August

A Derbyshire trader has been fined after two bottles of a vodka drink were sold to an undercover child volunteer. 

In a case brought by Derbyshire County Council`s trading standards, Rashpal Singh, licensee of the Mastin Moor General Store and Post Office, pleaded not guilty. 

He appeared before Chesterfield magistrates` court yesterday (27 August) and under the 1964 Licensing Act he was found guilty of selling alcohol to a person below the legal age of 18. 

He was fined £250 and ordered to pay the county council`s costs of £410. 

The court heard that the 15-year-old volunteer visited the store on 17 August 2002 and bought two bottles of Smirnoff Vodka Ice. 

Although Mr Singh was not present and so did not serve the child, the licensee is responsible under the legislation for `exercising all due diligence` to ensure an offence is not committed in their absence. The court found that Mr Singh had not exercised all due diligence. 

The prosecution was the latest in Derbyshire County Council`s on-going crack down on the illegal sale of alcohol and other age-restricted products to children. The other products are cigarettes, fireworks, butane lighter refills and knives. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "This case highlights how crucial it is for licensees to make sure that in their absence, the person serving fully understands and complies with the legislation. 

"Alcohol consumption by children can lead to significant health and social problems and it is totally unacceptable that the traders are prepared to risk this, just for the sake of a few extra pounds in the till. Our enforcement visits will continue, targeting all areas of the county." 

To assist retailers the county council has launched an information campaign targeted at shops and off licences. A series of seminars will be taking place throughout the county to explain to traders the latest legislation and regulations covering age-restricted products. 

Traders are welcome to attend any of the seminars, which start at 1pm as follows: 

• Chesterfield area: 2 September at the Winding Wheel, Holywell Street, Chesterfield 
• South Derbyshire: 3 September at the Old Town Hall, Grove Street, Swadlincote. 
• High Peak: 9 September at Buxton Pavilion Gardens, St Johns Street, Buxton 
• Erewash: 11 September at the Albion Leisure Centre, East Street, Ilkeston 
• Bolsover area: 16 September at the Assembly Room, Cotton Street, Bolsover 
• North East Derbyshire: 18 September at Winding Wheel at Holywell Street, Chesterfield 
• Amber Valley: 25 September at Ripley Leisure Centre, Derby Road, Ripley 
• Derbyshire Dales: 30 September at the Bakewell Agriculture Centre 

Traders seeking further information can contact trading standards on 01629 585858. 

A new eight-week course for men interested in a career working with children is starting later this month. 

The part-time training programme in childcare is free and will provide successful candidates with an Open College Network Certificate in Practical Play as well as certificates in first aid, food hygiene and health and safety. 

Derbyshire Early Years and Childcare Partnership along with Derbyshire County Council`s MaC Project have designed the course as part of an ongoing campaign to encourage more men to take up careers in childcare. It will equip applicants with the right variety of skills to apply for jobs working with children. 

Child development will be the focus of the course which will look at activities that children enjoy such as music and sound, painting and drawing and imaginative play. After completing the course, the qualified candidates will then be given help and advice for their future whether it is further training, finding jobs or setting up a business in childcare. 

Potential applicants interested in other related occupations can also benefit from the training as it covers areas such as youth work, sports development and sports coaching. 

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "Traditionally, it is women who have done this kind of work, however, society is changing and more and more men are interested in this rewarding role. 

"All you need is a caring nature, an ability to listen and praise and a great sense of humour. 

"This new course could help you decide if working with children is for you." An informal information session will be held in Chesterfield on Monday, September 22, between 9.30am and 2.30pm for anyone interested in joining the course. 

Lunch is provided and travel costs will be refunded. Childcare facilities are also available. 

To attend the information session or to find out how to apply for the course, which starts at the end of September, contact Mary Bond on 01246 554184 or email marybond.macproject@ukonline.co.uk or call Debbie Bushell on 01629 580000 ext 5749.

Drivers will be asked to think about their speed in a hard-hitting road safety campaign launched across the county next week (September 2). 

Derbyshire County Council has joined forces with the police, Derby City Council and primary care trusts to spearhead the annual six-week safety promotion. 

This year the fire and ambulance emergency services have also added their support to highlight how road accidents affect not just the driver, their victims, families and friends but also the professionals who have to deal with the consequences. 

Campaign posters will be placed at 500 target locations requested by county and city councillors, parish and town boroughs reminding drivers that it is "Better Late Than Never" and "Speeding Wrecks Lives". 

In addition 3,000 of the eye-catching yellow and black designs will be placed in garages, council offices, police stations, libraries, schools and on some buses. 

The posters will be backed up over the first four weeks by a series of BBC Radio Derby and BBC Radio Sheffield broadcasts on related issues. 

The aim of the campaign is to encourage drivers to consider their own safety and that of other road users by thinking about the consequences of fast and dangerous driving. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "We hope that by encouraging motorists to consider the consequences accidents have on so many people will make them to think twice about their speed. 

"Saving lives and reducing injury on Derbyshire`s roads is one of the council`s key priorities and we believe that encouraging drivers to slow down will play a major part in helping to achieving this aim." 

Supporting the annual anti-speed campaign is one of the ways the county council aims to achieve its targets to reduce the number of road deaths and serious injury by 60 per cent for children and 45 per cent for adults by 2010. 

Commenting on this year`s campaign city council cabinet member for planning, transportation and environment Councillor Lucy Care said: "The faster people go, the more likely they are to have a collision and the more likely it is that anyone involved will be more severely injured or even killed, so we hope the posters will remind drivers to watch their speed." 

And Chief Inspector Paul Berry, head of Derbyshire Constabulary road policing, said: "By the end of this July 39 people had been killed on Derbyshire`s roads and more than 300 seriously injured. 

Many of these collisions could have been avoided if those involved had been travelling at a more reasonable speed. 

"Many drivers and riders routinely speed and the enforcement of speed limits has been identified as a top priority in our determination to reduce the number of casualties on Derbyshire`s roads. 

"We need to convince all road users that speeding is simply not acceptable and that`s why we`ve joined forces with the county and city councils to support this campaign." 

Free campaign car stickers can be picked up from BBC Radio Derby, post offices, council buildings, garages and main police stations around the county and city. "Spotters" will be out and about and each week a driver whose vehicle displays a sticker will win £200. 

On the anti-speed campaign launch day a new road safety camera information website www.slowitdown.co.uk (opens in a new window) is being launched to highlight how speed is the biggest contributory factor in road collisions and casualties. It will provide details of camera locations, statistics and other relevant information.

Block paving is to be laid in part of Belper`s pedestrianised area by Derbyshire County Council to improve the surface and make the area more attractive. 

The work will take place in King Street, between Campbell Street and Strutt Street. The paving slabs on the pavement outside shops, including Clarks and Thorntons, will be removed and replaced with smaller block paving. 

