A company which claims to be one of our ‘best kept secrets’ is rebranding with a promise that it wants to help boost business for the island.

Browne Craine & Co is a thriving firm of chartered accountants with global and local business interests.

Picturesque Burleigh Manor could be in the middle of the countryside but is tucked away up a tree-lined drive just yards from the traffic of Peel Road, Douglas.

Sitting in the boardroom of Burleigh Manor, managing director Basil Bielich told Business News how:

l the company has never really advertised itself relying more on referrals

l he and his colleagues are firm believers in Isle of Man plc

l the firm is rebranding after just taking on four new partners and a marketing manager to boost the compay’s firepower

Father of two Mr Bielich, 52, also told of his love for the Isle of Man and revealed how he used to have the Examiner newspaper shipped across to his native South Africa years before he finally moved over here with his family.

The paper was a broadsheet in those days and Mr Bielich said he read the paper from cover to cover.

He hit the headlines in 2005, when he and three other intrepid golfers set up a Guinness World record when they played golf in six continents in six days. The global Golf Challenge involved more than 30,000 miles of air travel and games of golf in Egypt, Singapore, Sydney, Santiago and Miami before finishing at Castletown Golf Links.

Ramsey Golf Club member Mr Bielich told Business News he has harboured dreams of one day taking part in an ‘islands of the world’ golfing exercise.

Browne Craine & Co is committed to the island, said

Mr Bielich. ‘When I joined [in 1997] we had about 12 employees and now we have 28 staff.

‘We do local work and we do offshore work as well’.

The business includes a sister company called Peregrine Corporate Services.

‘We’ve never really done a lot of advertising, all of our business comes through referral work.

‘In some ways we are the best kept secret here.’

Browne Craine does a lot of auditing work with large companies as well as tax work.

Four new partners joined the board recently. They are Lynsey Smith, James Sayle, Jamie McKenna and Stuart Foster.

‘We do a lot of accounting for local firms.’

‘One of the big things with our staff is that we encourage them to get accounting qualifications. We will finance this and we give them time off to do this.’

The company has come to ‘embrace’ FATCA regulations, he said.

‘It’s bringing in good quality business for us and I think it’s quite a positive thing.

‘At the end of the day it is helping the island in the long run.’

Mr Bielich is South African by origin and grew up in Pretoria. He attained a Commerce Degree at the University of Stellenbosch and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1991.

He revealed that he first came to the island on holiday in 1991 and fell in love with the place.

So much so that when he returned to South Africa he subscribed to receive the Examiner every week.

He admits he was fascinated avidly reading every page including Business News, local news and sport as well as the small ads.

He lives in the north of the island with his wife Penny.

They have two children, Kate, 22, who is at university in Edinburgh and Tom, 20, who is studying at Bath University.

Tom is a part of the island’s swimming team who recently took part in the Island Games in Jersey.

Mr Bielich is a keen advocate of the business and its employees being part of the community.

And he leads by example. He is treasurer of Douglas Rotary Club and is vice president of the island branch of the Commonwealth Games Association.

He is already looking ahead to the next games in the so-called Gold Coast in Australia in April 2017.

‘We encourage our guys to work in th community and get involved in charity work.

Mr Bielich is a firm believer in ‘Isle of Man plc’ and promoting the place in the company’s dealings across the world including China and the emerging markets of Africa.

He said: ‘I think these are very interesting times. The government has shown that they have diversified into different industries and not relied totally on the financial sector. This is of huge benefit to the island.

‘I think there is still a lot of hard work to be done going forward. I think the one issue that really needs to be sorted is business travel from the island, especially to London. It’s a complicated issue and needs to be sorted out.’ He believes better travel links are important in attracting more people to settle here in the business world.

He praised Microgaming for their backing for air links to London.

Mr Bielich said Browne Craine is ‘investing in the future.

‘By us taking on four new partners for the business indicated our belief in the future here.’

A Ramsey man has appeared in court charged with gross indecency with or towards a person under 16 years.

Ryan David Campbell, aged 24, of Stanley Mount East, is yet to enter a plea to the charge.

