Most Bank Holiday Traffic Delays are Avoidable

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ITIS, The UK's leading provider of transport, traffic and travel information, is urging motorists to plan ahead better to avoid the traffic delays expected over the Bank Holiday weekend. Most of the worst traffic jams are avoidable according to Nick Simmons of ITIS.

"As usual, the Spring Bank Holiday will coincide with the majority of schools' Half Term periods, and so we can expect large numbers of vehicles travelling on the roads on the weekend preceding the Bank Holiday Monday, May 30th", he said.

"From early Friday afternoon we can expect the usual heavy congestion on major arterial routes. The message is to plan ahead, allow more time, and check one of the numerous sources of traffic information available. ITIS provides traffic data to all UK mobile phone networks. To receive up-to-date traffic and travel information direct to your mobile phone, call 401100 from any mobile handset, or 2222 from any Vodafone handset, or 2020 from any T-mobile handset."

The weather is currently expected to be fine and so Saturday and Monday are likely to see motorists travelling to sporting events, theme and wildlife parks and out of town shopping centres. Bank Holiday Monday itself is likely to be very quiet on the roads overall, although it will be busy locally at key interest points. Nick added: "The Friday before Spring Bank Holiday 2004 saw overall volumes of traffic rise by some 20% on the preceding Friday. The following day, overall volumes were more than double than the preceding Saturday. By contrast, the roads on Bank Holiday Monday 2004 were two thirds quieter that the previous Monday due to the absence of commuter traffic. We can expect this pattern to be repeated this year."

Bank Holiday Traffic Summary

Sporting Events

The Bank Holiday Weekend sees Football League Play Offs, all at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff with 3pm kick offs;

Saturday, May 28th - League 2 Play Off

Sunday, May 29th - League 1 Play Off

Monday, May 30th - Championship Play Off

Test Match Cricket takes place at Lords Cricket Ground, St Johns Wood, London between England and Bangladesh, commencing on Thursday, May 26th. Play is scheduled to continue throughout the weekend.

British Superbike racing will take place at Silverstone,Northamptonshire from the 27th to 29th of May.

The FIA 'Main Event' takes place at Santa Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, between the 27th and 30th of May (Friday to Bank Holiday Monday), with Top Fuel Dragsters, Top Methanol Dragsters, Funny Cars, Pro Stock, Bilsport NDRS Pro Mods, NDRS Series, UEM Drag Bikes, Jet Carm and Jnr Dragsters.

Horse racing takes place as follows over the weekend;

Saturday - Cartmel (evening) Doncaster, Goodwood, Hexham, Lingfield Park, (evening) and Musselburgh.

Sunday - Fontwell Park, Newmarket and Uttoxeter

Monday - Cartmel, Chepstow, Leicester, Redcar, Sandown Park

Attractions

Longleat House and Safari Park has all attractions open.

Gullivers Theme Parks have three sites - Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes.

Other attractions likely to be busy are Alton Towers (Staffordshire), American Adventure World (Derbyshire), Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Lancashire), Chessington World of Adventure (Surrey), Thorpe Park (Surrey) and Legoland (Windsor, Berkshire).

Events

Three music festivals are taking place over the holiday weekend;

Orange Evolution Music Festival runs from May 19th to 30th at various

locations in the Tyneside area.

Bud Rising runs from May 20th to 30th at various London venues.

Out of Africa runs from May 23rd to 30th in London and Off the Tracks Spring Festival takes place at Castle Donington, Leicestershire between May 27th and 29th.

Surrey County Show takes place at Stoke Park, Guildford on May 30th and on the same day, Northumberland Agricultural Show takes place at Corbridge.

Shopping Centres

Major shopping centres are likely to be busy and include the following;

Trafford Centre, Manchester

Cheshire Oaks Retail Outlet Village, Chester, Cheshire

Bluewater Shopping Centre, Greenhithe, Kent

Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock , Essex

Bicester Village Retail Park, Oxfordshire

The Marlands, Southampton

The Meadowhall Centre, Sheffield

The Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, Buckinghamshire

The White Rose Centre, Leeds, West Yorkshire

Cribb's Causeway, Bristol

The Metro Centre, Gateshead

Coastal Resorts

Scarborough - routes A1/A1(M) N/B, and A64 E/B

Skegness - routes A46 N/B, and A52 E/B

Great Yarmouth - routes A14 E/B, and A47 E/B

Southend-on-Sea - routes M25 C/W and A127 E/B

Dover - routes M2 E/B, and A2 S/B

Folkestone - routes M20 S/B

Brighton - routes M23 S/B, and A23 S/B

Eastbourne - routes A22 S/B

Southsea - routes M3 S/B, and M27 E/B

Bognor Regis - routes A3 W/B, A243 S/B, A24 S/B, and A29 S/B

Bournemouth - routes A31, A350 and A338 S/B

Weymouth - routes A37, A350 S/B, and A354 S/B

Torquay - routes M5 S/B, and A380 S/B

Falmouth - routes A30/A38 W/B, A390 S/B, and A39 S/B

St Ives - routes A30/A3074 W/B

Newquay - routes A30 W/B, and A392 W/B

Bude - routes A30/A39 W/B, and A3072 W/B

Minehead/Ilfracombe - routes A39 W/B

Weston Super Mare - routes M5 S/B, and A370 W/B

Tenby - routes A40 W/B, and A477 W/B

Aberystwyth - routes A470 W/B, and A44 W/B

Colwyn Bay/Llandudno - routes A55 W/B

Rhyl/Prestatyn - routes A55, A5117 W/B, and A548 W/B

Southport - routes M58 W/B, and A570 W/B

Blackpool - routes M6 N/B, and M55 W/B

Morecambe - routes M6 N/B, and A683 W/B

Major Roadworks

Major roadworks remain in place on the M60 in Manchester between junctions 8 and 5 both ways.

Ongoing works also remain in place between junctions 12 and 15 of the M25.

Reference Material:
For further information please visit www.itisholdings.com or www.navtrak.com

Celebrations as Historic Right of Access Begins in the North

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Walkers will be able to enjoy more than half a million hectares of the most spectacular landscapes in England when the right of open access is launched in northern England this weekend (May 28).

Large swathes of mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land previously off limits to walkers, will be declared open during a ceremony at the picturesque Ribblehead valley in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales.

The valley sits in the middle of three famous peaks, Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-Gent - much of which is classified as new, open access land.

The bank holiday weekend also marks the beginning of the right of access in Wales and will be marked by a special ceremony at the Life Centre, near Ogmore Vale, South Wales.

Rural Affairs Minister Jim Knight will join special guest Doug Scott, the first Briton to climb Mount Everest, at the launch next to the spectacular Ribblehead Viaduct on the historic Settle to Carlisle railway line.

