The response to an appeal to the Chief Minister for an ‘urgent review’ of a development in Port St Mary was ‘doubly insulting’ said commissioner Alec Merchant.

The board wrote to Chief Minister Allan Bell requesting the review of the controversial development of two houses at the Underway. The plan, approved at appeal in 2011, includes the condition that parking for two cars be built on the foreshore first; work on the parking area began in October.

Commissioners requested the review because there was ‘considerable disquiet’ about the development, wrote’ chairman Bernadette McCabe, as residents ‘do not want to see our beach used as a car park’.

The authority questioned the title which the developers hold for the foreshore and they pointed out the car parking appears to have been constructed with neither building regulations approval nor a road opening notice being granted.

Mr Bell passed the letter to Michael Gallagher, Director of Planning at the Department of Environment, Fisheries and Agriculture.

Mr Gallagher replied to the authority: ‘In recent months the department have repeatedly provided advice and indicated the department’s position’.

The final decision about the plan – which was made following the recommendation of an independent inspector – ‘underwent significant external scrutiny and was not just made by planning officers’.

Once approval is in place ‘DEFA does not have the vires to reconsider or change the planning decision, even if new information is available or circumstances may have changed. At present . . . no breach of planning control has taken place.’

Issues about land ownership ‘are not a planning matter’. A car park is not within Building Regulations (BR), so does not require BR approval. The officers are ‘acutely aware’ of cliff stability, protection of the road and property and flood risk.

Port St Mary commissioner Alec Merchant said last week Mr Gallagher’s letter contained nothing new. He said: ‘One of the reasons we wrote to the Chief Minister is because we were not satisfied with the response [from planning]. Building regulations of 2007 and 2014 say the same thing. Mr Gallagher is using the word “building” as a noun rather than a verb (to mean the act of construction), and that is clearly not the case (how it is used in the act).

‘It is insulting a government department should brush the commissioners off with a simple statement. To send back the same response is double the insult.

‘This demonstrates a disconnect between the public and government, it’s very frustrating to represent the interests of local people and we are getting the door shut in our faces repeatedly.

‘If I was Mr Bell, I would want someone to look at the building regulations because very clearly there can be different interpretations.’

As the new parking bays are by a public highway, it is ‘reckless’ not to apply building regulations, he said.

Also, he added, as BR have not been not applied, it is technically ‘an illegal construction.’

He said: ‘The commissioners believe there is documentary evidence to suggest a different history of ownership than that claimed and the relevant departments should make themselves familiar with this. I hope some careful thought and attention will be given to these matters.’

The commissioners will consult further with government.

Manx traditional dance group Perree Bane is celebrating Christmas in the best way it knows how – a ceili.

Everyone is invited to go along and join in the festivities tomorrow evening (Sunday) from 6.30pm, no matter what level of dancing you are.

As always, there will be live music provided by Perree Bane’s musicians and some simple dances that are suitable for all ages to enjoy.

The evening takes place at Ballasalla Village Hall, in Mill Road, and runs from 6.30pm to 9pm.

Participants are encouraged to bring along a plate of food. You can also bring along your own alcohol if you wish.

Carol Hayes, one of the original members of the group, said: ‘If anyone would like to come to the party they will be made most welcome.

‘You don’t need any experience at all.

‘It helps if you know your left from your right but after that you’re fine!’

As always, the group have enjoyed a busy year, dancing at venues across the island and further afield.

And in fact, they will only be coming along to their Christmas ceili after performing earlier in the day at Castletown Farmers’ Market.

Weather permitting, they will be dancing outside the Southern 100 clubhouse, on the Arbory Road junction with Castletown bypass from 1.30pm.

Carol said that for, the highlight of the year, had been performing at the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival, held in the Villa Marina Gardens in September.

‘There was such a lovely atmosphere and we were lucky with the weather.’

Meanwhile, she described their presence at this year’s Tynwald Day ceremony at St John’s as ‘memorable for all the wrong reasons’ because of the heavy rain.

‘It have never, ever left Tynwald Day before,’ she admitted.

