FIFTY YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 16 - 22 FEBRUARY 1976
This week's many stories include the two men and a woman from Broad Oak charged with sex offences against children, the bid to save Todd Steels, the prosecution of the Fleece Hotel for promoting Radio Caroline, the air-rifle snipers shooting at cats and dogs and a call for the relocation of the Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Square.
We begin on the 17th when British Rail announced that after making a successful application to the Price Commission, ticket prices throughout the country were going to rise by up to 17½%. The government had introduced the commission to get a grip on inflation, which in 1975 had stood at 24%. The second-class single fare between St Helens Junction and Manchester would, from the end of March 1976, rise from 75p to 88p and the day return from £1.21 to £1.42.
On the 17th James Monks, the manager of the Fleece Hotel in Church Street in St Helens, along with Ronald Doyle from Liverpool and a third man, appeared before Liverpool Stipendiary Court. The trio faced charges involving the promotion of the pirate radio ship Radio Caroline, after the Fleece had hosted the Caroline Roadshow on its premises.
Doyle faced five charges of publishing material calculated to promote Radio Caroline, involving posters and car stickers and in court he was criticised by the magistrate for wearing a skull and crossbones T-shirt. The case was the first of its kind and all three defendants pleaded not guilty. The magistrate set a trial date for the end of April, and it was expected to last a week.
At a council planning committee meeting on the 17th, Councillor Bill Jones unsuccessfully called for the statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square to be relocated, saying: "That monstrosity in the middle of the square could be moved to Victoria Park where it belongs. Couldn't we rename the square and remove the statue? Victoria Square is a name that's been there too long." Cllr Jones' comments were in response to hearing that Merseyside County Council had agreed to Victoria Square becoming a conservation area.
The public inquiry into St Helens Council's decision to close down Leathers Chemicals that had begun on January 6th was going to prove costly – whichever way the final decision went. The Inspector that had chaired the sessions was presently deciding whether to recommend to Anthony Crosland, the Secretary of State for the Environment, if the Council's Discontinuance Order on the Lancots Lane sulphuric acid plant should be confirmed or rejected.
That order had been made in 1975 after years of complaints by Sutton residents. But at its meeting the planning committee heard that as a "guesstimate", the council was putting aside £50,000 as its likely bill for holding the hearings. That in today's money is equivalent to around £700,000 but if the council won its case that would only be the start of its financial exposure, as the Reporter wrote:
"But, as the town awaits the Environment Minister's verdict on the Leather's closure case, Council officials know that if St. Helens win and the acid factory has to close, ratepayers will face a monumental compensation claim from Leathers and their neighbours British Sidac."
From the 17th Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice' was performed at the Theatre Royal in St Helens, with special school matinees held in the afternoon.
On the 18th in St Helens Magistrates Court, two men and a woman – who all lived in Broad Oak Road in Parr – were committed for trial at Liverpool Crown Court charged with committing some very serious sexual offences, mainly against underage girls.
The charges against the men included committing sexual intercourse with girls aged 12 and 13; committing incest; abducting a 13-year-old girl; committing a serious offence with a dog; assaulting and unlawfully imprisoning a female and detaining her against her will. The two men were aged 20 and 39 and the woman – who had been charged with acts of gross indecency and aiding and abetting the others – was aged 43.
The latter – who was the mother of the younger defendant and partner of the other – was in June at Liverpool Crown Court found not guilty. But for what the judge described as "horrifying, disgusting and appalling behaviour", the 39-year-old male was sentenced to 10 years in prison and the now 21-year-old man to 7 years.
On the 18th Saints' Sports & Leisure Centre in Dunriding Lane held what they called a "super star nite" – featuring Bernard Manning. Tickets cost £1.25 and the event was a testimonial for Saints' John Mantle.
Last October Canon Harry Bradshaw, the vicar of St Thomas' Church in Westfield Street, had died at his vicarage in St George's Road after a long illness and nearly 25 years' service at the church. On the 18th the Rev John Cooke was inducted as the new Vicar of St Thomas after spending nearly 5 years as curate at St Ann's in Rainhill. "I am looking forward to St. Thomas's," he said, "but I am leaving a lot of marvellous people."
On the 19th Cllr Tom Harvey, who had represented East Sutton since 1961, was chosen to be the next Mayor of St Helens. And Cllr Joe Mulcrow was selected to serve as his deputy.