The case has been adjourned with a view towards committal proceedings until September 17.

Bail was granted.

Education bosses have defended the use of almost £3,500 of taxpayers’ money to pay for Minister Tim Crookall MLC’s 10-day trip to Los Angeles to watch the island’s Special Olympics team in action.

The Special Olympics World Games is the biggest sports and humanitarian event in the world this year, with more than 6,500 athletes from 165 nations taking part.

A spokesman for the Department of Education and Children said Education and Children Minister Tim Crookall MLC, who has responsibility for sports development in the island, is representing the Manx Government.

She said: ‘The Minister is there supporting our team of dedicated Special Olympians who have performed so brilliantly at previous Games.

‘He is also building important relationships with other countries through participating in the fourth Doha GOALS Forum – a series of meetings bringing together political, business and sports leaders from around the world to discuss how to advance social initiatives through sports.

‘The Minister will be in Los Angeles for 10 days, and the cost to the Department of Education and Children is approximately £3,452.’

Maitland, a global advisory and administration firm in Douglas celebrates 25 years in the Isle of Man this year.

A lunch was provided for staff to celebrate the ‘silver anniversary’ in the island, and to meet and greet members of the board and key personnel who flew in from Maitland offices in London, Cape Town, Monaco, Mauritius and Luxembourg to attend the annual board meeting, and help the Isle of Man office celebrate this milestone.

In attendance was Michael Solomon (chairman), Steve Georgala (CEO), Grant Richardson (CFO), Veit Schuhen (COO), Stephen Kenyon-Slade (independent non-executive), Geoff Russell (independent non-executive), Brett Childs, Greg Harris, Herman Troskie and Nicky Pratt.

Colin Bird of Maitland said: ‘Maitland is very proud to have been part of the Isle of Man community for 25 years and looks forward to continuing to deliver top class legal, fiduciary and investment services from the island.’

Maitland Services Limited and Maitland Investment Services (IOM) Limited of Falcon Cliff, Palace Road, Douglas, Isle of Man are licensed by the Financial Supervision Commission of the Isle of Man.

It will be carnival day in Castletown on Saturday.

During the evening, the ‘confetti carnival’ will take place with the parade, which includes confetti throwing, starting at 7pm.

That will be followed by fancy dress prize presentations, an open air disco and performances from the group Shoddywaddy as well as a Katie Perry and Jessie J tribute act, concluding with a fireworks display from 10pm.

The carnival is now in its 59th year.

The chairman of Castletown festival committee is Tony Brown, the town’s former MHK and the island’s former Chief Minister.

He said: ‘I think the Confetti Carnival is so time-honoured because Castletown people like me value this unique tradition which provides a special event for families, especially the children.’

The festivities normally take place in the town’s Market Square but due to major road-works will move to The Parade adjacent to the Co-operative store this year, with some attractions being located in the Grammar School car park.

Mr Brown said that the confetti carnival has a long history, with the first recorded event taking place in the town’s market square on July 21, 1910, in aid of Castletown Football Club.

Since then, confetti carnivals have been hosted at regular intervals, with Castletown Festival holding them continuously for the last 58 years.

Other traditional parts of the festival programme include stalls and games, fashion contests, bonny baby competitions, crowning of the festival queen and princesses, along with a fancy dress parade led by the Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band.

The Castletown Festival is organised by a voluntary committee and relies on sponsorship from local businesses to continue serving the community with no admission charge.

The confetti carnival is sponsored by Harford Homes, while other festival sponsors include Belles and Bows, Wilkie and Rose, Castletown Insurance Services, Callow’s Yard, Celtic Associates Ltd, Friends Provident International, The George Hotel, Ray Harding, Hard Hat Café, Hugh Logan Architect, Isle of Man Bank, Isle of Man Flight Training Ltd, the Steam Packet Co Ltd, T E Leece & Son, Memory Lane Sweet Shop, Middleton Katz Chartered Secretaries LLC, Bill Mummery, Norman Cowin Ltd, Optimus Fiduciaries Ltd, Shoprite, S&S Motors, Strix Ltd, Sure (IOM) Ltd, Titley Cleaners and Moore Stephens.