As well as performing in the island, everywhere from residential homes where the elderly residents all know the dances to some of the largest dates in the island’s calendar, the group also travelled off-island to fly the Manx flag.

The group travelled to Wales in March for a three-day festival and then to Cornwall in October for a five-day festival.

Some of their young members even danced at the L’orient Interceltic festival in the summer.

The group meets every Sunday evening at Ballasalla Village Hall. The youngsters dance from 6.30pm and then its the adults turn from 7pm to 9pm, with a tea break half way through.

Perree Bane currently has about 40 members, aged from two years old to 70.

As well as the dancers, Carol explained there was a group of four musicians (playing the accordion, concertina and guitar) who go along each Sunday.

They are also joined by musicians on the bodhran Irish drum, mandolin, flute, auto harp and whistle.

Carol said: ‘We like to think we are a busy group and a group that will welcome everyone in to us.’

For more information contact Carol on 833208.

Castletown commissioners will host an open day for the public with the aim of invigorating interest in local authority elections.

Kevin Weir made the proposal after an email from local government unit executive officer Steve Willoughby, who wrote ahead of the election, on April 28. He said: ‘I would encourage your commissioners/council to consider how they would like to promote and encourage participation in these elections.’

On Monday, Mr Weir said: ‘Why not do something entirely different? Have an open day, do a presentation, maybe have a “dummy run” board meeting to give an idea of how we do it.’

Colin Leather said people ‘keen to stand’ can attend the public section of their fortnightly board meetings. Mr Weir pointed out two people at last Monday’s meeting were past board members. ‘It does not affect them,’ he said. ‘We do a lot more than is seen in the public domain . If people know Casletown is trying that little bit harder, we might get people standing.’

Dave Parnell seconded the proposal.

Accountancy firm KPMG Isle of Man has raised £31,144 for its chosen charity this year, Alzheimer’s Society Isle of Man.

This figure is KPMG’s highest fundraising effort to date.

Over the past 12 months, staff have embarked upon a variety of fundraising activities including ‘SaturPlay’, a fun family event held at the Manx Fun Farm, a back-breaking coin challenge in which the staff collected donated coins from neighbouring offices and the general public to try to lay a trail of coins the length of Athol Street and back, an in-house auction of staff services ranging from personal training sessions, pistol shooting, car valets and ironing, and the usual raffles, cake baking, dress down days and bonus ball draws.

Individual KPMG employees also tackled half marathons and cycle and abseil challenges on behalf of the charity, personally contributing to nearly 20 per cent of the total amount raised.

A significant proportion of the funds were again raised through the annual KPMG Promenade Relay, a 10kmrelay race along Douglas Promenade which now in its third year, attracted about 100 teams and close to 400 fun runners and serious athletes. This event alone raised £13,000.

Director Micky Swindale said: ‘KPMG would like to thank its clients, staff and contacts whose endless generosity throughout the year was central to raising this record-breaking amount for Alzheimer’s Society Isle of Man.

‘This charity is important to us as dementia continues to touch so many of our lives and we are pleased to be able to make a difference.

‘Our staff commitment to local charities and the community is clearly a continuous effort and we appreciate the great deal of time that people dedicate despite busy schedules.

‘Our chosen charity for 2016, Wish Upon A Dream, does some outstanding work to help realise the dreams of so many local children and I am looking forward to once again pulling together as a team to make an impact.’

Wish Upon A Dream is an Isle of Man registered charity that tries to grant wishes for sick or terminally ill children living on the Isle of Man.

Launched in 2007 with its first wish granted, Wish Upon A Dream is an independent charity whose donations go directly to Isle of Man children with the aim of making their dreams come true.

Lesley Turnbull of Wish Upon A Dream said: ‘I am delighted and overwhelmed that my charity has been chosen by KPMG. I am really looking forward to getting involved with them in any way they need. KPMG raises so much money to help charities on the island. I am so very grateful for the kindness extended to Wish Upon A Dream.’

A New Year’s Day dip is to be held in Douglas.

