Security for Vanessa

TEENAGER Vanessa Pritchard was left permanently disabled after being struck by a car in Portslade nearly five years ago.

Now aged 17, she is confined to a wheelchair and has difficulty with her memory.

But yesterday there was a little good news for her after she was awarded more than £1 million in the High Court.

When invested, it will allow Vanessa to enjoy the rest of her life in relative comfort.

It marks the end of a long and exhausting legal battle, and her mother, Doreen, who was praised in court for her unstinting love and care, is relieved the matter is now settled.

But as Doreen rightly points out, no amount of money can make up for what has happened to her daughter.

And she would give up the cash tomorrow if she could have her daughter back unscarred.

Talk to the staff

A FIRM which has taken over the contract to run street cleaning services in Brighton and Hove, has left binmen in the dark over whether some will be made redundant.

French firm SITA GB will take over the £6.5 million contract in November and has not ruled out the possibility of redundancies.

Union chiefs from the GMB are now calling for a forum which will allow binmen to have more of a say in future management.

There are frequent complaints from the public about rubbish strewn across the towns and everyone, including the union, wants to see improvements made.

But SITA GB should realise one of the best ways of doing this would be by talking to all of their new employees.

First class idea

REGULARS at the Gardener's Arms in Sompting are celebrating a new addition to their local.

Landlord Fred Courcha has installed a train carriage in the back garden and is planning a first class service for punters.

He expects to open it in December, just in time for Christmas. let's hope there aren't any delays.

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