SIXTEEN FOOT TAXI DRIVER FINED FOR SPEEDING A SCHOOL boy was being carried in a speeding taxi that was clocked by police laser device along the Sixteen Foot Bank at Christchurch. At Wisbech courthouse on Tuesday, driver Jamie Clements was convicte

SIXTEEN FOOT TAXI DRIVER FINED FOR SPEEDING

A SCHOOL boy was being carried in a speeding taxi that was clocked by police laser device along the Sixteen Foot Bank at Christchurch.

At Wisbech courthouse on Tuesday, driver Jamie Clements was convicted in his absence of driving at 76 mph on December 10, when the speed limit was 60mph.

"This is a speed complaint area," said prosecutor Andrew Williams. The Skoda Superb was carrying a Fenland District Council private hire plate. A school boy was in the car, it was being used for private hire at the time."

Clements, 31, of The Croft, Christchurch, was fined £100, with £60 costs and a £15 surcharge, and four points were endorsed on his licence.

GOREFIELD MAN CHARGED WITH PORNOGRAPHY OFFENCES

A SIXTY-three-year-old Gorefield man has been charged with possessing more than 1,000 pornographic photos of children, and making such images over a period of more than seven years.

Colin Wright appeared before Fenland magistrates on Tuesday, charged with possessing a total of 1,201 photographs - including five movies -- in Gorefield on June 30 last year.

Such pictures are graded from one to five, according to the Copine scale, devised by Cork University, with level one being the mildest.

It is alleged that two pictures involved in the charges were level four; 27 were level two, and the rest were level one.

Wright faces 15 charges of making an indecent photograph, on various dates between April 2000 and June 2007.

Fenland magistrates declined jurisdiction, and gave Wright unconditional bail until a committal hearing on July 3.

WISBECH MAN HAD 800 CHILD PORN IMAGES, COURT TOLD

A WISBECH man charged with possessing more than 800 images of child pornography has been committed for trial before Cambridge Crown Court.

Forty-seven-year-old Gary Dines, of Money Bank, faces ten charges of distributing an indecent photograph of a child on various dates between August 2004 and October 2005.

Dines faces five further charges of making an indecent photograph of a child, between June 2004 and October 2005. The last charge alleges that Dines was found in possession of 842 indecent photographs on October 26 2005.

He is due to appear before the Cambridge court for a preliminary hearing on June 27.

BARN BURGLED AT CHAIN BRIDGE, MARCH

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a barn was burgled at Twenty Foot, Chain Bridge, March.

Switch boxes, fuse boxes and plugs were taken from the farm outbuilding between Monday, April 28 and Monday, May 12.

Detective Sergeant Matt Swash, investigating, said: "We would like to hear from walkers in the area who may have seen an unknown vehicle or anyone acting suspiciously."

Anyone with any information can contact DS Swash at Ramsey Police Station on 0845 456 456 4 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

CHATTERIS LIBRARY CELEBRATES NEW FACILITIES

CHATTERIS library will be holding a week of activities to celebrate the opening of its new community and learning facilities.

Local organisations and groups can now book services now available at The Vermuyden Room.

The high-tech community space includes an IT suite, a ceiling mounted projector, hearing loop and refreshment preparation area.

There are also new toilets and a baby changing facilities.

Cambridgeshire County Council carried out the work with a £90,500 grant from the East of England Development Agency's Investing in Communities (IIC) initiative. The project also had the support of the Greater Cambridge Partnership.

To mark the opening, upcoming events include:-

N Tuesday, May 27: Yoga 10.00-11.15 am; Watercolours and Paper Crafts 7.00-9.00pm. The sessions are being run by the College of West Anglia. Call (01954) 582561 for bookings.

- Wednesday, May 28: Rhyme Time for Children 10.30am. Contact 0845 045 5225 for bookings.

- Thursday, May 29: Learning Centre Open Afternoon 1.30-5.30 pm. Tutor Simon May will talk about IT, Literacy and numeracy courses on offer by the Library Learning Team.

County Council Cabinet Member for Communities, Councillor Fred Yeulett, said: "We're really pleased with The Vermuyden Room, it gives Chatteris Library a great chance to offer more to the local community."

GIRL GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR DAMAGE

A TWO-month suspended prison sentence has been imposed a Wisbech teenager who smashed a window at the Woolworths store in Wisbech.

Elizabeth Manning, 18, of The Staithe, Holmes Drive, had previously admitted damaging the £1,500 window on April 3, using threatening behaviour in Walsoken on March 28, and breaching a conditional discharge imposed on her back in February.

During the next 12-months, Manning will be supervised by the probation service, and take part in the "Think First" programme.