A couple in Sulby are counting the cost after vandals targeted three cars parked in their driveway in a quiet cul-de-sac in the village.

John and Hilary Musson, who are both former TT riders, were horrified to find all three vehicles, a VW Golf, a BMW and a VW van, had been scratched with a sharp instrument - two across the bonnet, one on the tailgate.

Hilary, who is disabled after losing a leg while marshalling at the 26th milestone in the accident which claimed three lives in the 2007 Senior TT, said she was frightened at the thought of someone pinpointing their house and targeting their cars specifically.

‘It’s a dreadful situation. I’m frightened of what’s going to happen next and I can’t run away - or after anyone,’ she said.

‘My car was paid for out of compensation money after my accident and it’s my pride and joy. At a conservative estimate I think the damage will cost £1,500 to rectify.

‘I no longer feel safe in my own home because of scum like this.’

They think the damage happened overnight on November 11.

Sergeant Darren Richards said they were increasing patrols and asked anyone with information to contact Ramsey police on 812234 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555111.

He said if anyone saw anything suspicious they should not hesitate to call 999.

‘We will do everything in our power to bring the offender before the court,’ he said.

The Isle of Man Examiner is being delivered to the shops now.

Among the top stories are:

Fire trial accused won’t speak in court

Quayle: I won’t scrap work permits

Plan to build on Mooragh Park island

Awards for Excellence special: 24 pages on our glittering event and success stories from the island.

A motorist who drove off after crashing into a parked car is being hunted by the police.

The damanged car was a grey BMW X5, which was parked in the car park next to Noble’s Hospital (Ward 19) private wing between 12.45pm and 7pm on Monday.

Substantial damage was caused to the front passenger side wing and bumper.

Ange Callaghan is the new permanent headteacher of Scoill Phurt le Moirrey, having been acting head since April 2016.

She replaces Sue Mowle, who is now ‘director of inclusion and safeguarding’ for the Department of Education and Children.

Mrs Callaghan gained a degree in business studies and German from Sheffield’s Hallam University and studied for a PGCE in her adopted home of the Isle of Man through Liverpool Hope University.

As a newly qualified teacher, she joined Victoria Road Primary School in 2001, moving to Scoill Phurt le Moirrey six years later.

She undertook professional development and became deputy headteacher there five years ago.

She said: ‘Scoill Phurt le Moirrey is a wonderful place to learn and work.

‘Our 152 children are at the heart of our friendly village school and I look forward to working with them to ensure we are the best we can be.

‘I am grateful for the support and encouragement I have received from staff, governors and parents over recent months.

‘Port St Mary is a close community and the school has always had good links with those who live and work in the area. I hope we will strengthen these links to benefit the community as a whole.’

Mrs Callaghan and her husband have three grown-up children. In her spare time, she enjoys walking the hills and coastal paths.

Residents in Arbory parish can breathe a huge sigh of relief with the news the roadworks on the main thoroughfare are to finish on Friday.

The work, involving resurfacing the road, began in August and was meant to take six weeks.

However pedestrians and motorists have endured disruption and delays for months.

It prompted a ‘concerned resident’ to email Isle of Man Newspapers to ask whether the ‘extra works carried out were budgeted for and, if not, who is bearing the extra cost?’ They added: ‘Much of the highway from the pump house to its current position outside Vicarage Close has been tarmaced, only to be dug up again several times.

‘One Sunday, I think MGP practice week, three to four wagon loads of tarmac were laid during a road closure only to be scrubbed up again during the next week. The newly laid pavement has also been recently re-dug and relayed.

‘The piece of road the contractors are currently working on has been dug up at least twice in the last week or so.’

They asked if the whole of the pavement would be refurbished or ‘are they going to leave the 200-yard or so section from the Arbory School car park to the pump house? This section is not in good repair.’

The Department of Infrastructure explained the job was more complicated than was originally thought. ‘During the scheme it became apparent that sections of the road required full reconstruction rather than just resurfacing.

‘In addition, the opportunity has been taken to widen a section of footpath in Ballabeg leading to Arbory Primary School, which involved replacing and repositioning part of the water main.

‘The scheme will improve the lifespan and ride quality of the road, enhance footpaths, kerbing and drainage, and limit traffic speeds to support the safety of all road users, especially children attending the school.’

The DoI is funding the project while Manx Utilities is paying for the installation of the new water main.

Regarding redoing sections, the department said: ‘No new asphalt has been dug up on any part of the road, with the exception of two gullies approximately one metre square each. Sections of footpath have been taken up and re-laid at the subcontractor’s expense.