The clean-up of the confetti will be undertaken by the Castletown Commissioners on Sunday morning.

Nine years after Royal Assent was given, could the island finally be getting its act together on disability discrimination?

Tynwald last week unanimously voted for the 2006 Disability Discrimination Act to be implemented by early next year.

The Act demands minimum levels of disabled access to buildings and prevent discrimination against disabled people in the supply of goods and services.

Douglas West MHK Chris Thomas led the charge with a motion calling for it to be implemented immediately. He said: ‘Most people who are disabled are not in wheelchairs.

‘This isn’t about putting in lifts and staircases. It’s about making reasonable adjustments. This is a clarion call for officers across government to step up to the mark.’

Delays in implementing the Act had been caused by concerns over the costs of compliance and then by the decision that its provisions would be included in a new Equality Bill. A shortage of legislative drafters has led to the Equality Bill, too, being delayed.

Health and Social Care Minister Howard Quayle said the Act could not be brought in without a substantial amount of secondary legislation and associated guidance – otherwise it would be difficult to enforce and could lead to costly court action.

He tabled an amendment that consultation would begin as soon as possible with other departments affected by the implementation with a view to laying necessary regulations and guidance for approval by Tynwald in December 2015 so that the Act could come into operation in 2016.

Chief Minister Allan Bell said he had long been a passionate supporter in equality. He gave his absolute assurance that the resolution had his full support but the amendment ‘puts into context what we have to do’. His hope was that it would be brought in long before July 2016. He said immediate implementation ‘sounds very sexy, very dynamic’ but without codes and guidance ‘it will lead to chaos, frankly.’

He said there would be opposition from some property owners and elements of the business community would have reservations.

Mr Bell said a first draft of the Equality Bill was now ready to take forward. This would include a straight lift of the Disability Discrimination Bill but widened to included discrimination in the workplace and so make it a ‘far more relevant piece of legislation’.

Juan Turner MLC expressed concerned at the tight timescale. Speaker Steve Rodan MHK wondered why consultation with other departments of government was only now taking place. ‘What have we been doing all this time?’ he asked. Peter Karran (Lib Van, Onchan) said Mr Thomas’s motion had ‘embarrassed us all into taking action’. Tynwald voted unanimously for the motion as amended.

Flood defence proposals for what is popularly known as Gansey beach, on the Port St Mary/Rushen parish border, have provoked scores of objections.

The measures, made by environmental company JBA consultants in conjunction with the Department of Infrastructure on an island-wide basis to reduce the risk of coastal flooding, include heaping piles of rock armour on the beach, officially called Brewery beach, so covering a large stretch of sand.

Representatives from DoI and JBA have conducted two rounds of community meetings around the island and held discussions with a number of local authorities.

A report was published in January and the Government website page www.gov.im/coastandwave provides a detailed breakdown of all the options considered.

An artist’s impression of the plan for Brewery beach, which was published on Port St Mary commissioners’ website, prompted 33 replies.

Sarah Hickey wrote: ‘Gansey beach is the only good surf beach on the island and is used regularly by a large number of surfers, kayakers, swimmers, windsurfers, kite surfers, children playing and dog walkers.

‘If this scheme is implemented it will be unusable for these activities.’

The defence would be too great at the western end of the beach, according to Nicholas Davies, who added the scheme was ‘unsightly’.

He added: ‘Wave height and strength are concentrated east of the middle towards the Shore Hotel. Therefore west end placement will be a waste of money.

‘Lapping over at the western end will still take place as the scheme doesn’t appear to add height to the wall.’

James Betteridge warned the defences could create rather than solve a flooding problem: ‘Physics dictates that energy cannot be destroyed, only transferred.

‘This is why the proposed scheme needs such a large revetment [slope] to try and dissipate the energy, which in turn will destroy the surf amenity of the beach which is considerable, not to mention the visual amenity.’