They will then take full advantage of their new right by setting off across the moors with hundreds of other enthusiastic walkers.

The upper North West and North East regions are the fourth and fifth to open in England in a staged roll out of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act passed by Parliament in 2000.

The first two regions, the Lower North West and the South East opened in September followed by Central Southern England in December.

Numerous smaller events are being held across northern England, many organised by local access forums, to give walkers a chance to celebrate closer to home.

Jim Knight said: "The Yorkshire Dales offers some of the best walking in the country and spectacular Ribblehead valley is a perfect location to mark the opening of the latest and by far the biggest area of access land."

"The Upper North West and North East comprises of no fewer than four national parks so this is a great opportunity for everyone who loves our countryside to put their boots on and get out and enjoy it."

"But it is important to repeat the message that people must act responsibly when exercising their new right especially during the bird nesting season."

Carl Lis, chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said:
"This is an historic day for the Yorkshire Dales National Park because it means people can explore even more of this wonderful area than they could before."

"At the moment only four per cent of the park is open access land but that figure will rocket to 62 per cent following our launch at Ribblehead on Saturday - that's more than 100,000 extra hectares for walkers to enjoy. We see the new right of open access as a real benefit to the park and we're looking forward to working with all those it affects to ensure that its introduction is as smooth as possible."

Tayo Adebowale, of the Countryside Agency, said: "We want to encourage everyone to get out, explore, and enjoy the countryside available for them. The area that is being opened at the end of this month is rich in wildlife, and has some of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes in the north of England."

"Of course, with the new rights come new responsibilities, so it is important to follow the Countryside Code, and any local signs which may limit where one can walk or take a dog."

Nick Barrett, chief executive of the Ramblers Association, said: "May 28 is going to be a very special day with some spectacular walking areas opening up for the very first time. Not only will there be unprecedented access to some of Wales' most beautiful countryside but the public can also look forward to walking in some of England's most rugged windswept uplands and get away from it all."

"For many the joy of walking is about getting off the beaten track; everyone in this country now has a right to do that and I hope that people will take the opportunity to discover these beautiful areas for themselves."

Sir Martin Doughty, chairman of English Nature, said: "From heather moorland to limestone crags, never before has the public had such an opportunity to explore fantastic wildlife habitats. We are working to ensure that landowners are given the support they need to enable public access and England's wildlife to flourish alongside each other."

Reference Material:
* The rolling programme which will see new rights of open access delivered throughout England by the end of this year under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The programme began in the South East on 19th September 2004. The North East and Upper North West are the fourth and fifth regions to come on line and this happens on 28th May 2005.

* The area of land to be opened up runs from the Scottish Border down to York in the east and Kendal in the west and from the west to the east coast.

* Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CRoW), the Countryside Agency was tasked with the mapping of all areas of open country and registered common land. It estimates that over 1 million hectares (400 square miles) of land in England will be mapped by the time all open access arrangements are completed at the end of this year. Of this total, some 800,000 ha (3,200 square miles) will be land which up until now has had no statutory rights of access. In the North East and Upper North West a total of 569,942 ha has been mapped and this includes 142,214 ha and 427,728 ha of access land respectively in each area. Much of the land covered by the National Parks is included within this mapped area.

* People have been campaigning for these historic rights of access for over 100 years. Open access makes more of our countryside accessible to anyone and everyone. The new law aims to balance the needs and responsibilities of both the public and land managers whilst providing this unique opportunity.

* It is a common misconception that the new right allows the general public free access to all areas of open land at will. This is not the case. The land covered includes only certain areas of mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land. Woodland and coast is not generally covered unless under a voluntary dedication scheme and some common sense restrictions apply at all times and in all cases.

* The new rights cover most recreational activities which can be carried out on foot including walking, climbing and running. They do not allow for horse riding, cycling or the driving of any type of vehicle, nor do they allow activities such as camping, para and hang gliding, the use of metal detectors and water activities including swimming, boating or canoeing. However, where such activities already take place, they remain unaffected.

* Farmers and landowners have discretionary powers to limit access to the public and dogs on their land for 28 days in a year, and may apply for long term restrictions where necessary for land management, safety or fire prevention reasons.

* The ground-nesting bird breeding season lasts from 1 May to 31 July, and during this period dogs are required to be on a short lead on CRoW access land.

* Full copies of the Countryside Code and Moorland Visitor's Code are available from many visitor and tourism outlets throughout the North East or from the Countryside Agency web site at
www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk.

Highways Agency Asks Bikers to Know Their Limits

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Bikers can enjoy the pleasures of the open road this Spring Bank Holiday - but come home safe.

That is the message from the Highways Agency which wants to cut the number of motorcyclists killed or injured on motorways and trunk roads in England.

Latest figures show that more than 700 motorcyclists or their pillion passengers were killed or seriously injured on the 5,000 miles of Highways Agency roads in 2003. Of these 95 per cent were men. In total, 86 people were killed.

The data also shows that one in four accidents involve no other vehicles and
one in three happens at the weekend.

Highways Agency Safety Co-ordinator Stuart Lovatt said:

"Motorcyclists enjoy their pastime with a passion, but we want them to return home safe and sound this Bank Holiday. It is about much more than just reducing accident figures - every accident is a personal tragedy.

"Although motorways and trunk roads are amongst the safest in the country, we must do something to reduce the five accidents that happen every day. Bikers can do a lot to keep themselves safe - and other motorists can play their part by keeping a lookout for motorcyclists, especially on routes that are popular with bikers."

He said it was crucial that bikers know the extent of their riding skills and what problems they can encounter such as sharp bends and bad weather.

Some simple safety tips for bikers are:
* Plan your journey carefully
* Keep an eye on weather conditions
* Buy the best protective equipment you can afford
* Keep your distance from other road users
* Use all information - road signs, road markings, speed of oncoming traffic.

The Highways Agency is also backing the Handle It or Lose It campaign, which was set up in 2003 to reduce injuries and fatalities among sports bike enthusiasts. It has helped in the development of a biker-friendly website, which lets riders find out where accidents have happened and warn others about locations where they have had problems.

Reference Material:
The Highways Agency traffic information website is at www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo

HSE Warn Motor Vehicle Repair Trade of Ramp Safety

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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned the motor vehicle repair trade of the need to have its vehicle lifts and ramps regularly and thoroughly examined by a competent person after a Peterborough worker was almost crushed under a vehicle ramp.

The warning follows last week's prosecution of Boroughbury Garage Ltd, trading as Cooks Van Centre, a car dealership based in Storeys Bar Road, Peterborough after their employee, Mr Aldo Harkin, escaped a crush incident with seconds to spare.

