The Vaccine Damage Payment Unit has ruled that 18-year-old Robert Fletcher’s severe disabilities were caused by the inoculation when he was a toddler.

For most of his life, mum Jackie has campaigned for recognition that the “cocktail” of vaccines can pose risks, and she set up the national JABS (Justice, Awareness and Basic Support) group which represents thousands of families who feel their children have been left with conditions ranging from autism to Crohn’s disease by MMR.

But they have been routinely dismissed as “scaremongers” by the medical establishment who have produced rafts of research to demonstrate that the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccination is not dangerous while highlighting the greater risks from measles.

Now, however, the Department of Health is having to face up to a legal precedent, plus the prospect of countless more damage claims.

Robert – who has the mental age of a 14-month-old, cannot walk unaided, is doubly incontinent and can have dozens of fits a day – will only be awarded £80,000, which his family say will be handy for disabled adaptations to the house in Golborne.

But Jackie and husband John point out that it is dwarfed by the US compensation system which awarded $32m to a boy left paralysed from the waist down by MMR.

They have called on a re-vamp of the UK system, saying it should be the pharmaceutical companies paying damages (as they do in America) rather than the taxpayer and that the payments themselves should be more realistic.

Warrants were executed at five addresses in Golborne and Platt Bridge as part of Operation Delmas.

Led by the North West Regional Crime Unit, the raids were supported by armed officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Tactical Firearms Unit.

The operation is aimed at disrupting a major drug conspiracy that has seen large quantities of cocaine travelling north from London to be sold on the streets of Wigan and the wider North West.

Yet again many individual students have attained top grades: 18 students have attained 9 GCSEs at grade A* or A; 59 students (over 28%) have achieved 5 or more GCSEs at grade A* or A; and an astounding 116 students (over 55%) have gained an A* or A in at least 1 subject studied.

The number of students achieving the benchmark 5 A* to C including English and Maths increased again 54%, the highest ever achieved by the school.

Three years ago the school achieved 56% A* to C and 44% including English and Maths. Headteacher, John Shanahan, was delighted with the continuing improvements. “To achieve such high results is brilliant and a testament to the hard work of students and their teachers. We am delighted that so many students, whatever their level of ability, achieved grades in line with their potential, and we wish them all the best for the future.

It has been revealed today that an independently chaired public inquiry has backed 
the council – although the school project itself has already been halted because of the Government’s decision to scrap the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Protesters lodged the legal challenge against proposals for the nursery, primary and high school at Hesketh Meadows because they wanted the area ring-fenced for community leisure use.

A coalition of protesters including Hesketh Meadow Action Group, residents, Wigan Unison and Golborne Save Our Schools campaigners had backed the bid and paid to be legally represented by Manchester solicitors Pannone.

A victory would have thrown another lifeline to Golborne and Lowton High Schools, plus Lowton Junior and Infants, which the mega-school complex was to have replaced.

To succeed, the objector coalition, lead by applicant Janice Johnston, had to prove that Hesketh Meadows provided at least 20 years of continuous and unchallenged community use for legitimate sporting and leisure pursuits.

But this has proved very difficult for campaigners to secure previously at several sites around the borough, including at Chinagate on Westwood and most recently, Mesnes Fields.

Campaigners had worked hard to gather the necessary weight of evidence to influence the public inquiry, including a series of events and activities organised to oppose the council’s plans, and the distribution of more than 10,000 leaflets encouraging parents and residents to submit objections.

But the Inspector, Counsel Alan Evans of Manchester’s Kings Chambers, found after the three-day public inquiry at Leigh Sports Village that objectors had failed to show that a “significant number” of residents of the locality had indulged in lawful sports and pastimes on the land for the past 20 years, or satisfactorily define a neighbourhood which would use such a village green.

Metro director of legal services Kevin Lawson is now advising the Metro that it could now be “unreasonable” to grant the village green application in the light of 
the inspector’s “very full, detailed and knowledgeable” report.

Paving stones in Golborne’s High Street were removed while work was carried out by Electricity North West (ENW) to repair underground cables.

Work has now finished but instead of replacing the beautiful stones, a section of the street has been filled … with Tarmac.

Ward Coun Mark Klieve is furious and says that local residents share his anger.

He said: “This is an outrageous act, that totally disrespects the conservation area, the community and our residents.

“We will be writing to the Service Director for Planning and Environment to ask him to fully investigate this and ensure that the repair is put back to the original standard.”

Coun Yvonne Klieve added: “We have had a number of angry residents contacting us on the phone to complain about this repair and I fully understand their anger.

“It’s not fair when money is invested into our community to make it a better cleaner place to live and then it is ruined.

“They must return and put right this wrong, otherwise what is the point of having a conservation area.”

A spokesman for ENW said the surfacing was a temporary measure while more replacement paving stones are ordered.

He stressed that the paving would be returned to its original state. However, the spokesman could not confirm when that would be.

He said: “Engineers have been working in High Street since mid-July to repair underground electric cables following a fault.

“Work has been completed at three sites on the street, which required temporary traffic lights and repairs were finished on Wednesday.

“Two of the excavations were filled in with paving stones in keeping with the street. The third site was filled with Tarmac as a temporary measure while more paving stones are ordered.”

Golborne town centre was made a conservation area by Wigan Council in 2008.

The authority has stated it is keen to advise private companies about repairs in conservation areas and an investigation has been launched.

Mark Tilley, Wigan Council’s head of highways, said: “The essence of a conservation area is its special character. We aim to preserve this by not allowing development which would erode this character.