Some minor improvements will also be made to other areas of the road, around manhole covers and gullies, to strengthen the surface so that buses can travel along there without damaging the surface. 

Work on the £27,000 project will begin on Monday 8 September and take four weeks to complete. 

Derbyshire County Council leader, Councillor John Williams, said: "We are doing everything possible to reduce disruption to shoppers, with some of the work taking place between 6pm and 11pm. 

"However it will be necessary to do some work during the day and this will involve some temporary road closures. We would ask shoppers and motorists to be patient during these periods. 

"Once the project is finished King Street will be a much more attractive place for shoppers." 

The work will be carried out by Derbyshire County Council`s in-house direct labour organisation.

Confused by the census? Puzzled by parish registers? If so, Derbyshire County Council may have just the event for you. 

The authority has planned a new family history workshop for beginners as part of its popular series of events about Derbyshire`s heritage at Chesterfield Library. 

It will provide a guide for amateur researchers who do not know where to start their investigation or how to go about it. 

The first two-hour workshop will be held at the New Beetwell Street library on November 6 starting at 9.45am and again on November 21 and December 2. The cost is £5 per session including an information pack and refreshments. Each workshop is limited to six people and advance booking is required by signing on at the library`s local studies enquiry desk. 

Meanwhile, local history enthusiasts can also look forward to two other events at Chesterfield Library this autumn. 

The new Picture the Past website, www.picturethepast.org.uk (opens in a new window) which features historical photographs of the area which people can view online and buy, will be demonstrated by project manager Nick Tomlinson at an event next month. 

The free event, called Picture Derbyshire, will be held in the library lecture theatre on Friday 26 September at 10am. No tickets are required. 

And on October 31 Chesterfield resident Alva de Chiro will be making a return visit to give her popular recital of letters sent to her mother from a great-aunt who lived in Cornwall 100 years ago. Her talk entitled "A Veiled Journey" is based on the family letters, which paint a vivid picture of her life during visits to Chesterfield in Victorian and Edwardian times. 

Tickets are £1 with 60p concessions and go on sale on October 6. Places are limited so tickets must be bought in advance. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "We are delighted to be able to host these local history events using the local experts! 

"Our talks have proved extremely popular in the past and I`m sure they will bring Chesterfield`s colourful past to life once again. I`m also confident the new workshops will also provide a useful guide for residents wanting to research their family history." 

A new guide has been published by Derbyshire County Council to help disabled and older people when travelling. 

The free booklet, called Going Places, provides information about bus and train facilities that are available in Derbyshire for people with visual or hearing impairments, older people or people with mobility problems. 

The comprehensive guide also has details about concessionary travel on public transport and community transport schemes, including dial-a-bus and dial-a-ride services. 

Derbyshire County Council Leader, Councillor John Williams, said: "Going Places is an easy-to-use guide that will assist people with disabilities or mobility problems to get out and about using public transport. 

"It helps remove the barriers which can stop people travelling so that they can take full advantage of work and leisure opportunities." 

The guide also contains details about: 

• The accessibility of bus and train stations 
• How close they are to car parks 
• The clarity of signs and timetable information at public transport stations 

Going Places is available from Derbyshire libraries, tourist information centres or by ringing Call Derbyshire, the county council`s contact centre on 0845 6 058 058. The contact centre is open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 9.30am to 4pm on Saturdays. Calls are charged at local rates. 

Access and disabled groups will also have copies to give to their members.

Parents wanting to brush up on their English skills can take advantage of a new daytime course in Glossop - along with free childcare for their children. 

Derbyshire County Council`s adult community education service is running a GCSE English course every Tuesday afternoon at its Talbot House centre on Talbot Road, specifically designed to give everyone an equal chance to learn. 

The 30-week course starts on Tuesday, September 9 and runs each week from 1pm-3pm. Childcare will be provided free of charge to anyone who needs it throughout the hours of the course. 

The programme is ideal for anyone wishing to improve their C.V., get a better job, move on to further education or to build on their self-confidence. 

The total cost of the course is £20.00, which is to cover the exam fee, however it is free to those who are in receipt of benefits. 

As this programme is new, details are not in the council`s adult community education brochure but for more information on this course and many other English and maths courses in the Glossop area, call Helen Walters or Debbie Wyatt on 01457 852245. 

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "We have provided this new daytime course because we know that not everyone can attend the usual evening courses. 

"Parents with young children can take advantage of the childcare option and enjoy themselves by learning a new skill and gaining a professional qualification. 

"We hope that adults will use this opportunity to widen their horizons at the same time as increasing their self-confidence." 

Information about similar courses can be found on the www.derbyshire.gov.uk/adulteducation (opens in a new window)

Derbyshire trading standards` campaign to stop the sale of alcohol, cigarettes, butane gas/solvent, knives and fireworks to children is about to step up a gear. 

An information blitz gets underway in September, targeted at hundreds of shops and off licences. 

The businesses are being invited to a series of seminars - titled "Don`t be afraid to say no" - which will outline the latest regulations and legislation, along with the penalties risked by those who flout the law. 

The county council has been operating a high profile enforcement campaign over the past five years, targeting traders who sell the goods to children. 

However, although there have been dozens of prosecutions, the authority is concerned that many traders continue to flout the law. 

With this in mind the seminars will ensure that traders are fully aware of the latest legislation and the penalties for non-compliance. 

Sessions take place in all districts (see `Notes to News Editors`). They are open to all licensees and their staff, and invitations have been sent out to hundreds of Derbyshire businesses. They will cover the following areas: 

• The county council`s on-going enforcement action 
• The latest legislation - and who would be responsible in the event of a prosecution 
• Asking for proof of age - and the importance of refusing the sale if in doubt 
• The health and safety risks of selling to children. For example, solvent can cause death in 10 seconds and police are concerned at alcohol-related anti-social behaviour. 

The authority`s enforcement action will continue alongside the information campaign. Enforcement officers use undercover child volunteers who enter the shops and try to buy the goods. Traders who sell to children risk big fines and even prison (see `Notes to News Editors). 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "The vast majority of Derbyshire traders are reputable and we want to work with them to reduce the incidence of underage sales. 

"The seminars will reinforce the legislation, get across the risks of breaking the law and provide advice on how to train and monitor staff. 

"However, there will inevitably be a hard core of rogues who do not care about the law and will continue to put their livelihoods on the line for a few pounds - and so our enforcement activities will continue alongside the information campaign." 

Trading standards officers from Derbyshire County Council are warning businesses about a scam that sees them receive payment demands for goods they never asked for. 

The warning has been issued after a number of local traders alerted the authority to the scam, which has been targeting small businesses. 

The traders received a call from someone asking for the business address and the name of the person they were speaking to. 

Typically, the caller explains that they have a parcel to deliver. Subsequently a parcel containing till rolls is delivered, along with a payment demand – even though the trader never ordered the goods. 