It will take place at 1pm from Queen’s Promenade

There will be a warm-up at 12.45pm.

The event will raise money for Breast Cancer Now.

Let us know about your New Year’s Day dips.

Email newsdesk@newsiom.co.im and we will publicise it in our newspapers and on iomtoday.co.im

After two teenagers were caught out by large waves and had to be rescued from the end of Castletown’s pier, young people were warned to stay away from rough seas by Castletown commissioners’ chairman Alwyn Collister.

At Monday’s meeting, he talked about the ‘pressure of the sea’ which had destroyed a 20-foot stretch of the pier wall.

‘My worry and concern is it (the wall) was not brought down when the police van went down the pier (to rescue the teenagers). It (the van) would have been washed into the harbour, I wonder if the lifeboat should have gone? The children were silly, the sea can be vicious. I want to issue a warning: please keep off the rocks. We have had children swept off the rocks in the past. Thanks to the police for acting quickly.’

He added he hopes the pier is repaired as soon as possible. ‘If it (the gap) is left open it could get wider.’

The ambulance service is seeking candidates to undergo training to join its bank of trainee emergency care assistants.

Applicants must be over 21, in good health as the role is physically demanding, and have held a full, clean driving licence that enables them to drive category C1 vehicles for at least three years.

They must hold a current qualification in ambulance aid skills and have gained a minimum of six months’ practical experience in ambulance aid.

Training will be carried out over a week in February and will cover moving and handling, trauma and major incidents, assisting the paramedic, mechanical chest compressions and resuscitation and ECGs.

Prior to employment, trainees will then be expected to take advanced driver training and the Ambulance Service’s induction programme and commit to online study in Ambulance Care Essentials.

Trainees will then join the Department of Health and Social Care on a bank contract, maintain a portfolio of evidence and commit to further online learning.

They will have the chance to progress to become fully fledged emergency care assistants, responding to emergencies with qualified paramedics.

There are six places on the training course.

The ambulance service is holding an informal open evening for candidates at 6pm on Monday at Keyll Darree, which is next to Noble’s Hospital.

We remain committed to finding a new lease of life for Knockaloe Farm as a retail and leisure site - while protecting features dating back to its time as an interment camp.

That was the message from Environment, Food and Agriculture Richard Ronan as he was quizzed in Tynwald by former Glenfaba MHK David Anderson MLC over what progress there had been in finding a new future for Knockaloe since a public meeting was held 15 months ago.

Mr Ronan said having met with commissioners, the Captain of the Parish, interested parties, local groups and held public meetings, his department had considered all opinions and it was proposed to seek an anchor tenant with an interest in establishing a new use for Knockaloe Farm which had links to its agricultural, educational and heritage status.

He told the court: ‘Acknowledging this, the department remains committed to establishing a new retail and amenity activity for the site.

‘Towards that aim, we have been working with Liverpool University to establish a statement of significance for the whole of Knockaloe Farm. This will identify key features and buildings relating to the previous use as an internment camp, which need to be afforded appropriate protection whilst developing the new activities.’

He said this information will be included in an information pack to be circulated to interested parties in the New Year, so that they can take account of it in their business plans.

The information pack will be circulated to the Captain of the Parish, commissioners and local MHKs prior to being advertised, Mr Ronan said.

He said there is an ‘ongoing interest’ from a number of individuals and groups which will be ‘worked up’ through the procurement process.

The Minister said part of the brief for the statement of significance was to consider where footpaths or routes should be introduced around the farm to allow visitors to view key areas without affecting the viability of the land for a wide range of purposes.

He said discussions have already been held with the Department of Infrastructure on one specific route but ‘it was felt wise to designate a package of routes rather than pursuing a piecemeal approach’.  It is hoped that proposed routes will be published in the spring, he said.

Mr Anderson pointed out that the first public meeting was 15 months ago. He sought an assurance that a decision would be made before the end of this parliament.

Mr Ronan said nobody was more disappointed than himself at the time it was taking but he was ‘determined to see something happening to Knockaloe which is one of the island’s treasures’. ‘I am onto this,’ he told the court. He said he saw the internment camp as ‘the heart of the process’.

