HELSTON taxpayers could be asked to pay for the running of a new van for the town council.

However, some councillors worried it was an unnecessary expense at a time of cut backs.

They also questioned whether the council needed its own set of wheels.

The matter was raised at the last meeting of the town council where the mayor, Jonathan Radford-Gaby, said it was vital given the amount of extra work for staff. He said council employees were already using their own vehicles for work and the plan would save money in the long run. He said: "I feel it is necessary for this council to have a vehicle given the amount of devolved assets we are managing, such as play areas and toilets."

The issue of whether the council should get its own vehicle had been handed to a group of councillors on the amenities committee.

Raising the question at a meeting of the full council, before the committee had decided, angered councillor Martine Knight.

She said: "No decision has been made yet by the amenities committee. We are custodians of the public purse and we have to make sure we only spend on what is really needed."

She said the council might just as well scrap its committee system if it was to be overruled.

"We are not here to be yes-women or men, or to rubber-stamp decisions," she added.

Mr Radford-Gaby said all members of the council should have a say because it would cost a lot of money.

He was backed up by deputy mayor Mike Thomas, who added: "This council needs a van. We've got so much work to do and it's not about looking back to the past."

Councillor Ronnie Williams warned: "It is a major thing, for this council to go forward with."

Councillor Justine Hornsby, chairwoman of the amenities committee, said: "It wasn't that we were saying 'no', it was that we want some more information. The taxpayers will want to know how we made our decision."

It was agreed to let the amenities committee get information on costs and discuss the matter again at another meeting.

A FORMER European longboard surfing champion and travel writer has joined Falmouth University as course co-ordinator and senior lecturer to run a new degree course in cultural tourism management.

Sennen-based Sam Bleakley, who has a master's degree in geography from the University of Cambridge and is carrying out PhD research at Falmouth that focuses on Haiti, surfing and new modes of travel writing, has experiences drawn from more than a decade of global travel.

During this time he has explored and documented the potential for cultural tourism in countries usually represented as politically unstable, or ecologically vulnerable, such as Mauritania, Liberia and Oman.

Despite his travels, Sam's primary inspiration is the geography of Cornwall, and he considers the region a perfect place to understand the relationship between the local and the global.

Sam said: "I am extremely proud to join the Falmouth team, and feel very passionate about this new degree because I believe that our graduates will become pioneers in the locally and globally important cultural tourism sector.

"A recent report by VisitBritain estimated that the UK alone will have a tourism industry worth more than £257 billion by 2025. Currently UK tourism supports 3.1 million jobs.

"This industry desperately needs inspired leaders, innovators and motivated team- players who can take on the challenges of sustainability and digital futures.

"Host and guest relationships are paramount.

"Cornwall can be a celebrated model of exemplary practice in cultural tourism. I think Falmouth University is the perfect home for the groundbreaking new cultural tourism degree."

The new degree course begins in September 2014.

A SIX-YEAR-OLD'S concern for the poor prompted a letter to be written to the Prime Minister requesting more food be given to foodbanks when she heard people in Cornwall rely on them to eat.

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, a member of the Celtic League, was asked by his daughter Olwen to write to David Cameron to see what the Government planned to do to help people who cannot afford to eat.

The letter came after MPs decided not to pursue part of a Labour Party proposal to investigate why foodbanks were being relied upon.

Mr Tal-e-bot said he felt compelled to help write the letter after attempting to explain to Olwen why people use foodbanks.

He said she became frustrated and wanted to ask the Prime Minister what he was prepared to do to help those who could not afford to buy food in Camborne and Redruth.

Mr Tal-e-bot wrote: "Whenever I go out with my daughter in the community, we are regularly confronted with foodbank collection points in places as diverse as Barclays Bank and the local college.

"Initially my daughter wanted to donate food at each collection point we came across, but now seems to have become a little desensitised to the issue, because, I suppose, the need is now so prevalent and evident in our everyday lives and even includes some people who we know having to use the local foodbank.

"The manager of the Camborne Foodbank explained that in a two-hour period last week 1,900 meals were given out (a figure that amounts to over 9 per cent of the population of our town)."

It is the second time in two years that Mr Tal-e-bot has written to Mr Cameron on behalf of his daughter to highlight the issues surrounding foodbanks. Neither received a response from the office of the Prime Minister.

A FORMER Royal Marine and Crowlas garage owner is rapidly finding out why the Dakar Rally is reputedly the world's toughest.

Last year, the Race2Recovery team made history as the first disabled rally team to enter and complete the Dakar Rally.

This year's challenge started in South America on Monday, with Alec Savery as a new man on the Race2Recovery team.

Aged 38, a keen 4x4 and Land Rover enthusiast and owner of Rospeath 4x4 Garage and Rooftents Ltd at Crowlas, Alec was earmarked to play a key role within the Race2Recovery support crew, helping to support the team's two race cars and race truck.

