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Residents are warned to be on their guard against rogue traders knocking on doors across the town.
Hastings Borough Council officers believe at last one man is going door to door offering cavity wall and insulation improvements, claiming to be working on behalf of the Council.
A council spokesman said:
"Scams can take a variety of shapes and forms and this is no exception. It seems that in the case, a man is using the Council's name to recommend his work and this is quite simply unacceptable. We cannot guarantee that these door to door traders are in any way legitimate and neither can we guarantee that their work will be up to scratch.
"In any case, if you have any doubts about the authenticity of anyone who comes cold calling, do not let them in. Always check a caller's identification and credentials by telephoning their head office."
Hastings Borough Council does operate a service offering insulation and renewable technology, such as solar panels, through the East Sussex Energy Partnership. Information can be found by visiting: www.eastsussexenergypartnership.org.uk or by calling 0800 980 0901.
Last year 180 employees in Great Britain were killed while at work.
In a bid to drive down these numbers, Hastings Borough Council's Health and Safety team is joining forces with their opposite numbers in Eastbourne and Wealden and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to carry out inspections in workplaces across the three areas. The team will visit a total of around 150 businesses on industrial estates.
Inspections will focus on the assessment and control of risks associated with workplace transport, manual handling, slips and trips, working at height and managing asbestos. Statistics identify these areas as being responsible for the most serious and also the majority of accidents in the workplace. Inspectors will be looking at how employers control risks, and will offer advice on complying with the law. However, inspectors will take enforcement action to deal with serious risks to health and safety and poor standards.
Code-named CASE, or Common Approach to Sussex Enterprise, the initiative will start on 22 February and last for one week. Businesses will be sent a letter warning of the visit, giving employers opportunity to review their safety management and systems.
Councillor Robert Cooke, lead member for Environmental Health at Hastings Borough Council, said:
"The figures for people being killed in their workplaces are staggering but what's worse is that in many cases these deaths could have been avoided. Not only is death and injury devastating for those involved but it's also very bad news for the employer and for the economy as a whole.
"CASE is a great example of how working together with other local authorities and with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) we can make sure that risk in every workplace is properly managed and workplace hazards are adequately controlled. The safety of employees should be a priority and never left to chance."
Further information on health and safety issues can be found on HSE's website or by calling HSE's info line on 0845 345 0055.
Are you interested in the history of the Old Town?
Are you confident talking to groups of people?
Are you fit and healthy?
Do you have some free time?
Why not become a volunteer guide on The Stade?
If you're interested in finding out more, come along to the Stade Volunteer Guides Open Day at the Lifeboat station, Old Town on Sunday, 21 February between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
Come and meet other volunteers, have a cup of tea, a chat and find out more about what it means to be a volunteer guide. Come and meet staff from the Fishermen's Museum, the Shipwreck and Coastal Heritage Centre and the Fishermen's Protection Society, refreshments and a free guided tour of The Stade. To make sure we have enough cakes and spaces on the tour, please book your place by calling Beatrice Rapley, Stade Education Officer on 01424 451167 or 07989 259574 or email: brapley@hastings.gov.uk.
The Stade Volunteer Guides Scheme is part of the Stade Education Project, which is a Heritage Lottery Funded Project.
The school holidays are just around the corner, so make sure your kids are booked in for lots of fun at the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.
Design your own town, make model buildings, play areas and roads in this futuristic townscape with artist Sharon Haward. The Façade workshop takes place on Tuesday 16 February at the museum in Bohemia Road, between 11am and 1pm. Suitable for children aged seven upwards, the cost is £5. Information and booking forms are available from the museum reception or by emailing Catherine Harvey: charvey@hastings.gov.uk
Fascinating objects from Hastings' past are now available for loan.
From fossils and fishing to art and history, artefacts placed in Loan Boxes are now available to visit schools and groups.
The Loan Boxes have been put together by the Fishermen's Museum and the Shipwreck and Coastal Heritage Centre as part of the WRVS' Heritage Plus project.
Councillor Peter Finch, lead member for Community Well-being, said:
"These special boxes have been created so these interesting objects can be transported safely and securely when they're on tour. The beauty of a Loan Box is that it means, for example, if a school can't make a trip to a museum, then the museum can go out to the school. Objects can be a great starting point for history, English or art work. They can also be very effective for reminiscence as being able to touch, see and smell objects can bring back powerful memories.
"As well as the Fishermen's Museum and Shipwreck and Coastal Heritage Centre, the project has also included input from the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, the Fishermen's Protection Society and the Stade Education Project."
If you have a group that might like to use a Loan Box, you can contact the Fishermen's Museum on 01424 461446 or the Shipwreck and Coastal Heritage Centre on 01424 437452.
A man posing as a licensed taxi driver has been jailed.
Christopher Feltham was imprisoned for 30 days at a hearing in Bournemouth last month after magistrates heard he had travelled around posing as a licensed taxi driver, coming as far a field as Hastings.
A council spokesman said:
"It seems that Mr Feltham had turned up in Hastings in 2006 and his behaviour attracted the suspicions of the taxi firm he was trying to get work from. At that time our licensing officers interviewed him and reported him to the police. After that he just disappeared until he resurfaced in Hastings last year, at a different taxi firm. Again, we were called in and our officers recognised him. We called the police, who arrested him. It transpired that he was also wanted in Bournemouth for similar offences and was taken back there to face the court, where he admitted fraud and false representation.
"While this may seem a trivial offence, getting into an unlicensed taxi is extremely unsafe. You have no idea who the driver is or whether or not they are dangerous, neither do you know what state of repair their car is in. We take our licensing responsibilities very seriously."
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This page last updated: 09/02/2010