He doubts it would protect the houses from flooding ‘as water and energy will be dispersed to the creek at Kentraugh, causing the creek to fill and flood back on to the unprotected side of the road’.

He wrote: ‘If the flood waters picked up any debris and the bridge became blocked it will almost certainly flood back across and down the road rendering the defence useless.’

Several suggested a man-made reef be created.

Port St Mary Commissioners met the Department of Infrastructure last week and passed the objections on. The authority declined to comment when contacted by Isle of Man Newspapers.

The majority of the beach lies in Rushen parish, whose commissioners learned of the proposal from a resident.

Clerk Gill Kelly said the authority was ‘concerned’ it was not consulted. She confirmed the matter would be discussed at the board’s next meeting, and that they are ‘opposed to what is proposed’.

Infrastructure Minister Gawne said: ‘Local communities are being invited to play a leading role in the decision-making process. Our current thinking is to improve the protection of vulnerable locations and try to reduce the economic and social impact of flooding, but first we want to hear the views of people living in those areas.

‘Communities may decide they are prepared to deal with the effects of extreme weather events once every few years, rather than see their harbour walls raised or rock armour introduced into their bays.’

People are being invited to provide feedback to the DoI via their local authorities.

The Isle of Man Trades Union Council is calling for an annual review of the minimum wage on a statutory basis.

It comes as they voice their concerns workers on the lowest incomes will have to choose between food and fuel this winter as details of the next review won’t be announced until October.

Vice-chairman Karl Flint said: ‘We need to have a statutory requirement to address the issue of the minimum wage on a 12-month basis.

‘We are a first world country and despite the problems we are going through at the moment I don’t think it’s acceptable that we are almost burying our heads in the sand and not addressing what I think is a key issue.’

He said the issue should have been addressed in Tynwald before the summer recess: ‘Families are right on the poverty line by the standards of a first world country.

‘We shouldn’t be putting at risk those families and we shouldn’t be putting at risk the children of those families.’

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly said that, historically, reviews had taken place approximately every 18 months.

‘Working closely with the independent committee and Treasury my aim is to review more regularly,’ he said.

‘Last year we introduced above inflation increase at 3.9 per cent and while appreciating TUC’s desire to have an annual increase in statute we must balance with local business capabilities to absorb.

‘As it is our current rate, £6.65, is higher than the UK at £6.50.’

The UK Government announced in its Budget it intends to introduce a national living wage in April next year.

Mr Skelly told Tynwald last week he would like the minimum wage to rise to a similar level to the living wage, £9.50 per hour in London and £7.85 in the rest of the UK.

But he added that the needs of employees had to be balanced against the needs of employers.

The results of the minimum wage review are due to be presented to the October sitting.

The last increase took effect on October 1 last year.

The previous October saw a 20p rise take effect.

The former clerk to Braddan Commissioners Charles ‘Buster’ Lewin has been declared bankrupt.

A bankruptcy order against Mr Lewin was made in his absence in the high court following his failed attempt to seek damages for unfair dismissal.

The commissioners had been awarded costs of more than £300,000 and had sought the bankruptcy order when he failed to pay.

Mr Lewin, of Ballavitchell Road, Crosby, was sentenced in 2012 to three-and-a-half years in jail for his part in trying to rig a House of Keys by-election in 2010.

During that campaign, he was the campaign manager for television chef Kevin Woodford.

He admitted charges of conspiring dishonestly to secure proxy votes for Mr Woodford, conspiring to steal and conspiring to forge a document.

Previously, he had been employed as clerk to Braddan Commissioners from 1990 until he was dismissed for gross misconduct in 2007. He had been earning £85,000 a year there.

He took the case to tribunal but proceedings were dropped at the 11th hour with both parties agreeing to a consent order confirming that he was unfairly dismissed.

He went on to seek £1.35m damages for loss of earnings and pension.

But the case was struck out by Deemster Christie in the high court in January last year.

Then, in September, Mr Lewin lost his appeal against that high court decision.

Mr Lewin did not appear at the bankruptcy hearing for reasons of ill health.

Craig Mitchell, of Brown Craine and Co, has been appointed trustee. He is to write to all creditors inviting them to supply proof of debt.

