News from the regions

A few weeks ago, the Bromley News Shopper reported on a campaign by local residents to stop a house being turned into a nursery in their street:

Around 30 people living nearby have written to the council and started a petition to oppose the application by Sunnyfields, which already runs two nurseries in the borough.

Mum-of-two Natalie Rooney, aged 37, said: “We think there will be traffic problems because of all the parents dropping off and picking up their children.

“We think there will be noise problems because the children will be playing outdoors."

Fair enough. But then...oh dear:

"We are also worried that paedophiles will be attracted to the area to be close to the nursery.

"The fact is it will be a 52 children nursery with strangers dropping off and picking up their children, and this is a closeknit community, and the upshot of that is we do not know who will be sitting outside in their car."

Hmm. But at least the paper would play down such nonsensical fears. Wouldn't it?

Oh:


(picture taken by untaken_name, seen via mattuk on Twitter)

News from the regions

The Shropshire Star doesn't usually feature on this blog but this article, highlighted by Jim Hawkins and Adam Bell, deserves a mention.

In June, the paper reported on a protest about the transportation of a wind turbine through the town of Welshpool:


You might imagine that if the protestors had indeed 'lined the streets' they would have been able to take a photo showing more than, umm, eight people.

But Bell says the Shropshire Star may have been exaggerating 'slightly'. The photo only shows eight protestors because there were only eight protestors.

Can eight people 'line the streets'?