A FARMER has closed his part of a popular beach used by the public for generations amid fears of falling rocks and a crumbling cliff face.

Portheras Cove, private land to the north of Pendeen, has been the subject of a Cornwall Council letter to owners warning of the cove's dangers.

Ian Flindall, of Chaypraze Farm on the eastern side of the parameter involved, has taken drastic action in response.

The farmer has closed his beach entrance and section, which runs up to a divisional stream running into the sea; if people were to cross it they would now be trespassing.

Mr Flindall is worried about the responsibilities and fears if an accident were to happen he could have been left with an expensive payout.

"I think people should be asked not to go to the beach - it will cause a bit of a stir," said Mr Flindall. "People think it's a public beach.

"There's never been any restriction to it, but that's had to change."

Mr Flindall has discussed options with insurers and has decided to try to alleviate some of the risks by preventing usage on his plot.

The council said it was made aware of the hazards by visitors and wrote to relevant parties advising those concerned to consult with legal professionals.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "We wrote to the landowners of Portheras to highlight concerns which had been raised by beach users over the stability of the cliff face above.

"Our advice has been to take professional advice with regard to the cliff's stability and ensure beach users are made aware of the potential hazards."

But Jennifer Jasper, who owns a dairy farm in the central part of the land and who also received a letter, agreed that warnings were needed but thought health and safety has gone too far.

"I'm quite happy for people to continue using it," she said.

"It's been used by people for time immemorial - I have got no intention of stopping them."

Miss Jasper did admit she was worried by the predicament however, and said she plans to erect signs to warn of potential risks.

"I need to sort out some signs," said Miss Jasper.

"In this day and age people have to be more careful - years ago if you got injured it was just hard luck but now everyone wants to sue."

The Borlase Estate is believed to own the western side of the land concerned. The Duchy of Cornwall own part of the beach, but none of the cliff face deemed a risk by authorities. 

A MAN has died after he slipped and fell from cliffs at Whitsand Bay in the early hours of Sunday.

A police spokesman said the 25-year-old, who has not been named, sustained serious head injuries after he fell 70ft from cliffs at Sharrow Point.

Emergency services were called to the scene at about 2am after a friend, who was with the man shortly before he fell, raised the alarm.

Coastguards escorted one paramedic down the cliff edge and sent a team down to help bring up the man.

He was airlifted to Derriford Hospital but medics could not save him.

It is believed the man, who was originally from Poland but living in Plymouth, had spent the evening drinking with friends before wandering off alone.

A NEWQUAY singer-songwriter has just released her own music video which is being shown on MTV and is set to support pop superstar Jessie J in concert.

Lotte Rundle, one half of urban duo MK1, found music fame last year when she and her pal Simeon Dixon reached the live shows in ITV's talent show The X Factor.

The pair have now released their first video prior to the release of debut single Let Go, penned by Lotte herself, on August 4.

Set in a period building in London, the video has already hit screens, including on music video channel MTV Hits.

MK1 will also be supporting Jessie J, who performed this weekend at the Eden Sessions at the Eden Project, near St Austell, when she appears at Kent's Sound Island Festival at the end of July.

Lotte, 20, whose stage name is Charlie, said she had experienced a "rollercoaster of emotions" since leaving the X Factor late last year.

She said it was "one of the best feelings" to see their own music video on television.

"We're proud of it," she said.

"It was just like filming a house party. We had so much fun.

"The single's basically about letting go of your insecurities. Everyone can relate to it in some way."

The pair, who are signed to a management company but not yet to a record label, have self-released the single and accompanying video, hoping to reach the top 40 and get signed.

Lotte said she was devastated last month when MK1 had to cancel its tour of ten O2 academies after she developed laryngitis and was unable to sing.

The former Newquay Tretherras pupil, who performed at Newquay's Berties club recently, said the X Factor had changed their lives.

"When we first came off the show we had two gigs a night," she said.