When the delivery is queried the trader is told that the sender has details – or even a phone recording – to prove that the goods were ordered. 

Trading standards is urging businesses not to fall for the scam. They advise that recipients can either: 

• Post a letter to the sender advising that the goods were unsolicited, giving details of the address for them to be collected from. The sender has 30 days to collect them – and if they don’t, ownership reverts to the recipient, or; 
• Keep the goods for six months. If the sender makes no attempt to collect them ownership transfers to the recipient. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: “It is an offence to demand payment for unsolicited goods. The scam relies on people getting confused or paying because they think another member of staff had ordered the goods. 

“Although relatively small amounts are involved the rogue trader would make a tidy amount if all of the businesses fell for the scam. 

“Our advice is to stand firm, refuse payment and let the sender arrange for the unwanted goods to be collected.” 

Derbyshire traders targeted by this – or any other – scam can contact trading standards for more advice on 01629 585858. 

National test results for seven, 11 and 14-year-olds - published today by the Government - show that Derbyshire pupils have again outperformed schools throughout the country in almost every subject area. 

Derbyshire County Council has welcomed the news, which continues the significant improvements in standards notched up by the county’s schools over recent years at all age groups. 

At Key Stage 1 (national tests for seven-year-olds) Derbyshire pupils are well ahead of schools around the country in all key subject areas. 

At Key Stage 2 (national tests for 11-year-olds) Derbyshire pupils also achieved better results than their national counterparts in all subject areas. 

At Key Stage 3 (national tests for 14-year-olds) local students outperformed schools around the country at maths and science. At Key Stage 3 in English, Derbyshire is just below the national average. However, the statistics are provisional at this stage and with a number of local schools appealing their KS3 English scores, the county council expects Derbyshire’s final result to be in line with the national average. 

The results are published on the back of last week’s A-Levels, which showed that Derbyshire pupils are improving at a faster rate than the national average. The county council hopes that Derbyshire’s GCSE results, published on Thursday (21 August), will reflect the strong progress in all other age groups. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: “Pupils, teachers, parents and governors all deserve praise for these results. Over the past four years strong progress has been made in all subject areas at all age groups and we have achieved higher results than other areas around the country. 

“We’ll continue to provide support to our schools so that improvements are made and in particular we’ll target those schools who most need to boost their levels of attainment. 

“However, as in previous years we would urge parents to exercise a note of caution and not look at these results in cold isolation. 

“They only tell one part of the story of how schools are helping youngsters develop and make progress. “What they don’t show is how schools have helped children to fit in, reach their potential and achieve better-than-expected results.” 

Further details about the national results are available from the Government by visiting the website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk (opens in a new window)

Members of the public are being asked to comment on changes to a document which sets out the ground rules for waste management planning applications in Derbyshire. 

The first draft of the Derby and Derbyshire Waste Local Plan was published last year by Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council. 

Once adopted in 2005 it will guide councillors` decisions on planning applications for projects such as: 

• Recycling centres 
• Landfill sites 
• Energy-from-waste plants 

During a public consultation into the first draft 135 views were received from individuals and organisations, which led to almost 100 changes to the plan. 

The public is now being given the chance to comment on the revised plan during a six-week consultation period from Friday 29 August to Friday 10 October. 

All comments will be considered by an independent planning inspector, probably in summer 2004. The inspector may recommend that the two councils make further changes before producing the final version of the plan. 

Councillor Brian Lucas, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: “The plan is based on the principles of sustainable development, which encourages projects that benefit the environment and communities, both now and in the future. 

“Before we go any further we want to hear the views of local people, businesses and interest groups.” 

The plan will be available for the public to see from 29 August at Derbyshire’s county, city, district and borough council offices and Buxton Library. Comment forms will be available at all the offices. Click www.derbyshire.gov.uk/wastelocalplan/index.htm (opens in a new window) to see our online information about the waste local plan. 

Further information is available from Ken Acons at Derbyshire County Council on 01629 580000, extension 7158 or Dave Slinger at Derby City Council on 01332 256001. 

A leading county councillor is urging Derbyshire residents to vote in a television phone poll that could see Cromford Mill restored to its former glory. 

Derbyshire County Council is supporting efforts to encourage viewers of the BBC Two Restoration programme to select Sir Richard Arkwright’s First Mill as the endangered building that they would most like to see restored. 

The grade one listed mill is the only building from the East Midlands being featured in the series and will face opposition from Newman Brothers Coffin Factory in Birmingham and the Bethesda Chapel in Stoke-on-Trent when the Midlands regional final is shown at 9pm on Tuesday 26 August. 

If the mill is successful it will then go on to a national final against nine other endangered buildings. The overall winner will be given money by the TV show to carry out a restoration project. 

Councillor Geoff Carlile, Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, said: “Cromford Mill does not get the national recognition it deserves. It is not just an important building in the history of Britain but in the history of the world. 

“As the first factory it was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and became the blueprint for factories worldwide. 

“Even today school children across the world learn about Arkwright’s First Mill at Cromford in history lessons. Foreign visitors cannot believe that, as a nation, we have let such an important historic building get into the state it is in today.” 

Members of the public can vote to see Cromford Mill restored by ringing 0901 077 7777 between 25 and 27 August. Calls cost 30p with a minimum of 17.9p from every call going towards the cost of restoring the winning building. Viewers can vote as many times as they like. 

Councillor Carlile added: “I would urge people in Derbyshire and across the East Midlands to vote to save a piece of local history. 

“Restoring Cromford Mill would enable the Arkwright Society to create an interactive museum on the site to explain the historical significance of the buildings to visitors, which in turn will bring more tourists to the area.” 

Cromford Mill is the only building being featured in the Restoration programme that is within a World Heritage Site. The status was given to the Derwent Valley area to recognise its role in the Industrial Revolution, which changed the face of world commerce. 

Crime reduction and community safety initiatives in North East and South Derbyshire are to share in a £45,000 funding boost from Derbyshire County Council. 

In North East Derbyshire the county council is ploughing £25,000 into a £146,000 scheme to develop positive activities for young people in North Wingfield. 

And in South Derbyshire the authority will contribute £20,000 to a £140,000 home security project. The grants are the latest to be announced by the county council as part of its community safety grant award scheme, and they bring the total awarded over the past 18 months to over £200,000. 

This year the council has pledged to plough a further £200,000 into schemes throughout Derbyshire. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "The county council has a key role to play in supporting Derbyshire`s community safety partnerships and I am delighted that we have been able to award the latest grants. We are determined to work with our partner organisations to reduce crime and disorder in Derbyshire and a key part of this is funding grass roots initiatives." 

