First cabinet to be held in Wisbech

COUNTY councillors will leave the comfort of the chambers in Cambridge for what is believed to be the first cabinet meeting to be held in Wisbech tomorrow.

Cambridgeshire County Council’s cabinet will be held between 10am and 12.30pm at The Boat House, in Harbour Square, before cabinet members carry out a tour of the town, talking to local groups.

The move has been taken following stinging criticism the town has received from national media for its perceived crime and high levels of migration.

Council leader Nick Clarke said: “The county council is investing millions of pounds in Fenland and Wisbech to improve the quality of life for communities and encourage the local economy. But there is still deprivation in the town which I think we can do more about.

Wisbech is a great town and like any other has its successes and problems. Having spoken to many Wisbech residents I was angered by recent media stories criticising the town and its people. This visit is a great chance to redress that balance and to talk honestly and openly about the challenges we face but also reinforce what a great community Wisbech has.” A SCHOOLGIRL who has been in a coma for almost five weeks after being hit by a bus in Peterborough has woken up.

The girl, named locally as twelve-year-old Courtney Lee, was left with serious head injuries after falling in front of the bus as she made her way home from The Thomas Deacon Academy on Tuesday, January 31.

The youngster has been in a coma after suffering what police described as “life-changing injuries” in the incident, but teachers and pupils at her school were given the fantastic news on Friday that Courtney has “opened her eyes”.

In a thank-you card to the school, the girl’s parents wrote that her “eyes are open” and she is “responding well” to treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge.

Principal Dr Alan Mcmurdo said that his students had been regularly asking for updates on her condition and that the latest news was welcomed with great happiness.

He said: “We are all delighted by the news. A lot of the youngsters have been asking after her.

“She is still in hospital and I know that her family are obviously still with her.

“I also know that some of her close friends have been to see her in hospital.”

Although out of a coma, Dr McMurdo said he realised that her condition is still serious and recovery is at an early stage and that they would continue to hope for a full and successful convalescence.

He said: “She is in all our thoughts and prayers.

“This latest news from her parents is a milestone but there is still a long journey ahead for her.”

The accident happened at about 4.25pm on January 31 this year.

Police say the girl fell into the path of the Number 2 Stagecoach bus near the Thomas Deacon Academy, in Park Road, as she made her way home after a day at school.

She was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a critical condition by land ambulance, although an air ambulance was scrambled to the scene so medics could provide treatment as well.

After treatment was provided at the scene for 30 minutes, a land ambulance was given a police escort so she could be transferred to the Cambridge hospital’s specialist head injury unit as swiftly as possible.

The nature of Courtney’s injuries had a major impact on students at the academy, with the atmosphere at the school extremely sombre since the incident.

The school also made efforts to provide support and counselling to those affected.

The driver of the bus has not worked for Stagecoach since the incident and is also said to have been traumatised by the collision.

Andy Campbell, the managing director of Stagecoach East, said that the police were still investigating the incident with Stagecoach’s co-operation and that the details of the probe are being finalised.

Speaking about Courtney coming out of her coma, he added: “I am delighted for her and for her family as well.

“The driver of the bus has been off since the incident and is still quite affected by this.”

Park Ward councillor John Peach, whose ward includes the Park Road area, was pleased to hear of Courtney’s positive progress.

He said: “It is very good news that she has come out of the coma.

“I’m very pleased and hope that she will make a full recovery and be able to resume activities at a school which thinks very fondly of her.”

Speaking generally, Cllr Peach said he will be continuing to campaign for a 20mph speed limit for vehicles in the Park Road area and has ambitions to see the limit extended to include all urban areas in the city.

His comments about speed limits were not related to this incident, but he thinks this would be a sensible speed limit to be placed on all the areas’ roads which are regularly ‘narrowed’ by on-street parking.

He said: “I’m campaigning to have the limit introduced on Park Road and the surrounding roads and in the long-term to have this introduced to the urban Peterborough area.

“I think there have been a few councils toying with the idea and it’s something worth considering, although in this case we do not know whether it would have made a difference.”

Police were not able to provide an update on their investigation into the incident at the time of going to press.