‘Some sections of road have been planed and overlaid. Other sections that did not have sufficient depth of asphalt on the original carriageway have been excavated and fully reconstructed.

‘The section of pavement from Arbory School car park to the pump house is not part of this scheme.’

Snooker player Darryl Hill is in action at the Betway UK Championship in York’s Barbican theatre this week.

The 20-year-old from Colby has been draw against world number 41 Mike Dunn in the first round of the prestigious competition.

Ranked 93 in the world, Hill’s best-of-11-frames contest gets under way at 7.30pm on Wednesday evening.

Ramsey commissioners have received a request from a Jurby-based company to carry out an inspection and survey of the Mooragh Park island, with a view to opening a seafarers’ training centre.

To fulfil its aims, the company needs to secure a location where it can install and use a permanent mounted lifeboat davit launch.

After liaising with director of ports Ann Reynolds, it was suggested that the boating lake may be the only location on the island that is suitable.

Members were divided on the proposal.

In the end, chairman Andrew Cowie used his casting vote in support of allowing the company to carry out a feasibility study.

Braddan Commissioners’ vice chairman, John Quaye, presented representatives from the TT Riders Association and the ACU Benevolent Fund with cheques for £270.37.

The money was raised from racing fans during this year’s TT and Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling at the commissioners’ Memorial Hall in Union Mills.

The garden is popular with spectators and the commissioners open the hall for the use of marshals and fans free of charge.

John Quaye said: ‘Braddan Commissioners have organised charity collections at the Memorial Hall for several years and we’re grateful to the fans who donated so generously to these worthwhile causes.’.

Photo shows (L-R) Colin Whiteway, clerk to Braddan Commissioners, Frances Thorp of the TT Riders’ Association, Wyn Evans of the ACU Benevolent Fund and Braddan Commissioners’ vice chairman, John Quaye.

Send your cheque presentation photos to newsdesk@newsiom.co.im

Include a caption naming the people featured and always include a daytime phone number so we can get back to you quickly if we need to.

Plans are afoot to improve the appearance of a private car parking area in Douglas.

Douglas council’s environmental services committee wants the covered car parking at the side of Finch Road to be tidied up.

The discussion followed a report to the committee by the council’s building control manager. Councillors were told the owners of the 16 car parking spaces were all amenable and did not object to work being done. But they were also told there were logistical difficulties in co-ordinating the owners to obtain quotations for repainting and having the work carried out.

Committee members also discussed the possibility of serving an official notice for the work to be done under the Building Control Act, 1991, including repainting masonry walls and steel structures.

Councillors heard the aim of any such notice would be to encourage everyone to work together to get the job done. They were told the area was not a conservation area.

Enquiries are also to be made to see if the Pitcairn Hotel on Church Road Marina in Douglas is in a conservation area. The council is currently considering getting a court order to enter the hotel to inspect the structure.

A 30-year-old man from Ramsey had to be subdued with Pava spray during a drunken domestic row in which he tore off his shirt.

Mark Peter Richards, of Waverley Terrace, was fined £275 for being drunk and disorderly by a magistrates’ court.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court how, on October 30 at 12.25am, police were called to Queen’s Pier Road in Ramsey after a report of a domestic argument.

When officers arrived Richards was said to be standing in the road remonstrating with a woman, later identified as his wife.

During the row, Richards threw his mobile phone on the ground smashing it and was swearing.

He then turned his attention to the police and also swore at them.

The court heard that Richards then took off this t-shirt and began puffing out his chest and pushing his shoulders back in an aggressive manner.

Police tried to calm him down but to no avail.

Richards told them: ‘Go for your baton. Take one step closer and you’re having it.’

Officers then used Pava spray to subdue him and he was arrested and taken to police headquarters.

Once they got close enough police said that Richards was clearly drunk, smelling of alcohol, slurring his words and unsteady on his feet.

Defending Richards in court, his advocate Peter Russell said: ‘This was an unfortunate incident. One that is a reflection of where his life was at and still is. The row was with his estranged wife of 12 years. Unfortunately the marriage has broken down and Mr Richards has been struggling to cope with it.

‘They had been out together for a drink. He drank too much and can’t really explain even what the argument was about. His recollection is not good.

‘My client is genuinely remorseful and apologised to police. He has been seeing the Mental Health team and has an appointment with Occupational Therapy to work on some issues, anger and anxiety.

‘I can report he is not drinking anymore. He realises he will end up in a lot more trouble if he continues.’

Mr Russell went on to say that Richards was currently signed off work and was receiving incapacity benefit, struggling financially.

