A youth who rampaged through a rented flat in a temper tantrum, overturning white goods and causing extensive damage has been put on probation.

Kyle Collins, who turned 20 four days before his court appearance, wrenched a radiator off a wall and ripped an extractor fan out of its mountings.

The court heard the devastation at a flat on Loch Promenade, where he had been staying with another person, would cost more than £2,500 to put right.

For the prosecution, Michael Jelski said the flat’s management company had also asked for an additional £1,800 in compensation to cover their costs in organising and overseeing the repairs.

An earlier hearing was told Collins lost his temper after he arrived at the flat and found his belongings were not there. He was arrested after police called at the flat on unrelated business.

Collins, of Fairfield Terrace in Douglas, admitted criminal damage on March 26.

Defending Collins, who has no previous convictions, advocate Dawn Jones said her client had, until recently, been employed full-time for a call centre, as well as working part time in a shop at the weekend to supplement his income.

But she said his call centre job had now come to an end so he was trying to find additional work.

‘He accepts culpability and that the landlord should not bear responsibility for his few minutes’ outburst,’ she said.

Collins and the other tenant had already, she said, forfeited an £850 deposit on the property.

Sentencing him, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told him he had lost his good character as a result of the outburst.

‘Your remorse is genuine and you are willing to pay compensation. There was excessive damage and the consequences of that one outburst have been far-reaching.’

He received 12 months’ probation and must pay £2,000 compensation, but she said it was not appropriate to compensate the company for overseeing the work.

New EU rules on data protection could have profound implications for the island, Tynwald heard this week.

The European Parliament in Strasbourg approved the General Data Protection Regulation last month after more than four years of negotiations. It replaces the EU data protection directive from 1995, when the internet was still in its infancy.

The regulations aim to protect consumers and improve law for businesses in a digitised world of smart phones, social media, online banking and global transfers. But Iain McDonald, the island’s information commissioner, has warned that the regulation will have a major impact on Manx businesses and the government as it will apply extra-territorially.

Companies will now have to take data protection much more seriously and those that do not comply with the new requirements could face fines of up to 4 per cent of their global revenue, or Euro 20 million, depending on which is greater.

Speaker Steve Rodan raised the issue in Tynwald this week.

He said: ‘It might sound academic and obscure but it’s going to have profound implications for the island and it is just as well it is highlighted.’

The regulations apply to the processing of personal data of data subjects residing in the EU even if the data controller is not based in the EU.

Mr Rodan said the rules would apply to anyone in the island handling data flow from the EU. This will include the various arms of government, police, Customs and Excise and many businesses. Data services, he points out, are a growing part of the Manx economy.

In Tynwald, Chief Minister Allan Bell said the issue would shortly be considered by the Council of Ministers. He said there needed to be a full understanding of what the implications are before making any changes and he pointed out that the regulations do allow for some flexbilility.

He said: ‘It will have widespread implications right across government and the business community, and it is something we need to quite clearly understand before we rush prematurely into bringing legislation which could complicate matters.

‘The deadline for having it implemented will be May 25 2018, so there are still two years to work on it, and we have to study very carefully how best to deal with it.’

Mr Bell said there might be opportunities as well as challenges for the island.

Mr McDonald told the Manx Independent that island firms that offer goods or services to an EU resident or process data on behalf of an EU business – and most do – will all be subject to the regulation and also supervision by an EU Data Protection Authority. He said: ‘There are stricter requirements governing the transfer of personal data from the EU to third countries including the island. There are also issues with public sector access to important systems such as the Police National Database and immigration systems.’

Mr McDonald said private sector firms may be required to have a data protection officer.

He said: ‘The European Data Protection Board are to determine what processing requires a DPO but at present it is expected that e-gaming and financial services will be included. Their decision is expected in the autumn.’

Stylish Sarah Thomas is seeing the dream of running her own business come true.

She has opened her own salon onthe sunshine island of Ibiza.

The business is called The Circus and is in the resort of San Antonio.

A regular visitor to Ibiza for several years, Sarah moved there from the Isle of Man in April last year to take up a job at a salon.

She moved on from that position and started working towards launching her own so-called boutique salon.