A section of Peel Road in Douglas was shut last night (Saturday) because of flooding as heavy rain persisted through the evening and into the night.

To compound the problem, a driver crashed into the traffic lights at the Pulrose Bridge junction, causing them to stop working. The car driver was uninjured.

The lights are de to be repaired today (Sunday) and the section of Peel Road, from the Quarterbridge to Brown Bobby, is now open again.

Standing water was also reported in a number of other areas including the section of road between Tromode and Noble’s Hospital.

Police on patrol in Douglas on Saturday night reported six arrests for various offences including being drunk and disorderly, assault and drink driving.

We often say that things were better in the old days.

The truth is, they weren’t better but they were definitely different.

To say that something is or was better is subjective. It all depends on your starting point.

I am writing this little ramble on the day before my 75th birthday so my perspective will be somewhat different to that of a young man.

Take Christmas as an example. When I was a lad, Christmas was a time of excitement and anticipation, as I’m sure it is to young people today.

The difference is that in the 1940s and 50s there was no television and very little commercial radio.

In other words, the ‘must buys’ that bombard our senses today just didn’t exist.

Our only connection to the influences of the outside world was the Daily Mirror, the choice of the head of the family. My mother used to buy the Weekly News which was a cross between a magazine and a newspaper and my Aunt Elsie kept me supplied with the Dandy and Beano, which were weekly comics.

The point that I am trying to make was that there was no such thing as advertising.

At least, not in the way that we regard advertising today.

We made our Christmas wish list from what we saw in the Strand Street shop windows.

I say wish list because that is what it was, a wish list. Whatever was in our Christmas pillow case when we woke up on Christmas Day was always a complete surprise.

Family budgets were tight and we were grateful for what we got. You hear folk saying they used to get a couple of toys and an apple and an orange, well we did just that.

And if we were really lucky we might get a bar of chocolate or a Cadbury selection box.

There was always a couple of books and a Dinky car or similar but I don’t think I ever made a Christmas list for Santa as the kids do these days.

Our aspirations were fuelled by shop windows in Douglas. The only two I can remember were Peggie’s Lounge and Gelling’s Foundry.

Gellings, in Victoria Street, was like a magnet to the lads who collected Meccano, a construction kit of assorted metal shapes from which the budding engineer could create models of buildings or machines, held together with nuts and bolts. It came in specific kits which increased in price and complexity.

But for real engineers, such as yours truly, there was a range of spare parts. You could save up and buy extra metal strips or plates and wheels or if you really saved or were lucky with Christmas money you could splash out on a battery driven electric motor.

On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, cowboys and Indians fought pitched battles with their cap guns and bows and arrows and boy scouts could swagger about with their bright new sheath knives fastened to their belts, or with one of those multi-purpose clasp knives, ready and waiting for a horse with a stone caught in its hoof, to turn up.

Today, if a cowboy came across a Native American wandering up Laburnum Road the chances of him having a replica six shooter in his holster would be rather slim.

And you can bet your life that the Native American would be more likely to be carrying a 4G phone than a bow and arrow.

As for the boy scout sharpening his sheath knife on the front step of his house, he would be surrounded by a SWAT squad before he could say dib, dib, dib.

With the benefit of hindsight, I now appreciate the sacrifices my parents must have made to give their three children a happy Christmas. I shudder to think how long it took them to save up for my new Hercules bike.

We had jigsaw puzzles, Enid Blyton and card games. We had Dick Barton, special agent on the wireless, and concerts in the church hall.

Things were definitely different, and as far as I’m concerned, they really were better.

The new year brings an exciting new project for Port Erin’s Men in Sheds – they’re building a boat and inviting others to join them.

Shed member Tony Sharples, a retired naval architect, said: ‘When I joined the Men in Sheds in 2013 I said I wanted to build a boat and no one believed me.’

The design of the boat is based on a 19th century 14ft Cape Cod crabbing skiff.

Tony will supply the materials and expertise and the boat will remain in his ownership, but it will be available for use by shed members.