A woman injured herself as she tried to deal with a chip pan fire last night.

Two fire engines were sent from Douglas fire station to Ashley Park shortly before 9pm.

The householder told fire offices she had taken the chip pan to the garden but suffered minor burns to her arms and hands when she did it.

She and her children had left the premises because of the amount of smoke inside.

Firefighters administered first aid at the scene.

Stuart Baggs’s sister has paid a touching tribute to her brother following his death at the age of just 27 - saying he was the ‘King of following his dreams’.

Charlotte Baggs posted on her Facebook page yesterday afternoon: ‘Today my dearest brother Stuart Baggs gained his wings.

‘To say we are all shocked and devastated is an understatement. Love him or hate him, he touched many people’s lives from his TV antics to his amazing work with BlueWave Communications.

‘This week he unveiled plans that would have revolutionised the industry, now our world has been shattered apart.

‘He was the biggest character and will leave the biggest hole behind. Not knowing what or why makes it all the harder. Can’t explain how proud I am of him.

‘He was the King of following his dreams and making them happen. I love you so much! Rest in Peace baby brother, rest easy your journey is over xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx’

The body of telecoms entrepreneur and TV’s The Apprentice star Mr Baggs was found at his home in the Spectrum Apartments on Central Promenade, Douglas, at 9am on Thursday.

Lord Sugar paid tribute on Twitter that he was ‘one of the stand out characters’ of the show.

Stuart also appeared on Channel 4’s Come Dine with Me Show last year when it was filmed in the island.

Fellow contestant Rich Ashcroft, who runs the Patchwork cafe in Port St Mary, said: ‘It was my great pleasure to become friends with Stuart during the recent Come Dine with Me episode filmed on the Isle of Man and I would like people to know that beneath the tough ambitious exterior Stuart was one of the kindest and most generous person one could hope to come across.’

Police said yesterday they are not treating the death as suspicious but said there is nothing obvious at this time to indicate the cause. Inquiries are continuing.

A memorial show to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the Summerland fire will be held tomorrow (Saturday).

Once again, as with last year, the show will take place at The Amber Bar on Loch Promenade in Douglas and sees Chris Gray, Nick Barlow, Alex Harris, Pete Woodman, Dan Buttimore and The Bar Toads completing the line-up.

Tickets are available on the door on the night and are priced at £10, with all money raised going to the Alder Hay Children’s Burns Unit.

For further information, the event page can be found at www.facebook.com/events/1382144405425659

There seems to be a plethora of new bands cropping up on the radar recently to shake up the Manx music scene.

One such name on the block in recent months and a band that are starting to get their name out and about on the gig scene are Konstruktion.

At the other end of the spectrum, and as an antidote to the various rock, metal, indie and acoustic bands which are thankfully out there, this duo, featuring Joy White on vocals and Nige B on keyboards and vocals, specialise in dance anthems from the modern chart to ‘old skool’ classics.

Something a little different and worth checking out if that’s what your into.

The band appear at The Railway in Port St Mary on Saturday night.

For more information on what seems to be becoming a very busy band, visit www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501517546668508

Moving west and continuing their relentless schedule of dates, 9 Mile Smile make an appearance at what could almost be termed as their second home with the band appearing at The Creek in Peel on Friday night.

For those who have not yet seen them and surely there must be someone as they are no strangers to the bars and venues of the island, the band – made up by vocalist Angela Wells, guitarists Graham Smith and Grant Evans, bassist Lewis Thompson and Johnny Wade on drums – specialise in covers ranging from the likes of anything from the now ubiquitous Kings Of Leon via The Stereophonics to Blondie and Michael Jackson via Amy Winehouse and Aretha Franklin and just about anything in between.

A good time band, and well worth having a look at if you’re in the area.

More next week!

If you have any news or views on the Manx music and gig scene for inclusion in the The Manx Sound Exchange, email leachsteve@hotmail.com

Former Southern 100 Racing Club president Bob Dowty died on Tuesday of this week at the age of 84, writes Phil Edge.