He said that his client was living on £89 a week and could realistically afford to pay £10 per week towards any financial penalty imposed on him.

‘He is not heavily convicted and has not been in trouble for some time. We would ask for credit for his early guilty plea,’ said the advocate.

‘Clearly he was not co-operating at the time so we cannot ask for credit for that.

‘However, the following day he was able to apologise and recognise his behaviour was wrong.

Chair of the magistrates David Craine said while passing sentence: ‘We have listened to the circumstances and are pleased to hear that you are trying not to drink.

‘This was a clear case of alcohol in, sense out. This will result in a fine but we will accept your offer of £10 per week. We appreciate it may be difficult for you.’

Magistrates ordered that Richards should start paying the fine from Friday, November 25 and there are 30 days in default of payment.

A drink-driver was so intoxicated she managed to drive only a few yards before smashing into three parked vehicles, a court was told.

By her own admission, Lauren Anne Cawte had drunk six or seven glasses of wine on a night out before jumping into her car outside her home on Murray’s Road, Douglas.

But seconds later, her journey ended as she smashed into three cars on nearby Hilary Road.

For the prosecution, Barry Swain said the 22-year-old hairdresser had a row with her boy friend. When he left to return home to Ramsey at around 3am, she set off in her car in pursuit, forgetting how much she had had to drink.

Mr Swain told the court the first police knew of the incident was when someone reported a Citroen C3 crashed and abandoned on Hilary Road. The defendant was tracked down to a nearby house and she confirmed she had been drinking into the early hours of the morning, and had then driven the car. A breath test produced a reading of 80, significantly above the drink drive limit of 35.

Mr Swain said: ‘In a rage she got in to her car to follow her boyfriend to Ramsey. She did not think about her suitability to drive or remember colliding with anything. It was all a blur.’

A pre-sentence report on the defendant suggested a reparation order, requiring her to speak to school pupils about the folly of drink-driving.

Defending her, Roger Kane told the court: ‘I think it’s a terrific idea. She is an honest, hard working 22-year-old who has never been in trouble with the police before. From the moment she offended, she held her hands up and admitted it.

‘She could not be more remorseful and that shows in her willingness to undertake the reparation order.’

Sentencing her, magistrates’ chairman John Hellowell said it was a very serious offence which would normally attract a prison sentence.

She received a 24-hour reparation order and a three-year driving ban. She must pass an extended test, complete a drivers’ alcohol rehabilitation course and pay £125 costs.

His family have been fishing here for three generations.

But Ramsey-based James Moore’s scallop vessel is the only Manx boat to have been denied a licence to fish for queenies and king scallops.

It’s a bitter blow for someone who has invested in a new boat, the Thom Ryan - and who has seen dozens of off-island boats converge on Manx territorial waters for the start of the king scallop season.

The reason he has been denied a permit is that he had no track record of fishing in Manx waters for the required years of 2011 to 2015 – and that’s because he only purchased the vessel in 2014 and it had not previously fished here.

His case has been taken up by the Manx Fish Producers’ Organisation who accept there is little that can be done as if an exemption was made for a Manx fisherman it would have to apply to boats from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mr Moore, who is part-owner of the Thom Ryan, said: ‘When we bought the vessel in 2014 there were no plans in place to restrict licences. This only came in the 2015/2016 scallop season as there had been an increase of non-local boats turning up to fish scallops in Manx waters.

‘We have also been kicked out of the queen scallop net fishing as well which meant we couldn’t even fish the summer months of this year in Manx waters. We have invested a large amount of money and time in the vessel.

‘DEFA knew the Thom Ryan was going to become a Manx-registered vessel and target king and queen scallops in Manx waters but they still didn’t put any safeguards to protect the local fleet. They said it would be discriminative to non-local vessels. My family have fished here for over 40 years - isn’t this discriminatory to us?’

The Thom Ryan, which was built in 1969 and had previously worked out of Hartlepool guarding the off-shore windfarms, was converted into a scalloper and registered as a Manx vessel in August of 2015.

Under the rules, boats over 15 metres have to supply a track record of fishing activity in Manx waters for 26 days over a four-year period.

An appeal by Mr Moore and the Manx Fish Producers’ Organisation was rejected.

But Mr Moore claims at least five more permit were issued to other non-Manx vessels who appealed.

David Beard, chief executive of the MFPO, said: ‘It’s a tough one. This is a Manx family who have fished here for three generations.

‘The government has signed a fisheries management agreement with all the other administrations and there can’t be any discrimination in how the rules are applied. If they allow James’s boat a huge number of other boats would also have to be allowed.’