Shed co-ordinator Les Shires said: ‘We invite local men to come along and join this project. No previous experience or particular skills are necessary, all you need is an interest, commitment and enthusiasm.

‘You will learn all you need to know under the expert tuition of Tony.’

All the drawings and calculations are already completed and Tony would like to start making the parts from January 12 with an anticipated grand launch in June.

‘It would be great to enter the crabber in the Peel Traditional Boat Weekend at the beginning of August and I’m sure that is achievable,’ added Tony.

Financial assistance is being sought to create a covered outdoor space to work on the boat.

To join the team visit to the shed at Thie Rosien, Four Roads on January 5 and 12 or phone 494885.

The shed is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 4pm

Southern Dippers is set to celebrate its 15th year of New Year’s Day dips.

Friday, January 1 will see brave souls entering the sea twice at Port St Mary, then Gansey and Port Erin.

To date, Southern Dippers has raised more than £37,000 for various charities. This year, proceeds will go to Finley’s Tracks, supporting the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Event organiser Lenny Conroy explained: ‘The group has grown from the seven in 2002 to well over 200 dippers for the finale at Port Erin last year, where creative fun fancy dress is the order of the day and a swift hot/cold drink in the nearest hostelries.

‘The landlords have always been so welcoming considering their late night New Year’s Eve events but every year they welcome us back.’

Dippers will first enter the sea from Chapel Beach, in Port St Mary, at midday. They will then proceed to The Fish House.

Then at 1pm, they will dip from Port St Mary’s inner harbour, before retiring to the Albert Hotel.

At 1.45pm, dippers will brave the sea at Gansey beach, before heading to the Shore Hotel.

And finally, a fancy dress dip takes place at Port Erin beach at 2.30pm.

Swimmers are then invited to the Bay Hotel, where the prize presentation takes place at 3pm.

The fancy dress theme is open so dippers are encouraged to be as imaginative as they dare!

The presentation starts at the same time as Castletown Ale Drinkers’ swim starts in Castletown.

Dippers will be hoping the weather will be kinder to them this time round.

Lenny said: ‘2015 was pretty patchy for want of a stronger term regarding the elements but everyone persevered and all four dips took place.’

He is taking pre-orders for a limited edition T-shirt (£8) to be collected on the day. Email shirt size, contact name/address to lenny@triskelpromo.com

Proceeds from the sales will go to Finley’s Tracks. The deadline to place your order is Sunday.

Southern Dippers thanked Pokerstars, Domicilium, Celton Manx, Marcel Limited, Southern Chronicle, The Fish House, Quine and Cubbon and Martyn Cain for their support.

Sponsor forms will be available from Lenny and The Fish House.

Glen Maye Chapel will host its fifth annual ‘Christmas in the Barn’ at Ballacreggan Farm, Sound Road, Glen Maye, tomorrow (Tuesday).

Starting at 6.30pm, there will be carols, readings and a nativity in a barn with animals, as well as music led by Crosby Silver Band.

Children are welcome to join in the Nativity.

They can either come dressed up, or come early and choose a costume to wear.

The service will start at 6.30pm promp and will be followed by mince pies and tea.

Follow the arrows from the middle of Glen Maye to the farm, where there is plenty of parking.

More than 90 guests gathered for a special event to bid farewell to the Junior Chamber of Commerce as it was given a new name and brand.

From now on the organisation will be known as the Isle of Man Business Network.

Rachael Hooper, chairman, said: ‘This is a very exciting time for us.

‘We decided it was time to take a brave leap; to break ties with the old name, the logo and the brand, so that our new name could reflect what we actually do and so that even more people could realise that our events are designed for them.’

The JCC was originally set up in 1992 and was connected to the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce. Over the years the JCC has evolved into a separate organisation and has become a leading society for business networking and self-development in the island.

The JCC used to operate an age restriction, limiting membership to people at a ‘junior’ stage in their career. Now, their events are open to everyone, at any stage in their career. The name Junior Chamber of Commerce had become a hurdle for members and speakers to jump over before being able to take advantage of what the organisation has to offer.