The grants announced today are: 

• North Wingfield Youth Facilities Project 

This initiative is being co-ordinated by the North East Derbyshire Community Safety Partnership. It will develop land off Blacks Lane next to Deincourt Community School to provide recreational facilities for local young people - including a multi-use games area, youth shelter and BMX/skateboard park. 

The village has suffered from anti-social behaviour and the initiative will aim to divert teenagers into positive activities. 

Young people have been consulted about the plans and a host of organisations have been involved in developing the project, including the district, parish and county councils, police and local schools. 

• South Derbyshire home security project 

This initiative is being co-ordinated by the South Derbyshire Crime and Disorder Partnership. The partnership has established a burglary reduction team and the county council`s funding will contribute towards their latest initiative - the home security project. 

The initiative will target areas with a higher burglary rate than the South Derbyshire average, focusing on victims of burglary and also vulnerable householders such as those living in sheltered housing. 

The service will install alarm systems and provide crime prevention advice and guidance.

The pulling power of a pint of Guinness and a tin of treacle to moths will be one of the more unusual sights at a Derbyshire County Council countryside event. 

Rangers from the authority`s countryside service, together with the Pleasley Pit Nature Study Group, plan to give wildlife enthusiasts a close-up look at the life of moths during the Something in the Air activity day on Saturday 23 August. 

They intend to attract the moths so that they can be seen at close quarters by using two different techniques. One will see a fence post coated with Guinness and treacle, while the other will use a powerful mercury vapour lamp. 

Moth experts will be on hand to identify the insects and explain more about their life. 

People taking part should bring a jumper, stout footwear and a torch. The free event will be held at the Pleasley Pit wildlife site, off the A617 Pit Lane in Pleasley from 7.30pm to 11.30pm. 

Earlier in the day, between 1pm and 4pm, flying of a different kind will be on the agenda when young people can take part in a kite making and flying session. 

For just 50p youngsters will be given the materials and shown how to make a simple kite, before getting the chance to fly it around the Pleasley Pit wildlife site. 

Derbyshire County Council Leader, Councillor John Williams, said: "The Something in the Air event will provide an enjoyable day of fun and learning for the whole family. 

"Places will be limited so need to be booked in advance." 

For further information, or to book places on either of the events, call Clay Cross Countryside Centre staff on 01246 866960. 

Students signing up to learn new skills with Derbyshire County Council may find themselves studying well away from the classroom this coming autumn. 

A café in a country park, 

bookshop, council chamber and garden centre are among the more unusual settings being used by the authority`s adult community education service to help deliver its extensive programme of learning, starting in September. 

Many of the thousands of courses about to get under way across Derbyshire are run in the county council`s adult community education centres, village halls and schools. 

But several are being run outside the classroom to give people the opportunity to access courses near their homes and in interesting and exciting learning environments. 

Derbyshire County Council adult community education offers the largest choice of education and training opportunities for adults in the county. Many courses are free and more than 60 per cent of students get discounted tuition. 

County Councillor Bob Janes, the council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "I am delighted we have secured such exciting and interesting venues. 

"Adult education is not like school. We offer dozens of different kinds of courses at all times of the day and evening, from computing to crafts, basic skills to yoga - and at all kinds of venues. 

"I am pleased we can offer so many choices to people - it helps break down barriers to learning." 

Some classes have grown in popularity since moving away from the classroom, he said. 

"We are committed to widening participation in education and this is one of the ways we can do it," he added. "People like to learn on their doorsteps and places like cafés, pubs and garden centres are not only convenient, they offer relaxed environments in which to learn." 

For details of any Derbyshire County Council adult education course, call 08 456 058 058 or visit the adult community education website at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/adulteducation (opens in a new window)

A trader who sold sweets with incorrect and insufficient labelling, has been fined £1,500 in a case brought by Derbyshire County Council`s trading standards. 

Michael Lee, of Flintham, Newark, appeared at Chesterfield Magistrates` Court today (13 August). He was also ordered to pay the council`s costs of £842. 

The court heard that trading standards officers bought sweets from Mr Lee`s market stall in Chesterfield last October. One of the packets - labelled assorted milk and plain chocolate (miss-shapes) - actually contained Fox`s Glacier Mints. A second packet of boiled sweets displayed no labelling information and the labelling on a third - called Mintdragees - was not in English. 

Crucially, this lack of information could have posed a risk to people with special dietary requirements such as food allergies or intolerances. 

Mr Lee pleaded guilty to two offences under the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 and one under the Food Safety Act 1990. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "Consumers - especially those with allergies or intolerances - rely on accurate labelling and we hope this case will send out a warning to other traders." 

A primary school near Chesterfield could provide a blueprint for developing the learning abilities of children with autism. 

An enhanced resource unit was established at Brampton Primary School in 2001 as part of a pilot scheme. 

The academic and general progress of the autistic youngsters has been so impressive over the past 18 months that Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet has this week awarded the school full status as an Enhanced Resource School. 

The status has been confirmed following extensive consultation and it officially comes into force on 1 September. 

In addition to its mainstream provision, Brampton will provide specialist support for eight autistic children. 

The high degree of support they receive - with structured teaching sessions and detailed individual learning plans - means that they have the potential to integrate into mainstream schooling and follow the normal curriculum. 

Initially the children learn in a separate unit within the school whilst their needs are assessed. However, they attend assembly, playtime and dinnertime with other pupils and as they develop they are integrated into mainstream lessons wherever possible. 

As well as providing high quality individual support and ensuring that they are taught closer to home, establishing the facility at Brampton is proving cost effective. 

This is because the funding for the facility is less than the cost of placing children in specialist provision outside the county. 

The Brampton facility forms part of the county`s support for young people with autism (see `Notes to News Editors`). 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: "The pilot was extremely successful and we have been delighted with the children`s progress. 

"Establishing the facility on a permanent basis will enable more children to receive support closer to home, rather than having to travel - possibly to a residential centre outside the county. 

"The pioneering work at Brampton could set the scene for provision within other mainstream schools."

Five sets of new records are examples of the range of archives recently made available in the county council-run Derbyshire Record Office providing interesting sources of information for students, local historians, researchers, and local community groups. 

They are: 

• The Leeds Woollen Cloth Company has given its detailed sales records to the Derbyshire Record Office. The company ran Derby`s main draper`s shop from the 1930s until it closed in 1974. 
• Title deeds for the opera house in Lord Haddon Road, Ilkeston have been transferred to the record office by a London-based firm of solicitors. Covering the period 1895 to 1986, the documents will be of interest to local historians tracing the history of the site and buildings. 
• Notes about criminal trials in Derby in 1841 have been given to Derbyshire Record Office. The records of Assizes, the main courts for serious cases up to 1974, are all held in London. Researchers will now be able to find out about the 1841 Assizes session in Derby at the record office. 
• New archives about a local agricultural show reveal how rural events have been run and organised in a Peak District village. The long-established Hope Sheepdog and Agricultural Society has now transferred its archives for safekeeping and historical research to the record office. 
• The archives of a former cyclist pressure group, the Long Eaton Bicycle Users` Group, are now available to researchers in Derbyshire Record Office. The records provide details about the role the group played in making sure that cyclists` voices were heard on local issues, especially those concerning access. 