The St Helens Reporter on the 20th stated that a "feverish round of negotiations" was taking place in a bid to save the parent company of the historic St Helens firm of Todd Steels. British Steel Construction (Birmingham) Ltd was the owner of both Todd Steels' St Helens and Widnes plants and it was currently in financial trouble. The paper described how Todds' managing director was currently in London attempting to save his firm.
"When in town call into Martin Newsagents Store and place your advertisement with the Reporter girl", said a prominent advert in the paper. Martin's had recently opened a shop in the LaGrange Arcade and the "Reporter girl" would be present on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week to accept classified adverts for both the Reporter and the St Helens Newspaper.
Griffins Furnishers had an advert in the Reporter in which they stated that they had leased their Duke Street premises to the Lilian Rogers clothing store and their Rigby Street warehouse to East Yorkshire Mill. Griffins said they intended to continue to operate but only by offering "direct sales" on credit to customers without having any retail premises.
Dr Francis Mooney was the highly respected consultant pathologist at both St Helens and Providence hospitals. In this week's Reporter Dr Mooney made the claim that coal miners in St Helens ran a high risk of getting lung cancer and he felt that South Lancashire pitmen were in greater danger of developing the disease than in other areas. The doctor stressed that at present it was only his theory but other pathologists felt much the same.
The Reporter also wrote: "Air-rifle snipers are putting cats and dogs in the firing line as the pets wander the roads and alleyways of St. Helens." One unnamed veterinary hospital in the area said they were treating two or three animals a month for gunshot wounds. It was expected that other injured and bleeding animals had been unable to find their way home and had died.
And the wounds of some pets that did manage to return to their owner with pellets in their bodies would not be obvious to their owners, as one St Helens vet explained: "Many cats and dogs still have the pellets embedded in them after the wounds heal up. The owners know nothing about the pain their pets have suffered until, perhaps, we need to X-ray the animals for some other illness. It is then the bullets show up."
And finally, at the Capitol Cinema for 7 days from the 22nd, 'Emmanuelle' replaced 'Blazing Saddles'. Meanwhile at the ABC Savoy, 'Earthquake' starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner was retained for its second week.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the gang of thieves that were terrorising St Mary's Arcade, a vicar's criticism of porn magazines in St Helens' shops, a big rise in Savoy cinemagoers and an attack on fly-tippers and twilight dumpers.
We begin on the 17th when British Rail announced that after making a successful application to the Price Commission, ticket prices throughout the country were going to rise by up to 17½%. The government had introduced the commission to get a grip on inflation, which in 1975 had stood at 24%. The second-class single fare between St Helens Junction and Manchester would, from the end of March 1976, rise from 75p to 88p and the day return from £1.21 to £1.42.
Doyle faced five charges of publishing material calculated to promote Radio Caroline, involving posters and car stickers and in court he was criticised by the magistrate for wearing a skull and crossbones T-shirt. The case was the first of its kind and all three defendants pleaded not guilty. The magistrate set a trial date for the end of April, and it was expected to last a week.
At a council planning committee meeting on the 17th, Councillor Bill Jones unsuccessfully called for the statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square to be relocated, saying: "That monstrosity in the middle of the square could be moved to Victoria Park where it belongs. Couldn't we rename the square and remove the statue? Victoria Square is a name that's been there too long." Cllr Jones' comments were in response to hearing that Merseyside County Council had agreed to Victoria Square becoming a conservation area.
The public inquiry into St Helens Council's decision to close down Leathers Chemicals that had begun on January 6th was going to prove costly – whichever way the final decision went. The Inspector that had chaired the sessions was presently deciding whether to recommend to Anthony Crosland, the Secretary of State for the Environment, if the Council's Discontinuance Order on the Lancots Lane sulphuric acid plant should be confirmed or rejected.
That order had been made in 1975 after years of complaints by Sutton residents. But at its meeting the planning committee heard that as a "guesstimate", the council was putting aside £50,000 as its likely bill for holding the hearings. That in today's money is equivalent to around £700,000 but if the council won its case that would only be the start of its financial exposure, as the Reporter wrote:
"But, as the town awaits the Environment Minister's verdict on the Leather's closure case, Council officials know that if St. Helens win and the acid factory has to close, ratepayers will face a monumental compensation claim from Leathers and their neighbours British Sidac."