In an email, Minister Geoffrey Boot told Mr Moore: ‘I understand your disappointment in not having been granted a licence to fish for king scallops within the territorial sea. However, I am committed to ensuring the sustainability of this fishery.’

Talented Kumar Menon has scooped another food award.

Onion bhaji mix, produced by his ‘labour of love’ business, Leela’s kitchen, based in Douglas, won Gold in the 37th Quality Food Awards, held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

Kumar, owner of Leela’s kitchen, said: ‘I’m over the moon, still cannot believe I actually won Gold in the prestigious Quality food awards.

‘It was was unreal to see Leela’s kitchen alongside Aldi, Lidl, M&S, Tesco, Co-op to name a few.’

His success came just days after his business was awarded one-star each (simply delicious) Great Taste awards for its vindaloo curry powder and mild curry powder.

Following his latest accolade Kumar said: ‘I strive to ensure my products use the best ingredients, and feedback from my customers is extremely positive. I’m glad the judges thought so too.

‘Leela’s kitchen products including award winning spices can be bought online at www.leelaskitchen.co.uk, Robinson’s, Tynwald Mills, The Good Health store, Port Erin, The Cook Shack, Bride, The Food Assembly, Noa’s Bakehouse, Mostly Manx and the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal, Douglas.

‘I’d also love to hear from anyone who would like to stock my produce on and off our island.’

Kumar added: ‘I would like to thank my mom, my nana Leela and my partner Michele for all the help and support, not to mention our Manx community for their continuous support for making my small business grow.’ The couple’s daughteris also called Leela.

Kumar said proudly: ‘That’s one more award for a Manx produce.’

Douglas mayor John Skinner will switch on Douglas’s Christmas lights today (Thursday) at 7pm.

Events will unfold from 6.15pm on Lower Ridgeway Street, which will be closed to traffic until 2am. Road closures will also be in place on Prospect Hill between Athol Street and Ridgeway Street.

Entertainment preceding the switch-on, includes carols with Douglas Town Band, a Miley Cyrus number sung by Grace Lee, 11, and a snippet from this year’s Gaiety pantomime, The Wizard of Oz.

The event also marks the start of late night shopping in Douglas, with free parking after 5pm on Thursdays and weekends at Shaw’s Brow and the Bottleneck; free after 3pm, weekdays in Chester Street; £2 all day on Saturdays.

Police are investigating after the front door of premises in Athol Street, Douglas, was forced open.

The incident happened between 10pm on Friday, November 18, and 7am on Sunday, November 20, at 30 Athol Street.

A police spokesman said: ‘The lock sustained damage as a result. However it does not appear that anything has been taken from within the premises.’

Your island, your news

After years of dithering and the public forking out £3m, not one inch of Tarmac had been laid. But now a ‘temporary fix’ is being made on the road from Broadway to Summer Hill.

It should be finished by December 4.

Isle of Man Cycling’s AGM takes place this evening (Thursday) at the Jimmy Crosbie Memorial bandroom, Derby Road, Douglas at 6pm.

l The Geoff Quine Memorial Ride leaves the NSC gates this Sunday at 9.15am.

The entry charge of £6 includes coffee and cake at Silverdale Cafe, with all profits split between Multiple Sclerosis Society and the James Berry Fund.

The Geoff Quine Spirit of Cycling award will be presented at the café. Enter at Bikestyle or Eurocycles.

l The Fellowship of Manx Veteran Cyclists’ annual Christmas lunch takes place at the Palace Hotel on Thursday, December 15, starting 12.30 for 1pm with a cost of £20.

Email FMVC@wm.im for more details.

l Manx Road Club’s winter turbo sessions take place each Wednesday at the Education Resource Centre, Glencrutchery School from 7pm.

Island snooker player Darryl Hill has lost 6-1 to world number 41 Mike Dunn in the first round of the Betway UK Championship.

Hill, who was ranked 93 in the world going into the prestigious tournament, lost the best-of-11-frames encounter at York’s Barbican theatre on Wednesday.

Dunn will now take on Cypriot player Michael Georgiou in the competition’s second round.

I would agree that it might sound like a lot of rubbish but the idea being put about in the Isle of Man last week was that other countries, like the UK, should send us their waste for burning in our so-called energy from waste plant at the bottom of Richmond Hill.

We used to call this the refuse incinerator years ago when Tynwald was trying to decide whether or not it should build the thing and in the debates at least one member used to call it the ‘insimnerator’.

At the time we had a refuse problem with the population growing apace and creating more and more waste and the idea of landfill was wholly unacceptable.

