All your local news, including...
- New college under threat
- Internet speeds ‘abysmal’ for town
- Surge in car crime in town
- GCSE league tables published
- Wind farm campaign continues
- Arts festival to return to tow
SPORT: Darts player turns pro
WIN: A Valentine’s meal for two at Fawsley Hall
Plus all the rest of your local news, sport, leisure, property and jobs.
January, as any film fan knows, is the peak time for ‘look at me’ releases in which big-time stars aim to catch the eye of the Oscar voters with worthy performances that might earn them a coveted golden statuette.
Step forward The Descendants, in which twinkle-eyed George Clooney takes on the tough task of making us side with an estate agent, or realtor as they call them in Hawaii.
It’s on the island outpost of the USA that we find George, handsome, rich and, yes, an estate agent.
But he’s not much of a dad, until his wife is left in a coma after a speedboat accident.
Who’s going to look after the two girls, both of whom have baggage of different sorts to unpack? And what will happen when he discovers that his wife was actually playing away from home?
Our George steps up to the plate in this comedy drama from the director of the much-praised wine buffs road trip Sideways – it’s Alexander Payne’s first film since that 2004 outing.
> We reckon we have it tough in the winter, with those car windscreens to scrape clean in the morning. Spare a thought for the stars of The Grey, foremost among them Liam Neeson, who are not only stuck in Alaska but also fending off a pack of killer wolves.
They’re oil rig workers stranded in the icy wastes by a plane crash, so it’s not even as if they went looking for adventure.
Liam, everyone’s first choice as taciturn but secretly sensitive action hero, is determined not to go down without a fight, which will eventually be bad news for those pesky and persistent wolves.
Packed with tough scenes and bone-chilling scenery, you might be well advised to wear two pairs of socks and take a scarf to this one. Brrrr.
> The underwhelming Chalet Girl may have been a misfire but it hasn’t stopped perky Felicity Jones snagging star parts.
In Like Crazy, this week’s default date movie, she’s a Brit student who falls for an American in LA but overstays her visa, gets kicked out and then can’t get back in to the States.
Will the couple’s romance survive enforced separation over the ensuing years? Let’s ask another question – why doesn’t the selfish Yank come over here?
> Meanwhile this week’s obligatory dash of 3D comes courtesy of A Monster In Paris, which combines the attractions of the recent Hugo and the likes of Ratatouille and Amelie.
You have to wonder how many more love songs to the glories of Paris we need, but this animation is all about a monster’s devotion to a nightclub singer in the days before the First World War. The monster may look frightening but has a beautiful singing voice, for some reason, and while the authorities try to track it down pals rally to protect it.
The film has been created by Shark Tale director Bibo Bergeron on his returned to his native France, where it has already been a massive hit.
TIME is running out to save a £10 million investment in Daventry’s education, claims the town’s MP.
The future of the planned university technical college (UTC) lies with a group of 10 people – the Friends of Daventry Open Spaces (FODOS) – say those supporting the bid.
The UTC is to be built on the old pitch and putt site at the bottom of Ashby Road, Daventry. But the land is part of a dispute over development between Daventry District Council and FODOS who want to get village green status for the land to stop the planned marina and canal development there.
Steve Davies, principal of Moulton College, lead sponsors for the UTC, said: “The timing of the application for village green status poses a real threat to the delivery of a UTC in Daventry.”
For the full story see today’s Daventry Express.
SECONDARY schools in the Daventry district are celebrating with three getting improved results in last year’s GCSE results.
League tables released today (Thursday) show Danetre School in Daventry, Guilsborough School and Campion School in Bugbrooke have improved upon results achieved in 2010. William Parker School’s results were down compared to last year.
Danetre School, part of the Danetre and Southbrook Learning Village, saw 59 per cent of pupils achieve five or more A* to C grades, a five per cent increase on the previous year.
The principal of the learning village, David Howell, said: “We are extremely pleased that the tables show improvement from last year especially in a crucial factor such as GCSE results.
“It is very pleasing as well that we are above the national average for the second year running.
“It shows that we are making fantastic progress at the school and we are very proud of our young people’s achievements.”
Guilsborough School saw a four per cent increase on the 2010 results as 71 per cent of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades. These were the best results in the Daventry district.
Campion School had 69 per cent of its pupils achieve five or more A* to C grades up by six per cent on the previous year.