Mr Harkin, a 56-year-old vehicle technician from Whittlesey, near Peterborough, had been working underneath a van on 7 July 2004 when its ramp collapsed. He suffered cuts and abrasions to his head, ear and shoulder, and bad bruising to his ribs and stomach. The incident could have been more serious as two colleagues were under the ramp with Mr Harkin minutes earlier.

Although arrangements had been made for a specialist company to carry out the statutory examinations, they failed to examine most of the lifting equipment for over two years. Boroughbury Garage Ltd did not have adequate health and safety monitoring arrangements, and consequently failed to notice that statutory examinations were not being carried out.

The company pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and received a fine of £14,000 with costs of £2,211 during sentencing at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on Thursday 19 May 2005. In addition Mr Harkin was awarded £5,000 in compensation - the maximum compensation the court can order.

HSE's investigating Inspector Paul Hoskins said:

"It can be seen that the courts take the maintenance of health and safety arrangements very seriously."

"This case has to be a warning to other users of vehicle lifts and ramps to make sure that equipment is regularly and thoroughly examined by a competent person. It is not enough to rely on regular inspections and maintenance."

"Vehicle lifts that require people to work underneath them should receive a thorough examination every six months. Monitoring arrangements should also be in place to ensure that such examinations actually happen."

"I strongly urge all motor vehicle repair companies to visit the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr."

Reference Material:
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health safety and welfare at work of all his employees".

For more information on the work of the Health and Safety Executive see the website at www.hse.gov.uk
PUBLIC ENQUIRIES: Call HSE's InfoLine, tel: 0845 345 0055, or write to: HSE InfoLine, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

Road Safety Bill Reintroduced to Parliament

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Measures to clamp down on irresponsible driving and improve road safety were today reintroduced to Parliament.

Britain has one of the best road safety records in the world but the Government is committed to reducing the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on our roads by 40 per cent by 2010 and numbers of children by 50 per cent.

The Road Safety Bill continues the Government's commitment to drive down casualties on the road. Measures outlined in the Bill include:

Powers for a more flexible system of fixed penalties to match the punishment to the severity of the offence. The Department for Transport has consulted on how a system of graduated speeding penalties might be introduced.

Ensuring that foreign drivers cannot escape punishment in Great Britain through new powers to issue fixed penalty notices for endorsable offences and to take deposits from offenders who cannot provide a verifiable address.

Improving compliance through increased penalties for various safety-related road traffic offences such as driving whilst using a hand held mobile phone, careless and inconsiderate driving and using a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

Tackling drink driving through changes to improve take up of the Drink Drive Rehabilitation Scheme and powers to provide for an experimental alcohol ignition interlock scheme. It would also ensure that the most persistent offenders, disqualified for 24 months or longer, must retake their driving test.

Clarifying which vehicles can break signed speed limits in emergency situations, such as the police and those carrying donor organs and what driver training would be required.

Dealing with poor driving standards by allowing the courts to make increased use of retraining courses for serious offenders and through improvements to driving instruction and testing procedures.

Tackling fatigue related accidents by piloting motorway picnic areas.

Making various administrative changes to the licensing regime to ensure better security and accuracy of the Driving Licence and prevent "clocking" fraud in vehicles.

The UK has one of the best records in the world - the number of road casualties is at its lowest for nearly fifty years - but still more needs to be done and these plans will undoubtedly improve safety and further reduce deaths and injuries on our roads."

Full outline of Road Safety Bill proposals:

Drink Driving

1. Powers to allow offenders disqualified for 24 months or more to retake the driving test, this would catch most high blood alcohol content and all repeat drink drive offenders.

2. Closure of a loophole whereby High Risk Offenders have cover to drive before completing a DVLA medical test. The period for which a record of an offence under Section 7A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (failing to allow laboratory analysis of a specimen obtained whilst medically unable to consent) can be held by DVLA, will be brought into line with other drink drive offences i.e. from 4 to 11 years.

3. Various administrative changes to improve court arrangements and flexible payment of fees to improve the take up of the Drink Drive Rehabilitation Scheme and provide for an experimental alcohol ignition interlock scheme.

Speeding

4. Introduction of variable fixed penalties for speeding - changing the range of penalty points from 3-6 to 2-6.

5. Banning the carriage or use of safety camera detectors and jammers.

6. Giving the Secretary of State power to grant exemptions from speed limits and other traffic regulations will be introduced - for example organ donor vehicles.

Other Bad Driving

7. Extending the use of retraining courses to offenders convicted of speeding and careless driving.

8.Increasing the maximum penalties for several safety related offences: careless driving (fine £2500 to £5000) using vehicle in dangerous condition (mandatory disqualify for 2nd offence) failing to give identity of driver (3 to 6 points) mobile phone/proper control (£30 to be made endorseable: 3 points £60) rationalising fines for children not wearing seatbelts (£500 fine for front and rear - currently £200 in rear and £500 in front)

Driver Training and Testing

9. Amendments to the current "one-size-fits-all" scheme for car driving instructors with an ability to introduce schemes targeted to meet the needs of individual sectors e.g. lorries, buses, off-road and fleet driving.

10. Allowing the public access to information about the performance of individual instructors, their qualifications and their services.

11. Introduction of more flexible powers to extend the user-pays principle to all forms of test and assessment e.g. charge test applicants a fee to rearrange a test appointment.

Fatigue

12. To pilot motorway rest areas similar to French "aires" as an alternative to traditional Service Areas.

Support for Enforcement

There are several areas of the Bill that will contribute to enforcement of various road traffic laws, some deal with licensing and insurance, others empower enforcement agencies to deal more flexibly with individual situations and extend the use of fixed penalties.

13. Various changes to licensing arrangements for drivers to allow for administrative charges to be levied in various circumstances (e.g. renewal of a photocard licence) and provision for the recall of old format (i.e. paper) licences.

14. Legislation to enable the international exchange of driver and vehicle data to combat driving licence and vehicle crime.

15. Legislation to allow mandatory recording of various particulars (mileage, date of birth etc.) on the vehicle register to improve accuracy of records and help prevent "clocking" fraud; and to extend the current registration scheme for number plate suppliers from England and Wales to the rest of the UK and make improvements to its enforcement.

16. Introduction of a system of graduated fixed penalties for roadworthiness offences and to give adequate enforcement powers to enforcement agents. A deposit scheme and powers to issue fixed penalties to non-GB licence holders will also be introduced to ensure that foreign drivers do not evade punishment by leaving the country before a summons is served.

Wider Road Safety Issues

The Bill also contains various other wider measures that contribute to the overall programme of improving safety on our roads.

17. Powers will be taken to ensure that innovative road safety projects can continue to be developed and built upon with grant from DfT.

18. Powers will be taken to regulate the conversion of vehicles to run on alternative fuels e.g. LPG, to ensure conversions are carried out to the required safety and environmental standards.

