ANOTHER PERSON KNOCKED OVER ON A ZEBRA CROSSING
I'm sure we've all been here, you're in the car driving toward's a crossing a person is about to cross but dosn't know whether to cross or not, As we all know some driver's stop to let you go and some don't. I live in the Santangelo part of Arroyo de la Miel I overlook the statue of silver ball's, this road is a 40 kmph speed limit. On tuesday the 18th December a person was run into on the crossing at the rounabout sending them flying into the air landing about 25 foot away from the crossing. I don't know whether the person crossing the road thought the driver was going to stop or the person driving thought the person was going to stop, either way i think the driver should have taken more care by slowing down just in case, the person walked onto the crossing, which i think is what happened.
I hope the authorities take a good look at this area and put in some lights for padestrians or some of the humps which seem to be popping up on all of the other crossings on busy roads. This is fastly becoming a heavily populated area with more and more families crossing the roads, I hope the person who was run over wasn't to badly injured i would like it if towncrier could find out for me? A lot of drivers don't know whether or not you have to stop or not on these crossings to let padestrians go, I would say yes. To avoid this happening to anyone we know please take care at these crossings and give the padestrian right of way.
William Caldwell, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena
BRIT INVOLVED IN WEIGHT LOSS SCANDAL
The Civil Guard in Málaga has intervened the Nutra Life International company which was selling weight-loss products over the telephone. At the time of going to press no arrests had been made, but the administrators of the company have been named as Christos K, a Greek businessman, and Andrew B, a British resident of Mijas. The authorities acted after a complaint was made by the consumers' organisation, Facua, which alleged that some of the ingredients in the product's "secret formula" were highly concentrated hormones which could be dangerous to health. A Facua spokesman said that the company was selling at least 30 varieties of weight-loss products as well as others to increase breast size in women. An analysis made by the Virgen del Rocío Hospital in Sevilla concluded that high concentrations of the thyroid hormone T3 was present, which could be dangerous to health. Nutra Life International had taken out whole page advertisements claiming that people using their system could lose 28 kilos while they slept.
WOMAN DIES BEFORE GETTING COMPENSATION
A Sevilla woman who was awarded compensation of 1.7 million euros for having had her children taken away from her in an irregular manner died of cancer last week before receiving full payment. Her two children were taken into care several years ago when her partner left her. She won ten appeals against the social services' decision but only got the children back a few months ago, when it was already known she was in the last stages of lung cancer. Her lawyer said she had received only 210,000 of the award.
WIND AND WAVES CAUSE HAVOC
Several beaches along the Costa del Sol were damaged by last week's high winds, which uprooted palm trees but the worst damage was done by the high waves it caused. The waves washed away sand, uncovered pipes, destroyed showers and knocked down sea walls. The worst affected beaches were in Estepona, Marbella, Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Velez-Malaga, Torrox and Nerja.
POINTS SYSTEM NOT WORKING
It was revealed last week that the points system is only being implemented in Malaga province by the Guardia Civil traffic patrols who have access to the Traffic Authorities (DGT) online data base. A DGT spokesman said it was hoped to make the data base available to all the province's municipalities by the middle of next year. When they heard the news, people around the province reacted either with disgust - because the system doesn't work - or delight - because they know they're not losing their points yet. One said: It's the same old story, everything is done in a disorganised way so it never works.
NEW ANTI-PROSTITUTION MEASURE
Seville City Hall announced last week that it intends to introduce a measure next year by which prostitutes' clients will have to pay stiff fines starting at 1,500 euros for soliciting their services and 3,000 euros for engaging in sexual activity in a public area such as the roadside. The problem is particularly acute in east Sevilla where fights between prostitutes and drug sales are common. A council spokesman said local residents who protested were at least insulted, at worst physically attacked. The inhabitants of the areas affected fully support the measure, which will have to be approved by a plenary council meeting.
WOMAN WOUNDS MAN WITH PICK
Police spotted a 44-year-old woman in Malaga city last week attacking the door of a house with a small pick and stopped to investigate. While they were questioning a man - her partner - opened the door, with blood pouring from a wound in his forehead. He said they had had a fight, she had left the house and come back with a small pick of the kind used by plasterers. She had lunged at him through the security grill which was closed, hitting him on the forehead, but he had been able to get back into the house before she could do any more harm. The police called an ambulance but the man refused to be treated, even though he was told he needed five stitches, and he also refused to report his partner to the police.
THIEVES OVERCOME AFTER CHASE
It was a case on one victim who refused to lie down and take it. A couple returned to their home in Nerja one afternoon last week to find a couple of thieves trying to clean out the house. They tackled the two men, who turned out to be Moroccans, and the wife got knocked down in the process. On hearing the noise, several neighbours joined in, although the men got away. However, a neighbour had called the police who, together with the victim and a few neighbours, chased the men in their cars for about an hour until they ended up on the beach. The Moroccans had crashed their car, one got away on foot but another was caught with the booty intact.
DRINKS SALES DROP
Bars and restaurants throughout Malaga province report a 25% drop in the sale of alcoholic beverages since the stricter traffic regulations came into effect on December 1st. One restaurant owner said people were having one glass of beer or wine before switching to soft drinks. A spokesman for the Paco Pepe coach company reported that rentals were up 35% on last year and taxi drivers said they were doing more business at night now, as more and more people are leaving their cars at home. An on-the-spot poll in Malaga city revealed that most people were fully aware of the punishment for being caught drinking and driving under the new law - a stiff fine, or three to six months in jail plus community work. But some people said a lot of young people were still driving and drinking. One thing they all agreed on - the new law has frightened a lot of people into behaving more responsibly.
COIN TO GET OLD PEOPLE´S HOME
At its last meeting of the year, Coin town council approved a project proposed by the Junta de Andalucia to build a residence for senior citizens on land provided by the council. The Junta will provide half of the six-million euro investment and the other half with be raised by a private company set up specifically for the project. A spokesman for the Junta said work would start as soon as the council provided the land and should be finished within 18 months.