THURSDAY, 1st MARCH, 2012.

Stranded on Costa ship

Bears boss has plans Readers'ViewsPages21-25 Page 30

Page 56

What’s on... What’s gone...

Pages 17-20

Peacock rescued

Page 29

Dad’s agony over road death court case touches MPs By Kayleigh Williams

A Congleton man whose son died in a road accident was amazed to hear that his letter complaining about a possible lenient sentence for his son’s killer had been read out in Parliament. When Keith Austin, from Semper Close, father of cyclist Karl Austin, heard that the man would not be tried in Crown court he wrote to Congleton MP Fiona Bruce and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Twice-bereaved Mr Austin, who has also lost a daughter, was invited to meet Janine Smith, CPS East Midlands senior district prosecutor tomorrow (Friday).

On hearing that Mrs Bruce had read out part of his letter before 80 MPs and three ministers during a backbench business debate on Thursday, Mr Austin from Semper Close, said: “I was amazed to hear that Karl, and the letter I sent to Mrs Bruce, was raised in Parliament and was mentioned on page six of The Times on Friday.”

His son, a member of Congleton Cycling Club, who lived with his wife Linda and their two children at Bellringer Close,

Biddulph, was struck from behind by a lorry on the A50 at Etwall in June and died instantly. He had been taking part in the South Pennine 10 time trial.

Mr Austin said “Obviously my letter won’t have an impact on the lorry driver’s sentence as that is in the hands of the magistrates now but we hope we can make them do something to change things going forward.”

• —Turn to back page.

Haulage firm deliveries to mill suspended after lorry flattens bollards

Wrapped in the flag: Niamh Hogg, aged 14 and Lucy Podmore, aged 17 took part in the annual Rotary Club of Congleton Swimathon at the weekend. Their Danes Dudes team, representing Dane Valley Swimming Club, was one of 43 that took part in the charity event. For more pictures and the story, turn to page 27. (“Chronicle” photo. 910e/12).

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A haulage company has been suspended from delivering to the HJ Lea Oakes factory in Congleton after a lorry driver ran over concrete bollards near the entrance.

not being driven by a company employee.

It said the driver had been “severely reprimanded” and Oakes had suspended the company from delivering to the site.

For one Congleton resident, the incident brought back painful memories of when his son was killed by a lorry nearby.

Last Tuesday a delivery lorry attempted to leave the factory site at the junction of Cross Lane and Biddulph Road. During the manoeuvre it mounted the pavement and hit metal bollards, installed following the death of Gerard Byrne in 1999. The barriers were flattened.

Gerard, (12), was hit and killed by a lorry reversing out of the depot in 1999. The company was fined £50,000 after pleading guilty to failing to discharge its health and safety duties.

Gerard’s father, Tom Byrne, has fought for improved safety at the junction ever since and fears a similar accident could happen again unless the method for lorries coming to and from the site changes.

A HJ Lea Oakes spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident concerning bollards at the junction of Cross Lane and Biddulph Road on February 21st and are taking the matter seriously.

“It has to be stressed that the lorry involved was not a HJ Lea Oakes vehicle, nor was the driver one of our employees.

“The vehicle was in fact a third party haulier contracted by one of our suppliers and as such we demanded they initiate an immediate investigation.

“We now understand the incident involved a new driver who was unfamiliar with the area. He has been severely reprimanded by the haulage company concerned and is now being retrained and accompanied by a driver with over 30 years’ experience.

“Most importantly this driver and indeed the haulage company involved have been suspended from delivering to any of our sites, including Congleton.

Following last Tuesday’s incident, HJ Lea Oakes told the “Chronicle” that the lorry was not a com an vehicle and was • —Turn to back page.

01260 272131 www.congletonvets.com

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