19. Improvements will be made to the enforcing the transport of radioactive materials and the regulation of alternative fuel conversions.

20. A potential loophole in the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 will be closed, preventing minicabs in London from evading the current licensing regime.

3. The Home Office Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 contains measures contained in the last Road Safety Bill legislation (introduced to Parliament on 30 November 2004) to introduce evidential roadside breath testing and better target uninsured vehicles through the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology and data from insurers.

Research Material:
Department for Transport Website

The Charterhouse, Master's House & Hydraulic Power Station

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A bright, sunny and warm afternoon and we both decided to go for a drive. Jon armed with camera in hand steered Debbie on the most boring Sunday afternoon out ever! For Debbie maybe but I had it all well planned and knew exactly where I was going.

So off I trundled towards the old burial ground on Little Mason Street better known as the St Mary's Burial Ground according to an old map I have. We parked the car in Trippett Street and on alighting was faced by an Asylum Seeker sat on the steps of the adjacent flats giving us the single finger salute. Now these things don't bother me but I was with Debbie and that's a different matter. I don't expect Debbie to have to be faced with such abusive gestures and I don't give a shit who it is giving them. Fortunately he decided to stay put which was a bit of a shame as I had some rather effective practical advice for him which he wouldn't forget in a hurry.

As you may have noticed, I don't live in a politically correct world, I live in the real world.

St Mary's Church Burial Ground is tucked away on Little Mason Street at the end of Carroll Place where the Kingston upon Hull Register Office is located. The burial ground was cleared and grassed over a long time ago but a few head stones remain attached to the rear perimeter wall.



Carroll Place and the Registry Office.



Then on to Charterhouse Lane to photograph the Charterhouse.



The Charterhouse Heritage Plaque.



And the Master's House.



We parked opposite Bourne Street.



Then on to the Hydraulic Power Station situated at the junction of Machell Street and Catherine Street.



And a quick snap of Aldbro Street to finish off with.

Help at Hand for MG Rover ZT Owners

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MG Rover owners worried about factory support for the V8 engined versions of the 75 saloon have been offered a lifeline by Salisbury-based automotive engineers Autocraft SVE Ltd. The company is the European source for service, performance upgrades and technical expertise for the 4.6 litre V8 power plants first seen in the MG ZT 260, and developed for MG Rover by Canada's Sean Hyland Motorsport.


(Click on the photo to enlarge. High resolution versions are available)

"Though it is common knowledge that MG Rover opted for the Ford 4.6 litre V8 as used in the Mustang; the Ford specifications are not directly transferable to these MG Rover vehicles as there are considerable differences in both engine management and detailed packaging. Having direct access to this information through our link with Sean Hyland allow us to offer correct fault diagnosis and service replacement parts to keep these cars emission-legal", says Autocraft SVE director Dave Davies.

At present, the company can provide power-train support for the rear-wheel-drive MG ZT 260, the built-to-order Rover 75 V8 saloon, and the MG SV sports coupe in both 4.6 litre and 5.0 litre versions. It is also prepared to source other components for these models from their original equipment manufacturers, depending on availability. Subject to demand, Autocraft SVE is considering extending its remit to front-wheel-drive ZT cars and the MGF, but cautions that for this to happen, issues of manufacturing copyright and licensing over the K series engines need to be resolved between the administrators of MG Rover and any eventual purchaser of the company's assets.

Set up in August 2003, Autocraft SVE Ltd., is a retailer of performance vehicle parts, and UK agent for the Sean Hyland Motorsport range of Ford single and DOHC V6,V8 and Zetec racing engines. The company's workshops are equipped with a 600 BHP rolling road facility, and as well as carrying out race and rally preparation, engine, brake and chassis conversions, Autocraft SVE will undertake one-off automotive projects to customer order.

Reference Material:
Auto Trader / Warranty Direct Vehicle Warranties

Vehicle Speeds in Great Britain 2004

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The Department for Transport today published National Statistics of vehicle speeds in Great Britain in 2004. These statistics relate to the speeds at which drivers choose to drive in free-flow conditions generally across the road network. The latest figures show that the proportion of motorists exceeding the speed limit in 2004 changed very little from 2003 although driving in excess of the speed limit remains at a high level on all types of road.

The main features of the new statistics released today are:

On roads with 30 mph limits (built-up)

• On roads with a 30 mph speed limit 53 per cent of cars exceeded that limit compared with 58 per cent in 2003; 25 per cent travelled faster than 35 mph, the same as in 2003.


• On 30 mph roads, 24 per cent of motorcycles were travelling at more than 35 mph compared with 29 per cent in 2003.


• The survey also reveals a high incidence of speeding by heavy goods vehicles on built-up 30 mph roads: 49 per cent of 2-axle heavy goods vehicles exceeded the speed limit, 18 per cent by more than 5 mph. This is a reduction from the 2003 levels of 53 and 21 per cent respectively.

On roads with 40 mph limits (built-up)

• On 40 mph roads 27 per cent of cars exceeded the limit, with 10 per cent exceeding 45 mph, the same percentages as observed in 2003 and 2002.


• 19 per cent of motorcycles on 40 mph roads were travelling at more than 45 mph. This is the same level as in 2003.

On other roads (non-built-up)

• More than half the cars on motorways and 48 per cent of cars on dual carriageways travelled faster than the speed limit; 19 per cent were travelling faster than 80 mph on motorways, and 14 per cent on dual carriageways.


• The proportion of motorcycles travelling at more than 80 mph on motorways remained at 28 per cent in 2004; whilst on dual carriageways the proportion fell from 23 per cent to 21 per cent


• On major, non-built-up single carriageway roads, 78 per cent of articulated HGVs were exceeding their 40 mph limit (28 per cent by more than 10 mph). The average speed recorded for articulated HGVs on these roads was 46 mph, just 2 mph less than the average speed of cars (48 mph), for which the limit is 60 mph.

These figures, and further details, are published in Vehicle Speeds in Great Britain 2004, Statistics Bulletin SB(05)23 obtainable from; The Department for Transport, SR1 Branch, Zone 2/14, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR, or requests by email to roadtraff.autocou@dft.gov.uk

Vehicle Speeds in Great Britain: 2004 uses data collected at 36 sites where a 30 or 40 mph limit applies and at 62 other sites. The sites have been selected so that speeds are not seriously constrained by road layout, traffic congestion or by the proximity of speed cameras. The speeds are recorded as vehicles pass over an automatic counter and do not represent speeds over a longer distance. They do however provide an indication of compliance with speed limits.

Outside built-up areas, the normal speed limits currently in force are as follows: -

	Motorway	Dual C/way	Single C/way
Cars and Motorcycles	70	70	60
Buses and Coaches	70	60	50
HGVs (>7.5 tonnes)	60	50	40

None of the survey sites in built-up areas were subject to a speed limit lower than 30 mph.

Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk

Great British Car Brands Will Live On

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While the administrators do their best for MG Rover, assurance is given to the many thousands of enthusiasts for British Cars around the world that the great brand names will live on, whatever happens.

Neil Morrick, Chairman of British Motor Heritage Limited, the independent producer of body shells and parts for classic British cars, says:

We were very saddened by the collapse of MG Rover into administration after such a valiant fight against the odds. However, we believe that the role of British Motor Heritage Limited in keeping British classics alive will now become even more vital, and its a commitment that we take very seriously. Not only do we plan to continue expanding our parts provision for the great Britishclassic cars, but we are also deeply involved in the licensing of vehicle, merchandise and publishing products associated with all the immortal British brands from Austin to Wolseley.

British Motor Heritage Limited was licensed, by MG Rover or BMW as appropriate, to use MG, Mini, Austin-Healey, Triumph, Rover, Austin, Morris, Riley, Standard, Wolseley, Special Tuning and BMC trademarks and logos. It provides an approval process for the use of such brand names and images, and also seeks to protect them from improper use. Notwithstanding recent events, these licensing agreements remain in place.

Through its control of substantial amounts of original production tooling and engineering archives, Heritage holds many of the Intellectual Property Rights associated with these brands.

For more information on British Motor Heritage, visit www.bmh-ltd.com

HERITAGE OPENS NEW DOORS

Classic car parts supplier, British Motor Heritage Limited, has recently taken over the production of doors for the original Mini. Until now, the Mini doors supplied by Heritage, either as individual components or fitted to complete Mini and Mini Clubman bodyshells, came from an outside manufacturer.

However, Heritage were delighted to have the recent opportunity to take over all of the relevant tooling, as managing director, David Bishop explains:
As a low volume specialist manufacturing company, we are always seeking ways of improving our response to demand. The acquisition of the Mini door production facilities means that we now produce all of the original Mini body-in-white components, giving us complete control over lead times, whether for new batches of doors or for complete bodyshells. It also gives us direct control over quality from start to finish. Now we really can say: If its Original Equipment original Mini, its Heritage!

Heritage, through its Approved Specialist Network, can now supply Mini doors to all specifications from MkI to MkIV. Later MkV doors continue to be distributed by Xpart.

For further information, see the Heritage website www.bmh-ltd.com

Vcheck” for buyers of used cars, vans and motorbikes.

“Vcheck”, matches registration number and VIN number of a vehicle by checking the DVLA information. It then checks that it’s not stolen or written off by accessing the data from Association of British Insurers (ABI) and official Police (PITO) vehicle data across the UK.

Last year 497,630 were written off (source Vcheck ABI Category 1-4 insurance write-offs) and over 350,000 were stolen (source Vcheck PITO). Figures show that every 20 minutes an unsuspecting car buyer drives off having bought a stolen vehicle.

Before you buy it, Vcheck it! Vcheck costs only £19.95!

New Legislation Will Continue to Impact UK Bodyshops Warns PPG

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PPG Industries is pleased to take a closer look at some of the most recent legislation updates and the implications on this for the industry as whole. There are a number of legislations that will impact the paint & refinish market.

Paint Products Directive
A new European Directive published in April 2004 affects the emissions of solvents used in the repair of all motor vehicles. The UK developed authorities are currently consulting on how too implement this into existing UK legislation governing solvent emissions. It is anticipated that the UK position will be finalised before the end of October 2005, and will extend the requirements to use compliant coatings.

PPG Industries have been at the forefront of these compliant developments and products such as Envirobase for PPG, Aquabase for Nexa Autocolor and AquaMax for MaxMeyer have been available for a number of years in advance of these new legislations.

The EU Directive specifies the use of compliant products for all repairers i.e. there is no threshold limit. Paint manufacturers and importers to the EU are not allowed to sell non-compliant product manufactured from 1/1/07 to repairers. The VOC limits for the compliant products are broadly the same as those in PG6/34(04) so bodyshops already using products compliant with existing UK legislation will not face much change. Bodyshops using " non compliant" products will need to transit to compliant products. The exact details of the timing of this will depend on how the UK implements the legislation and will become clearer over the next few months.

PPG Industries advise Bodyshops to change to Waterborne early.
New European legislation will stop the supply of traditional solvent borne materials for vehicle refinishing across the UK from the 1st January 2007. This means that only materials that comply with current EPA regulations - waterborne basecoats and high solids clear coats - will be available for refinishing from this date. There are no exceptions to this rule - even the smallest body shop will have to change over to waterborne refinishing.

It is anticipated that distributors will start to reduce their stocks for solvent borne refinishing materials before the deadline approaches. Although some stocks of solvent borne materials may be available after January 2007, reliable supplies of such materials cannot be guaranteed. All refinishing materials manufactured by PPG industries, across all brands will comply fully with the new law.

Jim Highcock, PPG Refinish Product Regulatory Manager advises, "Body shops not yet using the waterborne basecoat should start making their changeover plans now. We have less than 20 months to the deadline, and with hundreds of businesses needing to change, they need to make concrete plans right away - no matter what the size of the business".

Other regulations affecting electrical zoning and equipment used in bodyshops have been updated to meet another European Directive, all of which will have impact on the refinish market. The UK regulations (DSEAR) require all existing premises to comply with the requirements by July 2006.

Product Labeling
Manufacturers will also need to label products defined in the legislation and sold to the refinish market to show they are compliant. This will also effect any distributor mix/own brand products that can be sold.

The agreed CEPE proposal to meet the legislation is to put onto the product label, the well-known pictogram of the Technical Data Sheet in combination with a code showing the product information required. For example, for a ready mixed solid colour gloss topcoat, the code would be: -
2004/42/ IIB (d) (420) 410 This indicates that the relevant legislation, 2004/42/, subcategory of product, IIB (d), the allowed VOC limit of this category in g/L (420) and the maximum VOC content of the product when mixed RFU, 410.

Work is in progress to change the PPG Industries labels so that they comply with the legislation in readiness for the 2007 Paint and Products Directive.

The New OEL Framework - Update of MSDS Sheets
To comply with an update to the COSHH regulations (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health), there will be a new way of presenting Occupational Exposure Limit data on Material Safety Data Sheets.

For those familiar with Material Safety Data Sheets, Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) will be fairly well known industry terminology. The current system of seeing OELs as Maximum Exposure Limits (MELs) and Occupational Exposure Standards (OESs) has been discontinued, in favour of a single type OEL known as the Workplace Exposure Limit or WEL. MELs and OESs were introduced in 1989, when the first COSHH came into force. These changes came into effect on 6th April 2005.