“As this work has been carried out within the Golborne High Street conservation area, we would expect that any lifting of paving flags or tiles should be replaced with a like-for-like material, or reused where possible.

“This is the advice we would give if consulted on any proposed works within any conservation area, although private companies like this are under no obligation to tell us.

“I have assured both Coun Mark and Coun Yvonne Klieve that we are inspecting the site and seeking an early resolution.”

The League has been running since the 1984-5 Season and teams from all over the Borough were invited to participate in the League on a Sunday. The League provides the structure for football to be played by youngsters from aged 8 to aged 16.

If anyone is interested would they please contact David Langford on 01942 270591 or 07794024897.

The clubs website can be found at Golborne Sports Junior Football Club

Mr Shanahan, Head teacher of Lowton High School said:

“This is a fantastic achievement and I am delighted that our Performing and Creative Arts staff have received this prestigious award.”

“Artsmark is more than simply a mark of distinction to us; taking part in the scheme has enabled us to develop our arts provision, and see the students who take part become more self-confident, engaged and excited about learning. Nowhere is this more evident than in our current lower school (Yrs 7 – 9) performance of William Shakespeare’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

After the first performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream the Head of the Performing Arts Department, Mrs Radford commented:

“I have been teaching for over twenty years and waiting to find a talented group of students capable of taking on the challenges of what could be argued to be Shakespeare’s most popular play. This year our lower school pupils have consistently shown in their lessons that they have the talent to rise to this challenge and I am pleased to say that they did not disappointed. The ability of the students to capture the comedic aspects of the play was fantastic; I lost count of the number of people in the audience who cried with laughter at Pyramus’s death scene.”

Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said:

“Artsmark – now nationally recognised as a prestigious and coveted award – sets the standard for an outstanding arts provision in schools and it’s great to see Lowton High School attaining the Artsmark award this year. This award recognises the school’s commitment to providing exciting art experiences and their belief in the power of creativity.”

Michael Kelly, 27, appeared before Wigan Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with brandishing a blade on Lowe Street, Golborne, on May 5 last year.

Kelly is also charged with possession of cannabis and cannabis production, alongside his former housemate, Robert Hughes, 26.

Hughes, now of The Paddocks, Thursby, Carlisle, is also charged with possession of cannabis and possession of the class C drug Alprazolam.

Kelly, now of Windrows, Skelmersdale, and Hughes were granted unconditional bail pending a committal hearing to the crown court at Wigan Magistrates’ Court on June 16.

Lethal traps are being set to injure pets or children, it was claimed today.

A maniac has sunk numerous upturned broken beer and wine bottle necks into grassland with the shards pointing upwards to slice into feet.

Dogwalker Peter Franzen, a former councillor, says he made the grim discovery while exercising his boxerdog Bella on the Golborne bonk – the reclaimed and landscaped former pit heap – over the Easter weekend.

Now he is demanding a clean up and more frequent inspections to keep dog walkers and children who use the new country park safe.

Mr Franzen, who walks his dog on the ‘bonk’ at least twice a week, is distraught about the way the facility is now being abused by some people.

But he says he can’t fathom the mindset of the person who has used broken bottles to create a booby-trap area just off one of the metalled paths laid across the area.

Broken glass has also been seen littering the children’s play and sandpit areas, although that area is regularly cleaned.
The sheltered seating areas have also been targeted.

Mr Franzen, who lives only a matter of hundreds of yards away, is now demanding immediate clean up action form Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, which oversees the site.

He said: “There’s no doubt in my mind that these bottle necks have been deliberately sunk into the ground, broken end up, to maim.

“I reckon it is somebody with a grudge against dogowners who doesn’t want us taking our pets there. But these idiots could just as easily end up slicing some child if they fall on it or stand on one and aren’t wearing shoes with strong soles.

“In fact the bonk itself is now littered with large amounts of debris and rubbish that has been dumped there, which is really disappointing.
“The situation has gone from bad to worse during the past two years.

“There are also large dumped items including items of furniture such as mattresses, household items and building debris.

“I have also counted plastic bags and Asda shopping trolleys dumped in the fishing ponds creating danger to fish, birds and other wildlife.

A Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust spokesman said that WLCT inspected the play area once per week and made the “necessary arrangements” to remove broken glass or litter if it was found at the site.

But she said that all information from the public would be acted upon.
She pledged: “If we are notified by the public that there are any problems such as broken glass, we endeavour to go out the same day to inspect.”

Members of the public should make complaints or express concerns to their area hotline number on Wigan 877386/487626 during office hours.
Messages can be left and will be dealt with at the next available opportunity.

A three-year project to re-lay water mains through a Wigan community is set to conclude within weeks.

The work, replacing old pipes in Lowton and Golborne first began in 2007 as part of United Utilities’ multi-billion-pound project for the whole region.

Like Standish, the two towns have been affected by closures and traffic light-induced jams over the years.

But as excavations began on Slag Lane yesterday, bosses announced that the end of the disruption was very much in sight.

A total of £4.6m has been spent on laying more than 40 miles of pipes in Golborne and Lowton alone and the initiative is now said to be only three weeks from its conclusion.

It is part of the water company’s £2.9bn water quality and environmental improvement programme for 2005 to 2010, which has seen engineers replacing the old pipes with modern plastic ones to improve water quality, reinforce the overall reliability of the network and reduce the risk of leakage.

Most of Wigan borough has now undergone the work.