William Parker School had 37 per cent of pupils achieve five or more A* to C grades compared with 39 per cent last year.
Deputy headteacher Steve Gordon said: “We are obviously disappointed about the results from last year, there has been a lot of issues identified and solutions worked out with the interim headteacher.
“Parents have already commented positively about the changes we have made and I am very confident that we will be able to deliver a significant improvement with next year’s results.”
A-level results were also published today with 100 per cent of pupils at Campion and Guilsborough School got two or more A-levels. Northampton College, which has a campus in Daventry had 64 per cent of its pupils achieve two or more A-levels.
The ways A-level results are calculated last year has changed meaning no comparable data to last year is available.
A SHORTAGE of cider at the bar of Daventry football club led to an argument which spilled over into violence.
Danny Wheeldon, 25, and Marc Freeth, 34, were out drinking at the club bar in Browns Road, Daventry, on October 29, 2010 when the cider ran dry.
Rebecca Wade, prosecuting at Northampton Crown Court, said the pair were drinking Strongbow and Sambuca shots when they ordered two pints of cider. But as a barmaid was pouring them, the cider ran out and the drinks ended up being half a pint too short.
After being told there was no more cider available, the pair became abusive towards the bar staff until a woman stepped in and told them to stop being insulting. As she was shouted and sworn at, husband Trevor Green also stepped in to intervene but he was attacked.
The court heard he was repeatedly punched and kicked and suffered a laceration to the back of his head.
Judge Richard Bray was told the Greens were left so traumatised by the attack they have now moved away from the Daventry area while the two members of staff were left “extremely terrified” by what happened and the prospect of giving evidence.
Wheeldon, of Hemans Road, Daventry and Freeth, of Highfield Road, Headlands, Daventry were due to stand trial on Wednesday but pleaded guilty moments before a jury was sworn in and admitted inflicting actual bodily harm.
Judge Bray said: “Wheeldon appears to be the main instigator and has no previous for violence and Freeth did something to try and stop things yet has a stack of offences for violence because he is a violent man. So it is a slightly curious situation.”
Both men were sentenced to 50 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for two years and must pay £400 compensation each to Mr Green. Wheeldon must also do 120 hours’ community service while Freeth will be subject to a four-month 8pm to 8am curfew.
Sentencing, Judge Bray said: “When Mr Green sought to intervene about your foul-mouthed language, you set upon him, attacked him and knocked him to the ground. I accept you Freeth tried to hold Wheeldon back to a degree but you did join in the attack.
“And in your case Wheeldon, I accept you do not have a bad record for violence but you were the main perpetrator in this assault.”
MY dear old dad used to say “There’s only a week between a good haircut and a bad one” so I am comforting myself with that thought at the moment.
The young man who cut my hair recently was quite an affable fellow and I think that was the problem.
He turned out to be on work experience from college and just wanted to please everyone who worked in the barber shop, as well as all those who where just visiting and that was the problem because he spent more time trying to help everyone than just cutting my ancient, grey locks.
I have to admit that the experience wasn’t as bad as the time when a rather bored young lady spent most of her time changing the channels on the TV in order to find the loudest noise possible.
So hair do complete I returned home to play with my brand spanking new computer and promptly spilled a cup of coffee all over the keyboard!
Sensibly I decided to allow the thing to dry out while I made another cup of coffee and took a walk around the garden. This incident led to a visit to the superstore where I had purchased the computer just after Christmas.
I asked a young chap for assistance in finding a new keyboard he walked off at a very fast pace, which with a walking stick and the sick keyboard I couldn’t keep up with and so I couldn’t hear what he was shouting over his shoulder.
Finally we met up at the keyboard section where I was informed that the store didn’t sell keyboards to fit the computer I had purchased. I suggested that it was poor service to sell machines and not stock replacement parts, the young man began to walk away telling me: “That’s the way the world is mate” and disappeared.
Off I went to the information desk and asked to see the manager and guess what? The same young man turned up!
Needless to say that a somewhat heated conversation ensued and I asked for a complaints form.
Once I got home I found out that PC World does in fact stock what I needed but it appears that the man (boy) didn’t know. How good is that?
And what does it say about our chances of surviving a recession with people like that in positions that require customer relations skills?
TAX demands from Daventry District Council look set not to increase in April.