"That died down a bit and we spent a lot of time in the studio writing our music, but now our single's coming out.

"Your first single is your chance to get into the industry properly. We need everyone's help just to get into the top 40."

Mum Debbie said she and Lotte's dad Daniel couldn't be more proud of her and were hopeful the single release would bring MK1 the music industry success they deserved.

"Everyone's just waiting for someone to pick it up," she said.

"We're just hoping it will happen. We just need someone to give them a break."

ANDREW Ronald Hawke, 50, of St Kew Highway, entered a guilty plea at Truro Magistrates' Court on June 28 to speeding at Carland on January 23 and was fined £35.

NINE firefighters from Padstow attended a gorse fire on the cliffs at Trevose Head on Saturday afternoon.

The two crews used one hose reel to extinguish 10 square metres of gorse.

NORTH CORNWALL MP Dan Rogerson has launched a campaign to scrap the charging of business rates on public toilets to help keep more public conveniences open and free to use.

Town and parish councils that are in charge of public toilets are obliged to pay business rates for the toilets they run.

Bodmin Town Council has recently closed the loo it owns at Dennison Road car park to save cash, which has brought complaints from residents.

Dan Rogerson has tabled a motion in the House of Commons calling on the Government to make public toilets exempt from business rate charges, to help keep more public toilets open and to keep them free to use.

While some smaller parish councils can claim small business rate relief to get out of paying the charges, scrapping business rates for public toilets would make the system simpler and would cover all town and parish councils.

Under the former Conservative-Independent administration running Cornwall Council, many public toilets became the responsibility of town and parish councils, or closed altogether.

Mr Rogerson said: "I know how it important it is to local people, businesses and visitors alike that our towns and villages have decent public toilets.

"As all councils are asked to make savings, I think it is right that the Government stops charging town and parish councils business rates on public toilets – after all council-run toilets aren't businesses.

"Removing this unfair tax on parish councils and communities would help make public toilets cheaper to run, leading to more toilets staying open and remaining free to use."

A MAN has died after he slipped and fell from cliffs at Whitsand Bay in the early hours of Sunday.

A police spokesman said the 25-year-old, who has not been named, sustained serious head injuries after he fell 70ft from cliffs at Sharrow Point.

Emergency services were called to the scene at about 2am after a friend, who was with the man shortly before he fell, raised the alarm.

Coastguards escorted one paramedic down the cliff edge and sent a team down to help bring up the man.

He was airlifted to Derriford Hospital but medics could not save him.

It is believed the man, who was originally from Poland but living in Plymouth, had spent the evening drinking with friends before wandering off alone.

POLICE have arrested a man after a suspected arson attack on a house in Bodmin which left two women needing hospital treatment.

The 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

One of the women received burns and both were treated for smoke inhalation.

Police say they believe the fire was started deliberately by setting light to a set of curtains.

Police and firefighters from Bodmin and Lostwithiel rushed to the council-owned single-bedroom bungalow in St George's Crescent at 1.30am on Sunday. They were later joined by paramedics, who treated the women at the scene before they were transferred to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Truro.

Detective Constable Sarah Northcott, who is leading the inquiry into the suspected arson attack, is appealing for witnesses.

"It's believed the fire at the bungalow had been started by setting fire to curtains in the ground-floor bedroom window," she said.

"Damage was caused to the window, the curtains, vertical blinds and clothing.

"There were two female occupants of the bungalow at the time of the fire. One of the females had burns to her hand where she had pushed burning clothes out of the bedroom window.

Both were taken to hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation," said DC Northcott.

"We are seeking information from anyone who saw anything suspicious around the time of the fire, or can help in the investigation."

The arrested man, who is understood to come from Truro, has been released on police bail until next month.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact Bodmin CID by phoning 101 and quoting crime reference BB/13/1135.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used one hose reel and a thermal imaging camera to deal with the fire, after which a positive pressure ventilation fan was then used to clear the smoke.

