Friday 21st March, 2008

1:50pm Friday 21st March 2008

From the Durham County Advertiser 50 years ago.

C IN the near future some poor soul in Sacriston may lose an eye by means of a rifle pellet, said the clerk of Sacriston Parish Council, Mr W S Gowland, when presenting the lighting report at the council meeting.

He was referring to a recent case at Lanchester where a boy had lost an eye due to a rifle pellet and said it might well happen in Sacriston unless something was done immediately.

Within a radius of 200 yards of the new cinema, nine lamps were broken by pellets in one night.

This had now reached alarming proportions and every ratepayer in the district was having to pay the price for new lamps.

Youths of the village are showing complete disregard when reprimanded, and a case was quoted where a resident of the aged miners homes, seeing a youth firing at lamps, told him to stop. The aged miner was promptly told to shut up or he would have his windows smashed in.

Councillors agreed that this outbreak shows a lack of parental control. Since the police had visited the schools, no more breakages were reported in two weeks.

Mr Gowland is a nature lover and he said that the firing of pellets is not confined to lamps but also takes place in the park.

ñ Compiled with the help of Durham County Councils Clayport library

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