From the 17th Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice' was performed at the Theatre Royal in St Helens, with special school matinees held in the afternoon.
On the 18th in St Helens Magistrates Court, two men and a woman – who all lived in Broad Oak Road in Parr – were committed for trial at Liverpool Crown Court charged with committing some very serious sexual offences, mainly against underage girls.
The charges against the men included committing sexual intercourse with girls aged 12 and 13; committing incest; abducting a 13-year-old girl; committing a serious offence with a dog; assaulting and unlawfully imprisoning a female and detaining her against her will. The two men were aged 20 and 39 and the woman – who had been charged with acts of gross indecency and aiding and abetting the others – was aged 43.
The latter – who was the mother of the younger defendant and partner of the other – was in June at Liverpool Crown Court found not guilty. But for what the judge described as "horrifying, disgusting and appalling behaviour", the 39-year-old male was sentenced to 10 years in prison and the now 21-year-old man to 7 years.
On the 18th Saints' Sports & Leisure Centre in Dunriding Lane held what they called a "super star nite" – featuring Bernard Manning. Tickets cost £1.25 and the event was a testimonial for Saints' John Mantle.
Last October Canon Harry Bradshaw, the vicar of St Thomas' Church in Westfield Street, had died at his vicarage in St George's Road after a long illness and nearly 25 years' service at the church. On the 18th the Rev John Cooke was inducted as the new Vicar of St Thomas after spending nearly 5 years as curate at St Ann's in Rainhill. "I am looking forward to St. Thomas's," he said, "but I am leaving a lot of marvellous people."
On the 19th Cllr Tom Harvey, who had represented East Sutton since 1961, was chosen to be the next Mayor of St Helens. And Cllr Joe Mulcrow was selected to serve as his deputy.
The St Helens Reporter on the 20th stated that a "feverish round of negotiations" was taking place in a bid to save the parent company of the historic St Helens firm of Todd Steels. British Steel Construction (Birmingham) Ltd was the owner of both Todd Steels' St Helens and Widnes plants and it was currently in financial trouble. The paper described how Todds' managing director was currently in London attempting to save his firm.
"When in town call into Martin Newsagents Store and place your advertisement with the Reporter girl", said a prominent advert in the paper. Martin's had recently opened a shop in the LaGrange Arcade and the "Reporter girl" would be present on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week to accept classified adverts for both the Reporter and the St Helens Newspaper.
Griffins Furnishers had an advert in the Reporter in which they stated that they had leased their Duke Street premises to the Lilian Rogers clothing store and their Rigby Street warehouse to East Yorkshire Mill. Griffins said they intended to continue to operate but only by offering "direct sales" on credit to customers without having any retail premises.
Dr Francis Mooney was the highly respected consultant pathologist at both St Helens and Providence hospitals. In this week's Reporter Dr Mooney made the claim that coal miners in St Helens ran a high risk of getting lung cancer and he felt that South Lancashire pitmen were in greater danger of developing the disease than in other areas. The doctor stressed that at present it was only his theory but other pathologists felt much the same.
The Reporter also wrote: "Air-rifle snipers are putting cats and dogs in the firing line as the pets wander the roads and alleyways of St. Helens." One unnamed veterinary hospital in the area said they were treating two or three animals a month for gunshot wounds. It was expected that other injured and bleeding animals had been unable to find their way home and had died.
And the wounds of some pets that did manage to return to their owner with pellets in their bodies would not be obvious to their owners, as one St Helens vet explained: "Many cats and dogs still have the pellets embedded in them after the wounds heal up. The owners know nothing about the pain their pets have suffered until, perhaps, we need to X-ray the animals for some other illness. It is then the bullets show up."
And finally, at the Capitol Cinema for 7 days from the 22nd, 'Emmanuelle' replaced 'Blazing Saddles'. Meanwhile at the ABC Savoy, 'Earthquake' starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner was retained for its second week.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the gang of thieves that were terrorising St Mary's Arcade, a vicar's criticism of porn magazines in St Helens' shops, a big rise in Savoy cinemagoers and an attack on fly-tippers and twilight dumpers.
