Figures show crime increase

A 13 per cent increase in recorded crime between April to December l999 has been reported in St Austell.

The area's new police superintendent, John Green, said that offences have increased by 642, these including 394 house burglaries, 92 thefts of vehicles, 751 thefts from vehicles, 537 offences of criminal damage and l8 robberies.

Of these incidents 32 per cent were detected. St Austell MP, Matthew Taylor, said that positive initiatives are required in the area, such as greater support for Restormel's CCTV bid, and the new St Austell Neighbourhood Watch scheme which the police are setting up.

Dive boat call out

Fowey inshore lifeboat and Polruan Coastguard were alerted to the dive boat Aquamania earlier this week when she suffered engine failure while out in Lantic Bay, Fowey.

The lifeboat recovered three divers from the water, and then towed the dive boat into Fowey.

Vehicle falls over a bank

Police and firefighters were called to Eastcliffe Road, Par last Friday after a line-painting vehicle rolled down an embankment above the railway line.

Specialists brought in winching gear to recover the vehicle, which had fallen on to a path. Diversions were put in place, after the road was closed around 2pm.

No-one was hurt in the incident. Afterwards the lorry was taken away for examination by Department of Transport officials.

Motorist dies in A395 crash

A motorist died on Monday afternoon after the Vauxhall Astra estate he was driving was involved in a collision with a fully-laden brown Mercedes lorry.

The accident happened at 12.38pm on the A395 Pipers Pool road, around a mile from the Kennards House junction with the A30, and about 250 metres from the exit to the entrance of Menwenicke Farm.

The lorry driver, William Verney of Newton Abbot, was treated for shock following the crash. The driver of the N-registered Astra was declared dead at the scene.

The road was closed for several hours following the accident and police officers put diversions into place. Members of Bodmin Traffic Unit then began enquiries into the cause of the crash, while the carriageway was cleared by county council workers. Firefighters, under the command of Eddie O'Marshall, also assisted the police, two appliances being sent from Launceston and Bodmin.

Theft of phones

Over £2,000 worth of pay-as-you-talk cards and mobile phones were stolen from a shop in Torpoint early on Tuesday.

The items were taken from Intek Communications, Fore Street, after burglars smashed their way into the premises. The phones taken were by Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson, and the phone cards were Orange cards.

Anyone able to offer information about the theft should contact police on 0990 777 444.

Paper boy is hurt

Police at Looe report that a 13-year-boy, cycling home from his paper round on February 19, collided with the back of a parked vehicle along North Hill Road, West Looe.

The boy sustained a fractured hip and broken leg.

Vehicle crimes

Police at West Looe are urging members of the public to contact them if they see anything suspicious occurring, following a recent spate of vehicle crimes.

A spokesman said members of the public should contact their local police station with any information, no matter how minor they believe it to be.