These documents can be consulted in Derbyshire Record Office in New St., Matlock. More information is available by ringing the record office on 01629 580000, extension 35207 or emailing record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk 

A company supplying claw hammers has been fined £2,500 after an investigation by Derbyshire County Council`s trading standards uncovered a potentially dangerous flaw in the tool. 

The company - Stonegalleon PLC of Burnaby Road, Coventry - pleaded guilty to an offence under the 1994 General Product Safety Regulations. The company, which had imported 7,200 of the hammers from the Far East, was also ordered to pay the county council`s costs of £598, at Chesterfield Magistrates` Court today (13 August). 

The court heard that Derbyshire trading standards officers bought one of the claw hammers from a Chesterfield trader in August 2002 for 75 pence as part of a routine test purchasing exercise. 

They found the tool to be made of cast iron rather than forged steel. The casting was defective and lack of heat treatment during the manufacturing process meant that the hammer head could have shattered on impact, posing a serious safety risk to the user or anyone nearby. 

Stonegalleon admitted that they had not tested any of the batch as part of a quality control check, as would normally be expected for such a product. 

In mitigation the company said it immediately recalled all of the hammers and introduced new quality control measures. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "We are concerned that the company did not carry out any testing on these products and the hammer we tested could have caused serious injury. We welcome the news that the company has improved its quality control systems. Although price is not always an indicator of quality, in this case it appears that it was."

Bus services are to be temporarily changed in Ilkeston to reduce the risk of delays while major roadworks are carried out. 

Derbyshire County Council will spend £3,500 to enable bus services to run as normally as possible when the A6096 at Little Hallam Hill and Lower Stanton Road is closed for about a week from Monday 18 August. 

The temporary closures will be in place while Derbyshire County Council carries out a £121,000 resurfacing programme to improve the condition and skid resistance of the A6096. 

The work will cause disruption to bus services 21, 23 and 25, as well as the Ilkeston Flier route. 

Service 21 will operate as normal between Kirk Hallam and Nottingham but will not serve Ilkeston. 

Service 23 normally runs from Heanor to Kirk Hallam. During the roadworks it will just run from Heanor to Ilkeston but will keep to its normal timetable at these stops. 

The circular service 25 route between Ilkeston and Kirk Hallam will continue to operate to its normal timetable but will be diverted. To ensure that this doesn`t lead to delays Derbyshire County Council is paying for another bus to be put on the route so passengers can get to their destinations on time. 

The biggest changes will be to the Ilkeston Flyer route, which normally runs from Ilkeston town centre to Derby via Spondon and Kirk Hallam. During the roadworks the service will operate between Ilkeston and Derby only at its normal times. 

Derbyshire County Council is paying for an extra bus to be laid on so that people in Kirk Hallam can still travel to Derby. A temporary timetable is available for this service. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "These roadworks are the first part of a £250,000 investment by Derbyshire County Council to improve the roads in Ilkeston. 

"The road closures would have caused major problems and delays for bus passengers but by paying for these extra services the county council has done everything possible to avoid disruption. 

"We would recommend that passengers check the revised timetables to ensure that they know where to travel and at what times." 

Copies of the temporary Kirk Hallam to Derby timetable will be put up at bus stops on the route but passengers can get all the latest details by ringing Traveline on 0870 608 2 608. 

Details of the services are also available by visiting Derbyshire County Council`s public transport website at http://www.derbysbus.net (opens in a new window) 

Residents and businesses are being urged to have their say on a trial scheme designed to help ease parking problems in two Derbyshire towns. 

Derbyshire County Council has been testing new residents` parking schemes in three areas in Erewash - Albert Road in Long Eaton and St Mary`s Street and Queen`s Drive in Ilkeston. 

The experimental schemes - which allow residents-only parking with a £26 annual permit - were introduced in July 2002 and are due to run until the end of this year on a trial basis. 

As part of the trial, questionnaires were posted last month to all 698 houses and businesses in the affected areas to test opinion on whether the schemes should be made permanent, if they need changing or if they should be scrapped. 

So far only 265 replies have been returned and the council is concerned that not enough people have taken the chance to make comments. 

County council cabinet member for environment and highways Councillor Brian Lucas said: "It is very important that we hear from as many of the residents and businesses affected by this matter as possible. 

"We are keen to respond to the wishes of most of them but without their comments we will not be able to decide if the schemes should stay, need to be modified or removed altogether. 

"If anyone has received a questionnaire but not filled it in may I urge them to do so as soon as possible or pick one up from their local town hall." 

The scheme is being tested to overcome householders` parking problems caused by shoppers and commuters leaving their cars in residential areas for long periods. 

For an annual £26 fee residents receive a permit which allows them to park in marked bays in their scheme area. Non-permit holders are excluded. 

Copies of the questionnaire (including pre-paid return envelope) are available from Long Eaton Town Hall in Derby Road, Ilkeston Town Hall in Wharncliffe Road or by calling Nick Gibson at the county council on 01629 580000 ext 7627. Closing date for returns is Tuesday 2 September.

School improvement schemes totalling just under £1m were given the go-ahead at today`s Derbyshire County Council cabinet meeting. 

The works - at Ashbourne, Glossop, Killamarsh, Long Eaton and Tibshelf - range from new classrooms to improved access and refurbishment schemes. 

The schemes are: 

• Stanton Vale Special School, Long Eaton

Just over £115,000 will be used to repair and refurbish the school`s hydrotherapy pool. Stanton Vale occupies the site of the former Westbrook Special School, and it is currently undergoing a major refurbishment. 

A re-vamp of the pool has been planned since the relocation last year. The county council had become concerned about the safety and general structure of the pool. The scale of the works required meant that the pool had to be taken out of use pending an investigation by a structural consultant. 

A schedule of remedial works has now been finalised and it is hoped that work will get underway next month and by completed by the end of the year. The works will involve replacing tiling, filters, pump and pipework, along with replacement handrails, ramp and structural beam. 

The pool will also be available for use by youngsters with special educational needs from Aldercar Community Language College. 

• Parkside Community Junior School, Ashbourne

A two-classroom extension will be built at the school. The scheme will provide additional teaching space, ensuring that there are enough pupil places for the local community. 

The works - which will cost around £238,000 - are due to start next month and should be completed early next year. 

• Tibshelf School

Today`s meeting approved £100,000 towards the cost of providing an artificial games pitch. The school has already attracted most of the funding - including a £275,000 grant from the Football Foundation. In total the scheme will cost between £380,000 and £400,000. 