However, after an uneventful first day, on Stage 2 one of the race cars suffered engine failure and its crew, Ben Gott and Phillip Gillespie, were forced to withdraw.

Not long after, the car driven by Tony Harris and Quin Evans rolled end-to-end as it was descending a large dune.

The vehicle landed on its wheels and made it through to the end of the stage but on inspection by the team mechanics was found to have suffered damage to the roll cage, which meant it had to be withdrawn for safety reasons.

However, the T4 race truck, which had stopped to help a stranded team on Stage 2, will aim to complete the event, which started on Sunday and ends on January 18.

Speaking before the rally started, Alec said: "I'm delighted to be able to bring my experience to the team for this year's challenge.

"I hope my contribution this year can play a role in repeating the success of last year.

"I think it's great that the team is looking to bring new people on board and I can't wait to experience all the thrills that go hand in hand with the Dakar rally."

The rally will see competitors battle to make it over more than 9,000km of some of the world's toughest terrain.

It started in Rosario in Argentina, a city of more than a million people 180 miles north west of Buenos Aires, and competitors then head north before making their way down the Pacific coast of Chile, ending in Valparaiso. En route the competitors will cross the Atacama desert and the Andes mountains, in temperatures that could reach 40 to 50C.

Race2Recovery has the motto Beyond Injury, Achieving the Extraordinary, and to date the team has raised more than £250,000 for Tedworth House Personnel Recovery Centre and Help for Heroes. This year it is also raising awareness of the military charity Blesma, for disabled service personnel.

There is more information about Race2Recovery at www.race2recovery.com and www.uk.media.landrover.com

A CORNWALL councillor has questioned the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Devon and Cornwall and asked whether the position is needed.

Sue James, councillor for St Just-in-Penwith, criticised the increase in spending since Tony Hogg, commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, took over the running of the force from the police authority and questioned whether it had been effective.

The commissioner and the running of his office in Exeter, costs Devon and Cornwall an estimated £1.5 million a year; the average for the other UK regions is £1.26 million.

Mrs James, a Liberal Democrat, is also a member of the Police and Crime Panel whose job is to support and challenge the work of the commissioner and his office.

Last month Mrs James travelled to Plymouth to put questions to Mr Hogg, including scrutinising the sums he received in allowances and expenses over the past year.

"The PCC was keen to point to his achievements in tackling alcohol abuse, reducing crime and bringing offenders to justice, reducing violence, giving victims a stronger voice, increasing victims' satisfaction with the police, listening and responding to the public," she said.

"I can't help feeling that our Chief Constable and the rest of the constabulary would want to focus on those areas whether or not we had a Police and Crime Commissioner."

Mrs James questioned Mr Hogg's assertion that his office did five times the work of the police authority which it had replaced.

"The Police and Crime Commissioner obviously didn't like my line of questioning, wanting me to become a 'champion' for his office rather than questioning the 'empire' that's being built to carry out a role I'm not convinced we need," she said.

"I've yet to be convinced that the people of Devon and Cornwall are better served under this arrangement."

A Conservative, Mr Hogg was elected as Devon and Cornwall's first PCC in November 2012. The controversial post, which comes with a salary of £85,000 plus expenses, involves ensuring policing is efficient and effective and was intended to increase accountability for police in their communities.

Mr Hogg said: "I wasn't unhappy with Councillor James's line of questioning. Indeed, I welcome transparency and scrutiny. That's why I've invited all members of the panel to visit the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and meet officers and staff directly to ask them about their roles and the considerable new workload.

"I'm confident that when members see this at first hand, they'll feel able to say publicly that some of the media stories have been somewhat wide of the mark.

"The Government has led this change in policing, and there has been healthy debate about pros and cons. I have always stated that even though some extra staff were needed, and there was always going to be a shorter-term consultancy cost during Year 1, the need to do this cost- effectively was paramount."

The estimate that his office did five times the work of the police authority came from an independent observer of PCCs around the country, he said, and included responsibility for commissioning and victim services, greater public engagement and scrutiny of the force's performance.

A NEWQUAY man is celebrating after completing the first phase of his Royal Navy training – but he still has a way to go yet.

Trainee warfare specialist Chris Pascoe, 26, arrived at Cornwall's Royal Navy training base in Torpoint in October.

During the past ten weeks he has undergone a thorough induction into life in the Royal Navy, learning skills he will rely upon throughout his time in the Service.

To mark the successful end of the first phase of basic training, the former Treviglas Community College student took part in a passing out parade, attended by families and friends, at HMS Raleigh.