With financial support from her island-based parents, Sarah saw the dream become reality this month.

The Circus is now open for business, offering all the beauty and grooming treatments you could need before heading to one of the famous pool parties or internationally-renowned superclubs, including spray tans, glitter eyes and body painting.

Sarah’s dad Nigel Thomas, who lives in the Isle of Man said: ‘As parents we’re pleased to have been able to help Sarah realise her dream, and are also extremely proud of the work she has put in and what she has achieved.

‘Everything is up and running ready for the busy summer season, and we’re sure The Circus is going to be a huge success.’

Isle of Man based online booking service MiQuando have been signed up to help Sarah’s venture.

So people heading for the popular Balearic island could book ahead to enjoy a spot of holiday pampering there.

Mr Thomas said: ‘I’ve worked in technology throughout my career and I know it can really make the difference, even for a small business, between being successful or not. It is crucial to use technology to reach your customers, and that’s why we looked at online booking.

‘The online option is especially important for The Circus as it allows people to book before they travel to Ibiza without having to call an international number from home, as well as making it easy to arrange an appointment while they are out there.

‘We chose MiQuando partly because I have known some of the guys for some time, but mainly because it is a local company so we could sit down with them, explain our ambitions and work with them face-to-face.’

MiQuando director Nigel Jones said: ‘When Nigel and Sarah got in touch about offering online booking for The Circus, it was immediately obvious our site would need a few changes to accommodate the fact it is in Ibiza. At MiQuando we’re always looking for ways to develop the service, so we were excited by the prospect.’

Do you remember a few weeks ago we were talking about ‘man’s best friend’, his dog, and what a well-trained dog can do for us?

Well it’s not just dogs that we have learned to exploit, sorry, train to help us out.

I wonder how long ago it was when the first wolf dropped a stick in front of a prehistoric cave dweller and stood there with his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out, just willing him to throw it?

Dogs have an inbuilt code of practice. They like to have a leader. They need a boss.

When they are domesticated the boss is their owner. In the wild, however, things are different. I vaguely remember reading the leader of a pack of dogs is usually a female. No surprises there then.

By nature, dogs want to do two things, apart from eating, that is. They like to play and they like to please the boss.

So the way to train your dog is to make the task into a game, make a fuss of him when he gets it right, and reward him with an edible treat. Simple.

Horses have been servants of man for thousands of years. They’ve carried loads, dragged ploughs, barges and carts, fought in wars and made fortunes for bookies.

And don’t forget our feathered friends. I remember seeing a wildlife programme about folk who had trained cormorants to catch fish and bring them back to the canoe.

They would tie something round the bird’s neck to stop them swallowing the catch.

We’ve taught parrots to answer back and pigeons to deliver the post.

We build bee hives to make it easier to pinch their honey.

You name it, if you want something doing, someone, somewhere, will have trained something to do it for them.

I thought that I’d heard it all until the other night. I was half listening to a programme on the BBC World Service, and half doing a fiendish Sudoku, when something on the wireless caught my attention.

It was about these Americans who had trained longtails to detect land mines and other buried explosive devices.

I know, that’s a brilliant idea. Get rid of a mine and a bonus longtail at the same time. Well you’re wrong.

The trick was to reward the longie with a tasty treat and then send him out to find another mine. It was all based on the longtail’s sense of smell.

Apparently, they weren’t easy to train, but once they’d got the hang of it they would find a mine quicker than you could say ‘Warfarin’.

It is more likely man’s first use for animals was to eat the meat and wear the skins. And of course, what happens next? We become greedy and the animals become extinct.

The history books tell the story. The human race is gradually doing its best to exterminate all forms of life on earth, including, it would appear, itself.

Because demand has always eventually exceeded supply, many species have been wiped out or are on the endangered list. The whale for its oils and fat, the elephant for its ivory, and the big cats for their skins.

Giant crocodiles became shoes and handbags and a giant turtle could live for a hundred years before someone decided he had a better use for the creature’s shell. Nature, however, usually has a trick up its sleeve, and sometimes it decides to get its own back.

Now most of us are carnivores. We eat meat. Meat comes in plastic packets we buy in Shoprite and Tesco.