Bob competed in the Southern 100 in 1957, finishing eighth in the 500cc race, and continued racing on the Billown Course up to and including 1959.

He then took up responsibilities as a travelling marshal and official car driver, a position he held for eight years.

Bob joined the club committee in 1960, taking the position of chairman in 1961 and 1962, chairman of the race committee between 1964 and 1982, in addition to deputy clerk of the course from 1969 through to 1979.

He was elected club president in 1989, holding the chain of office until 2002 when he was elected one of the first two life members along with Artie Bridson.

Bob continued to take an active interest in the activities of the ‘the friendly races’ and attended the races each year, although he missed the recent

Diamond Jubilee meeting because of ill health.

The committee, members and all associated with the Southern 100 send their sincere condolences to his wife Ann and their family at this sad time.

l Bob Dowty’s Manx Grand Prix achievements will be featured in IoM Examiner’s sporting nostalgia on Tuesday. His funeral service will take place at St Ninian’s church next Thursday, August 6, at 2pm.

Tynwald has recognised the contribution to the Manx community made by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in the island, Canon Philip Gillespie. ahead of his leaving to take up his appointment as Rector of the Pontifical Beda College in Rome.

Canon Gillespie, who has served the island since 2011 and been a keen follower of Tynwald proceedings, was presented by the President of Tynwald, Clare Christian, with an illuminated address created by local artist Colleen Corlett.

Canon Gillespie said: ‘From my sitting room I have a view of the Legislative Council Chamber and, when time allows, like to observe sittings of Tynwald from the public gallery.

‘Having been in the Island almost five years has proved a good way to keep one’s “finger on the pulse” as it’s important that a leader of any organisation be aware of what matters to people and support them in becoming the best they can be.’

He said that helping to create ‘a sense of community’ was central to his work, adding: ‘I have always been interested in the political life of a community and the parliamentary process; how by listening to others in debate one can appreciate nuance, purpose and intent.’

Canon Gillespie’s appointment is for an initial three years but he hopes to return to the island during the summer recess and continue to observe proceedings in Tynwald.

‘The Isle of Man will always be home to me,’ he said.

Bus passengers who want an electronic ‘Go’ ticket to travel wherever they want in the island can pay £800 for an annual card.

To have unlimited travel on buses, trains, trams and admission to all Manx National Heritage sites for a year costs £880.

The government’s transport division is promoting the tickets now.

In addition, a new Go College card is being introduced for students attending the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education.

Isle of Man Transport has changed the appearance of the Go School 3 card in response to students’ feedback.

Any students with an old Go School 3 card should exchange it free of charge at any card issuing station before term starts.

Old Go School 3 cards will not function from September. The new Go College cards and Go School cards will be available from August 10.

Children moving up from primary to secondary school can exchange a Go School 1 card for a Go School 2 card free of charge.

Unused journeys can be transferred onto new cards at the Welcome Centre.

Unused journeys on school cards that are no longer required can be refunded until Friday September 5. A 4R form should be completed and taken to the Welcome Centre in Douglas Sea Terminal to receive cash refunds.

Children travelling between their home and state schools and college courses can travel for 25p per journey with a pre-paid Go School or Go College smart travel card.

Those travelling to school without a card or at other times will have to pay the standard fare. Please note, Go School cards will not be accepted as proof of age to obtain half fares outside of school journeys.

College students aged 16 to 19 can use the new Go College card with their college ID for concessionary fares to and from the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education and, like older students, can obtain half fare bus travel on production of their college ID outside these times.

Another version of the Go Cards include Go Platinum Rail, which is valid for unlimited travel on heritage railways for one year.

New applications can be made online or in person at Ramsey Bus Station, Douglas Railway Station, the House of Manannan in Peel and Port Erin Station plus at the Welcome Centre in the Sea Terminal in Douglas.

All applicants need to complete an application form) and submit it with a passport photo. Alternatively, photos for Go cards can be taken at the Welcome Centre for no additional charge or uploaded during online applications.