The leader of DDC, Cllr Chris Millar, has told the Daventry Express the authority is looking at freezing its portion of the council tax bill and taking up the Government’s offer of helping subsidise it.
However, with some other local authorities planning increases to their share, every household looks likely to be paying slightly more from April.
The Government’s offer is the same as it was last year – if a council does not increase what it charges residents then it will get extra money from Westminster, equivalent to a 2.5 per cent increase in budget.
Cllr Millar said: “We have made large savings in the past 12 months, and we’re continuing to find ways to save money.
“Although our budget has not yet been finalised, we are looking at a council tax freeze for the second year running.
“We get an extra 2.5 per cent from the Government, but with inflation standing high than that, we still have to make savings just to stand still.
“We have been running a deficit in recent years, and using our reserves to balance it out.
“We are still running a deficit, but we are predicting running a surplus in a couple of years’ time, before going back to deficits.
“We are making savings every year, and I think we’ll probably have to keep on making savings.
“It all comes down to the Government and what funding it decides to give us, or take away. And in the current climate I imagine taking away is more likely.”
By eating into its reserves, DDC leaves itself less able to cope with unexpected bills or other costs.
Already, Northamptonshire County Council has indicated it will be freezing its portion of the council tax.
However, Northamptonshire Police Authority has indicated it will be putting up its tax demands to cover reduced money from central Government, and local authorities.
The other portion of council tax bills comes from parish councils and local special expenses. Many parishes are currently setting their tax levels, but Daventry Town Council has already said it will be putting up its bill to cover the cost of it taking over the town centre CCTV network.
Cllr Millar said: “Any council looking at increasing its council tax precept should think very hard about it.
“Household budgets are being squeezed very tightly at the moment and councillors will have to answer the public’s questions on money and tax when it comes to elections.”
A TEENAGER saved her dog’s life after it got a golf ball stuck in its throat.
Clara Hall, from East Haddon, rushed Cookie, a four-year-old tri-colour border collie, to a vets in Northampton on Sunday after she swallowed the ball.
The 19-year-old said: “My brother was playing golf with my grandad in the garden and as usual Cookie was fetching the golf balls for him but one ball bounced and she jumped and it went straight down her throat.”
First aid-trained Miss Hall said: “On the way to the vets she stopped breathing and her tongue went blue.
“I pushed the ball up from the outside of her throat to the bigger gap in her throat so she kept breathing.
“The journey took around 15 minutes and I didn’t think she was going to make it and I was crying. We are so lucky an relieved.”
Cookie was given an anaesthetic and vet Kate Smith removed the ball from her throat.
MANY areas of Daventry will still be unable to access superfast broadband speeds, even though the town exchange has now been upgraded.
The Gusher reported last week how high internet speeds are now available in Daventry for the first time ever after BT upgraded the town exchange.
But after carrying out some further investigations we have found that many areas in the town will be unable to sign up for superfast speeds.
Streets that we tested on Middlemore, The Grange, Lang Farm, Ashby Fields and Timken were out of reach of the exchange and therefore will not be able to upgrade.
Anyone is able to check whether they can sign up for superfast speeds by visiting BT’s online checker website and typing in their phone number or address.
Daventry District Council’s portfolio holder for access and communication Colin Poole said: “It’s absolutely abysmal that in Daventry we are 80 miles from the centre of London, but in reality we are living in the stone age.
“We are trying to promote the business community but unfortunately we still can’t pick up superfast broadband in some parts of town.
“We will do everything we can as an authority to work on this, but I think the problem is we are over reliant on private companies solving the problem.
“It’s a frustration and we are being restricted because of this.”
Daventry mayor Colin Morgan, who lives on Middlemore, said: “We are in a digital age and if we want to make this country more sustainable in terms of people being able to work from home and not travel as much then we need to see an improvement in this infrastructure.
“When people build estates like Middlemore they should have a more robust infrastructure. I work from home a couple of days a week and it would be a lot more productive for me if I could access faster internet speeds.”
On the plus side businesses in the town centre will be able to access the superfast speeds.
Peter Harper, who owns businesses on Sheaf Street, said: “We all know that on occasions the broadband we currently have is not the sharpest so I’m pleased that this has been introduced.
“It’s a huge leap forward for the town and is long overdue, I’m considering signing up for it.