Someone had the bright idea to make the bits and pieces left into protein. This was called MBM and was mixed with other things to make animal feed.

But animals, especially cattle, aren’t supposed to eat each other. And some animals that had eaten MBM had calves that developed BSE. But we had eaten the steaks and burgers before we knew about BSE.

And some of us discovered we had developed CJD. And CJD is not very nice to have and can take many years before we know we have it. That’s food for thought.

Fire crews were called after a member of the public reported hearing a domestic fire alarm operating inside a house on the Governor’s Hill estate in Douglas at 3.30am this morning (Sunday).

Two pumps from Douglas station were mobilised and on arrival the property was found unsecure and smoke logged.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly found a pan left on a gas cooker which had started to burn. The pan was removed and a search of the house found one occupier in a deep sleep in an upstairs bedroom despite two smoke detectors operating. The occupant was not injured but evacuated the building while it was vented of smoke.

One crew remained in attendance for about 15 minutes.

Fire chiefs are reminding the public of the obvious dangers of leaving pans on cookers unattended.

An ambulance crew was called after a member of the public dislocated their ankle while on a steep track below Windy Corner off the Mountain Road this morning.

Fire crews assisted paramedics in carrying the casualty back up to the road to the waiting ambulance.

The casualty was about a mile below the road in an area inaccessible to vehicles. It took crews about 45 minutes to bring the casualty back to the ambulance where they were taken to Noble’s Hospital for treatment.

The rescue took place just after 9am today (Sunday).

Passengers travelling to Heysham were delayed when the Ben-my-Chree had engine trouble.

Saturday’s 8.45am sailing from Douglas was due to dock in the Lancashire port at 12.15pm but eventually docked at 3.30pm.

The vessel was forced to stop outside the port while the engineers attended to the engine fault.

Services today were operating to schedule.

Allo ‘Allo actress Vicki Michelle left the I’m A Celebrity jungle in 2014 feeling that if she could survive the creepy crawlies, bushtucker trials and limited food rations, then she could survive anything.

So it’s entirely fitting that her latest role is in Dave Simpson’s hit comedy The Naked Truth, a celebration of strength through adversity and of sisterhood which is now in its 10th tour.

Directed by Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley, the show is coming to the Gaiety Theatre for two nights next month, June 17 and 18, as part of a 10-week tour of the British Isles.

Along with Vicki, the cast includes her daughter Louise Michelle and Steps member Faye Tozer telling the story of a group of five very different women who are attempting to conquer pole dancing in order to raise money for a breast cancer charity.

As their stories unfold and unravel, they share laughter and tears in this funny but sad, and ultimately moving, show.

‘It’s a great show to be a part of,’ Vicki told Island Life.

‘Everyone in the audience identifies with one of the women in the show, either someone they know or through something happening in their lives.

‘It makes you laugh and it makes you cry.

‘It’s sort of aimed at women but men have been coming and they love it too.’

Vicki was speaking to Island Life from Hartlepool, ahead of their next performance in Billingham.

She described touring as exhausting but enjoyable: ‘We are discovering all different parts of the country. There’s different audiences wherever we go – some laugh more, some are more emotional.’

Vicki said she was proud to be sharing the stage with her daughter Louise: ‘She’s just brilliant in the role. I’ll have to move over and let her take over.

‘I’d be missing her if I was just by myself on the tour.’

Ahead of the role, professional pole dancers were brought in to show them the ropes.

‘I don’t have to be good at it though so it’s great for me!

‘But for those that do it’s been tough. They’ve had bruises all over their legs!’

Vicki made her name playing Yvette Carte-Blanche, the seductive waitress in hit 80s BBC comedy ‘Allo ‘Allo.

‘It was an amazing show to be involved with,’ she said.

‘It’s one of the best comedies ever written and it’s still shown on TV now which shows its longevity. Everyone holds it very dear to their hearts.’

Her ‘Oh René’ catchphrase came about at her insistence.

‘I kept saying: “Please can I have a catchphrase.” I started elongating it and eventually it became a catchphrase.’

Vicki was eliminated on day 20 of her ‘I’m a Celebrity’ jungle adventure, which World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty went on to win.