The government Minister in charge of the island’s roads says he is a backing a campaign to improve cyclists’ safety by introducing a legal minimum overtaking distance.

SafeCycling Isle of Man is lobbying Tynwald to bring in Katespace, a minimum overtaking distance of 1.5m enshrined in law.

Its campaign has been prompted by the tragic death of experienced cyclist Kate Burge who was killed in a road accident in Kirk Michael in August last year.

Last week Sulby resident Linda Ann Thompson, 63, was handed a suspended jail term after admitting causing Kate’s death by careless driving.

SafeCycling campaigner Sean Mclachlan, who was Kate’s partner, described that sentence as ‘derisory’.

He said: ‘Our campaign is not in response to the derisory sentence handed to Linda Thompson. It’s about ensuring a safety envelope around a cyclist to prevent it happening again. Whether it could have saved Kate, I don’t know. There is only one person responsible for Kate’s death.’

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable people in our society and cyclists are one among our most vulnerable road users.

‘The Department of Infrastructure is therefore supportive of methods of improving the safety of cyclists on our roads and particularly SafeCycling Isle of Man and its aim of introducing a 1.5m safe passing distance.’

Police say they are supportive of any initiative that will improve road safety.

Sergeant Alan Thompson, head of the roads policing unit, said: ‘There is a vast community of cyclists on the Isle of Man and this initiative can make a huge difference to their safety.

‘If we broaden the notion to the include other vulnerable road users, such as horse riders and walkers, embedding a culture of courtesy to each other in sharing the road, then this will undoubtedly make our roads safer.’

In its current wording, the Manx Highway Code says only that road users should leave ‘plenty of room’ when passing cyclists.

Belgium, France, Portugal, Germany and Spain all have specified overtaking space as do 25 US states and Nova Scotia in Canada. A campaign for an 1.5m overtaking distance has been launched in Ireland.

In Australia, a two-year trial of an enforced minimum overtaking distance has begun in Queensland. The distance depends on the speed limit – 1m for 60kph or less, 1.5m if the limit is higher.

SafeCycling IoM says the majority of motorists are considerate and responsible but a small minority infringe the safety of cyclists.

Members say amending the Road Traffic Act to provide a minimum overtaking distance would help alter the behaviour of those motorists who persistently pass dangerously close to cyclists.

Sean said: ‘With the campaign we hope to help people realise how vulnerable cyclists actually are.

‘The consequences of a collision between a motor vehicle and a cyclist is far, far greater for the cyclist. Motorists overtaking a person on a bicycle therefore have a duty of care not to compromise the safety of that cyclist. If they don’t carry out this duty by passing too close, they are negligent. This is why we need a specific law to protect people riding bicycles.

‘I must emphasis that the vast majority of people driving motor vehicles are safety conscious and considerate. The majority of cyclists are also motorists. Our campaign will also give advice to people riding bicycles, with an objective of more harmonious road sharing.’

You can find out more about SafeCycling IoM’s campaign on its website at www.safecyclingiom.com

Passenger watchdog TravelWatch has given a cautious welcome to plans for a possible relaunch of direct flights to Heathrow.

It warns that it could be 15 years before Heathrow gets a third runway – and it has renewed its call for a route licensing authority to ensure we have a say on which airline operates the link to the London airport hub.

In its long-awaited report published earlier this month, the Airport Commission backed plans for a new northwest runway at Heathrow Airport over alternative proposals for a second runway at Gatwick.

And its report specifically named the Isle of Man as one community that could benefit.

It stated: ‘To ensure that cities and regions across the UK can benefit from Heathrow’s enhanced connectivity, including areas such as the Highlands and Islands, the Isle of Man and the Tees Valley, which have lost their direct links to Heathrow over recent decades, the government should use Public Service Obligations to support a widespread network of domestic routes.’

Budget airline easyJet has already announced it would open a base at an expanded Heathrow and would launch new services to the Isle of Man, Inverness and Jersey from there.

But TravelWatch pointed out that the Airport Commission’s report is a recommendation only, and need not necessarily be adopted, in full or in part, by the UK Government.