The additional money allocated today is from the Government`s `Seed Challenge` fund. 

As well as being used by the school, the new facility will be available for the community. 

• St Giles` CE Aided Primary, Killamarsh

The cabinet approved £33,000 towards a scheme to construct a medical inspection room, along with ramped access, refurbished toilets and new toilet facilities for disabled people. The total cost of the initiative is £96,000 with the remainder of the money provided by the Government. 

• St James` CE Primary, Glossop

The county council is contributing towards the cost of improving the access road to the school. The road - Chadwick Street - is unadopted, which means that landowners either side of the carriageway are responsible for the cost of any improvements. 

However, the school has become concerned at the poor state of the road and problems caused by cars parking on footways. 

With this in mind a £14,000 scheme to improve the road has been drawn up and today`s cabinet meeting agreed to contribute £7,000 towards the cost. The improvements will include filling potholes, installing raised kerbs and metal bollards to discourage parking on footways, along with resurfacing of footways.

Thousands of students across Derbyshire are awaiting the release of their A-level and Advanced Vocational Certificate in Education results, which are published on Thursday 14 August. 

Last year Derbyshire students notched up an average A Level point score of 255, above the national average. The results were better than ever with one Derbyshire secondary - Queen Elizabeth`s Grammar School at Ashbourne - outperforming Eton. 

Derbyshire County Council hopes that Thursday`s results will reflect the on-going improvement of recent years. However, students are urged not to be too downhearted if they do not achieve their expected grades. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: "Thousands of young people around the county worked very hard for these exams and we wish them all the very best for Thursday. 

"Derbyshire`s A-level results improved throughout the past decade and for many Derbyshire students this year`s results will be a time for celebration when they discover they`ve secured the grades they need to move on to the next stage of their education or into work. 

"The improvement is down to the tremendous hard work and effort put in by students and staff. 

"However, there`s bound to be disappointment for students if things haven`t gone according to plan and they haven`t got the results they`d hoped for. Our message is don`t be too downhearted because there are plenty of options and it`s by no means the end of the world." 

Students who do not get the grades they need should get in touch with school staff, colleges and the Connexions service, who will help consider all the alternatives so the young person can decide the best way forward. That might involve re-sitting all or some of their exams or tackling other qualifications, such as vocational courses. 

It will be some weeks before countywide results can be analysed to check overall achievements. This is because the examining boards send results directly to the schools where the A-levels are taken. It will be next month before the council receives the results from the National Consortium for Examination results, which pools the information. 

• Results for Advanced Vocational Certificates in Education are also published on Thursday. These are vocational A-levels and subjects include health & social care, leisure and tourism, business, engineering, manufacturing and science. Also released for year 12 students are AS Level results.

Derbyshire holidaymakers jetting off to the sun are being warned by the county council`s trading standards about unscrupulous sellers of timeshare and holiday clubs. 

Trading standards fear that in their relaxed state of mind, people could sign up to a legally binding agreement without realising exactly what it entails. 

And because holiday clubs are not covered by timeshare law consumers do not have a cooling off period during which they can change their mind. 

People are often approached while they are abroad by the bogus firms, who use high-pressure sales techniques such as long presentations to get customers to sign a contract on the spot. 

Some target potential customers in the UK, with the inducement of a free or cut-price holiday. 

However, the accommodation is often poor and expensive flights, taxes and supplements may mean the holiday ends up costing more than it would have from a high street travel agent. 

Derbyshire County Council trading standards has this advice for anyone approached by holiday club sellers, whether at home or abroad: 

• Do not go to a presentation. 
• If you do, don`t sign anything there and then. Take the contract home so you can read it properly and take your time. 
• If you are not allowed to take the contract home, alarm bells should ring. Walk away - if an offer is genuine it will be available when you have had time to think about it. 
• Check if the firm is offering cancellation rights - and ask for them in writing. 
• Make sure that everything in the presentation is included in the contract. If not, do not sign. 

A leaflet with detailed advice about holiday clubs and timeshares is available by calling Derbyshire trading standards` helpline on 01629 585858. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "If a holiday offer seems to good to be true, it probably is. A number of residents were stung last year by unscrupulous companies to the tune of thousands of pounds, and we don`t want any more people to be caught out." 

Councillor Burrows added: "A lot of money is at stake, and although we can offer help and advice to those who are caught out, consumers who fall for the scams have very few legal rights."

Most child car seats checked during Derbyshire County Council`s free summer safety check campaign have failed their test. 

More than 340 seats have been checked at town-centre venues and supermarket car parks around the county so far during the ongoing two-month campaign - and 70 per cent were found to be faulty or not fitted correctly. 

During the first four weeks staff found just 104 were correctly fitted, 222 were incorrect but could be put right and 17 were totally unsafe. 

It is the second year running the county council`s highway safety team and trading standards officers have carried out checks in car parks and shopping centres across the county in partnership with Derby City Council. 

They are being joined by an independent expert to check if seats are the right design for the car, suitable for the age of the child and fitted securely. 

County council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "Parents believe they are doing the best for their child by buying a car safety seat but don`t realise that if it`s the wrong model or not expertly fitted it will not work effectively in an accident. 

"The figures so far prove this campaign is vitally important to show parents how sparing a couple of minutes for a free safety check could save their child`s life." 

An unrestrained child can be killed by being thrown forward at speeds as low as five mph - just above walking pace. Government figures show that 18 children aged up to four were killed in car accidents in 2001, 167 were seriously injured and 2,824 were slightly injured. Safety check sessions still to come are at: 

• Town End car park, Bolsover - Friday 15 August: 9.30am to 4.30pm 
• Dronfield Civic Centre - Friday 22 August: 9.30am to 12.30pm 
• Market Street car park Clay Cross - Friday 22 August: 1.30pm to 4.30pm 

Detailed information about choosing and fitting child car seats - including a free pocket guide to download - is available from the Government by visiting http://www.think.dft.gov.uk (opens in a new window) 

A project offering people with mental ill health the chance to get involved in conservation work has been presented with a Queen`s Jubilee Award. 

Volunteers at the Green Health Partnership were presented with the award by the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire John Bather in a ceremony held at the project`s Shipley Country Park base. 

The Green Health Partnership, set up in 1999, consists of three organisations working together to combine conservation and mental health expertise - Derbyshire County Council (social services and the countryside service, Rethink (a national mental health charity) and BTCV (a national conservation charity). 

About 55 volunteers work at the partnership on a wide variety of activities to improve the local environment, ranging from growing trees to organic vegetables. 

They also work on environmental art projects and have been restoring a sensory garden in Shipley Country Park. 

The Queen`s Jubilee Award was given to the project for `involving people with mental ill health to benefit both them and the environment of Derbyshire`. 