PPG Industries MSDS information will reflect these changes.

New Legislation from DEFRA on hazardous waste
It is expected that new regulations will come into force on the 16 July 2005 and will affect premises where hazardous waste is produced. The legislation requires the producers of the waste to notify the Environment Agency before the waste is removed from the premises, treated or disposed of. The producer may also ask a third party (e.g. a waste management company) to notify the Agency on their behalf.

The regulations would make it an offence to remove hazardous waste from premises that have not notified the Agency, or remove waste from an exempt site. The new regulations will replace the Special Waste Regulations 1996, with the objective of streamlining the procedures for managing and tracking this type of waste.

Further guidance on this matter can be obtained from the DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/special/index.htm

Rover used prices tumble in private market

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Privately advertised used Rover prices have fallen by up to £313, slashing an average 7% off the asking price since the manufacturer closed its doors, according to used car database, Cardata.co.uk.

The demise of Longbridge in mid-April also saw a 4% increase in the number of Rovers being offered for sale in the classifieds.

Analysis by Cardata.co.uk shows the asking price of Rovers has been on a rapid downward spiral. A more realistic pricing culture has seen values fall by almost a third in the past twelve months.

For example, the advertise price for the Rover 75 has plummeted an incredible 36%, dropping from an average of £10,883 to just £6,912 (e.g. an 02 Rover 75 1.8 SE Club with 34,000miles could be picked up for only £7,400). Over the same period, the Rover 25 has fallen 15% from £5,164 to £4,387.

Older models, like the Rover 220, have witnessed dramatic drops - some by as much as 16% - in the past few weeks alone as sellers struggle to find a buyer.

With the increasing choice of Rover's now flooding the market, this downward trend is inevitable, says Andrew Sobell of Cardata.

"It really is a buyer's market out there at the moment. If you hunt carefully, there are some great bargains to be had, especially with people trying to sell newer models which no longer have the safety of a manufacturer backed warranty."

He added: "Those concerned over parts supply needn't worry, given the huge parc of Rover vehicles on the market. Similarly, aftermarket warranties can be purchased for peace of mind from independent insurers for those picking up 3 year or younger vehicles."

Reference Material:
Canny buyers who are looking for a Rover can visit www.cardata.co.uk.

Vcheck” for buyers of used cars, vans and motorbikes.

“Vcheck”, matches registration number and VIN number of a vehicle by checking the DVLA information. It then checks that it’s not stolen or written off by accessing the data from Association of British Insurers (ABI) and official Police (PITO) vehicle data across the UK.

Last year 497,630 were written off (source Vcheck ABI Category 1-4 insurance write-offs) and over 350,000 were stolen (source Vcheck PITO). Figures show that every 20 minutes an unsuspecting car buyer drives off having bought a stolen vehicle.

Before you buy it, Vcheck it! Vcheck costs only £19.95!

Research into wet driving conditions calls for tyres to be changed at 3mm

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Road safety organisation, RoadSafe, is calling on motorists to 'tread carefully' this summer following independent research undertaken by MIRA Ltd (formerly the Motor Industry Research Association) which reveals that braking performance deteriorates in wet conditions when tyre tread depth drops below 3mm.

Although the legal tread depth limit is 1.6mm, a threshold set by motoring experts some 13 years ago, RoadSafe says there is now compelling evidence that motorists should check and change their tyres at 3mm. Road accidents where wet conditions are a contributory factor are on the increase, the road safety partnership says.

"A disproportionately high number of road accidents occur in the wet. Let's not forget last summer was one of the wettest on record," says RoadSafe's chairman, Adrian Walsh. "It's a well known fact that in wet conditions braking distances substantially increase. A third (33%2) of all road accidents already occur during the summer months and with heavy downpours and flash floods becoming a permanent fixture of an English summer (in 2004 average summer rainfall increased to 314.9mm3), there is every possibility this figure could rise over successive years."

The trend is already upwards according to Town and Country Assistance who state that road accidents where wet conditions are cited as a major cause have increased from 1 in 12 in 1998-99 to 1 in 4 in 2003-04.

"There has been a long-standing belief within the motoring industry that wet weather tyre performance deteriorates more rapidly as the tread depth wears away. A comprehensive test of different vehicles and tyre tread depths now scientifically confirms these claims," says MIRA's senior engineer, Simon Aldworth, who carried out the research into tyre wet grip performance at the organisation's headquarters in Nuneaton.

MIRA's research was carried out on four separate vehicles, a mid range family hatchback, an MPV, executive saloon and a high performance saloon car, measuring stopping distances at 50 mph in conditions that represented moderately heavy rain (0.5mm to 1.5mm water depth). The research discovered that tyres with a 3mm tread had a 25% better performance than those at 1.6mm. In terms of stopping distance this represents an extra 8 metres (25ft) in wet conditions. In one test, when a tyre with a tread depth of 8mm was compared to one with only 1.6mm, the stopping distance increased by 13 metres (42.25ft) - the equivalent to double the length of a typical living room.

"No-one is suggesting that 1.6 mm tyre tread depth is not safe," says Adrian Walsh. "However with 300,0004 crashes every year and a climate which is now much more susceptible to heavy rain, particularly in the summer months, there is a need to take action now. If motorists replaced their tyres sooner stopping distances would improve, accidents would reduce and lives would be saved. With over 3,5005 road deaths a year, what bigger incentive can there be to replace tyres more frequently."

It's also a view that several car manufacturers hold and they specify in their owner manuals that tyre performance and safety margins decrease once the tread depth reaches 3mm, owing to a reduction in grip and an increased rise of aquaplaning.

On the back of this research, RoadSafe is supporting an autumn campaign to educate motorists on tyre safety and encourage more frequent tyre replacement (6). RoSPA, which is also lending its support to the campaign, is advising motorists of a four point tyre health check to help increase driver safety:

• Every two weeks check the pressure of your tyres when they are cold.


• Check the tread depth of your tyres. Although the minimum legal UK tread depth is 1.6mm, RoSPA recommends that tyres should be replaced when the tread depth reaches 3mm. As the depth decreases stopping distance in wet weather will increase. This is more notable on cars with larger wheels and wider tyres.


• Check tyres for damage. Look out for any cuts, cracks or bulges as these can lead to slow punctures and blowouts.


• Finally, don't forget to check the pressure and tread depth of your spare tyre.

More information on RoadSafe and the tread safely campaign can be found on www.roadsafe.com

Safe Speed views vindicated as Department for Transport orders speed camera side effect research

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The Department for Transport (DfT) has recently issued an invitation to tender for research into speed camera side effects. Safe Speed has been highlighting dangerous side effects from speed cameras and 'speed kills' road safety policy for years.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign (www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "It's good to see a move towards proper understanding of the issues surrounding speed cameras, but this is far too little and far too late. The research was required BEFORE the large scale introduction of speed cameras. Not only that but we shouldn't expect to see the results of this urgent research until 2008."