A spokeswoman for Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said there would be a joint investigation with the police into the bungalow blaze.

Happy hound: Waiting to go into the dog show ring at Liskeard Show is Blue the Great Dane – who was keeping cool with his hat. For the full story and all the pictures, see pages 42 and 43.

A VIOLENT and scary dispute between three motorcycle clubs that spilled onto the streets of Newquay left a witness so disturbed she "could not dial 999 properly", a court has heard.

Karl Burrows, 47, and Liam McTiernan, 46, who are members of the west coast Hells Angels and Paul Hope, 50, and Kieron Vasey, 56, members of The Defiant Few Motorcycle Club Cornwall, stood trial at Truro Crown Court this week accused of causing violent disorder on Bank Street in Newquay on Saturday, September 17, 2011.

The four all denied using or threatening to use unlawful violence.

Iain White for the prosecution, said the incident could be seen on town centre CCTV.

He said: "All hell broke loose or should I say all Hells Angels broke loose and during the course of the next minute or so three men are attacked ... all three are having either their jackets or waistcoats forcibly removed from them."

"This is a case shrouded in the world of motorbike politics, cloaked in mystery because none of those three persons who were attacked on the street that night and had their attire or jackets ripped off them were prepared to talk to the police."

Mr White told the court that the only witnesses to the incident were a father and his adult daughter who had been buying a takeaway from the nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

Kenneth Summerfield was waiting in his car while his wife and daughter Sally went to order the food, the court heard.

Mr White said: "Across the road he could see a group of about ten men in motorcycle leathers.

"At least one was shouting, 'Why are you wearing that?'"

Sally Summerfield, who also saw the fight, was said to be so upset she "could not dial 999 properly".

Mr White said: "Burrows and McTiernan can be seen on CCTV wearing leathers with Hell's Angels on the back. They were walking through the street with others who had Hell's Angels on their back.

"They were also walking through the street that night with Paul Hope and Kieron Vasey who are members of the motorcycle club the Defiant Few.

"This all boils down to a falling-out between motorcycle clubs – Hell's Angels and Defiant Few on one side and a group called Kernow Sharks on the other."

Mr White said the defendants, and others who had not been identified, were there to "exert their authority on those wearing jackets with Kernow Sharks on the back.

"It was unlawful, it was violent and it was very scary," he told the court.

Defending Burrows, aged 47, Mr Mooney told the court there was another explanation for the incident.

He said: "What you will see is the result of an attempt by one motorcycle club (the Kernow Sharks) to flex its muscles by arranging an ambush for another, better-known organisation, the Hell's Angels."

The trial of Burrows, of North Street, Down End, Bristol; McTiernan, of Lawrence Hill, Bristol; Hope of Fernleigh Terrace, Gunnislake; and Vasey, of Southborne Close, Foxhole, continues this week.

LUCKETT all-rounder Andrew Brenton modestly admitted that it was 'just one of those days' after smashing his way into the record books on Saturday.

The 39-year-old hit a remarkable 53 fours and 11 sixes on his way to a highest ever individual Jolly's Cornwall League score of 311 against Tideford, beating the previous record of 300 not out set by Adryan Winnan for Penryn against Wendron in Division 8 West in 2000.

It wasn't the only record to be broken as Luckett's final score of 513 for five in the Division 2 East game, beat the previous highest team total by 75 runs. In 2002 Tintagel finished on 438 for three against Stoke Climsland in Division 3 East.

On a perfect batting wicket, Brenton came in at No.3 following opener Gregg Sleep's dismissal for three, and shared a record partnership of 468 with Gregg's brother Jack, who made 143.

Brenton, who has played the last 11 seasons at Luckett, having previously played for Callington, admitted it was a day when everything went his way.

He said: "It was just one of those days where everything went to plan. We decided not to declare and go for the record, which was a bit of an adrenalin rush."