Rachael added: ‘Some of our speakers have genuinely turned up to our events expecting to present to students and sixth formers, and then were pleasantly surprised to see such a cross section of the Island’s business community.

‘We would like to thank everyone who made this change possible, particularly our members and of course the committee. We’re a not for profit organisation, run by volunteers and it has been inspiring to see the level of time and effort that has been put into making this change a reality’

The committee started evaluating the brand in March this year and decided that it didn’t quite fit what the organisation was trying to achieve.

‘During the following months, the committee looked closely at their strategy, particularly paying attention to what their members wanted, and discussing their plans to re-brand with them.’

DED minister Laurence Skelly , MHK said: ‘I’d like to congratulate Rachael, Richard [Smith – vice chairman], Kate [Parrish - president] and the rest of the committee.

‘I was fortunate to be included in one of their strategy meetings earlier on in the year to discuss the re-brand. Networking on the Isle of Man is vital which is why organisations like The Isle of Man Business Network are important for our economy, bringing together like-minded business professionals’.

Manx National Heritage (MNH) has launched a new carrier bag to raise money to help maintain and preserve the island’s environment and wildlife.

The new biodegradable carrier bag, which costs 5p, will raise money for the organisation’s biodiversity fund, which was created to manage, protect and conserve the Isle of Man’s natural habitat and marine and island species.

Set up in 2013, the fund also aims to support other biodiversity initiatives in the island through partnerships, giving advice, joint projects and sharing of expertise.

The 100 percent biodegradable carrier bags will leave a relatively small amount of harmless residue when it degrades in the future and have been introduced at MNH sites following the increased awareness of issues around single use bags.

The director of Manx National Heritage, Edmund Southworth, said:‘Providing customers with a low cost convenient way to carry their purchases is a requirement of any professional retail organisation.

‘Although the Isle of Man’s legislation does not currently make charging compulsory, MNH believes it is important that customers attach a value to the bag that they are given with their purchase.

‘By charging customers we want to encourage repeat usage of bags and reduce the number of bags handed out at our sites. The bags that we have sourced are 100 percent degradable to leave no lasting impact on the environment.’

The organisation’s biodiversity programme includes tracking and monitoring the population of domestic and migratory birds through the Bird Observatory on the Calf of Man, and working with volunteer groups at Manx National Heritage sites in key habitats across the island.

Projects this year have included a continuing programme of monitoring for the presence of brown rats on the Calf of Man to protect nesting Manx Shearwater birds and other breeding seabirds.

The fund aims to provide significant long-lasting benefits to the island’s habitats and wildlife.

MNH is responsible for protecting and promoting the Isle of Man’s heritage and culture and manage around 3,000 acres of coastline and landscape in the island.

To find out more visit www.manxnationalheritage.im

GamCare, the support group for people with gambling problems, has launched a campaign to help people not gamble too much at Christmas.

The aim of this campaign is to show the effects of gambling beyond one’s means during the festive period.

Anyone concerned about their own or someone else’s gambling can ring 622011, text 498985 or e mail gamcareisleofman@iom.com

Applicants for local authority accommodation have been given a warning to keep housing bosses up to date with changes in the circumstances.

It comes after Ramsey Commissioners identified 21 would-be tenants who were not eligible.

The board removed the applicants from the list between April and October on the following grounds:

For failing to return the annual housing review form (8); for exceeding the permitted income level (7; for holding savings over the permitted limit (1); being a property owner (1); housed by the Department of Infrastructure (1); transferred to the Department of Infrastructure waiting list (1); living in public sector supported housing in Douglas (1); and declining the offer of four Ramsey Town Commissioners’ tenancies (1).

Lead member for housing Tony Harmer said: ‘With demand far outstripping supply Ramsey Commissioners must always apply the most rigorous of criteria before an applicant can be accepted onto the housing waiting list.

‘Currently we have 111 applicants on that list: 72 for one-bedroom properties, 35 for two bedrooms and four for three to four bedroom homes.