Paul continues: "Are we going to allow roads safety policy to focus on the wrong issues and totally miss the target for another three years while the DfT are still wedded to their speed camera dreams? It's time for a divorce, and although it may be painful, the DfT must face up to the fact that speed cameras don't make the roads safer."

Paul continues: "I don't believe we'll be able to get road safety back on track until all speed cameras are in their rightful place - they should be in the scrap yard.

PC Milton not guilty despite 159mph

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According to reports, PC Milton of Telford was found not guilty in court this morning despite admitting driving a Police car at 159mph on a public road.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign (www.safespeed.org.uk) comments: "Here's a clear and proper admission that in suitable circumstances even 159mph need not be dangerous. If 159 mph can be safe enough not to endanger the public, then surely this is a clear official admission that driving a few miles per hour over the speed limit isn't necessarily dangerous either."

"There is so much more to safe driving than speed. Any speed at all can be deadly, and any speed at all can be adequately safe if conditions are suitable."

"Road safety depends on drivers selecting safe and appropriate speeds according to the conditions and the vast majority of us do it well and do it safely. But erroneous official messages have been undermining the process and deaths are going up. We have to get back to the policies that gave us the safest roads in the world in the first place, long before speed cameras and the pointless obsession with numerical speed."

Reference Material:
Police Officer Accused of Dangerous Driving at 159mph

Kylie's Breast Cancer Shock

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Whilst at home in Melbourne with her family this week prior to her Australian Showgirl Tour, Kylie was diagnosed with early breast cancer. She will undergo immediate treatment and consequently her Showgirl tour will not be able to proceed as planned.

Kylie said: "I was so looking forward to bringing the Showgirl tour to Australian audiences, and am sorry to have to disappoint my fans. Nevertheless hopefully all will work out fine and Ill be back with you all again soon."

Jon Says:
I'm gutted! I told Debbie last night that my other woman had poorly udders and I nearly got a slap. "What other woman" Debbie said with a puzzled look on her face. "Kylie of course" I uttered. "But she's not a red head so you can't like her that much" I can live with that I thought but not out loud of course!!

Reference Material:
Kylie Minogue Web Site
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Care
Glastonbury Festival
Neighbours

New Government - New Agenda for Transport?

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A hidden transport crisis is looming if the new Government buries its head in the sand and fails to develop and fund a national transport strategy, according to the RAC Foundation.
The Foundation is today (29) claiming that both the economy and inhabitants of the country will be damaged if transport is not given much higher priority by the party taking power. Congestion is currently costing transport users and operators at least £15 billion a year and could double in the next decade if nothing is done.

The need for improvement to transport is so fundamental that the Foundation has appealed for party politics to be shelved and cross-party agreement sought on the central issues.
In spite of its vital importance to the wealth and vitality of the country, and the fact that transport affects most voters every day, it has barely shown up on the pre-election campaign radar.
The RAC Foundation is launching its own "Agenda for Action" today - urging that transport planning and policy making are not "swept under the carpet" and highlighting the issues most in need of immediate action.

The Foundation's Transport Agenda calls for:

Urgent improvements to the provision and operation of the UK's roads network:

• Government should improve the management and performance of the road network as a matter of urgency


• An independent Roads Regulator should be established to oversee the operation of roads.


• Disruption and delay should be reduced.


• New road capacity should be examined. All main motorways and key trunk roads should be widened.


• Environmental impacts of road improvements should be reduced by more tunnels and bypasses.


• The condition of much of the local road network must be addressed.


• A comprehensive national road user charging scheme should be introduced - but only when technically feasible and acceptable to the motorist.


• An appropriate National Strategic Road Network should be created.

Transport in Planning

• Appropriate recognition must be given to transport in land-use and economic planning. If new housing is to be built the transport infrastructure must be improved.

Parking

• Parking provision should be placed at the heart of national and local planning policy

Road and Road User Safety

• Insufficient importance is given to the education of road users, especially during their formative years. The introduction of a 'road safety' module into the national curriculum could improve road safety.


• Motoring penalties should be supplemented with courses to re-educate drivers.


• Re-training should be offered as an alternative to, or part of criminal proceedings or sentence, depending on the nature or circumstances of the offence.


• As well as re-training, the RAC Foundation feels that the range of penalties for motoring offenders should be increased in scope to include community service orders.


• Although good road design, construction and maintenance will not prevent an unsafe driver from a collision, high quality roads can improve safety. Good, clear and visible signing and effective lighting are essential for the safety of all road users.


• A review of speed limits should be undertaken to ensure that they are appropriate for the type of road along with more flexible speed limits relating to time of day or conditions with perhaps an increase in the motorway speed limit.


• There should be a review of the role of speed camera partnerships and more work done on causes of accidents.


• The RAC Foundation for Motoring urges government to re-introduce certain elements of the Road Safety Bill at the earliest opportunity.

Sue Nicholson, Head of Campaigns for the RAC Foundation said:

"Transport has to be one of the first issues tackled by the new Government. Without urgent action our transport system is headed for the buffers.

"Transport investment as a proportion of GDP in the UK is among the lowest for developed countries - the United Kingdom collects more than four times as much revenue from road users as it spends on all forms of transport and about seven times the amount it spends purely on roads.

"We claim to be the world's fourth largest economy yet we have a transport system that sometimes resembles something from the third world. The USA actually spends more on transport than it receives in revenues.

"The Government must recognise the key role of its transport system and take major steps to address it. It should ensure that expenditure on the road infrastructure is more closely related to tax taken from the motorist. The motorist will not accept higher levels of taxation without more being spent on transportation."

ABD Hails Success Of M4 Speed Camera Protest

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Around 400 vehicles and many more supporters on bridges turned out for Saturday's demonstration against the use of speed cameras on the M4. Even though the protest had only been planned just ten days before and had barely had time to generate publicity, the high level of attendance shows the very serious concern about the practices of the local camera partnership.

ABD Road Safety Spokesman Mark McArthur-Christie said: "These weren't high-performance car and bike nuts, these were normal, working, tax-paying members of the public who have simply had enough. As I talked to the protesters one thing became abundantly clear - this was the first time many of them had ever taken part in a protest. The actions of the local camera partnership had just pushed them too far."

The ABD believes that the Partnership's comments 'we have about 12% of all people being killed and seriously injured on Wiltshire roads happening on this stretch of motorway' and 'We are charged with reducing death and injury on the roads. If we ignore the motorway we are ignoring a major part of that problem' miss the issue completely.

