Archive
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A call to good causes
THE search is on for the worthy causes to benefit from next year's Charity Ball. Organisers hope that the ball, to be held next May, will take the total raised over 18 years of the event to £500,000. And they want to hear from any local groups with
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President’s lunch
The inaugural president's lunch of the Swindon Chamber of Commerce will be March 14 at the Thistle Hotel in the town centre. Sir Mike Pitt, who is the chief executive of Swindon Borough Council, is the guest speaker. His presentation will be tied in
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Perfect package from mobile firm
The Carphone Warehouse in Regent Street has been named top mobile phone retailer in Swindon by an independent mystery shopping report. Industry publication Mobile News has produced a mystery shopping report into all the mobile phone retailers in Swindon
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Sales increase as customers go nuts
SWINDON'S finest quality nuts company Dormen Foods is on a high after demand for its products increased significantly in 2005. As a result the company at Elgin Industrial Estate has expanded its sales team with the appointment of a retail account manager
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Watching out for the villains
A MAN who used to cash cheques for the London gangsters the Kray brothers, has opened a new security business. Ken Locke, whose other claim to fame is that he was once the country's youngest licensee at 21, is now working out of Wootton Bassett and his
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Schools closed by burst pipe
PUPILS had to be turned away from two Highworth primary schools this morning because there was no water. A burst water pipe at the Blackworth Industrial Estate caused the problems. But Thames Water promised the water would be flowing again within a
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Have your say about the future of North Wilts
NORTH Wiltshire District Council is asking people how the area should be developed over the next 20 years. This is an opportunity for people to express their opinions about issues facing the development of the district's towns and rural areas, and about
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Appeal to keep lunch on menu
FOR some of the elderly people who go along every week, it is the only opportunity they have to meet other people. Every Tuesday, for nearly 24 years, the Upper Stratton Luncheon club has met, giving retired people in the area a place to go, meet with
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Learning lessons for school reform
SCHOOLS will not be able to turn down less academic pupils in favour of the brightest children when setting their admissions policy. This is one of the major changes Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has made to the education White Paper to try and head
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Your chance to take the mic at pubs
BUDDING Britney Spears and eager Elvis Presleys from across the town hit the stage and strutted their stuff to be in with a chance of winning a cash prize. Vocalists hit the high notes at The Victoria pub, in Old Town, as part of Pubstars, a national
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We’ll give our rise to Dial A Ride
THREE Labour councillors are to donate their increase in annual allowance to Dial A Ride in protest against cuts to council services. Barrie Thompson, Steve Allsopp and Fay Howard, all councillors for the Parks, have taken the stance over proposals to
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Permission to land for pink party
STAFF at RAF Lyneham have taken a break from their usual blue uniforms and adopted pink instead. Members of the airbase's Depth Support Wing (DSW), who look after the Hercules transport fleet, turned their tea bar into a pink Barbie paradise to raise
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Swindon crushed by 10-goal blast
HOCKEY PREMIER 2: Swindon conceded eight goals in a remarkable second half to crash to one of their heaviest ever defeats, 10-2, at mid-table Whitchurch. There was no sign of the avalanche to come as the first half ended with the scores at 2-2, with
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Bassett stunned by last-gasp Chippenham goal
HOCKEY WILTS & NE SOMERSET 1: Wootton Bassett dropped valuable points in a 2-2 draw at home against bottom of the table Chippenham. The home side got off to a confident start, exerting continuous pressure on their local rivals, but it was the visitors
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Agony for North Wilts
HOCKEY NORTH 2: North Wilts all but kissed their promotion chances goodbye by suffering a 3-2 defeat at Bath University. Without injured skipper Matt Evans for the first time in the league this season, Wilts took an early lead through Damo Holland,
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Gap widens in title race
HOCKEY NORTH DIVISION: Wootton Bassett Ladies extended their lead to three points at the top of the table when they defeated second-placed Bath Buccaneers 2-1 at home. A goal from Nicky Wills, following an accurate cross from Nicky Gardner, gave Bassett
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Seager seals friendly win for home side
CIRENCESTER triumphed 17-0 in a hastily-arranged friendly against South West Two side Taunton. A superb driving maul sent youngster Matt Carter over for the opening try. And in the second half, Adam Seager broke through and added a conversion.