‘I really enjoyed it in a sadistic, masochistic kind of way.’

Surviving 15 minutes of being buried alive in a coffin with longtails was a turning point for Vicki.

‘Having got through that we got conditioned to be able to put up with things you would never allow yourself to put up with in real life. You become sort of immune to it.

‘I was really proud of myself when I came out.’

The show runs at the Gaiety on Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18, from 8pm.

Tickets are £25 for adults or £23 for concessions.

St German’s Cathedral has received £10,000 funding from a UK charity to continue its choral music work.

For the first time, The Friends of Cathedral Music has included Peel’s cathedral in its list of British cathedrals and churches to receive its support.

It will receive an endowment grant of £10,000 towards the director of music’s salary.

At a time when some cathedral and church music departments are battling with running costs, the sum goes some way to ensuring that a priceless 1,400 year-old heritage will be preserved for future generations, the world-renowned charity believes.

The Friends of Cathedral Music is a registered charity founded in 1956 with the aim of increasing public knowledge of choral and organ music and raising money through annual subscriptions, donations, legacies and sales of merchandise for choirs in need.

Last month, the charity kick-started an ambitious scheme to raise £10m for its Diamond Fund for Choristers, at St Paul’s Cathedral, where a chorister from each of 60 cathedrals joined the St Paul’s choir in a unique concert.

The island was represented in the concert by Cathedral Isle of Man chorister Mackenzie Brown, a student at Queen Elizabeth II High School.

Current director of music is Dr Peter Litman, who is also the organist.

His role includes training and recruiting the choristers, planning all the service music, directing and accompanying the services and overseeing the administration of the music department.

He is assisted by the organ scholar for 2015/2016, Jack Oades.

The official launch of the 2016 Isle of Man Flower Festival takes places in Onchan Elim Church, tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7pm.

Preparations are in full swing for the festival, which runs from July 3 to July 9, at 19 venues.

The theme is Supporting Achievement.

Organising committee chairman Judy Matthews said: ‘We have had very exciting feedback about some of the displays that are being planned,’ she said.

‘All will be revealed at the festival itself, but this year certainly looks to be our most creative yet.’

This year, those going to multiple locations will be able to get their programme stamped at each venue to keep track of where they have visited.

The festival brochure will be available after TT.

See www.flowerfest.im

Former Mayor and Mayoress of Douglas Sara Hackman and Councillor Carol Malarkey are pictured at Douglas Town Hall with representatives from the three charities to benefit from the 2015-2016 mayoral charity appeal.

In her final engagement as Mayor, Mrs Hackman hosted a reception for representatives of the chosen charities, Junior Achievement Isle of Man, Manx Breast Care Unit Appeal and the RNLI, when she announced that each would receive a cheque for £4,500, but said a final total had not been calculated.

She praised the efforts of her charity committee which had devised a whole host of inspirational ways to raise money, from pamper evenings to African extravaganzas, Murder Mystery evenings to ‘oompah’ nights.

The appeal raised £15,000 in total and the three charities will now each receive an additional £500.

The famous Choir of Caius College, Cambridge, will be singing a series of concerts in the island in July.

Under their renowned director of music, Dr Geoffrey Webber, who will direct the choir and also play the organ, they will be presenting a fascinating ‘Musical Evening with the Wesley Family’ – music by Charles, Jr., Samuel, and Samuel Sebastian, whose music is still frequently performed in cathedrals and churches throughout the world.

It will be the first performance since the early 1800s of a series of 15 Easter Anthems, written by Charles, Jr., and only recently discovered by the Wesley Scholar, John Nightingale, in the dusty vaults of the British Library, where the original hand-written manuscripts have only recently come to light.

By the end of the week, they will have performed the whole series.

There will also be music by Bach, Handel and Mendelssohn.

They will be perform daily concerts from Monday, July 4 to Saturday, July 9.

The venues are Castletown Methodist Church, St German’s Cathedral, St Lupus in Malew, St George’s Church in Douglas, Christ Church in Laxey and St Paul’s Ramsey.

Admission £10 (£7 for concessions – which also includes those who wish to attend two or more concerts).

