THE Bishop8217s Stortford holi-
daymaker whose birthday trip
on the Norfolk Broads ended
in his hire boat sinking,
pic-
tured above
, has been convict-
ed ofpoor navigation.Last May, an inshore lifeboat had to be launched in the
middle ofthe night to rescue the group ofseven friends,
shivering in their underwear, from the banks ofthe Broads.
The party8217s luxury cruiser came to griefon a bend ofthe
River Bure between Acle and Great Yarmouth.
Last Friday, at Great Yarmouth
Magistrates8217 Court, scaffolder Ross
Hamilton, ofBroadleafAvenue,
Thorley Park, who had been celebrating
his 23rd birthday and who hired the ves-
sel, denied failing to navigate with care,
failing to have lights on and failing to
ensure his vessel was properly moored.
He was found guilty on each charge
and was fined 163500 and ordered to pay
163500 costs to the prosecuting Broads
Authority.
Matthew Oakford, 25, ofBuntingford
8211 an experienced sailor and former
canoeing champion who was at the
helm 8211 denied a charge offailing to
moor properly but was found guilty and
fined 163250 with 163500 costs.
Afterwards, the Broads Authority8217s
head ofwaterways strategy and safety,
Steve Birtles, said: 8220Apart from putting
their own lives in danger, their actions
posed a menace to other holidaymak-
ers.
8220We had received reports about their
behaviour throughout the weekend and
would like to thank members ofthe
public for helping in the compiling of
witness statements.8221
The cruiser suffered 16320,000 damage
and was out ofaction for more than a
month.Birthday boy whose
boat sank on Broads
resurfaces in courtwww.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk
Observer March 13, 2008 G5NEWS
INBRIEFYouths arrested in
car theft blitz raidsA 15-YEAR-old boy from Bishop8217s
Stortford and a Sawbridgeworth youth
aged 18 were arrested after police
investigating thefts from vehicles in
both towns raided three addresses.
Warrants were executed in Stortford,
Sawbridgeworth and Hunsdon last
Thursday at 7.30am as part ofHerts
police8217s Operation Tarantula
crackdown on car crime. Officers had
to force their way into two ofthe
addresses.
The teenagers arrested have been
released on police bail while inquiries
continue.Vehicles targeted
in Apton RoadCARS parked in Apton Road, Bishop8217s
Stortford, have been targeted by crooks.
Last Thursday evening, a white BMW
316 was stolen from the car park, while
a torch and 1637 in coins were taken from
a white Vauxhall Nova. On Sunday or
Monday last week some 163200 damage
was caused to a blue Fiat Punto when
someone kicked the boot.8216Shoplifter8217 chasedA MAN aged 23 from Bishop8217s Stortford
ran offafter he was stopped by police
in the town centre at about 5pm last
Thursday, but was caught and arrested
on suspicion ofshoplifting and going
equipped to steal. He has been bailed to
attend Hoddesdon police station on
April 9.Fine for drunkennessPOLICE issued a drunken 31-year-old
man with an 16380 fixed penalty ticket for
disorder following an incident in High
Street, Bishop8217s Stortford, at 12.10am on
Saturday.Teens8217 drug cautionsTWO 17-year-olds were given drugs
warnings by police after they were
caught with cannabis in The Causeway,
Bishop's Stortford, on Saturday
evening.Motorbike stolenA GOLD Yamaha 600cc motorbike was
stolen from a garage in London Road,
Bishop8217s Stortford, between February 23
and last Thursday.We have to
move after
school fiascoA FAMILY from Little
Hallingbury are considering
moving to Bishop8217s Stortford
after their daughter failed to get
a place at any ofher FOUR
cho-
sen secondary schools.Charlotte Louis, 11, a pupil at
Northgate Primary in Bishop8217s
Stortford, had hoped to join her
classmates at her first choice,
Herts and Essex High in Stortford.
She had also applied to
Hockerill Anglo-European College
in Stortford, Leventhorpe School
in Sawbridgeworth and Newport
Free Grammar School.
However, she was devastated to
learn that not only was she the
only girl in her class to miss out on
a place at Herts and Essex, but
that she will not be starting at her
second, third or fourth choice
schools in September.
Instead, she has been offered a
place at Mountfitchet Maths and
Computing College in Stansted.
Her parents, Ellie and Jerome
Louis, are now considering mov-
ing to Stortford so that Charlotte
will be in the catchment area.
Mrs Louis said: 8220We8217re not
happy about the possibility of
moving, but it seems we8217re living
in a place where it8217s impossible to
get into a local school. It demon-
strates how powerless you are
against the system.8221
Charlotte had listed Herts and
Essex as her first choice as her
mother and six aunts all went
there.
Her second choice was
Hockerill as her father is French
and she and brother Max, 9, have
been raised bilingually.
Leventhorpe is closest to her
home, while the family were
impressed with Newport Free
Grammar when they visited.
Her parents say Mountfitchet
College six miles away is too far
and there is no school transport.
Mrs Louis said: 8220We chose the
schools we shortlisted very care-
fully and, naturally, Charlotte is
devastated. She should be excited
about moving up to big school like
everyone else 8211 it8217s cruel and
unfair.8221
Charlotte has been placed on a
8220continuing interest8221 list should a
place come up at her top four
schools, but her parents have said
that should she fail to get in they
will look into moving.
Ann McRae, admissions secre-
tary at Herts and Essex, said that
each year the school received
around 400 applications for the 160
places on offer.
She said that each applicant was
judged against the admission
rules, adding: 8220While we sympa-
thise with families in this situa-
tion, we are heavily oversub-
scribed and unfortunately some
children will miss out. However,
our admission rules are as fair as
they possibly can be.8221
A spokeswoman for Essex
County Council, the local educa-
tion authority, said it was only
responsible for allocating places at
Essex schools and, as Newport
was heavily oversubscribed, a
place was offered at Mountfitchet,
which was the nearest in
Charlotte8217s catchment area.
However, she said that last-
minute places often came up
before September, adding: 8220We
understand that this is a stressful
time for families and work hard to
make sure everyone is adequately
catered for.8221By
Eleanor Scotchbrookscotchbrooke@hertsessexnews.co.uk F
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SDEVASTATED:
Charlotte Louis
with mum Ellie
and brother MaxPhoto: XDNHQNMB-04 Call now for a Course
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