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Mitchinson is a muddy marvel in Italian race
ATHLETICS: DAVE Mitchinson is relishing the prospect of the English Cross-Country Championships in a little over two weeks after surviving a mud-bath in Italy. The Lyenham athlete had the honour of finishing first British runner in the Cinque Mulini
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Montezuma is star of the show for Tigersharks
SWIMMING: TIGERSHARKS young swimmers produced some fine performances at the Wiltshire Sprint Championships. They claimed one senior and three junior championship titles, as well as four age group best times and a host of age group winners. Sharks
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Dolphin sprint to a huge haul
SWIMMING: SWINDON Dolphin produced an awesome set of results at Milton Road in last weekend's county sprint championships, the third block of the Wiltshire County Championship. Their medal tally reached a staggering 123, surpassing last year's record
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Volunteers needed to visit kids in care
THE Wiltshire Children's Rights Service is looking for volunteers to spare a few hours each month to spend with young people in care. The Independent Visitor Scheme provides visitors for those youngsters who are in care and who have little or no contact
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Meeting for track staff
THERE are only five weeks to go before Swindon Robins open their 2006 campaign with a visit to Cowley to face Oxford Cheetahs in a grand challenge match. Therefore Robins will be holding a get-together meeting for all track staff that are interested
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Marine anger their boss
FURIOUS Mark Collier has warned his Supermarine side they must do better after watching them crash 1-0 at Bedworth United last night. Although sub Matt Pratley had a late effort controversially ruled out for offside, Collier insisted there were no
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My pal Paul will soon be back, says Onuora
IFFY Onuora has backed pal Paul Merson to bounce back from his sacking at Walsall and has vowed to help in any way he can. The Saddlers parted company with their boss yesterday after a string of poor results. Onuora, who spent a short period as
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Crossings call for retail park
POSTMAN Gary Woollard says more needs to be done to improve safety for pedestrians at a busy Swindon roundabout. The 47-year-old, of Covingham, wants to see pelican crossings around the Greenbridge Retail Park roundabout, an area that he feels is a particular
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I DO
THE number of couples seeking wedded bliss has increased for the third year in a row, according to official figures. And Swindon has not escaped the love bug either with churches reporting year on year increases in terms of the number of people tying
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Staying in the fast lane
RECOGNITION will not see Rhys Evans and his colleagues suddenly ease off the accelerator after the goalkeeper scooped the PFA Fans Player of the Month award for January. The 24-year-old is also revving up attempts to build on the terrific team spirit
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Heal or deal
IFFY Onuora is not ruling out a raid on the emergency loan market as he anxiously awaits the verdict on a trio of County Ground casualties. The manager hopes the healing process will be swift in the respective cases of Trevor Benjamin (thigh), Sean
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Wiltshire Business of the Year Finalists: 5
WILTSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS: MAINLINE CLEANING - Mainline Cleaning is delighted to have been selected as a finalist in the Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards. Founded in 1983, Mainline Cleaning has been established in the Wiltshire area for more than
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Wiltshire Business of the Year Finalists: 4
WILTSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS: KEY DAY NURSERY - Key Day Nursery offers a full-time professional childcare service of the highest quality in a homely atmosphere for children aged from six weeks up to five years. It has settings in both Calne and Chippenham
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Shakespeare hip-hop style
PUPILS at Churchfield's School have put a modern twist on one of Shakespeare's classic plays. The Renagade Theatre Company, which visited the school, gave 40 Year 8 pupils the chance to dance through a performance of Romeo and Juliet. And their hip-hop
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Benefit cheat’s prison sentence appeal rejected
DOLE cheat Rosemary Chatfield has failed to get her two-month jail sentence reduced after fleecing the system out of more than £11,000. The 53-year-old mum launched an appeal against the sentence at Swindon Crown Court, despite having served half of
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Wiltshire Business of the Year Finalists: 3
WILTSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS: SWISHER - SWISHER provides a unique hygiene service for washrooms and toilets. Its weekly service provides the highest standards of hygiene for its clients. When Swisher services a washroom, there is no need to purchase chemicals
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Wiltshire Business of the Year Finalists: 2
WILTSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS: BRITANNIA CAPITAL SECURITIES - Britannia Capital Securities LLP are delighted and proud to be among the finalists in the 2005 Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards. The business has various trading styles, the most recognisable
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Lessons in life on the continent
A SWINDON school has said buenos dis and bonjour to its European neighbours. Grange Junior School, in Stratton, has been hosting teachers from Spain and France, who are spending five days in the Swindon area. The visit is part of the Comenius Schools
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Wiltshire Business of the Year Finalists: 1
WILTSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS: WOODBOROUGH GARDEN CENTRE - Deep in the heart of the Pewsey Vale lies a treasure trove. What is it that makes Woodborough Garden Centre and PYO fruit farm so special? Is it the excellent selection of plants from home-grown
