New art evening Motorist fined

Mark Busby (48), of Dale Close, Birstall, was stopped by Police as he tried to turn his car around on the sliproad.

The roadside breath test - which cannot be used for a drink-driving conviction but can be taken into account by the magistrates - was 81 microgrammes per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Busby was banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay a £1,216 fine, a £486 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

Holiday Season Again

Now is the time of year that we could be looking forward to a warm holiday break and reviewing our options of where to go. Tight budgets and other uncertainties will make us even more assiduous in seeking the best value for our money.

No one will be surprised to hear that the criminal scammers are already taking advantage of this and, once again, tempting us with attractive online holiday packages both in the UK and abroad that do not actually exist. Others provide very basic packages that are worth much less than even their so‐called ‘bargain’ prices. You might get a flight but then find when you arrive, that the accommodation is much less than you were promised, double‐booked or simply non‐existent!

Protect yourself by ensuring that the online booking company is a registered member of a trade body such as ABTA, the Travel Association or ATOL. Make sure you have the company’s name and full postal address and check that it actually exists. Be extra careful if it has only just been set up or has changed hands recently. Keep an eye out for bad spelling and grammar; these are often a sign of fraud.

Never pay by cash or through money transfer agents such as Western Union. Once paid in this way, your money is gone for good and usually untraceable. Whenever possible, only pay by credit card, this gives protection to your payment if anything goes wrong. Make sure that the website uses the padlock symbol to indicate that it is secure before you send any payment details.

Check that the details in the paperwork match what you think you have booked and read the terms and conditions carefully so that you know exactly what you are buying. Double check your booking just before you travel and earlier if there is a long time before the travel date.

If you decide to book your accommodation separately from your travel it is always safer to book directly with a well‐established hotel or through a reputable travel or booking company. Be very careful to ensure that you are dealing directly with the genuine property owner or letting agent. Research the property or hotel that you are booking with web searches and online street‐view maps to verify that it really exists. If you use a letting agent, use a search engine to check them out and look for any reviews. Ask what checks they make on the properties and their owners.

Check that the pictures match those in the advert and read any reviews from previous visitors, although these can be easily faked, so be careful not to be misled by too many gushing five star reviews. It is a very good idea to ask the owner or agent in detail about the property and local area and then do your own research to confirm that what you have been told is true.

Do not give in to pressure to book and pay quickly in case you lose the offer, it is a favourite tactic of scammers. It is better to let that happen and then find somewhere else than have your well‐deserved holiday turn out to be an expensive nightmare and disappointment.

Most importantly, if you have any doubts at all DO NOT BOOK IT.

Please Make a Note of the Date Thursday, 20th April

Travel Insurance

Despite the current problems in the NHS, if we fall ill or have an accident anywhere in the UK we know that the treatment we receive will be free of charge. This is not true when we are abroad and, in some countries, bills can reach tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds! Sadly, we regularly see stories of families frantically trying to raise funds to cover such bills because the patient did not have the necessary medical insurance.

Most people complete trips abroad without calling on their travel insurance and discovering what it does or does not cover. Many have basic policies included in other packages, such as their bank account. However, before you embark on any foreign travel, it is important to check that you are covered for your circumstances and plans. Basic policies may only cover a limited list of countries and not the rest of the world. They are unlikely to cover what are termed ‘hazardous activities’ such as skiing, playing sport, riding hired motor scooters or even bungee‐jumping. They may have a time‐limit on the length of your trip. Most importantly, they may not cover existing medical conditions that you know about before you leave the country.

Any of these factors can lead to the insurance company legitimately rejecting your claim and that is, really, not the time to find out that you are uninsured.

Before you go abroad carefully read the small print on any insurance cover you think you might have, to see exactly what is and is not covered. If your plans fall outside its scope, ask if it can be extended to cover them. This will probably involve an extra premium payment.

If you do not have any insurance or your existing cover cannot be changed, then buy a policy that does cover you. Only use a reputable UK company and make sure you give all the relevant information honestly, especially in respect of any existing medical issues you might have.

It is reported that so called medical insurance is being sold in some countries considerably cheaper than it can be bought in the UK. However, it is likely to be very basic, difficult to claim against and will not pay for you to be brought home by air ambulance. It really is not worth the risk.

Remember that although adequate medical cover is the most crucial element of good travel insurance, it can also cover you for loss of luggage, flight delays, cancellation costs and other unforeseen expenses.