“It will hopefully encourage other businesses to look at investing in Daventry which can only be good for the town.”
BT said that not all areas can access superfast speeds, but that the project is constantly evolving.
East Midlands director Paul Bimson said: “Nobody is doing more than BT to roll out faster broadband across the region and we want to go further.
“The local authority along with key local business organisations are keen to get fibre broadband to as many local homes and businesses as possible and so we will offer our help and assistance to make that happen.”
FUNDING cuts have led to two housing associations joining forces in a bid to provide a better level of support for older and vulnerable people.
South Northants Homes (SNH) and Daventry and District Housing (DDH), which together provide homes for around 6,000 people, will work together to ensure support and advice are available across the region.
It means older tenants will be able to choose the level of support they need from ‘menu of choice’.
This will range from an alarm only option (an emergency contact device) through to having visits from a specially trained officer five days a week.
There will also be an opportunity to increase or decrease visits in line with their individual needs.
Jayne Roycroft, SNH retirement services manager, said; “Forming a partnership with DDH has meant that funding for both organisations has been secured for a further two years.
“This has been a new way of working for housing associations in that we have shared all our information and our future direction to work out how we pull together to provide our service in the face of funding cuts.
“Once the significant funding reductions became clear, it was apparent we would need radical and innovative ways to make sure we still provided support services to the most vulnerable tenants.”
CHILDREN at a town school were treated to a special performance from a professional dance company.
Performers from the Wriggle Dance Theatre Company visited The Grange School last week to spend a day with the reception class.
Acting deputy headteacher Sharon Bray said: “The group is a professional dance company specialising in performance for children.
“The members have recently been awarded funding to undertake research and this visit was part of their project.
“They put on the show for the children, and it was an interactive performance so the children were able to take part with dance and music.
“It was a very engaging day and a fantastic opportunity for the children to hear live music and see a live performance.
“They’ve been really engrossed by it and got fully involved with the performance.
“There were 60 reception children who took part in total, all aged four and five.
“It was a lovely day and we are very thankful to the Wriggle Dance Company for coming in.”
A VILLAGE is preparing to fight plans for a wind farm after the proposed developer released a new report to support its case.
Developer E.ON by-passed Daventry District Council (DDC) last year with its application for seven wind turbines near Winwick, arguing that the authority took too long to draw up a report on the case.
It instead went straight to the Planning Inspectorate which accepted the application and has set the date of March 20 for the start of the appeal.
In November last year the council voted against the plans, following the publishing of a ‘minded to’ report, which confirmed how the committee would have dealt with the proposal should it have been able to.
This week E.ON has issued a further supplementary environmental report to support its case for the plans.
It looks at the impact of deliveries to the site on the local area, which identifies routes through Guilsborough and Watford as suitable, adding that traffic delays would be ‘negligible’.
Residents in the village have joined together to form anti-wind farm group Protect Winwick to fight the energy company.
Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris has also helped form a new parliamentary pressure group to fight on-shore wind farm developments.
That comes after permission was given for turbines to be built in Watford, Naseby, Boddington and Yelvertoft.
Three of those applications were originally rejected by DDC’s planning committee but overturned on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate.
Mr Heaton-Harris said: “Ministers need to look at this policy again. “It is an inefficient technology, it adds to the bills of consumers, it harms the balance of the National Grid, it is the wrong renewable for the UK.
“We need a change of policy.”
Sir Paul Hayter, of the Northamptonshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), added that the Government is not listening to the views of local authorities when it comes to wind farm developments.
He said: “When the least windy part of England (Northamptonshire) is carpeted with wind farms, it is a clear sign that the subsidies are excessive.
“It is also a sign that, despite the much-vaunted Localism Act, we have a planning regime in which national targets take precedence over local decisions.”
YOUNGSTERS at a village primary school got a taste of the Orient on Monday as they marked the Chinese New Year.
Children at Clarecroft Day Nursery, in Long Buckby, had a visit from staff at the Dynasty Chinese restaurant in the village
Ivy Wong and Hing Lee visited the nursery to talk to the children about the traditional celebration and show them some typical Chinese decorations.
The children also made their own paper dragons and fans, and decorated their own place mats with their names written in Chinese characters.
They also got to sample some Chinese food at lunchtime and staff said they all had a great time.
Chinese New Year shifts every year according to the Moon and the Chinese calendar.
