Lifeboat Called Out To
Angling Boat
Report and photograph with
thanks to Paul Harrison HM Coastguard, MRCC Liverpool
AT 11:53am on Sunday 22 July 2007
Southport Lifeboat was tasked to assist a Broken down
Angling
vessel called the “Northern Lights”. On
board her where two persons. The boat had suffered an
engine failure due to contaminated fuel, just 12 Miles
of the Southport Coastline. The Northern Lights was
taken under tow and returned safely to Ainsdale beach by
SORT's new Lifeboat.
SOUTHPORT MP ASKS MOD
TO 'SPARE THE BEARS' FROM BECOMING GUARDS' CAPS
SOUTHPORT'S Liberal Democrat MP,
John Pugh, has signed on to a new Early Day Motion (EDM
1040) – tabled by Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe and
supported by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Europe (PETA) – which calls for the House of Commons to
recognise that public opinion polls show that nearly 70
per cent of the British public want the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) to stop using real fur for the ceremonial
bearskin caps worn by the Five Guards' Regiments. The
new EDM – which aims to end the MoD's purchase of skins
that come from Canadian black bears who are shot, maimed
and killed – "invites the MoD to end their use and
substitute hats made from a modern synthetic material"
and has so far garnered 126 signatures.
Recently, dozens of cross-party MPs converged outside
Parliament wearing synthetic bearskin caps emblazoned
with PETA's iconic "No Fur" logo and
holding a banner calling on the MoD to "Go Fake,
for the Bears' Sake". Many of the MPs had
supported an EDM in the last Parliamentary session –
tabled by Labour MP Chris Mullin – which garnered the
support of 207 MPs, making it one of the most popular
motions in that session.
It can take the entire hide of one bear to make just one
guard's headpiece. The skins come from bears shot in
Canada, including many who are shot several times before
they die. Some bears escape the hunters and slowly die
from blood loss, gangrene, infection, starvation or
dehydration. When mother bears are killed, orphaned cubs
are left behind to starve.
"John Pugh is a true friend to animals, and we commend
him for his compassionate and progressive stance.
With MPs speaking out against cruelty to animals, the
bear slaughter may soon go the way of fox hunts, fur
farms and other abominations which have no place in 21st
century British society." says PETA
campaigns manager Anita Singh.
A PETA representative in a bear costume
has been dogging Prince Charles at all royal engagements
– both in the UK and internationally – begging him to
"Save My Skin". The "bear" can also be
seen every day outside Buckingham Palace, where he
informs tourists and guards that "bearskins are
for bears, not guards". PETA has enlisted
high-profile support from Tony Benn, the late Lord
Stratford, James Cromwell, Sir Roger Moore, Morrissey,
Julian Clary, Pamela Anderson, Twiggy, Amanda Holden,
Hayley Mills and others in calling for a ban on bear fur
in the Household Guards' headwear.
For more information, please visit
www.PETA.org.uk.