This week's many stories include the two men and a woman from Broad Oak charged with sex offences against children, the bid to save Todd Steels, the prosecution of the Fleece Hotel for promoting Radio Caroline, the air-rifle snipers shooting at cats and dogs and a call for the relocation of the Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Square.
We begin on the 17th when British Rail announced that after making a successful application to the Price Commission, ticket prices throughout the country were going to rise by up to 17½%.
The government had introduced the commission to get a grip on inflation, which in 1975 had stood at 24%.
The second-class single fare between St Helens Junction and Manchester would, from the end of March 1976, rise from 75p to 88p and the day return from £1.21 to £1.42.
On the 17th James Monks, the manager of the Fleece Hotel in Church Street in St Helens, along with Ronald Doyle from Liverpool and a third man, appeared before Liverpool Stipendiary Court.
The trio faced charges involving the promotion of the pirate radio ship Radio Caroline, after the Fleece had hosted the Caroline Roadshow on its premises.
Doyle faced five charges of publishing material calculated to promote Radio Caroline, involving posters and car stickers and in court he was criticised by the magistrate for wearing a skull and crossbones T-shirt.
The case was the first of its kind and all three defendants pleaded not guilty. The magistrate set a trial date for the end of April, and it was expected to last a week.
At a council planning committee meeting on the 17th, Councillor Bill Jones unsuccessfully called for the statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square to be relocated, saying:
"That monstrosity in the middle of the square could be moved to Victoria Park where it belongs. Couldn't we rename the square and remove the statue? Victoria Square is a name that's been there too long."
Cllr Jones' comments were in response to hearing that Merseyside County Council had agreed to Victoria Square becoming a conservation area.
The public inquiry into St Helens Council's decision to close down Leathers Chemicals that had begun on January 6th was going to prove costly – whichever way the final decision went.
The Inspector that had chaired the sessions was presently deciding whether to recommend to Anthony Crosland, the Secretary of State for the Environment, if the Council's Discontinuance Order on the Lancots Lane sulphuric acid plant should be confirmed or rejected.
That order had been made in 1975 after years of complaints by Sutton residents.
But at its meeting the planning committee heard that as a "guesstimate", the council was putting aside £50,000 as its likely bill for holding the hearings.
That in today's money is equivalent to around £700,000 but if the council won its case that would only be the start of its financial exposure, as the Reporter wrote:
"But, as the town awaits the Environment Minister's verdict on the Leather's closure case, Council officials know that if St. Helens win and the acid factory has to close, ratepayers will face a monumental compensation claim from Leathers and their neighbours British Sidac."
From the 17th Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice' was performed at the Theatre Royal in St Helens, with special school matinees held in the afternoon.
On the 18th in St Helens Magistrates Court, two men and a woman – who all lived in Broad Oak Road in Parr – were committed for trial at Liverpool Crown Court charged with committing some very serious sexual offences, mainly against underage girls.
The charges against the men included committing sexual intercourse with girls aged 12 and 13; committing incest; abducting a 13-year-old girl; committing a serious offence with a dog; assaulting and unlawfully imprisoning a female and detaining her against her will.
The two men were aged 20 and 39 and the woman – who had been charged with acts of gross indecency and aiding and abetting the others – was aged 43.
The latter – who was the mother of the younger defendant and partner of the other – was in June at Liverpool Crown Court found not guilty.
But for what the judge described as "horrifying, disgusting and appalling behaviour", the 39-year-old male was sentenced to 10 years in prison and the now 21-year-old man to 7 years.
On the 18th Saints' Sports & Leisure Centre in Dunriding Lane held what they called a "super star nite" – featuring Bernard Manning. Tickets cost £1.25 and the event was a testimonial for Saints' John Mantle.
Last October Canon Harry Bradshaw, the vicar of St Thomas' Church in Westfield Street, had died at his vicarage in St George's Road after a long illness and nearly 25 years' service at the church.
On the 18th the Rev John Cooke was inducted as the new Vicar of St Thomas after spending nearly 5 years as curate at St Ann's in Rainhill.
"I am looking forward to St. Thomas's," he said, "but I am leaving a lot of marvellous people."
On the 19th Cllr Tom Harvey, who had represented East Sutton since 1961, was chosen to be the next Mayor of St Helens. And Cllr Joe Mulcrow was selected to serve as his deputy.