Tickets will be available from each church in advance or at the door. Programmes will be given out on the day.

Shop owner Chris Beards of Mantons Cards is celebrating again.

He has won The Local Hero Award in The British Independent Retailer of the Year Awards.

And Mantons was also runner up in The Retail Team of the Year Award.

As well as collecting the trophy Mantons was also given £1,000 to donate to a charity of their choice and decided to donate all the money to local charity Crossroads Care.

The Local Hero award is given to a retailer who has engaged with their community and supported local initiatives .

The judging panel’s verdict was: ‘Mantons fundraising for local charities is a core part of the business.

‘We were so impressed with their local charity work that Mantons was a clear winner.’

A delighted Chris said: ‘As no finalists are announced until the evening I was equally surprised and delighted to hear my name as the winner.

‘I was even more delighted to realise that part of the prize was £1,000 to donate to a charity of our choice’.

Julia Cullen from Crossroads said: ‘Crossroads Care have been lucky enough to work in partnership with Mantons Cards several times in the past couple of years, and it is always a pleasure.

‘Chris and his team have such a welcoming nature and their customer service always shines through. Most recently we worked together on a local craft competition in which the winner was able to display and sell their work within Mantons Card shop.

‘The Local Hero award is much deserved and all at Crossroads Care appreciate the money that has been raised by Mantons on behalf of our charity.’

After winning last year’s British Independent Retailer of the Year the judges further commented: ‘Mantons stood out as having a broad variety of achievements which impressed the judges, not just working to improve one aspect of their business but many elements at the same time.’

Julie Conway, head of BIRA events,said: ‘As the only Manx company to ever reach the final, Mantons has put the Isle of Man firmly on the retail map.

‘Just being selected as one of the five finalists is an amazing achievement for a retailer on a small island, considering that Mantons are up against some really prestigious businesses in some large cities’.

Chris said: ‘Winning last year felt like a fantastic achievement but I was especially excited that this year the awards specifically recognised the whole Mantons team, who contribute so much to making Mantons so popular with so many people on the island.’

Since 2010 Mantons has now won 16 national awards including ‘Independent Retailer of the Year’, plus being named as one of the top 100 small businesses in the UK in 2015 alone.

The Mona’s Queen anchor memorial service will take place at 2pm on Sunday, May 29, at Kallow Point in Port St Mary.

The service will be led by Father Leo Cooper, there will be speeches by Port St Mary Commissioners’ chairman Bernadette Williams and Captain Roger Moore and a recital by Paul Costain. Musical accompaniment is by Rushen Silver Band, the Mariners’ Choir and Ellan Vannin Pipe Band.

There will be a sail past by a Steam Packet vessel during the service.

Mona’s Queen III was one of eight Packet vessels involved in the heroic evacuation of allied troops trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk while Nazi forces advanced in 1940.

Three of the Packet vessels were sunk at Dunkirk.

Mona’s Queen was struck by a magnetic mine early in the morning on May 29, 1940 and sank with the loss of 24 lives, 17 were from the island.
The anchor – which became separated from the ship, so was not part of the war grave - was raised off the seabed at Dunkirk in 2010, on the 70th anniversary of the sinking of the ship.

It was restored at ship builder Cammell Laird in Liverpool, returned to the island and first dedicated at the memorial in Port St Mary in 2012.

Kallow Point – which is within sight of the homes of many of those lost and is directed towards Dunkirk – was considered to be the perfect, tranquil spot for reflection on the heroism of all those involved.

Of the 338,226 troops rescued by around 800 boats during the evacuation (which took place between May 26 and June 4), nearly 24,699 - or one in 12 - were rescued by Packet vessels.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne is calling for a new approach to bring politics back to a disillusioned public.

The Rushen MHK and businessman Juan Kelly will outline their proposals for direct democracy at a public meeting tonight (Monday) at Noa Bakehouse, starting at 6pm.

Mr Gawne says he has had increasing concerns at growing public disillusionment and lack of participation in the democratic process.

He said: ‘When people stop believing in our well-established institutions for democracy and government we ignore them at our peril. History is littered with examples of governments and established institutions resting on their laurels, ignoring popular movements of dissatisfaction and often being overthrown by less savoury alternatives.

