JUSTICE around here is getting unacceptable, even verging on cruel, because of court organisers sticking to a stupid new new rule that all Shropshire ‘trials’ should be sent to Kidderminster. As a result one Whitchurch man freed last week faced his own 53-mile journey back to Shropshire - because of these controversial new court arrangements. Arrested overnight in Whitchurch, under the new rules, he was whipped over to Kidderminster by police bus.

But the case against him there was dismissed within 10 minutes - and guess what - he was told to make his own way back. Where’s the justice in that? We’ve already reported the solicitors involved are actively trying to shift ‘trials’ back to Shropshire. Justice must be seen to be done - and it isn’t, and is even a tad inhumane!

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WHAT lunatic has gone to the trouble of ‘burning off’ the ‘t’ in Llansantffraid entry signs, now the new spelling has been settled? After a healthy discussion it was agreed it is spelt with a ‘t’. It will now cost hundreds of pounds to replace the village’s signs after an immature act that got the perpetrator nowhere!

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BIG congrats to my bowling buddy Phil Brown, who discovered there was not even a contest when he turned up for last week’s auditions to be Oswestry’s town crier.

The only other ‘interested party’ turned out to be a journo trying it out for size, to write a story. But bearded Phil’s a great choice, bursting with enthusiasm, despite the post coming with a only a modest honorarium!

He hopes to make an honest penny visiting clubs and organisations recalling times, when the age old tradition of the town crier reigned supreme!

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DID you ease off the accelerator passing through our ‘vulnerable’ villages during yesterday’s Bank Holiday Monday? Well you should have, as ‘speedsters’ are being particularly targeted by those mobile speed camera chappies.

Following second generation ‘tube-in-the-road’ analysers, new check sites have now been earmarked for the A528 Grange Road in Ellesmere; the B5068 at Dudleston Heath and the village of Treflach - where it alone has six out of 10 drivers speeding.

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THE newly announced Wales rail franchise holder, serving Gobowen and Chirk, has already been warned it will not get paid unless it is punctual, clean and provides a quality service.

Now there’s a challenge.

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Finally, if things are so frantic in Shrewsbury’s overworked A&E - as the Advertizer splashed last Tuesday - why on earth are we shutting one of our county’s only two A&Es?