With Luckett hanging perilously one place above the relegation zone, Brenton hopes Saturday's record-breaking victory will lay the foundations for an upturn in fortunes.

He said: "Let's hope we can turn a corner now and get in the habit of winning a few more games."

Brenton will be hoping to continue where he left off when Luckett head to St Erme on Saturday.

Results

Full details of prizes were not available from event organisers before The Cornishman went to press.

Cattle – Holsteins: heifer calf born on or after January 1, 2013: 5 RBP Nicholls, Rosemodress Farm, St Buryan; heifer born on or after January 1, 2012: 4 RBP Nicholls; heifer in calf with first calf to calve before three years of age: 3 and 4 RBP Nicholls; cow in calf to calve by October 30, 2013: 2 and 4 RBP Nicholls; cow in milk having had two or more calves: 4 RBP Nicholls. Guernseys: heifer born after August 1, 2012: 2 and 3 DW, RJ, JR and SM Warren, Tredinney Farm, Penzance; Maiden heifer: 1 DW, RJ, JR and SM Warren; In calf heifer under three years: 2 DW, RJ, JR and SM Warren. 4 Mr and Mrs JM Jelbert and Miss G Jackson, Lower Keigwin Farm, Penzance; cow or heifer in milk, born 2010 or 2011: 1, 2 and 3 DW, RJ, JR and SM Warren; Female progeny pair, by the same sire: 1 and 2 DW, RJ, JR and SM Warren. Jerseys: Heifer between the ages of one and one and a half years at date of show: 1 and 2 Mr and Mrs JM Jelbert and Miss G Jackson; cow in milk with second calf produced under the age of four years: 1 DW, RJ, JR and SM Warren.

Pygmy Goats – Wethers: Gallaine Billy, Mrs D Jackson, Zennor; best pet, Gallaine Maisy, Mrs D Jackson, Zennor.

Domestic Cookery – Three ginger fairings: 2 Miss E Scott, Carbis Bay. Victoria sandwich: 5 Miss E Scott. Victoria sandwich, jam-filled: 3 Mr P Thomas, Connor Downs.

Caged birds – Best budgie: Colin Williams, Hayle. First prize winner: Colin Williams, Hayle.

Sheep – Any pure British down breed. Ram, any age: 1 P Wills, An Chapel Goth, Sancreed; Shearling ewe: 2 P Wills; Ram lamb: 2 P Wills; Group of three: 2 P Wills. Any other pure British ram lamb: 4 P Wills; Group of three: 4 P Wills.

Anyone who cherishes the countryside of Cornwall should be grateful to Sheryll Murray MP for joining with two Devon MPs to persuade the Energy Minister, Greg Barker, to halt the absurd free-for-all that is allowing speculative energy companies to industrialise huge expanses of viable farmland.

Anyone with internet access can see this Westminster debate online at Parliament Live TV.

Besides explaining how these schemes are being built in the wrong places and against the wishes of local people, she pointed out that certain Cornwall Councillors and Planning Officers have shown no inclination to modify their approach. (More schemes were given approval last week, for example.)

She stressed the need to act swiftly, since this is a race against time as energy companies desperately try to get their applications to build approved as soon as possible (and thereby access huge public subsidies).

The Minister's response was encouraging and altered policy guidelines are imminent. It is to be hoped that Cornwall Council takes notice and changes its approach accordingly.

Simon Rix, Cornwall Councillor for the Bugle ward, is trying to arrange consultation between, on the one hand, senior planners and members of the Strategic Planning Committee, and campaigners.

This is a positive move because if energy conservation and renewable energy generation are to be implemented on a sustainable basis, community approval and involvement are vital. However, it is curious that only one of the MPs in Cornwall appears to have taken this matter up. It might be inferred that they feel they have all the answers and are not inclined to listen to the many voters who have expressed concern about inappropriate solar developments; should that be the case, it might be thought that it is rather illiberal and undemocratic of them. I must add that my praise for Sheryll Murray does not arise out of any party allegiance but solely out of gratitude to an MP acting on behalf of constituents, rather than adhering to a policy laid down by party policy makers, whips and lobbyists.