Today our population growth appears to have stalled round about the nearly 90,000 mark and we haven’t been creating enough rubbish to keep the home fires burning to the full in the incinerator. But I would like to know why we should now start taking in other people’s waste.

What we should be doing is thinking up ideas for creating more new kinds of local waste – let’s call it rubbish – to get the incinerator’s operations up to capacity I would like thought to be given to what things like buildings and such – or even people if it comes to that – should now be defined as junk and put to the flames.

Mind you Tynwald would have to make it legal for men and women to have their wives and husbands or even mothers-in-law despatched in the incinerator. This might cause the Isle of Man to get the wrong sort of publicity.

Finally regular reader Frank Bond tells us that the Examiner’s view was that it would depend on how much ‘bottom ash’ was produced.

I don’t like the sound of that stuff at all.

THIS man’s athletic balancing act has, apparently, nothing to do with the Isle of Man or the Three Legs of Man.

The photograph appeared in The Times and it illustrated an article about couples in Britain who spend most of their time together taking part in keep-fit exercise programmes designed to give them the body beautiful.

The article was written by Shane Wilson who says they are a new breed – but no fun at all.

The man’s balancing act appears to be one that he does regularly but there is no indication that it is anything to do with the Isle of Man or the Three Legs of Man.

Mr Wilson refrains from advising people not to try this at home and I would endorse that, even if they might be Manx.

THIS week’s crossword clue has come in from Frank Bond (who also features today in another context) and it comes from the Telegraph Big Book of Crosswords as follows: ‘Forecaster holding races for dog (7).’

LAST week I went to Noble’s Hospital have blood samples taken for one of my regular health checks. The lady taking the blood told me comfortingly as she inserted the needle: ‘Just a little scratch.’ She added: ‘We used to say just a little prick but we have been told not to say that any more because of political correctness.’

I think the word describes one of the people who try to impose the cultural fascism of political correctness upon us.

CROSSWORD: Setter.

LAST week the Manx Independent had a story in which EasyJet promised nicely to do more to prevent delays and cancellations on its flights between Gatwick and the Isle of Man. In that case would they mind refunding the money I had to spend to get on a later flight after I was booked on one of theirs from Gatwick which was cancelled – in, er, June this year. My trusty travel agent Peter Crossley assures me they have promised to do so.

Does this come under the heading of a delay or a cancellation?

A new initiative is coming to the Isle of Man, says Christian Aid Isle of Man’s local climate campaigner Cat Turner

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The EcoChurches movement was started in the UK by A Rocha UK (www.arocha.org.uk), a Christian charity working for the protection and restoration of the natural world.

Across the UK, churches are signing up and finding out how they and their congregations can be more environmentally friendly.

It’s inspiring – they’re investigating energy efficiency, renewable power, recycling, creating pollinator-friendly surroundings and buying things they need more sustainably.

So we’re excited that Dr Ruth Valerio, A Rocha’s churches and theology director, will visit the island to launch an Isle of Man version.

She’ll be here from Thursday to Sunday, November 24-27, explaining what people, and their churches, can do to become an EcoChurch and look after our planet and community.

Ruth will lead an informal discussion and supper, entitled ‘Environment and Faith’, for members of faith and environmental groups, organised by Christian Aid IoM.

It’ll be held on Friday at 7.30pm, at Onchan Methodist Church Hall.

We’re hoping that as many people as possible will come – you don’t need to belong to a church or be Christian – to explore how our beliefs affect our attitude to the environment, and sharing ideas on how places of worship and community in the island can become more sustainable.

We’ll provide supper – if you’d like to come let us know by emailing Louise Whitelegg, Christian Aid’s IoM Co-Ordinator, at lwhitelegg@christian-aid.org – though if you forget, please come anyway, we’ll manage to stretch the soup!

Ruth will also lead a service at the Broadway Baptist Church on Sunday, and on Saturday she’ll be at an informal drop-in session at St John’s Mill – www.stjohnsmill.com – where church leaders and members can find out more, and sign up.

This session will run in tandem with Petrina Kent’s thought-provoking exhibition at the Mill – a lovely display, described as follows: ‘With vivid immediacy Petrina engages the viewer to feel the freshness of the air in her paintings and be embraced by light.

‘As an expression of her Christian faith she explores the theme of light and in the extreme “contra jour” paintings the viewer is not so much staring into the sun but is invited into the presence of God.

‘In this way she seeks to show the experience of God in our landscape. It is an understatement to say that for a believing artist, this is a task of great gravity, yet she has emerged from it ‘enlightened’ in every sense.’