‘We, the establishment, are quickly running out of time if we are to deliver the reforms needed to allow people to once again trust that our systems of democracy and government will deliver the decisions the people expect to allow them to lead better and more fulfilling lives.

‘Not acting leaves a significant risk of smaller and smaller electoral turn outs and a greater chance of much less representative more intolerant politicians being elected with tiny political mandates.’

Mr Gawne has been working with a variety of people including Mr Kelly to look into how people can meaningfully re-engage in politics and rebuild their trust in government and Tynwald.

Mr Kelly said: ‘With record levels of voter disengagement and dissatisfaction with the political system it’s time to re-evaluate the democratic model. The current system was designed in a pre-digital world and is looking increasingly anachronistic. A new approach is required.’

Stan Dibben is to provide visitors to the Manx Museum with an entertaining look back at his career in motorsport including his work on Donald Campbell’s World Land Speed Record in ‘Bluebird’.

Stan is a well-known visitor to the Isle of Man TT races, a former world sidecar champion, solo motorcycle racer and TT enthusiast.

He was also a professional trumpet player, engineer, electrician and sailor.

He has worked with some of the best-known names at both BSA and Norton, rode the first Dommie Racer and was the man who pioneered NGK Spark Plugs in the UK.

Stan’s talk will include his insights and stories from one of the most famous motorsport projects in the world: Donald Campbell’s World Land Speed Record success.

Stan was recruited for the project by Andrew Mustard, project manager for the attempts and a Clubman’s TT Bronze Replica winner.

Stan will speak about the 1964 record on Lake Eyre in South Australia, how the lake’s salt surface is formed, the problems this caused, and the many other challenges of the harsh conditions of the Australian desert, including 12 hour working days in temperatures consistently in the mid-40s Celsius.

He will tell the story of the successful record attempt from the inside, and explain the difference between Donald Campbell as the public perceived him and as ‘the man in the car.’

This special event will include a screening of ‘No Ordinary Passenger’, a short film telling the story of Stan Dibben’s career in sidecar racing and about the perils of being the ‘passenger’ in such a dangerous sport.

Alan Kinvig, museums and sites manager for Manx National Heritage said: ‘Manx National Heritage is delighted to welcome Stan Dibben to the Manx Museum.

‘Stan is a regular visitor to the TT, visiting first as a spectator, then as a rider and passenger and also several times as a technical rep for both Perry and NGK. His talk promises to be fascinating and includes personal recollections of how Stan helped secure Donald Campbell’s World Land Speed Record of 403.1 mph in Australia on July 17 1964.’

Admission to the talk, which will take place on June 2, will be free of charge, with donations welcome to the TT Riders’ Association (TTRA), an Isle of Man registered charity that helps riders and their families who face real hardship.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last chance to share your shopping habits in a Isle of Man survey which aims to help grow the local food and drink industry.

The online survey is being conducted by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture and participants are asked how much they spend on food and drink per week, where and how frequently they shop and what factors influence this.

It features questions on the availability, variety, quality and value for money of Manx produce and those taking part are asked about their knowledge of local produce, what would encourage them to buy more of it and whether there are gaps in the market local producers could fill.

Richard Ronan MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said the survey forms part of Food Matters, the strategy to grow the value of Isle of Man food and drink over the next decade.

It aims to increase the value from £75 million to at least £125 million by 2025.

Minister Ronan said: ‘Money spent on local food and drink is money that stays in, and boosts, the local economy. Local food and drink producers must increasingly focus on what the customer demands to gain a greater share of the market.

‘This survey, last conducted in 2010, will tell us what influences shoppers’ choices. The findings will help everyone involved in the local food and drink sector to grow their businesses.’

The online survey takes around 10 minutes to complete.

To take part or for more informatioon go to www.iomfoodanddrink.com, visit the ‘Isle of Man Food and Drink’ Facebook page or go directly to www.surveymonkey.com/r/Isle_of_Man_local_food_and_drink

For assistance completing the survey call 695735 or visit DEFA at Thie Slieau Whallian, St John’s.

