Poison 'scum' warning at leisure lake

By Stephen Ivall

PEOPLE have been warned to stay away from Swanpool lake, near Falmouth, because of 'toxic scum' which is killing fish and eels.

High spring tides washing into the lake on Friday brought a new sort of algae which left fish dying on the surface. Health officials warned the public to stay away.

The algae turned the lake a dark pea green in colour and caused concern for those running a nearby leisure area who have already seen taking fall steeply during the holiday season.

A number of fish, including a seven-pound mullet, were spotted floating in a distressed state along with eels at the end of last week. They later died.

Mr Paul Nichols, who leases the Swanpool leisure area which incorporates the lake, has already refused to allow any activities there for fear of seeing children poisoned. It is the worst algae bloom he had seen and left the lake dead and starved of oxygen, he said.

The beach has already been classified as one of the worst in the country because of pollution.

Public voice vandal fury

RESIDENTS of the Kimberley Park Road area of Falmouth attended a public meeting this week to voice their anger at the continuing cases of vandalism to cars in the area.

The meeting was held at Falmouth Community School's Tregenver Road site on Monday evening and was attended by Chief Inspector Charlie Batten of Penryn Police Station.

County councillor Brinley Morris said yesterday: "The people from the area voiced their concerns and spoke about the vandalism to their cars.

"Chief Inspector Batten listened sympathetically to what they had to say and quite honestly he did not try to defend the indefensible. He agreed with them and said they needed more resources."

The residents were told that police figures from the beginning of this year show the rate of crime in the Kimberley Park area of the town has actually gone down.

The chief inspector explained that in the future he was instituting geographical policing which means the Kimberley Park area will now be policed by a sergeant and eight officers.

Memorial ride proves the best so far

By Leon Prynn

A RECORD turnout of well over 250 motorbikes made Sunday's Martin Jenning Memorial Run the most successful ever on record.

The sponsored charity ride has already raised £838 on the day alone and this will soar past the £1,000 mark when sponsorship forms are returned.

The signs were encouraging from very early on at Truro's Lemon Quay car park when machines arrived from all parts of the coutny for the start.

In excess of 200 riders were eventually flagged away by young David Skidmore of Lanner, who was chosen by CLIC members to set the riders on their way.

By the end of the day the massive queue of riders had topped 280 and made an impressive sight as they rode the length and breadth of the county in memory of Martin Jennings, the motor-cycle ace killed in the Manx Grand Prix in 1987.

Although the police outriders intended to keep traffic moving, there were, unavoidably, numerous occasions when motorists stopped to watch the action while allowing the huge, snaking procession through.