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Firm warns of bus cuts ahead
CRITICS have hit out at Swindon Council's plans to force bus operator Thamesdown Transport to pay a £250,000 dividend as part of its budget proposals. The council will be discussing the proposal tonight and Labour councillor Barrie Thompson believes
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Booking place for the library
SWINDON Council is looking into two possible locations to temporarily house the town's library. The Paramount development, an art deco conversion of an old Nationwide office in Princes Street, and Clarence Street car park, near the council offices, are
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Forum for public to question councillors
SWINDON Council is inviting people to an open forum tonight before its cabinet meeting. The meeting will be held in Committee Room six at the authority's Civic Offices in Euclid Street. Coun Fionuala Foley, lead member for corporate affairs, policy
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Treatment of family
A GOVERNMENT minister has admitted that the treatment of a Swindon family by the coroners' inquest system was "totally unsatisfactory". Minister of Constitu-tional Affairs, Harriet Harman, said she wanted inquests to "work properly" to avoid bereaved
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Hopeful again
ON behalf of myself, friends at Park Farm and other users I would like to thank you for the support and publicity you have given to our anxiety about the proposal to cut the grant to Dial A Ride. We are now very hopeful that it will not be cut by nearly
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Spreading flu
I READ with interest last week's coverage about the flu outbreak in Swindon schools and the good advice given at the end of the article. Might I suggest that you add one more piece of advice. When I was in town one day I heard two women talking in a
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It could be you
WILTSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS: The final countdown to the Wiltshire Business of the Year awards is on. With less than three weeks until our glittering evening it's time to get out the posh frocks and tuxedos. The date is Friday, February 24, the venue
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In agreement
THOUGH a Labour supporter and candidate in May's local election, I'd like to write in support of Conservative Coun Martin and his letter re No Public Cash for the Soccer Club, (SA, January 11). The council has many duties and funding Swindon Town Football
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Size doesn’t matter
Here's your chance for a level playing field between large and small companies literally. KEVIN BURCHALL reports. THINK small as well as big is the message to local businesses ahead of the Corporate Games. Team Swindon is being run by Simon West
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Challenging!
Re: THE letter from B R Logan. Okay Mr Logan you are entitled to your own opinion about Swindon but you have no right to knock other people's opinion. To call us simpletons is out of order. You knock our football team but please remember there are only
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How many agency staff were used overall?
I READ with some interest the latest update from Lyn Hill-Tout on how the trust is £1.4m in debt and that the hospital had used only 89 agency nurses in December, compared with 96 in November, from the Thornbury agency. What she has failed to admit to
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Thanks for caring for injured son
I WOULD like to pass on my sincerest thanks to the people in the Belle Vue Road/Union Row area of Old Town, who helped my son last week after he was knocked down. He was involved in a very nasty accident as he took an evening jog. I am, of course, eternally
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Making the culprits pay
Founder of www.hrbullets.co.uk Craig Gordon looks at a case which should make SME employers pay attention. Discrimination law is perhaps the fastest moving area in employment law. Other areas, for example unfair dismissal, are relatively stable.
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Beat stress in your lunch hour
Homeopathy could be the answer to cutting down stress levels in employees. LEIGH ROBINSON reports. SWINDON'S workers can now learn ways of combating stress in their lunchtimes with the help of a new service being offered by homeopath Trish Moroney.
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Put your house in order, Blair
RECENT events show just how mad this world is. We have Labour's Pete Brown telling us that there is no crisis in the NHS dentist world, and the next day the Adver has front page news that there is a big dental health crisis. We are then told by the
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Voice of business
Are the planning authorities becoming the major threat to future economic growth in the UK? Wherever you turn, whether it's housing, transport or a routine extension to office or factory premises, the planning system and the people who run it are getting
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Find out about road safety plan
A £50,000 scheme to improve the safety of children and other pedestrians near Kingsdown School is being developed by Swindon Council. Residents and parents are invited to attend a drop-in event tomorrow at the school to find out about the scheme. The
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Valentine vixens
Swindon supports the world and that's official. In a survey of the world's 50 best bras, Triumph, the Groundwell company featured three times. Not only that, but they manufacture the world's best-selling bra, Doreen, which has been around for 40 years
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Woman, 37, had to be arrested
A WOMAN had to be arrested to prevent a breach of the peace in Kingsdown Road. Officers were called out to the area at about 9pm on Monday. A 37-year-old woman was arrested to prevent a breach of the peace. She was released with no further action taken
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Teenage girl is missing again
A TEENAGE girl has gone missing from her Walcot home again. Sixteen-year-old Laura Doore, pictured, has not been seen since leaving her home in Lennox Drive on Monday. She did not turn up at school and has not been in contact with her family since.
