A 58-year-old former hospital worker has been jailed for 13 months for possessing child pornography.

Ian David McLoughlin, of Shirragh Way in Port Erin, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of making indecent images of children.

He was sentenced to 13 months for each count, to run concurrently.

The court heard that McLoughlin, who is retired health care assistant, had more than 3,500 indecent images of children on devices at his home.

He was also put on the sex offenders’ register for six years.

Garff has two new commissioners following a by-election in Lonan this week.

Lecturer Tim Kenyon topped the poll, securing 200 votes.

He was followed by company director Stewart Clague who received 177 votes.

Teacher Melanie Christian, polled 138 votes. Mr Kenyon and Mr Clague will now serve as commissioners until April 2020.

Turnout was 28.5 per cent.

Island-based investor Jim Mellon says people can expect to be working until they are 80.

The successful businessman and entrepreneur reckons we should be rethinking our life plans.

Mr Mellon refers to a new book called The 100 Years Life by Lynda Grafton and Andrew Ward, about to come out.

It explains how people will have to plan to work till 80 at least; that children born today will live to at least 105 - ‘which exceeds the then optimistic forecast made in Fast Forward’ - the book Mr Mellon wrote predicting the future.

Mr Mellon says the old structure of education, career and retirement faces changes, according to the new book The 100 Years Life.

He says: ‘This tallies with my own views that people will have to have multi-faceted careers, that education will never end, and that we will always have to stay one step ahead of the robots to ensure that we continue to have productive employment.

‘It’s interesting that the word “robot” comes from the Czech for untermensch, a pejorative description of a less valuable stratum of society. (Of course, if we are not careful, that untermensch category is less likely to apply to the robots, but to the people whose jobs are replaced by them.)’

Writing for the latest Master Investor magazine Mr Mellon points out that at the recent Islexpo conference in the island he was making the point that the best thing that the island can do is to promote continuous education, and to change its social contract to avoid having the population retire at 65 –and thereby end up with unsustainable pension liabilities.

He added: ‘What we do want to be is adaptable, curious and useful. And the way to do that is to read a lot, learn a lot and to be prepared to do a volte face over whatever fixed views we had before. The old notion that doctors, lawyers, accountants and civil servants have jobs for life will soon be upended.

‘No-one will be indispensable in the rising tide of automaton. But of course, in a world where production will be increasingly situated near the point of its consumption, and where all repetitive tasks – and, ultimately, more complex tasks – will be performed by machines, there will be plenty of losers.

‘This won’t be made any easier by the Bernie Sanders types who advocate crippling levels of minimum wages – as I said at Master Investor 2016, if machines could speak, they would love the idea of that. Minimum wages mean work minimisation. Machines don’t talk back, don’t need health care, and don’t get sick. They do work all the time and their costs are coming down’.

Mr Mellon, 59, is reported by the Sunday Times Rich List to be worth £850 million, and has been described as Britain’s answer to Warren Buffett.

The director of the Burnbrae Group adds that the path of uninterrupted progress has hit a bit of a roadblock.

He asks: ‘Have you noticed how your PC doesn’t seem to need replacing – because the newer alternatives are more or less the same? That’s because the Dennard Scaling (a fancy term for Moore’s Law) has reached its limits. It isn’t worth the money and power to try to improve semiconductor performance. So we need a new form of computing, and I am getting very excited about Quantum Computing. It’s a little way off, but boy, it’s going to be big. The trick is that once QC can get to about 30 so-called Qubits (don’t ask), they will move to a level of power and speed that will revolutionise computation. In areas such as aircraft design, drug discovery, and stock trading everything will change.’

Mr Mellon warns that those who can’t see the future ‘will become the unfortunates relying on state subvention for a basic existence. This is why I am convinced that ultimately there will have to be a universal wage, which allows those who have been left behind by the tidal wave of innovation to enjoy a lifestyle substantially of leisure.’

In the article’s summary he calls on people to ‘rethink your life plan. Expect to live a much longer life than the biblically prescribed one of three score and ten; don’t expect to stop working till you are 80 (if you are lucky enough to have a job and to be qualified for the new world order); and keep learning. In fact, I believe that education, in manifest forms, will be a key and growing industry’.

Red squirrels will not be introduced to the Manx countryside in the near future.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) consulted the public over a law change that would have allowed consideration of the introduction of red squirrels to the wild.

The consultation attracted 107 responses with many individuals favouring the idea.

At present, red squirrels can’t be brought to the island except under licence and any licensed keeper can’t allow them to roam free.

After studying the views submitted and the opinions of scientific organisations and groups who responded, DEFA concluded that it would be detrimental to the Manx countryside to introduce them.

UK experts didn’t support the introduction to the island and stated that the red squirrel isn’t in danger of extinction in the UK and saw no scientific basis for creating a refuge for them.

Richard Ronan MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: ‘The introduction of red squirrels was popular with many, including me, but many also pointed out pitfalls. As there was no justification on conservation grounds, we have decided not to proceed at present.

‘I am pleased that we have gone through this consultation as my department is now well informed about the pros and cons of red squirrels’ introduction to the Manx countryside and much better placed to make a decision in future should their conservation become an issue.’