Chris, who was a travel agent prior to joining the Royal Navy, said: "To work out at sea has been a long ambition of mine. I love adventure and the thought of serving in the Royal Navy makes me very proud. I have enjoyed my time at HMS Raleigh and I will continue giving 110 per cent for the rest of my training. Having my family's support means the world to me and I look forward to a long future in the Royal Navy."

With the first phase of his training complete Chris's next port of call is HMS Collingwood in Hampshire.

A NEWQUAY charity which rescues dogs has hit out after it was left without fresh running water for a month.

Animals at St Francis Home For Animals have had to drink the "orange-coloured" contaminated water and staff have had to take supplies in from their own homes since the beginning of December.

The news comes following a test of the water, carried out by South West Water, which revealed iron levels at the Porth home's supply had at times reached more than 50 times the recommended amount.

Manager Sue Penda said it was her responsibility to look after her staff and volunteers and had no choice but to stop them from drinking the contaminated water, but that this was "logistically impossible" to do for all the dogs.

The charity finally received a bowser containing 100 gallons of fresh water on Monday but says it has been left for a month without any.

She said: "We have had discoloured water for years but South West Water (SWW) has flushed the system and assured us it was just iron causing the colouring.

"I insisted, after a particularly bad bout, that the water was properly tested. It turns out that the iron content is at best around 3 times the recommended limit and at worst around 50 times the recommendations. The zinc levels are similar.

"I have had to advise all staff and volunteers not to drink the tap water and we have been using either bottled water or people have been bringing in containers from their own homes, however, it has been logistically impossible to do this for all our dogs."

Mrs Penda said the water company believed the contamination was due to an old pipe which connects with a large water main, and that it is the responsibility of the home to replace.

However, Mrs Penda disputes this and said the repair work was likely to cost in the region of £10,000, which would have a "severe impact" on the charity.

"SWW has told us it is the old galvanised iron pipe that runs under Trevelgue Road and across the Sands resort golf course to join up with the large water main in Watergate Road causing the contamination," she said.

"The difficulty is they claim we are responsible for replacing this pipe even though their letter says they are responsible to our boundary stopcock.

"It means we will have to take it out of our capital that is invested and it is the interest from that which keeps the home running. We have applied for a grant but we won't know the results of that until after March.

"It will have a severe impact on the home. It's a lot of money for a small charity."

In a statement, SWW said: "Our investigations show that the cause of the elevated metal levels at St Francis Dogs' Home in Newquay is the supply pipe belonging to the dogs' home. We have visited the property on a number of occasions and explained that the responsibility to replace this pipe lies with the owners.

"We have every sympathy with the owners' situation, which is why as a goodwill gesture we arranged for one of our approved contractors to visit the property and supply a quote for the work needed. We have also offered to temporarily supply a bowser free of charge as a further goodwill gesture, which will be delivered today (Monday)."

Mrs Penda was thankful to South West Water, who offered free connection to the mains supply and coronation to save the charity money.

A DRUNKEN man from Roche who used "aggressive and threatening" behaviour towards a probation officer has been jailed for eight weeks by magistrates.

Michael Starling, 32, had begun drinking following his brother's death on the day after Boxing Day, Bodmin magistrates were told.

At an appointment with his probation officer Michelle Rees in her St Austell office at lunchtime on New Year's Eve Starling disclosed that he and his brother had vowed that when one died, the other would take their own life.

He told Ms Rees he had consumed three bottles of Southern Comfort and eight cans of Special Brew.

Barry Hilliard, for the prosecution, said that during the meeting Starling made threats to kill a Stoneham housing officer, banged his head on the table, swore and pushed a chair over, as well as stepping towards Ms Rees who felt uncomfortable at this aggressive and threatening behaviour.

Starling, of Tremodrett Road, appeared before the court in custody on Thursday and admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause Ms Rees harassment, alarm or distress. The offence had been committed while he was on bail to Truro Crown Court and subject to a community order.

Rob Eccleston, for the defence, said that for six years Starling had been a homeless street drinker whose offending was linked to that lifestyle and breaches of an Asbo.

On December 11 he had been released from custody, where he had been on remand, and due in part to his efforts while detained accommodation had been found for him in Roche. The death of his brother, to whom he had been very close, had been "the worst possible thing to happen to him".

His subsequent comments to the probation officer had been empty threats. He had been sober when he first went to the office in the morning but could not be seen, and when he returned he had been drinking and "spouted a load of nonsense".

Mr Eccleston urged the magistrates not to send Starling to prison due to the "exceptional circumstances".

In an impassioned plea to the bench Starling reiterated that request, asking to be allowed to carry his brother's coffin at his funeral, but chairman of the bench Frances Tregaskes told him that while his bereavement had been taken into consideration, the offence was aggravated by the fact that the victim was a public servant doing her duty.

The jail term included sentences for taking a vehicle without consent, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and two offences of criminal damage, after a community order was revoked.