyers to do so.
I am particularly grateful to the three Liberal Democrat friends who set up a website which has generated more messages of support and offers of financial assistance to help with legal action.I very much hope that matters will be settled out of court and these offers do not have to be taken up, but they are incredibly kind and mean so much.If you would like to add your support – moral or financial – at www.alexfolkes.org.uk – I would be very grateful.
I look forward to seeing you at County Hall in the New Year.
Yours, Alex
ONE of Cornwall's most iconic places and a top sports personality have appeared in an online gallery as part of the 50th anniversary of the Special Stamp programme.
Eden Project and sailor Sir Ben Ainslie have both appeared on the special stamps as part of the Royal Mail's programme, which celebrates the UK's most iconic people, places and events.
Sir Ben is pictured sailing in Restronguet Creek in the Carrick Roads, where he learned the sport, on the stamp which celebrates the London Olympics 2012, when he won Gold.
Eden Project was chosen in 2000 to represent the Millennium Projects around the country.
Elsewhere in the South West over the past 50 years, the special stamps have also featured the SS Great Britain and Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol and images of author Jane Austen in Bath.
Visitors to the site at www.rmspecialstamps.com can browse the stamps by decade and view the stamps that were issued in the year they were born.
Criteria for the creation of Special Stamps to celebrate events and commemorate anniversaries relevant to UK heritage and life was devised in 1965 by the then postmaster general, Tony Benn.
The stamp of Sir Winston Churchill, issued in July of that year, was the first under Mr Benn's administration.
It was the first stamp to feature a contemporary individual and, since then, 2,663 special stamps have been issued.
As part of the programme to celebrate the 50th anniversary, Royal Mail has launched an online gallery of every special stamp issued since July 1965, which includes images of the memorable stamps of the South West.
The top 10 South West Special Stamps issued are:
• 1968 St. Mary le Post Church Bristol
• 1969 – SS Great Britain – Bristol
• 1975 - Mr Darcy (Jane Austen) - Bath
• 1984 – Bush House – Bristol
• 1988 –English Fleet Leaving Plymouth
• 1992 – Abbotsbury Swannery, Dorset
• 2000 – Eden Project, St. Austell – Cornwall
• 2001 – Meteorological Office – Exeter
• 2006 – Clifton Suspension Bridge Bristol
TRURO City travel to Chesham United on Saturday for the next game of their frantic January schedule and will looking to put the frustration of failing to take all three points at Evo-Stik Southern premier division promotion rivals Weymouth on New Year's Day behind them.
The long trip to Buckinghamshire is the second of nine games City have to play this month and manager Steve Tully will be hoping for the right reaction from his squad after they failed to kill off ten man Weymouth at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
A 37th minute goal from Rob Farkins had given City the lead and the red card to the home side's Chris Shephard minutes later looked to have tilted the match decisively in City's favour.
But Weymouth made light of their man disadvantage to force a deserved second half equaliser through former City favourite Stewart Yetton from the penalty spot.
And Tully was left disappointed that they had allowed Weymouth back into the match in the second half.
He said: "Against ten men for more than 60 minutes we should have won the game.
"We gave them the impetus for the first ten to 15 minutes of the second half and fair play to them we looked like the team who had ten men.
"That was the most disappointing thing. We are happy to take something from the game, but really should have won.
"We have got to take that frustration and go again at Chesham on Saturday and get a result
"In the first half we frustrated them and I think that led to the sending off. But we did not set the right tone for the second half and I thought overall it was a fair result.
"A draw was was not a bad result but you think you should go on and win the game."
Tully was though happy with his team's discipline in the second half.
"As I have said before we are a team of men. Even though certain things went against us in the second half we never gave the referee the chance to send anyone off.
"I thought the ref lost the game in the second half and did not let it flow. I thought he was very weak. He wanted to even it up.
"Not many teams are going to come here and get a result. They played some good football and I thought Tim Sills for them was different class. He gave them an outlet."
For the trip to Chesham, who beat City 3-0 on the opening day of the season, they welcome back Ed Palmer after his four match ban.