Trade unions are backing proposed public sector pension reforms.

But a backbench MHK says he is ‘deeply concerned’ that Tynwald should not be rushed into making changes by those with ‘questionable motivations’.

Alfred Cannan (Michael) points out that the reforms will commit the taxpayer to millions of pounds of extra funding, which could impact on services in the future - and it would be a mistake to vote them through in the final weeks of the current administration.

The Public Sector Pensions Authority is inviting anyone interested in the future of public sector pensions to attend an open meeting tonight in the Manx Museum Lecture Theatre in Douglas, starting at 7.30pm, with doors open from 7pm.

In a joint statement, unions including Unite and the Royal College of Nursing said they were supporting the PSPA’s proposed reforms which will now be debated at next month’s Tynwald sitting, having been postponed last month following concerns of backbenchers.

It reads: ‘The trade unions realised they had an obligation to move forwards and to discuss change, they indicated to their respective members that unfortunately future service would have to cost more and that workers would have to work longer and receive less than previously agreed.’

But Mr Cannan said: ‘I am deeply concerned that the pressure being exerted by the BMA and others to accept the latest pension proposals will result in a scheme that commits the taxpayer to finding many millions of pounds of additional funding being forced through without justification. Their approach is not helpful.

‘A strong argument is emerging that it is not right for a government in its final weeks to commit its successors to these significant spending commitments. It is critical that we reach a manageable solution for all parties and we should not be rushed through this process by those with questionable motivations.’

Primary school children in the island learned important life skills at this year’s Crucial Crew Week.

Crucial Crew Week, which started last Friday and finishes tomorrow (Tuesday), saw year six pupils from across the island learn about safety from various island organisations at University College Isle of Man, formerly known as the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education.

Organisations including Isle of Man Constabulary, the Coastguard, Manx Utilities, Manx Gas, the Department of Health and Social Care’s School Nursing Service, Manx Telecom, the Road Safety Unit, Bus Vannin and St John Ambulance, all gave presentations with serious messages about safety but delivered in a fun and interactive way.

Crucial Crew has been running every year since 1992 and this year almost 900 children took part in the event.

Sergeant Wendy Barker, of Isle of Man Constabulary, is a member of Crucial Crew’s organising committee. She said: ‘Crucial Crew continues to be a valuable initiative in helping children learn important life skills.

‘Over the years there have been many examples of children using the skills they learn in real-life situations which proves that the lessons learned really do help children to stay safe.’

Manx Telecom gave a presentation on how to stay safe online and how to use the internet and mobile phones responsibly, and the police focused on being a good and honest citizen, helping other people and the consequences of anti-social and criminal behaviour.

Manx Utilities, Manx Gas, and the School Nursing Service all collaborated to perform a pantomime about the dangers around electricity and gas in the home and Bus Vannin’s presentation focused on emergency evacuation of a bus and general information about how to use buses.

Children also learned first aid from St John Ambulance and the Road Safety Unit gave sessions on how to stay safe when travelling to and from school.

Tim Crookall MLC, Minister for Education and Children, said: ‘We are grateful to all the many statutory and voluntary organisations that have come together at Crucial Crew to give their time to ensure our Year Six pupils receive important advice on how to stay safe in a variety of situations.’

High-street retailer Argos has urged customers to stop using dehumidifiers bought from its stores amid fears the units could catch fire.

The chain is asking any customers who purchased one of the units to disconnect it immediately and return it to the store for a full refund.

It has issued the recall after it became aware of a potential risk that the unit could overheat and catch fire.

The specific model affected is the DHMD102 10-litre dehumidifier. Only units sold between June 2006 and December 2008 are affected.

In a statement the retailer said: “We have become aware of a potential safety issue on the dehumidifiers that may cause them to overheat and cause a fire hazard. This recall only affects the products sold between June 2006 and December 2008. If in any doubt please ring the helpline on 0800 389 4039 or 0370 2422993 to obtain advice.

“We advise customers who purchased one of these products to disconnect it immediately and return it to the nearest Argos store for a full refund.

“We strive to provide customer satisfaction and safe quality products at all times and would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience that this may have caused.”