The award, an engraved glass trophy and certificate, was presented to volunteers by the Lord Lieutenant on Friday 1 August, watched by BTCV regional operations manager John Varley, regional director of Rethink Eddie Greenwood and county council cabinet member for social care and health Councillor Anne Western. 

Councillor Anne Western said: "This is an excellent achievement which is well deserved by everyone involved in the partnership. 

"The volunteers make a valuable contribution towards the environment and receive training and practical experience in a wide range of environmental conservation activities." 

Jill Henderson of the Green Health Partnership said: "This award endorses the hard work of the partnership and all the volunteers involved. The project provides a lot of much needed support for people at a time when they most need it."

Households are to receive free handy timetable guides of local bus services in a bid by Derbyshire County Council to encourage greater use of public transport. 

Surveys carried out by the authority have found that people are put off using the bus because they do not have up-to-date information about the services that run in their area or don`t know where to get it from. 

To solve the problem Derbyshire County Council has published a series of easy-to-use timetable booklets for services in the Bakewell, Belper, Crich, Heanor, Hope Valley, Matlock and Ripley areas. 

They contain information and times for all buses and trains operating in the area, as well as details of tourist attractions to visit. 

Similar booklets will be published soon for Bolsover and Chesterfield. Later in the year other areas of the county will receive leaflets. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "Research has shown that people are more interested in receiving small leaflets about relevant local bus services rather than bigger timetable books which give details of a whole district. 

"Because they are smaller and lighter the new guides can be carried around by passengers so that they know what services they can use. 

"Passengers can also plan their journeys on-line using our public transport website. By making this timetable information more widely available we hope that more people will be encouraged to use the bus for at least some of their journeys. 

"We would be pleased to hear any suggestions from members of the public about how the timetables can be improved." 

The free booklets will be delivered to households over the next few weeks but will also be available from Derbyshire County Council`s public transport unit at Matlock, tourist information centres, libraries and local shops. 

The public transport journey planner website can be used by visiting http://www.derbysbus.net (opens in a new window) 

Trading standards officers from Derbyshire County Council have issued an alert about food seasoning mixes and chutney relish that could be contaminated with a cancer-causing dye. 

Shops and wholesalers are urged to check their stocks for the seasoning mixes produced for BE International Foods - a division of HP Foods Ltd - and chutney & relish produced by Shaws of Huddersfield. 

A national alert about the brands (listed below), has been issued by the Food Standards Agency. The products contain chilli powder contaminated with a dye, Sudan I, which originates from India. The dye has caused cancer in laboratory animals. Experts warn that - although there is no immediate risk to human health - the dye should not be consumed, even in small quantities. 

Local traders with stocks of the products should withdraw them from sale and contact trading standards on 01629 585858 or their district/borough council environmental health department. 

The two companies have also set up customer helplines: HP Foods on 08000 721122 and Shaws on 01484 539999. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "We have no way of know how many of these products have been sold in Derbyshire, although they are well known brands. They are the kinds of food stuffs that tend to sit in people`s cupboards for some time and so we would urge householders to check their stocks." 

The contaminated products are listed below. Further information is available at http://www.food.gov.uk (opens in a new window) 

Rajah seasoning mixes with a `best before date` of up to 18 July 2005, in 100 & 400g packets and also wholesale quantities of 1 & 8kg: 

• Rajah Tandoori Masala 
• Rajah Natural Tandoori Masala 
• Rajah Jerk seasoning 
• Rajah Chilli & Lemon seasoning 
• Rajah Oriental Noodle seasoning 
• Rajah Chicken seasoning 

Shaw`s chutney and relish products: 

1. Retail size products - with a `best before` date up to 1 February 2006 

• Red Pepper & Aubergine Relish 280g 
• Hot Mango Chutney 300g 
• Flaming Hot Chutney 300g 
• Spicy Apricot Chutney 300g 
• Mild Chilli Relish 300g 
• Tomato Relish 300g 
• Onion Chutney 300g 
• Curried Fruit Chutney 300g 
• Barbecue Relish 300g 

2. Food service/catering size products - with a `best before` date up to July 2004. 

• Tomato Relish 2.4Kg 
• Mild Chilli Relish 2.4Kg 
• Tomato Chilli Relish 2.4Kg 
• Chilli Relish 2.4Kg 
• Red Hot Chilli Sauce 2.3Kg

A road between Buxton and Macclesfield is to be resurfaced by Derbyshire County Council to improve its quality and skid resistance. 

The surface dressing will take place along the A54 Macclesfield Main Road and the A537 Buxton New Road, known locally as the Cat and Fiddle road. 

The resurfacing will be for 3.7km starting at the junction of the A54 Macclesfield Main Road and the A53 Leek Road and continue along the A54 and A537 up to the Cheshire border. 

To enable the work to take place the road will be closed from Tuesday 19 August until Thursday 21 August. 

Councillor Brian Lucas, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "The road has to be closed to ensure that the workers are safe while carrying out the surface dressing improvements. 

"Although a closure order has been made for three days we are hopeful that the work will not take that long. As soon as work is completed the road will be re-opened to motorists. 

"We would ask drivers to be patient and allow extra time for their journeys while the surface dressing takes place." 

A diversion will be set up via the B5470, A5004 and the A523 to Macclesfield and vice versa. Signs have been put up along the route to warn motorists about the work.

Bus passengers visiting the Peak District are to be asked for their views about the quality of Sunday bus services in the area. 

Derbyshire County Council, the Peak District National Park Authority, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and Staffordshire County Council have commissioned the survey to identify areas where bus services can be improved. 

Passengers travelling on all 48 bus services in the area during August, September and early October will be asked to fill out the questionnaire. 

The survey has 23 questions covering issues such as why they are visiting the Peak District, how often they make the journey, the quality of the bus service being used and how easy they find it to obtain and use timetables. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "The Peak District is the second most visited national park in the world and this can put a strain on the roads if everybody travels to the area by car. 

"All transport authorities in the area are working hard to encourage visitors and local people to make greater use of public transport, particularly buses. 

"This survey will help us all to identify areas where improvements are needed so that we can deliver a better service for passengers." 

The questionnaire will also be given to train passengers on the Glossop, Matlock and Hope Valley rail lines. 

Both bus and rail passengers will be given the surveys during their journey, along with a postage-paid envelope to return it in. 

Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a prize draw. The winner will get a £100 cash prize and 25 runners-up will each receive a Derbyshire Wayfarer Day Rover ticket.

Eleven new shelters are to be erected by Derbyshire County Council to improve the safety and comfort of passengers waiting for buses. 

All of the shelters will be well lit and have clear glass to ensure that passengers waiting at bus stops can be seen, which improves the safety for people waiting at night. 

Half of the £48,720 cost will be paid for by Derbyshire County Council, with the remainder being met by the local district, town or parish council. 

Once erected, the cost of cleaning and maintaining the shelters will also be met by the relevant borough, town or parish council. 