‘This excludes applications for sheltered housing for the elderly, which is administered by the Ramsey and Northern Districts Housing Committee.’

Organisers of the Tough Mann Adventure Challenge are calling for entries for next year’s event.

The popular event, run over a 10km obstacle course, will take place on Saturday, August 6, at Ballamoar Farm in Ballaugh, but there are only 750 places up for grabs.

The organisers say that the race is one of the island’s fastest growing events and they expect the maximum allocation of 750 competitors to be reached well before the final entry deadline at midnight on July 10.

The deadline for entries for the 2016 event is a few weeks earlier than it was for the 2015 event.

There is a reduced fee of £44 if you sign-up before January 31. From February onwards entries costs £49.

Entries must be made at www.toughmann.com and everyone who enters will receive a commemorative t-shirt.

All over-18s who manage to complete the testing course will have a Bushy’s beer waiting for them at the finishing line, or a soft drink for younger finishers.

You can enter as an individual or in a team of three. For team entries there is a discount of £3 per person – that means each team member can enter for £41 before January 31, or £46 from February 1 onwards.

The challenge is open to people of all abilities with the idea being to complete the course by running, walking and crawling to get across the finish line – but for those who like to push themselves, knowing they are being timed provides an extra incentive.

Event organiser Kez Wardell said: ‘Tough Mann gets better each year and the best advertisement we have for the event is the response from everyone who takes part. We had some great feedback again after this year’s race, and we can promise that the 2016 Tough Mann will be another day to remember.

‘Someone requested more mud, so we will see what we can do about that one! But we have a few more surprises planned around the course next year - so keep a close eye on our Facebook page for teasers.

‘One thing we can guarantee is that there will again be some amazing prizes up for grabs for the various categories, including the King and Queen of the Mountain prizes provided by Manx Telecom.

‘With Tough Mann’s increasing popularity – and the fact that the 2016 entry deadline is a few weeks earlier than in previous years – we urge everyone who wants to be sure of their place to sign-up as soon as possible.’

For the 2016 event, Tough Mann is supporting Tabitha’s Trust which helps families affected by child bereavement.

For every entry, £1 will be donated to the charity, and competitors are also being asked to help further by raising their own sponsorship.

Visit www.tabithastrust.com for more information about the charity’s work.

Tough Mann is being sponsored by Manx Telecom and is also supported by event partners including Paddy Power, Paragon Recruitment, Manx Independent Carriers, Bushy’s beer, Swagelok and visitisleofman.com

For more information go to www.toughmann.com, or follow the event Facebook page.

All competitors must be aged 16 or over on August 6, 2015 – photo ID will be required at signing on.

A large piece of rock smashed the driver’s side window of a black Renault Megane in Laxey between 2pm and 4pm on Friday.

It was parked on Ramsey Road, close to Minorca crossroads. Police suspect the rock fell from a passing vehicle.

Constable David Thommeny at Lord Street is investigating.

The police had a busy weekend.

From 8am on Friday to 8am Monday – the last weekend before Christmas and usually a busy time for the police – 177 calls for service were logged at the Emergency Services Joint Control Room.

Twenty-four arrests were made, 15 of those being in the course of Friday night.

People were detained for a wide range of offences, including possession of drugs (five), driving while over the prescribed limit (three) assault and public order (eight) drunkenness offences (8) criminal damage (one) and possession of an offensive weapon (one).

Chief Inspector Phil Shimmin, who oversees operational policing said: ‘We always gear up for a busy weekend just before Christmas, and uniformed patrols were out in force, with a mix of regular and special constabulary officers. ‘Friday night into Saturday was particularly busy, and this was the first time the extra capacity the new custody facility provided was really tested.

‘A number of people were charged and will be appearing in court shortly, whereas others have been bailed pending further inquiries into their cases.’

He added: ‘I’d like to take the opportunity to publicly thank the officers who were out over the busy weekend for their hard work.

‘We won’t be stepping down our vigilance and focus on keeping people safe over the rest of the holidays, and I’d ask people to keep the drink safe – drive safe – go safe message at the forefront of their minds.’