the Birstall post Y O U R
C O M M U N I T Y
MARCH 2011
N E W S P A P E R
www.birstallpost.co.uk
Armed raider flees A ROBBER who threatened a Birstall shopkeeper with a gun is being sought by Police. The robbery happened at Wanlip Store, 52 Wanlip Avenue at 10.40am on Thursday February 17. The man entered carrying a revolver which he pushed in the face of Dharmesh
Patel (25) and demanded cash. Dharmesh pushed the shop’s panic button under the counter and the robber fled, turning into Lambourne Road in the direction of Watermead Country Park.
Pic: Wanlip Store
“It was a very scary experience” said Dharmesh, who ran after the fleeing robber with a hockey stick. “I don’t really know why I did it, I felt I had to know where he was running to so he could be caught, but people are saying I was a bit crazy to do it what with him having a gun. I lost him on Meadow Lane. “It’s a bit of a shock something like this Continued on page 2
Schools’ African links SIX AFRICAN teachers visited Birstall schools last month as part of a ‘Connecting Classrooms’ project. The teachers, from Ghana and Sierra Leone, spent time at Highcliffe, Stonehill and Longslade schools. Stonehill teacher and International Schools Co-ordinator Helen Curtis said: “The Connecting Classrooms project is a valuable experience for students as it gives them an opportunity to learn about real life in Africa and to see beyond the poverty which may be their only impression of these countries. The visit of the teachers allowed pupils to ask questions and gain an insight into the lives of people living in Ghana and Sierra Leone. This kind of interaction proved to be exciting for the pupils and generated a real interest in all Continued on page 2
Pics: the Afican guests enjoyed a concert performed by students, including Highcliffe school’s choir (right)
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