The shelters will go up at: 

• Bentinck Road, Shuttlewood, near Bolsover (two bus shelters) 
• A6 at Darley Dale, outside the chemist shop 
• Town Head, Eyam 
• Main Road, Grindleford, at the junction with Mount Pleasant 
• Station Road, North Wingfield 
• Nottingham Road, Somercotes, near the funeral directors 
• Main Street, Hartshorne 
• Eggington Road, Hilton, outside the new doctor`s surgery 
• Main Road, Smalley 
• High Street, Woodville 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "These bus shelters have high visibility and good lighting to ensure that passengers feel safe when waiting for a bus, particularly at night. 

"The lighting operates using solar power so is also more efficient and cost effective than older style bus shelters. 

"This is part of an on-going commitment to provide new bus shelters that encourage more people to leave their car behind on some journeys and use public transport instead."

A month of activities is being organised by Derbyshire County Council to celebrate the first national Archive Awareness Month. 

The campaign, which is sponsored by the National Council on Archives, aims to improve awareness of how people can get access to archive documents and use them for research. 

Derbyshire Record Office is organising a number of events throughout September. Most events are free but booking is advisable now as places are limited. 

Events are planned for: 

• Wednesday 3 September, 12.30pm to 1.30pm: Talk called Paper, Print and Poet: the life and career of Leonard Wheatcroft of Ashover 
• Thursday 4 September, 12.30pm to 1.30pm: Talk on Scribes, Seals and Illuminations: medieval manuscripts held at Derbyshire Record Office 
• Monday 8 September, 12.30pm to 1.30pm: Talk and display called Larger than Life, the George M Woodward project 
• Tuesday 9 September, 12.30pm to 1.30pm: Talk about the Statham/Sacheverell Book of Hours 
• Wednesday 10 September, 1pm to 2pm: Talk called Archives and Ancestors: Bringing the Past to Life - an exploration of archives sources for family history 
• Thursday 11 September, 1pm to 2pm: Talk about Access to Archives: internet resources for local and family historians 
• Monday 15 September, 10am to noon: Talk and display about how to look after your documents and photographs including advice on preservation. 
• Tuesday 16 September, 9am to 9.30am: Introduction to the Derbyshire Record Office search room 
• Tuesday 16 September, 10am to noon: Family history surgeries. Sessions cost £4 per person and must be booked in advance 
• Tuesday 16 September, 7pm to 9pm: Understanding maps: a roadshow and workshop being held at Derby Local Studies Library 
• Wednesday 17 September, 10am to 4pm: Conference called the Future`s Here: new developments in archive services. To be held at the Lakeside Centre, University of Nottingham. Places cost £6 per person and need to be booked 
• Thursday 18 September, 12.30pm to 1.30pm: Talk called the Caribbean in History: archive sources in Derbyshire Record Office 
• Thrsday 18 September: Larger than Life, the George M Woodward project. A talk at Dronfield Library. Time to be arranged. 
• Monday 22 September, 7.30pm to 9.30pm: Talk and display about photographs as historical sources. To be held at Winster 
• Tuesday 23 September, 1pm to 2pm: Talk and display about the `digital experience` 
• Thursday 25 September, 9.30am to 1pm: Record office open morning 
• Friday 26 September: All day display called Jaunts and Jollities: travels and celebrations from East Midlands archives 
• Tuesday 30 September, 12.30pm to 1.30pm: Talk about 750 years of Derbyshire archives 

All the events take place at the Derbyshire Record Office in New Street, Matlock unless otherwise stated. All the talks will last between 30 and 40 minutes and there will be opportunities for questions. 

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "Archive Awareness Month is being held nationally because there is a growing recognition of the need to make archive materials more accessible to the public. 

"A lot of people are interested in learning about the history of their family or the area where they live but are put off from doing so because they think it is hard to find documents or difficult to understand them. 

"These events that we are holding are designed to allay those fears and explain the wide range of information that is available." 

Anyone wanting to book a place on an event or find out further Information should email mailto:record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk or ring 01629 580000, extension 35202.

Thousands of Bolsover residents are being invited to join a citizens panel that will give them a major say in the way their local services are run - from community safety to education and refuse collection. 

Derbyshire County Council has selected 8,000 of the district`s residents at random and they will receive letters this week inviting them to apply for one of the 1,000 panel places. 

The deadline for them to register their interest is 22 August. The panel will then be finalised by the county council, making sure that a representative cross section of residents is chosen. 

The initiative builds on and expands an existing Bolsover citizen`s panel, which has 300 members. 

Until now this panel has been consulting residents about Derbyshire County Council services only. 

However, the county council has now joined forces with the District of Bolsover to expand the consultation and give residents a chance to have their say about all local services. This will include: 

• Education 
• Community safety and crime & disorder 
• Street lighting 
• Housing 
• Refuse collection and recycling 
• Roads & public transport 
• Policing 
• Libraries and leisure facilities 
• Tourism. 

Volunteers will receive up to six postal questionnaires a year and will serve on the panel for between one and three years. The questionnaires will give the members a chance to have their say on: 

• how effectively they feel local services are being run 
• what they feel the councils` service priorities should be 
• how they feel local services could be improved. 

All information will be treated in confidence and will be used by the councils to review their services and make sure that they reflect local needs. 

Deputy leader of Derbyshire County Council, Councillor John Powell, said: "This panel is extremely important because it will give local residents a chance to make their views known directly to the people who make the decisions. The panel members` views will be taken very seriously and will be used to help shape future services." 

Leader of the District of Bolsover, Councillor Eion Watts, said: "The council is placing more emphasis on listening to and responding to our customers` needs. We want as many people to take part as possible, so we can get a better and more representative view of what our local communities want and see their priorities." 

Similar 1,000-member panels have been established in each of the county`s district/borough areas.

More than 150 reading-related activities are being organised by Derbyshire County Council to keep youngsters occupied during the school holidays. 

The Reading Maze project will take place in libraries across the county. It aims to encourage children, aged four to 11, to maintain and develop their reading skills in enjoyable and creative ways. 

Children taking part receive a collector folder, which opens out to reveal a maze. Youngsters can write about the books that they have read on the back of the folder and collect a series of stickers to put on the maze. 

At the end of the summer children who have completed the challenge to read six books or more will receive a certificate and medal. 

Many Derbyshire libraries are organising activities and storytime events for children to enjoy as they work their way through the maze. Library staff will also be on hand to talk with children about the books they have read. 

Councillor John Powell, Deputy Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: "During the long school holidays it is easy for children to get out of the habit of learning. 

"Most of the Reading Maze events are free and they are all designed to encourage learning in a fun way. 

"All children in Derbyshire will have activities taking place at a library near them." 

Details of the events taking place around the county are available from all Derbyshire libraries or by http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/librar/readingmaze2.htm (opens in a new window)