This year it fell on Monday, which marked the start of the Year of the Dragon and the end of the Year of the Rabbit.
THE developers behind a multi-million pound marina to be built near to Onley have denied rumours the plans have been scrapped.
The Barby Pools development by J Marine Ltd would see 550 moorings built just 600 yards from the housing development.
The company had previously said that a planning application was due to be submitted to Daventry District Council by the end of last year and no application has yet been sent.
Joseph Oliver, J Marine Ltd: “Barby Pools is an important project both for us and the local community.
“Our aim is to create an outstanding moorings and environmental amenity, something significantly different from the marinas that characterise most of the UK’s inland waterways and of which the local community will be proud.
“To achieve this we are working to ensure that at all stages everything is in place to make this an exemplary project. We are determined to do the work to the very highest possible standard and that means it will take some good time yet. ”
J Marine has not put a date on when the application for the marina, which is estimated to cost around £15 million, will be submitted.
The new marina will feature berths, parkland, renewable energy in the form of heating fuelled by biomass and solar energy, sustainable building techniques and major improvements to the local ecology.
The plans have been welcomed by villagers but not by other marina owners who say it will add to the considerable congestion on the canal network.
Here’s a thing – how can a wistful film about the infidelity and death of a beloved wife be uplifting and life affirming in the midst of the massive grief, hurt and suffering of the main character?
It takes a very special actor to pull of such a role and luckily for The Descendants, George Clooney brings his ‘A’ game and completely nails the lead as Matt King.
The Descendants is a freewheeling family drama set on the idyllic Hawaiian islands – and the scenery plays a key part to the feel of the film.
The pacing is leisurely and laidback, which mirrors the pace of life on the islands and as well as Clooney delivering a potentially career best performance, the rest of the cast are great too.
The plot is anything but feelgood – this is an intense trip into the conflicting emotions, as Matt and his two daughters Alexandra (the awesome Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller) have to deal with the loss of their wife/mother.
On paper it sounds depressing and a hard slog of a watch, so it is an incredible achievement that Director Alexander Payne has crafted an amazing film that balances the depths of misery with a positive energy of life having to go on.
I haven’t seen bereavement and grief handled so well on the big screen for a long time, the King family is one that you will get to appreciate and root for in their time of crisis – and you’ll feel both drained and moved by the time the end credits roll.
A little light entertainment is provided in Alexandra’s nice-but-dim boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause) who is used to great comic effect throughout.
One point though – if you absolutely hate Hawaiian music then The Descendants isn’t the movie for you and it embraces the island soundtrack every bit as much as it relishes in the paradise looks of the place.
Clooney’s Matt King is a deep character – he shows flaws and regret for all to see and his broken relationships his daughters is as honest and painful as anything committed to screen.
The Descendants takes you to a dark time in the lives of a family already coming apart at the seams, It’s a trip worth taking and one to savour – just don’t expect it to wash over you without your soul being engaged.
THREE weeks of artistic entertainment will be coming to town this summer after it was confirmed that the Daventry Arts Festival will return for a second year.
The Daventry Business Partnership (DBP) has set up the event after last year’s success, and it’s now looking for members of the public and business community to get involved to make it bigger and better.
A range of activities are planned for the festival which will run from Friday, July 6 until Sunday, July 22.
There will be an art trail set up for the duration of the festival and local artists are currently looking for businesses to host their work.
A programme of street entertainment is also planned and businesses with suitable space inside or outside are invited to host some entertainers for a day.
Pubs and bars are also being asked to come forward and set up events such as comedy and music nights, pub quizzes, beer festivals and wine tasting.
And the business partnership is also keen to hear from restaurants who would like to get involved with things like festival menus, taster events, cooking demonstrations and promotional offers.
DBP manager Sally Halson said: “If you are planning an event during the festival let us know and we can help promote it through the free festival guide. Alternatively you may be working on an existing activity that could coincide with it. We are very excited about the festival and see it as a great opportunity to further raise the profile of Daventry and get more people into the town centre.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for local individuals and groups to perform or showcase their work.
“Already several people are on board including Daventry Museum and Daventry Choral Society but we are keen to get as many people involved as possible.”
For more information, call Mel Baylis on 07925 504636 or email mel@uclts.co.uk
PEOPLE interested in becoming a councillor can find out more at an open evening.
