Ministry of Defence Police

The Ministry of Defence Police in Plymouth have been investigating the theft of items from a war grave in Whitsand Bay.

The submarine A7 which sunk with ll hands in January 1914 is classified as a War Grave and is protected by the Protection of Military Remains Act of 1986.

Divers have been desecrating the grave by removing items from the wreck, either for sale or as souvenirs.

MoD Police CID officers from Devonport executed a search warrant granted by Plymouth Magistrates, and recovered from a private house in Plymouth, items believed to have come from the A7.

A male was arrested and taken to Charles Cross Police Station for questioning. He was later released on police bail pending further enquiries.

A local man was charged with theft of items believed to come from the sunken submarine and will appear at Bodmin Magistrates court later in the year.

Library's Music Day

Noise - of a melodic nature - will fill Torpoint Library next Friday (February 18).

The library, in the town centre, is holding a music day to promote the performing arts.

Torpoint Lady Singers have been booked for the event along with Jill Brown, who plays the accordion, and other musicians.

A week later, on February 25, the library will be staging a half-term activity session for children entitled Spring into the Library.

The session, between 10am and noon, will be for under-11s and will feature story telling and craft activities.

Lunch Meetings

Members of community organisations in Torpoint are being urged to contribute to regular lunchtime meetings held in the town.

The Community Liaison Lunch meetings are held under the auspices of CHAT (Community Health Around Torpoint) on the last Friday of every month.

CHAT vice-chair Kathy Gilbert said: "People belonging to any organisation in the community can attend to raise concerns about life in the town.

"Last month we discussed transport, mental health care and housing issues.

"The meetings have been running for several years with as many as 25 to 30 people attending but numbers have dropped in recent months. We are hoping to encourage more people to attend.

"The next lunch will be on February 25 from 12.15pm to 1.30pm at the health centre in Hooper Street.

"Lunch can be bought but it needs to be ordered the Wednesday before the Friday. People can also bring their own lunch or just drop in to the meeting.

"The meetings provide a useful forum for local people. Their concerns can be fed back to the appropriate bodies including the NHS Primary Care Groups and the councils."

Among the organisations represented at the meetings are the social services, the local schools, the Cornwall Healthcare Trust, Cornwall Centre for Volunteers, Torpoint Town Council and the town's library.

For more information, contact Cathy on 01752 812850.

Special Service

More than 100 children from the schools in Torpoint will be taking part in a special service in the town on Sunday (February 13).

The pupils from Torpoint Infants School, Carbeile Junior School and Torpoint School will be singing songs, leading prayers and presenting sketches during the Education Sunday service at St James Church.

Louise Edwards, a governor at the infants school, said: "More than 40 children from each school will be taking part in the service which starts at 10.30am. It is the first event of its kind on Education Sunday."

Meanwhile, a two-week exhibition of work by pupils from the schools is being staged at the church. The work has a religious theme.

Church Bells and Website

The parish church in the village of St John near Torpoint is now able to use ancient and modern means of communication following the restoration of its bells and the launch of an internet website.

The rector, Father Christopher Epps, said: "At noon on January 1, 2000, for the first time in living memory, the bells of the Church of St John-in-Cornwall rang out, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

"The ancient bell frame in the tower of the church is reputedly the oldest in Cornwall.

"Unusually, there are three bells hung in the tower, the earliest dating from the 15th Century.

"The restoration of the bells was made possible by a bequest from a former Rector of the United Benefice of St John with Millbrook, Father Ralph Tilley.

"Bells have been used throughout the centuries by most cultural groups. They have been used to communicate to the local community, marking significant points of ritual, calling to worship, tolling the hours, announcing events, rejoicing, warning and mourning.

"This need to communicate has not ceased. The Church of England in its report entitled Cybernauts Awake which was released last November stated that the internet has become the most important form of communication and encouraged Christians to play an active role in using it."

To this end, Fr Christopher has launched a website for his churches at St John and Millbrook.

The site, which has already attracted a wide audience, gives details of the histories of the two churches, service times, extracts from the parish magazine and information on forthcoming social events and concerts.

The parish has links with people in Singapore, Zambia and the United States who are now able to keep in contact via the internet.

The website address is ourworld.cs.com/frcdepps/