Vetted as the best for job, Care needed here, Perch-ual strangers

Animal activists claim the RSPCA, Britain's main animal welfare charity, is up to no good.

That's because the new assistant chief vet at the Horsham-based charity used to work a few miles down the road.

Paul West was a vet at the controversial Shamrock Monkey Farm at Small Dole, near Henfield, which recently announced it is to close. Activists feel it's not right for the RSPCA to employ a man who worked at a farm supplying animals for a trade they regard as cruel.

But there's no suggestion that conditions at Shamrock were poor or Mr West did anything less than his best to look after primates. He is an acknowledged expert on monkeys. He is also a professional vet. He will do his best for these animals as he has done in the past. Only his role will be different.

Activists are wrong to accuse the RSPCA of being up to monkey business. It is employing a man considered to be best for the job.

Care needed here

There has been great concern among parents about the closure of the Cawthorne ward at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Dyke Road, Brighton. Now there's hope that the ward will reopen in the near future.

Brighton Health Care NHS Trust is appointing a cancer consultant and back-up staff who should be able to provide the care needed.

We can't stress enough how important it is to have this care provided here in Sussex rather than see sick children travelling long distances for their treatment.

Perch-ual strangers

Two rare cockatoos have been recovered by police in a raid on a home in Brighton and they are worth thousands of pounds.

Now DNA tests are being carried out on the birds to see whether they are among cockatoos stolen three years ago from Lancing.

It's surprising the cockatoos didn't give themselves away earlier by raising the roof in their temporary Brighton home. And if the police secure a conviction in this case, the guilty man's likely to do bird.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.