People from all backgrounds and walks of life are being encouraged to consider becoming an elected councillor by Daventry District Council (DDC).
DDC currently has 38 councillors who have been elected to represent both the interests of a defined area or ‘ward’, and also the district as a whole.
The councillors make decisions that guide the council and decide what money should be spent on, what services should be delivered, and what policies should be implemented.
They also keep a close eye on how things are working and make sure that they are representative of their local constituents and organisations.
People who want to become councillors must be able to prove that they are 18 years of age or over, British, or a Commonwealth or EU citizen, and live in or have some connection with the district.
Councillor Chris Millar, leader of Daventry District Council, said: “It is important in a healthy democracy that we have elected members from as wide a demographic background as possible.
“Councillors have lots of responsibilities and duties, but with that pressure comes the satisfaction of knowing that you are working on behalf of your constituents and serving their best interests, and I would encourage anyone who might be interested to contact the Council and find out how they can make a difference to their community.”
If you would like to find out more about what councillors do and how to become a candidate the council is having an open evening on February 21.
For more information go to www.daventrydc.gov.uk or call 01327 871100.
THERE will be chance to see a blooming marvellous display of snowdrops at Kelmarsh Hall.
The snowdrop weekends will be held at the venue on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12 as well as the following weekend.
The Grade I listed hall will be open to showcase work from the Edge Arts Collective with illustrations, fine art, sculptures, installations and photography.
Opening times for both weekends are 11am to 3pm, with admission for snowdrops and exhibitions £3 for adults (under 14s free). Refreshments will be available, including cream teas.
Further details about the weekends can be found by visiting www.kelmarsh.com or call 01604 686543.
A FARMER who illegally slaughtered a cow and failed to dispose of its remains properly has been fined thousands of pounds.
Clive Lawrence, the owner of Sheltons Farm Shop in East Haddon, was fined £27,000 and ordered to pay £16,949 after a hearing at Northampton Magistrates Court on Friday.
It follows on from a hearing on Friday, January 6, in which Lawrence, 67, pleaded guilty to four charges relating to the identification and registration of his cattle, failure to comply with regulations regarding the disposal of animal by-products and 13 food safety and hygiene offences. This included a failure to protect food from contamination that was likely to make it unfit for human consumption.
A two day investigation was carried out in December 2010 by Northamptonshire County Council’s trading standards and an environmental health team from Daventry District Council.
Cameron Crowe, prosecuting, said: “Because they couldn’t be properly identified and therefore legally slaughtered, these cattle were in fact worthless to the defendant unless the meat was to be slaughtered and therefore sold illegally, and their health couldn’t be guaranteed.”
He said the inspection also found health-marked meat contaminated by the illegally slaughtered produce.
Neil Clark, defending, said: “It has been a wake-up call for Mr Lawrence. He has tidied his farm and he has tidied his shop.
“He passed a recent examination and that visit was unannounced, so it wasn’t a case of him preparing for a visit.”
The news of Lawrence’s fine has been welcomed by the two councils who carried out the investigation which led to the court case.
Cllr Steve Osborne, DDCs housing and health portfolio holder said: “The presence of contaminated illegal meat in an unhygienic shop that was open to customers posed a deplorable risk to public health.
“The prompt action of our environmental health officers removed the risk immediately and they have since worked with Mr Lawrence to help ensure that it does not happen again.”
Cllr Ben Smith, county council cabinet member for environment said: “This is a very serious matter; by not complying with regulations regarding cattle identification and failing to dispose of the remains of a dead animal in the proper way this farmer was risking public health and breaking the law.”
SICKNESS absence rates at the ambulance service which covers the Daventry area are among the worst in the NHS.
Figures from the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) show that in September more than seven per cent of staff were off sick.
The service said the main factors were injuries caused by lifting patients and stress.
Phil Milligan, EMAS chief executive, said: “We are conscious that we have a higher than usual sickness rate and some reasons for that include musculo-skeletal injuries or stress due to the nature of the calls we respond to.”
The ambulance service has a sickness rate target of five per cent, but has not achieved that for the past three years.
The trust is also spending £80 million on new ambulances and equipment capable of dealing with heavier and obese patients.
The trust said investing in 80 ambulances with larger stretchers, ramps, hoists and specialist chairs for patients weighing up to 50 stone would cut delays and improve care.