FRENCH visitors from Penzance's twin town visited west Cornwall to take part in the Golowan celebrations.

A group of five visitors from Concarneau were entertained by members of the town council and of the Penzance/Concarneau Twinning Association throughout their trip.

They enjoyed a visit to St Ives and took in the Mazey Eve fireworks before walking through the streets of Penzance in not one but two parades the following day.

Also enjoying the sights and sounds of Mazey Day were a group of 18 schoolchildren from Concarneau who have spent some of their trip improving their English at Humphry Davy School and Mounts Bay Academy.

A WEST Penwith school is to make four members of staff redundant this summer following government cuts and a fall in pupil numbers.

Cape Cornwall School in St Just will shed both teachers and support staff before the start of the new school year in September.

Kathy Wallis, a Cornwall representative of teachers' union NASUWT, said cuts by central government and a fall in the number of pupils overall had caused widespread redundancies across the county.

The job losses would be hugely damaging to St Just and have a lasting impact, she said: "The community will be completely devastated.

"I think it's an appalling situation; there's very little work already. This is going to exacerbate the situation. It's going to make it really bad.

"They [staff members] were informed just before Christmas that there would be redundancies."

Miss Wallis, who has 20 years' experience in special and additional needs education, said a new funding system was "hitting Cornish schools very hard.

"It's all to do with central government," she explained.

"There are three that have been particularly badly hit; Cape Cornwall School is one of them."

A historic fall in the birthrate was now starting to have an effect in secondary schools, she said.

In January it was reported that Cape Cornwall School was undersubscribed for the current academic year, with only 62 applicants for 120 available places in Year 7.

The effect of the decline in pupil numbers is most pronounced in rural areas.

Cape Cornwall School head Julie Nash confirmed that four members of staff were taking voluntary redundancy with effect from August 31 as a "result of a restructuring programme implemented by the governing body", but stressed: "The school is committed to providing the highest possible quality of education."

A CRASH on the A30 left one vehicle ablaze and a person trapped in another.

Fire crews from Penzance and St Just were called to the two-vehicle collision near the Cardinney campsite between Drift and Crows-an-Wra at around 2.30pm on Sunday.

Firefighters rescued a casualty from a car and it was reported that a man had been taken to hospital.

Police attended the scene and closed the road while firefighters dealt with the burning vehicle and ambulance staff tended to the injured man.

The road was reopened at around 3.40pm.

A SHUNT at Sennen left a pick-up truck sandwiched between two double-decker buses.

The Western Greyhound and First vehicles collided with a Mitsubishi truck at around 11.50am on Monday.

No one was injured, but a number of passengers on the First bus had their journeys slightly delayed. The bus was only slightly damaged and continued to run its scheduled journeys throughout the day.

A police spokeswoman said the road was opened again an hour later.

MP ANDREW GEORGE has hit out at Cornwall Council's "indecent haste" in replacing the head teacher of St Ives School with its own troubleshooter after a damning Ofsted report.

When inspectors placed the school in special measures Cornwall Council's director of children's services, Trevor Doughty, parachuted in a new head.

St Ives MP Mr George has now attacked the council's "very hasty response" that showed "disrespect to the school, its pupils and staff".

It has also emerged that chairman of governors Dave Griffin, who co-signed the letter announcing new head Richard Schofield's appointment, has since stood down.

It is understood he resigned because he had lost confidence in Cornwall Council's handling of the situation, although Mr Griffin has said he couldn't comment at this point.

Now some parents fear the 700-pupil school is being pushed into controversial academy status – where schools are taken out of local authority control and given a business "sponsor".

Schools usually become academies after a decision by governors and parents.

But the Department for Education (DfE) told The Cornishman there is a "clear expectation" that in cases where Ofsted says a school needs special measures, becoming an academy is "the normal route to secure improvement".