This stretch of the M4 carries far more than 12% of traffic in Wiltshire so this percentage does not in any way show it to be a significantly dangerous road. More importantly, the campaigners are certainly not asking Traffic Police to ignore the motorway. They want it policed properly, carrying out education and enforcement procedures against all manner of unsafe driving practices, not simply cameras criminalising drivers travelling at safe speeds for the road conditions.

ABD's Chairman Brian Gregory endorsed McArthur-Christies comments: "The partnership have come up with no evidence that a significant number of crashes are being caused by drivers travelling above the speed limit, yet they ignore all the other accident causes, many of which can be exacerbated by forcing drivers to travel artificially slowly such as inattention, tiredness, traffic bunching and poor lane discipline. It's no wonder drivers are now taking to the streets in protest".

The ABD calls upon the partnership to listen to the public and to reconsider the practice of using speed cameras on motorways immediately.

Action demanded to halt Chinese 'cherry picking' of Longbridge site

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MG and Rover enthusiasts have demanded that the British Government intervene to thwart plans by Chinese car manufacturer SAIC, to 'cherry pick' assets from MG Rover Group Limited's beleaguered Longbridge plant.

An online opinion poll undertaken by MG-Rover.org - the world's biggest MG and Rover enthusiasts' website - revealed that nearly 93% of those surveyed wanted immediate Government intervention to stop the transfer of assets to China. The poll comes only days after the Chinese manufacturer indicated that it may be preparing for a vulture like swoop, upon the remnants of the UK's last volume car manufacturer.

MG-Rover.org's webmaster, Steve Childs said, 'There is immense anger and frustration amongst many MG and Rover enthusiasts as a result of SAIC's sudden interest in some MG Rover Group's assets. It does appear to be suspicious at the very least that after SAIC appeared to stall the talks on the Joint Venture, whilst knowing the financial state of MG Rover. Perhaps it was their plan all along to delay as long as possible, knowing that MG Rover's entry into administration would allow them to gain access to the manufacturing capability of MG Rover whilst avoiding any potential liabilities as a Joint Venture partner and save a substantial amount of money as well.

It would therefore be wrong if SAIC, aided and abetted by the Chinese government, was able to cherry pick the remains of MG Rover Group and effectively get what they want and at the same time stick two fingers up at the thousands of workers who are now concerned about their own and their family's future.'

'Some commentators have generously referred to SAIC's intentions as asset stripping. However for MG and Rover enthusiasts, 'grave robbery' would be a more accurate description of Chinese intent.'

'Despite recent events, I believe there is a sustainable future for volume car manufacturing in the UK in general, and at Longbridge in particular. However, central to realising that future, is preserving the Longbridge site as a manufacturing operation and avoiding a situation whereby Chinese companies can appear to effectively instigate a 'fire sale'.'

'It is therefore incumbent that HM Government shows a similar level of support to British manufacturers, as the Chinese government has shown for its indigenous manufacturing industry. A start would be for HM Government to immediately take action to obstruct Chinese plans for the relocation of MG Rover plant, production and equipment to China.'

In the latest in a series of demonstrations, MG-Rover.org Members will be joining with ex MG Rover employees on Thursday 5th. May outside Longbridge, to show their support for all those affected by recent events at Longbridge. More information on the event which kicks off at 10am outside Q Gate at Longbridge, can be found by visiting MG-Rover.org online at www.mg-rover.org.

Reference Material:
Auto Trader / Warranty Direct Vehicle Warranties

W32/Sober.S@mm , Sober.N, Sober.O and Sober.P Warning

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Title
=====
ITsafe Bulletin 2005/04

What is it?
===========
"W32/Sober.S@mm" is a mass-mailing worm that sends itself in an email. It is also called "Sober.N", "Sober.O" and "Sober.P"

What does it affect?
====================
Most computers that use Microsoft Windows

What does it do?
================
The worm will arrive by email, and will have a subject line in English or German with a ZIP file attachment, claiming to be from the soccer organization FIFA. The worm will be triggered, and spread to others in your address book, if you open the attachment.

How do I protect myself?
========================
As always, exercise care when opening attachments to email messages, as detailed at http://www.itsafe.gov.uk/library/explain/attachments.html.

How do I fix it?
================
Updates to Anti Virus Software signatures are available from most major suppliers.

Notes
=====
1. ITsafe Bulletins are issued by e-mail when significant risks have been identified that are likely to affect the majority of ITsafe users.
2. As our advice is that you should not click on URLs ("links") in any e-mail, we actually recommend you follow good practice, and type in the website name yourself in the box at the top of your browser window to see our detailed advice, rather than clicking on any links.

ITsafe Team - Making IT safe for You
The UK Alerting and Advisory Service for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Security

Reference Material:
http://www.itsafe.gov.uk

A Very Productive Day

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Well, it's been a very productive day considering we were both full of flu and had very little sleep, both coughing and sneezing and keeping each other awake.

We had planned to go with Paul and Kirsty to North Yorkshire today but the thought of spending 4 hours in a hot car and not knowing how well we were going to be meant we decided to stay local and take it easy.

We noticed when we drove down Westfield Road, Eppleworth a couple of weeks ago that the old Hull & Barnsley Railway embankment was fast disappearing due to the partial demolition of the south eastern section. Many years ago an impressive arched railway bridge crossed Westfield Road at this point and today gave us the best chance of taking a few photographs before the embankment disappeared forever.



We noticed Skidby Windmill was operating when driving back from Westfield Road so stopped off there for a few photos.



Our next stop was the Church of God on Wheeler Street in Hull. I had read in the Hull Daily Mail last week that this small church which is reported as being well over 100 years old is closing due to falling numbers and was being demolished shortly to make way for a new community centre. We took a few photos before this church is gone forever.



Whilst on Wheeler Street we took a number of photographs of the Wheeler Street Primary School. This was the first school I attended at the age of four as we lived close by on Northfield Road, Anlaby Road until we moved to Willerby in 1975.



We then returned home for a well deserved drink and then walked round to Springhead Lane. The Hull & Barnsley Railway crossed Springhead Lane and some sections of the old railway embankment still exists today. We climbed up the side of the embankment and took quite a few photographs from both sides of Springhead Lane.



On the way back we found a break in the fence at the rear of the old AFOS and Harland's Printers factories (now demolished and awaiting redevelopment) on Springfield Way so we went for a wander and located the old Acre Heads Drain. There was still a bit of space in the camera's memory so we took a few more photos of the Acre Heads Drain including the tunnel which was built under the old railway embankment.



Reference Material:

• Acre Heads Drain Photo Gallery
• Church of God, Wheeler Street Photo Gallery
• Skidby Windmill Photo Gallery
• Springhead Lane Photo Gallery
• Westfield Road, Eppleworth Photo Gallery
• Wheeler Street School Photo Gallery