The St Helens Reporter on the 20th stated that a "feverish round of negotiations" was taking place in a bid to save the parent company of the historic St Helens firm of Todd Steels.
British Steel Construction (Birmingham) Ltd was the owner of both Todd Steels' St Helens and Widnes plants and it was currently in financial trouble.
The paper described how Todds' managing director was currently in London attempting to save his firm.
"When in town call into Martin Newsagents Store and place your advertisement with the Reporter girl", said a prominent advert in the paper.
Martin's had recently opened a shop in the LaGrange Arcade and the "Reporter girl" would be present on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week to accept classified adverts for both the Reporter and the St Helens Newspaper.
Griffins Furnishers had an advert in the Reporter in which they stated that they had leased their Duke Street premises to the Lilian Rogers clothing store and their Rigby Street warehouse to East Yorkshire Mill.
Griffins said they intended to continue to operate but only by offering "direct sales" on credit to customers without having any retail premises.
Dr Francis Mooney was the highly respected consultant pathologist at both St Helens and Providence hospitals.
In this week's Reporter Dr Mooney made the claim that coal miners in St Helens ran a high risk of getting lung cancer and he felt that South Lancashire pitmen were in greater danger of developing the disease than in other areas.
The doctor stressed that at present it was only his theory but other pathologists felt much the same.
The Reporter also wrote: "Air-rifle snipers are putting cats and dogs in the firing line as the pets wander the roads and alleyways of St. Helens."
One unnamed veterinary hospital in the area said they were treating two or three animals a month for gunshot wounds.
It was expected that other injured and bleeding animals had been unable to find their way home and had died.
And the wounds of some pets that did manage to return to their owner with pellets in their bodies would not be obvious to their owners, as one St Helens vet explained:
"Many cats and dogs still have the pellets embedded in them after the wounds heal up. The owners know nothing about the pain their pets have suffered until, perhaps, we need to X-ray the animals for some other illness. It is then the bullets show up."
And finally, at the Capitol Cinema for 7 days from the 22nd, 'Emmanuelle' replaced 'Blazing Saddles'.
Meanwhile at the ABC Savoy, 'Earthquake' starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner was retained for its second week.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the gang of thieves that were terrorising St Mary's Arcade, a vicar's criticism of porn magazines in St Helens' shops, a big rise in Savoy cinemagoers and an attack on fly-tippers and twilight dumpers.
We begin on the 17th when British Rail announced that after making a successful application to the Price Commission, ticket prices throughout the country were going to rise by up to 17½%.
The government had introduced the commission to get a grip on inflation, which in 1975 had stood at 24%.
The second-class single fare between St Helens Junction and Manchester would, from the end of March 1976, rise from 75p to 88p and the day return from £1.21 to £1.42.
The trio faced charges involving the promotion of the pirate radio ship Radio Caroline, after the Fleece had hosted the Caroline Roadshow on its premises.
Doyle faced five charges of publishing material calculated to promote Radio Caroline, involving posters and car stickers and in court he was criticised by the magistrate for wearing a skull and crossbones T-shirt.
The case was the first of its kind and all three defendants pleaded not guilty. The magistrate set a trial date for the end of April, and it was expected to last a week.
At a council planning committee meeting on the 17th, Councillor Bill Jones unsuccessfully called for the statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square to be relocated, saying:
"That monstrosity in the middle of the square could be moved to Victoria Park where it belongs. Couldn't we rename the square and remove the statue? Victoria Square is a name that's been there too long."
Cllr Jones' comments were in response to hearing that Merseyside County Council had agreed to Victoria Square becoming a conservation area.
The public inquiry into St Helens Council's decision to close down Leathers Chemicals that had begun on January 6th was going to prove costly – whichever way the final decision went.
The Inspector that had chaired the sessions was presently deciding whether to recommend to Anthony Crosland, the Secretary of State for the Environment, if the Council's Discontinuance Order on the Lancots Lane sulphuric acid plant should be confirmed or rejected.
That order had been made in 1975 after years of complaints by Sutton residents.
But at its meeting the planning committee heard that as a "guesstimate", the council was putting aside £50,000 as its likely bill for holding the hearings.
That in today's money is equivalent to around £700,000 but if the council won its case that would only be the start of its financial exposure, as the Reporter wrote:
"But, as the town awaits the Environment Minister's verdict on the Leather's closure case, Council officials know that if St. Helens win and the acid factory has to close, ratepayers will face a monumental compensation claim from Leathers and their neighbours British Sidac."