That leaves the school's governors with little choice.

Parent Rowenna Swallow said: "The governors are a well-intentioned, hardworking group of people.

"But a big group of parents still has not got a clue what is going on.

"The acting head has told us we will be an academy by Easter."

The school insists it has not made a decision about academy status.

Acting chair of governors Steve Burgess said: "The most important thing is what we have done as a team to address the main points in the report – around learning in the classroom for our pupils and the experience and ambition and achievement for our pupils.

"That's what is in our immediate sights and we're doing something about it. Richard Schofield is doing a fantastic job for us."

However, he said it was "highly likely, even highly probable" that academy status was coming.

A Government 'academy broker' was due to visit the school on Wednesday as The Cornishman went to print.

Mr George, who opposed the Academies Bill in Parliament, said: "It takes local schools out of local authority control. It is quasi-privatisation of our schools.

"But I'd be committing a cruel hoax on the parents and dedicated staff, who have been ill-served by this process, if I gave a false impression that there was some way of avoiding academy status."

Andrew Wallis, the council's Cabinet member for children and young people, said he recognised parents' concerns but rejected Mr George's criticisms.

He said: "I am extremely disappointed. We have a legal duty to ensure that all local authority maintained schools are providing a good quality education to their pupils.

"Faced with [the report's] findings both the governing body and the council agreed that an interim executive head teacher should be appointed to work with staff and governors to help the school to move forward. Far from being disrespectful, the authority has acted entirely appropriately to ensure the issues are addressed as quickly as possible."

POLICE have uncovered a sophisticated cannabis farm at a house in a quiet rural hamlet outside Penzance that could have reaped criminals £350,000 a year.

CID officers found nearly 300 mature cannabis plants at a four-bedroom house in Buryas Bridge that had been rigged with high-tech growing equipment worth an estimated £20,000.

Neighbours in the sleepy spot, many of whose houses are set back from the road, have said they were shocked at the news that a drugs gang was operating on their doorsteps.

The drug factory was discovered by chance when the landlord of the rented property, just off the A30 between Penzance and Land's End, visited to carry out routine maintenance and found the windows blacked out.

When he looked inside he found the entire house had been turned into a cannabis factory. He immediately informed police, who executed a drugs warrant on Thursday.

The landlord, who has asked not to be named, told police the rent had been paid up-front and in cash by a man he believed was Chinese.

Police say laboratory tests are still needed before they can estimate the worth of the 291 fully-grown plants, but a drugs set-up of similar size found in the past had been estimated to produce cannabis worth £40,000 every six weeks – close to £350,000 a year.

Detective Constable Alex Pym said: "It was an extremely professional operation including the use of lighting and ventilation systems estimated to cost more than £20,000.

"The exact value of the crop cannot be given although it is thought to be in the tens of thousands and of very high quality."

Police say they fear the man who rented the house may be a victim of the criminals who financed the cannabis factory.

DC Pym said: "It's more than likely that he's a victim, forced or pressured into his role as a gardener. There was evidence of him living a very squalid life in the address with only a few belongings and some basic foods.

"We're pursuing forensic evidence to try and locate the gardener, but he's going to be low down the criminal tree."

Police are asking landlords to check references of any potential tenants and conduct regular property checks.

DC Pym said: "They tend to look for properties that are out of the way so that the smell of the crop doesn't draw suspicion, and that have large areas of ground space.

"It's also important that should a member of the public locate a cannabis-grower, they are mindful of their own safety. In this case someone with some electrical training had bypassed the electricity system and rewired the entire property to accommodate the ventilation and lighting they had installed. This was a very professional set-up.

"We had to contact EDF to get an engineer out to make it safe before we could search the building.

"Clearly someone has invested a lot of money in this operation which would have run and run until discovered."

Anyone with information is being asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. The crime reference is AP/13/1658.