1 People get up to all sorts ) raise money
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for charities. :erry bus driver, John McDoald has come up with a novel lea which would appeal to any :amikaze pilot or Iranian Reolutionary Guard, both of rhich enjoy killing themselves it. various causes.
McDonald intends to reverse is bus right the way round the 80Icm ring road of Kerry. The lawk is familiar with this route rid assures you that driving a 8-tonner down Blackpool 'ower, for instance, is by far a impler exercise.
But that is what McDonald, rho drives a 53-seater over le route regularly, is proposig to do. Assisted by a coriver who will look out the aar window, Mad Mac streses that this is no irresponsible ipe. He hopes to raise 40,000.
1 With the theft of trucks and pods in transit costing millions pounds each year and with le rich pickings of Christmas st around the corner, you .ould expect the police authories to explore every oppormity, particularly the use of le media, to alert the haulage dustry to the dangers.
It seemed like an ideal occaon to raise people's awareess by reporting on the annual tolen Motor Vehicle conferrice which was organised by le Association of Chief Police Ifficers (ACPO) and spread ver three days last week. There were speakers from le British Car Auctions, Felix stowe Dock Police Authority and a number of other key transport-related bodies, all discussing theft prevention and other, wider, implications in the light of their own experiences.
Acting on information received about the conference just one day before the start, it needed a quick phone call to New Scotland Yard's press office to clear the way for us to attend — or so we thought!
Instead, it brought a vague, delayed referral to ACP° which gave a promise that someone connected with the meeting would call back.
That afternoon another call to ACP0 told us that the Chief Detective Superintendent organising it was busy and warned that it could not divulge his name or phone lumber. "But we know who he is," we said.
"We will ask him to ring you at the earliest opportunity," said the bright young thing at ACP°.
To save time we tried another desperate, last minute call to the Yard PR to get the time, the venue and the OK to attend.
"We told you it was nothing to do with us," said the PR lady, "but just to be helpful you could try the West ;Vlidland vehicle theft department in Warwickshire, extension 281."
"Oh no", said 281, "you should be talking to the London Met! They are the ones who are organising it." ! Finally, sensing oa, growing exasperation, 281 confided a another London number which would tell us all we wanted to know about the event. You've guessed it, it was New Scotland Yard's helpful press office again. We never did get to the conference.