From the 17th Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice' was performed at the Theatre Royal in St Helens, with special school matinees held in the afternoon.
On the 18th in St Helens Magistrates Court, two men and a woman – who all lived in Broad Oak Road in Parr – were committed for trial at Liverpool Crown Court charged with committing some very serious sexual offences, mainly against underage girls.
The charges against the men included committing sexual intercourse with girls aged 12 and 13; committing incest; abducting a 13-year-old girl; committing a serious offence with a dog; assaulting and unlawfully imprisoning a female and detaining her against her will.
The two men were aged 20 and 39 and the woman – who had been charged with acts of gross indecency and aiding and abetting the others – was aged 43.
The latter – who was the mother of the younger defendant and partner of the other – was in June at Liverpool Crown Court found not guilty.
But for what the judge described as "horrifying, disgusting and appalling behaviour", the 39-year-old male was sentenced to 10 years in prison and the now 21-year-old man to 7 years.
On the 18th Saints' Sports & Leisure Centre in Dunriding Lane held what they called a "super star nite" – featuring Bernard Manning. Tickets cost £1.25 and the event was a testimonial for Saints' John Mantle.
Last October Canon Harry Bradshaw, the vicar of St Thomas' Church in Westfield Street, had died at his vicarage in St George's Road after a long illness and nearly 25 years' service at the church.
On the 18th the Rev John Cooke was inducted as the new Vicar of St Thomas after spending nearly 5 years as curate at St Ann's in Rainhill.
"I am looking forward to St. Thomas's," he said, "but I am leaving a lot of marvellous people."
On the 19th Cllr Tom Harvey, who had represented East Sutton since 1961, was chosen to be the next Mayor of St Helens. And Cllr Joe Mulcrow was selected to serve as his deputy.
The St Helens Reporter on the 20th stated that a "feverish round of negotiations" was taking place in a bid to save the parent company of the historic St Helens firm of Todd Steels.
British Steel Construction (Birmingham) Ltd was the owner of both Todd Steels' St Helens and Widnes plants and it was currently in financial trouble.
The paper described how Todds' managing director was currently in London attempting to save his firm.
"When in town call into Martin Newsagents Store and place your advertisement with the Reporter girl", said a prominent advert in the paper.
Martin's had recently opened a shop in the LaGrange Arcade and the "Reporter girl" would be present on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week to accept classified adverts for both the Reporter and the St Helens Newspaper.
Griffins Furnishers had an advert in the Reporter in which they stated that they had leased their Duke Street premises to the Lilian Rogers clothing store and their Rigby Street warehouse to East Yorkshire Mill.
Griffins said they intended to continue to operate but only by offering "direct sales" on credit to customers without having any retail premises.
Dr Francis Mooney was the highly respected consultant pathologist at both St Helens and Providence hospitals.
In this week's Reporter Dr Mooney made the claim that coal miners in St Helens ran a high risk of getting lung cancer and he felt that South Lancashire pitmen were in greater danger of developing the disease than in other areas.
The doctor stressed that at present it was only his theory but other pathologists felt much the same.
The Reporter also wrote: "Air-rifle snipers are putting cats and dogs in the firing line as the pets wander the roads and alleyways of St. Helens."
One unnamed veterinary hospital in the area said they were treating two or three animals a month for gunshot wounds.
It was expected that other injured and bleeding animals had been unable to find their way home and had died.
And the wounds of some pets that did manage to return to their owner with pellets in their bodies would not be obvious to their owners, as one St Helens vet explained:
"Many cats and dogs still have the pellets embedded in them after the wounds heal up. The owners know nothing about the pain their pets have suffered until, perhaps, we need to X-ray the animals for some other illness. It is then the bullets show up."
And finally, at the Capitol Cinema for 7 days from the 22nd, 'Emmanuelle' replaced 'Blazing Saddles'.
Meanwhile at the ABC Savoy, 'Earthquake' starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner was retained for its second week.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the gang of thieves that were terrorising St Mary's Arcade, a vicar's criticism of porn magazines in St Helens' shops, a big rise in Savoy cinemagoers and an attack on fly-tippers and twilight dumpers.