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Reporting local life since 1854
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
37p
PLAY-OFFS HEARTACHE
THEY’VE GOTCHA!
Picture: Mark Scott
HEARING: Teenager Andrew Jamieson.
Teenager fell from car park
AN INQUEST was being held this afternoon after a teenage student fell to his death from a town centre multi-storey car park. Andrew Jamieson died at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire after falling from Midway car park, in Newcastle. The former Wolstanton High School pupil fell from the car park on the afternoon of Monday, November 15. The 18-year-old, of May Bank, had been studying hospitality and catering at Stoke-on-Trent College and had an apprenticeship as a chef at Chesterton Community Sports College. Andrew’s inquest was being held at North Staffordshire Coroners’ Court, in Hartshill.
Council fines 3,465 drivers for taking 20-metre shortcut – and makes £210k BY ALEX CAMPBELL
alex.campbell@thesentinel.co.uk
UP TO £210,000 has been raked in by a council in fines after a spy camera caught 3,465 motorists driving along a 20-metre bus lane in just seven months. The drivers have been snared by Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s CCTV car parked on the corner of Huntbach Street, in Hanley. They were hit with £60 fines for driving on the bus lane which leads to two car parks behind Boots and Marks and Spencer. Motorists who do not drive along the bus lane face a 1.3mile detour along Potteries Way to access the two car parks in Meigh Street. Now drivers have accused the counci, which needs to save £35.6 million this year, of making easy money with the cameras Pam Harrison, aged 61, of Oversley Road, Fegg Hayes, who was handed a £60 fine last week, said: “I didn’t think I would be fined for going on the so-called bus lane; it’s just the corner of a road.” Retired railway signalman Tom Willett, aged 81, of Beckford Street, Hanley, said: “It’s ridiculous. “They should get rid of the bus lane and install a righthand turning lane.
CAUGHT OUT: The council’s CCTV car monitors the bus lane in the centre of Hanley. “Pedestrians coming down Huntbach Street don’t know if it’s safe to cross the road in case cars approaching are going to use the bus lane.” Figures obtained by The Sentinel show 5,361 motorists have been fined for driving on Stokeon-Trent’s nine bus lanes since the cameras were introduced in October. More than 66 per cent of them have been caught in Huntbach Street. A further 1,488 were caught in Stafford Street, Hanley; 221 in Hinde Street, Hanley, and 129 in Christchurch Street, in Fenton. The £60 fine is reduced to £30 if paid within a fortnight. Council officials today stressed the Huntbach Street bus lane had been prominently advertised and followed a full consultation. Jane Forshaw, assistant director of city services, said: “The bus lane was introduced
Three hurt in head-on crash
following consultation because through traffic was using Town Road, Huntbach Street and Meigh Street as a short cut to bypass Potteries Way. “This was proving dangerous for pedestrians in the Town Road area and also created delays for bus services using these streets. “Since the bus lane has been in place it has greatly reduced traffic in Town Road and bus operators say it has reduced delays too. “Access to the Meigh Street car park should be from the Potteries Way northbound. “While we appreciate that this means a slightly longer route, there are a plenty of city centre car parks which provide a good choice of places to park.”
Should the bus lane be removed? Email us at letters@ thesentinel.co.uk ‘The council is raking the cash in’: Page 4; Comment: Page 10
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TWO drivers and a passenger needed hospital treatment after a two-vehicle crash. The men, who have not been named, were taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire following a collision involving a taxi and a car. Both drivers last night remained in a ‘serious’ condition in hospital. Police are investigating the crash in Clayton Road, Clayton, at 4.20am yesterday. See Page 3
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