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Business beaver
The lights are down, the credit card statement looms, the tree's been recycled and thoughts turn to how to lose those extra few pounds that crept up on you over the festive season. But at this time of year when we're thinking about those new year's
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Waiting game for Ann Marie
SWINDON breast cancer campaigner Ann Marie Rogers will have to wait to learn whether she has won a groundbreaking legal challenge to be treated with so-called wonder drug Herceptin. A High Court judge has said he would not be giving judgment immediately
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Meet the banker who is proud to say: Money isn’t important
His pay packet may have seven figures (before the decimal point), but CEO of Nationwide Philip Williamson certainly doesn't let all that cash go to his head. IN the super-rich world of high finance, Philip Williamson is that rare thing, a banker who
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MP will be at the Wyvern, by George
CELEBRITY Big Brother contestant George Galloway's appearance in Swindon is to go ahead. Following the cancellation of the first night of his tour of the country, the Wyvern Theatre has said his appearance on Sunday March 3 will not suffer the same fate
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Play area date set
A RECENTLY refurbished play area in Wootton Bassett will be officially opened on Monday, February 20. The modernisation of the play area in Old Court cost £40,000. The final design was selected by youngsters from Noremarsh, Longleaze and St Bartholomew's
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Battle goes on for Jodie
A CAMPAIGNING group for prisoners abroad has posted a website about the plight of Wootton Bassett man Jody Aggett, who is in jail in Thailand. Mr Aggett, 28, was jailed for life in 2003 after being convicted of involvement in an ecstasy-manufacturing
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Signs of controversy...
A GARISH' sign is causing controversy in Wootton Bassett. The new £2.2m Sainsbury's, on the former Budgens site in the Borough Fields is scheduled to open next Thursday. But one of the signposts the company wants to put up has been given the thumbs
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Off to dig mines out of Africa
DANIEL Yeo will be taking his new Honda XRV African Twin bike out for a spin in March. He'll set off for Portsmouth and then, after a ferry crossing, ride through Spain and the entire length of the continent of Africa. And while he's there he'll be
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Money doctor
This month with no hot off the press news, and not wishing to bore you with a recap of 2005 market performance I thought it would be a great opportunity to give you some tips and hints on getting your own house in order. Income: Are you happy with
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The glass ceiling is starting to shatter
For decades, businesswomen have been working to break into senior management. Now it seems that they are getting results. LEIGH ROBINSON reports. The number of companies with female managing directors that hold Beacon status, an award given to forward-thinking
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Question & Answer
Q: Is there somewhere on the net I can look for products across a range of countries in Europe? A: Try Europages, www.europages.net which you can search by product or company and then narrow down by country. Q: I don't know how to go about discussing
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‘My girl spoke about perverts’
THE dad of an aspiring teenage pop singer has told a jury how his daughter said there were perverts' in the music industry after spending a weekend at the home of her manager Hilary Budgen. He said that the 14-year-old, who claims she was molested by
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Mum fined £165 for ticket mistake
A SWINDON mum has been fined more than £300 for not paying a £1 bus fare after her travelcard failed to work. Jo-Anne Cahill, 41 who has a flat in Chiswick but lives in Swindon, was found guilty of fare evasion by magistrates, who said it was up to her
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Keeping food frozen in the Falklands
You may think it's the last place that needs refrigeration, but our soldiers are thankful that one Swindon firm is helping to keep their meals fresh. LEIGH ROBINSON reports. WHEN you're a British soldier 6,000 miles from home on the Falkland Islands
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Chess great to reach finals
PUPILS from a Swindon school are hoping they will be crowned kings and queens when they head for a chess tournament later this year. The Under 11 chess team from Lawn Primary has made it through to the semi-finals of the English Primary Schools Chess
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Three youths held after an attack on PC
A POLICE officer was threatened with a knife as a gang of youths surrounded him and shouted taunts in Swindon. PC Paul Matthews, who was on patrol in Freshbrook at the time, was also assaulted while trying to arrest one of the youths. The incident happened
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Engines that kept Britain running
Every time you go on holiday, every time you turn on a light, in fact our very freedom, is all down to mechanical engineers. But of the oodles of engines that have been invented in the UK, which had the greatest impact? LEIGH ROBINSON reports. It
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Drink driver left brother trapped in car smash
A DRUNKEN disqualified driver who fled the scene of a car crash which left his brother seriously injured has been jailed for 16 months. Wayne Green admitted driving like a lunatic' before losing control and sending the car careering into a tree on Pinehurst