He said even if it is accepted, it will be 10-15 years before it could be implemented, always assuming that planning approval is granted.

And TravelWatch said that the EU would have to agreed to regional routes to Heathrow being operated under a Public Services Obligation.

‘No airline can simply decide to operate on the route, but would have to apply, and applications by any European airline would have to be considered equally,’ it added.

The watchdog said the creation of an Isle of Man licensing authority would give the island a say on the choice of airline.

It said: ‘While the implementation of the decision on a third Heathrow runway may be a decade or more away, the necessary mechanism to ensure the Isle of Man is in a position to benefit will need to be in place well in advance of this.’

Vandals sprayed paint on a number of cars in Ramsey last night.

It happened some time between 9.30pm on Thursday and 7.30am on Friday.

The cars’ drivers’ door handles painted yellow, most probably with a spray can.

The cars were parked in the vicinity of Bay View Road and Cumberland Road, Ramsey.

Police described the vandalism as ‘a random and senseless act of criminal damage’.

A spokesman added: ‘We believe there will be yellow paint on the perpetrator’s hands or clothing.

‘Please contact Ramsey police station 812234 if you have any information which will help.’

Manx trading standards officers have issued a warning about fire blankets.

The Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading released information about the Kidde produts today.

It says that Kidde Safety Europe Ltd has identified a potential safety issue with regard to fire blankets sized one square metre, which may impact the fire blankets’ effectiveness in the event of an oil pan fire.

No reports of any adverse incidents have been received to date, however, testing of certain fire blankets has identified a risk that the affected fire blankets may not fully extinguish an oil pan fire and/or may allow the fire to re-ignite very soon after application of the fire blanket.

Accordingly, a recall has been issued on a precautionary basis.

The official advice is: ‘If you have one of the potentially affected fire blankets, you must not use it on any oil pan fire.

‘Please remove the fire blanket and return it to the retailer it was purchased from as soon as possible. Kidde Safety Europe Ltd will arrange for a compliant replacement fire blanket to be supplied to you which meets the British Safety Standard.

‘The potentially affected fire blankets are one square metre in size. The fire blanket containers are labelled with the brand name ‘Kidde’ or ‘Lifesaver’ and are marked with the Kitemark symbol. The Kitemark Licence Number 35021 is also displayed on the container. The label on the fire blanket refers to ‘Homesaver’.

These details can be found on the fire blanket containers as shown in photographs with this report.

The Kidde Safety helpline is 0800 917 0722. Email admin@kiddesafety.co.uk.

For further information see www.kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk.

The Children’s Centre Community Farm is throwing open its doors - or its gates to be more precise - for its annual Open Day on Saturday, August 15.

The event lasts from 10.30am until 3.30pm.

It’s an opportunity for everyone across the island to see what goes on at the Community Farm, and to understand a little more about how it delivers its work helping and developing children and young adults.

There will be a chance to meet all of the animals on the farm - including sheep, pigs and donkeys - as well a chance to hear more about the production of local produce, horticulture and some top tips on wholesome cooking and baking.

A selection of WI-made cakes will be there, as well as a barbecue.

There will also be a number of other services from The Children’s Centre there on the day. The Out 2 Play team will be explaining how they are promoting play and children’s ‘Right to Play’ across the Isle of Man, while the Mobex team will be telling visitors how they use indoor and outdoor activities to support and develop young people’s sense of their own potential.

For those who want to get their hands a little dirty, there’s also the chance to help build a boardwalk in the farm’s conservation area.

As Chrissy Cannell, farm team leader, said: ‘This really is a great chance to show visitors how the Community Farm helps people reconnect with the countryside, and by doing so helps them overcome many of the difficulties and pressures which life has thrown at them. All of us at the farm would love to welcome as many people as possible at the Open Day. I’m sure they will be surprised at just how much we do, and how effective it can be. And it’s a pretty good day out as well.’

The Community Farm can be found on the Old Castletown Road, but visitors should park at Kewaigue School, where a shuttle bus service will take them to the farm. Because of the number of people expected, and the animals at the farm, please do leave your dogs at home.