The Isle of Man will host the bi-annual meeting of the UK UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Committee tomorrow (Friday).

The meeting, at Government Offices, comes just three months after UNESCO admitted the island to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, recognising it is ‘a special place for people and nature’.

It is the only entire jurisdiction in the world to be named a Biosphere Reserve.

The committee will be welcomed by Richard Ronan MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, and will be given a tour of Tynwald by President Clare Christian prior to the gathering. On Saturday they will take time to see some of the sights of the Isle of Man.

Mr Ronan said: ‘We look forward to hosting the committee, sharing, with more established sites, how the island can make the most of the UNESCO recognition and showing members some of our beautiful island.’

Professor Martin Price, who chairs the committee, said: ‘I am grateful to the government of the Isle of Man for hosting the bi-annual meeting of the UK MAB committee.

‘I am looking forward to the opportunity that this gives us to visit the one of the newest members of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and celebrate its approval by UNESCO.’

It was a funny old day on Tuesday of last week. It rained. I had to put the hood up again on my Mini One.

It had been down day and night for what seemed like ages because of the sunshine.

It also seemed to have killed off the 2016 TT at a stroke. When I drove off to work there were no bikers on the road – well, hardly any.

Not enough to scare me motionless as usual. I wondered if all the visiting bikers, taken aback by this terrifying wet weather, were cowering in their little pop-up tent villages, wondering what to do with themselves.

Mind you when I mentioned all these things to the other denizens of Manx Radio, where I have my workplace, they dismissed my concerns. The bikers will have all gone, I was told, to Ramsey.

Now I had to wonder why they should go to Ramsey. Had they heard all the unlikely stories about the sun always shining on the other side of Snaefell?

Once again I had to be put right. The annual TT Ramsey Sprint was taking place there.

This brought the final realisation that I had, under the baleful influence of the Lady Dementia, Greek Goddess of Forgetfullness, forgotten what TT fortnight was all about.

But the 2016 TT has now passed into history and in spite of everything I have survived the perils of the biker embattled roads of the Isle of Man. I have not been killed.

Er, just one thing. To meet my deadline I had to write this week’s column and send it in by last Thursday when TT fortnight still had a little time to run.

If this week’s column isn’t in the Examiner you might know what’s really happened.

I HAVE had a rather unusual item slipped under the door of my residence.

It is a copy of a small glossy magazine called ‘Artigiano’. It describes itself as: ‘Italian fashion straight to your door.’ The front cover showed me a photograph of a good looking girl in a nice green frock.

I don’t wear frocks. Why did the publishers of ‘Artigiano’ come to think I did? Then I saw that it was addressed to a previous tenant – a man.

I have been worrying a little about what kind of man had been sleeping in my bed before me.

IN my Times Past feature in the Examiner there was a photograph of people enjoying themselves in the famous La Tonnelle Ballroom in the now long gone Majestic Hotel which was one of the best places in the Isle of Man for good night out many years ago.

I also remember there being a night club at the Majestic downstairs from the public area with admission restricted to the hotel’s staying guests only.

But the doormen did let favoured other persons in, including me.

There was lots of jolly entertainment down there including young ladies taking their clothes off, the sort of shows that were few and far between in the Isle of Man in the 1960s.

On occasions like this I was always more interested in watching the audience.

There were often quite well-known local gentlemen present including quite a few CID police officers.

The latter must have giving up their off-duty time to make sure there was no public disturbance.

THERE are no crossword clues this week.

FUNNIES File. Years ago a company began the manufacture of airships at Jurby and the Isle of Man Courier reported: ‘A Jurby Skyships Ltd spokesman said he wished every member of the Manx Government to realise it was not pie in the sky.’

SIGNS: This one was on a septic tank truck: ‘Yesterday’s meals on wheels.’

What does social justice have to do with the environment and ‘green’ issues? A surprising amount, finds Isle of Man Friends of the Earth’s Cat Turner

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Several Isle of Man Friends of the Earth members took part and led sessions at one of the UK’s biggest environmental events, Basecamp recently.

Memorably, the keynote speech was given by well-known campaigner Shami Chakrabarti who was director of human rights group Liberty for some 14 years.

Was she a curious choice of speaker? Perhaps, but in fact there’s huge overlap between the civil liberties agenda and environmental campaigning.

This is in part because environment is intrinsically linked to human wellbeing and opportunity.

Human rights – particularly those regarding inequalities – mean those with least power and ‘voice’ are worst hit by environmental issues like pollution/climate change.

Their communities are also least able to recover.

In addressing ‘green’ concerns, governments need to take this into account and respect the rights of all - not just the wealthy.

The UN’s Environmental Programme identifies three ways human rights and environmental justice intertwine:

1) A healthy environment - clean air, water and so on – are needed for anyone to enjoy other human rights.

The UN infers that member states should ensure there’s enough environmental protection to allow people to be fit and well enough to exercise their other rights;

2) Certain human rights are as essential to good environmental decision-making as to any other form of right – eg: access to informatiom; taking part in decision-making (direct democracy, anyone?) and access to justice.

The UN infers that human rights must be implemented if people are to gain adequate environmental protection.

3) The right to a safe, ecologically sound environment should be a human right in itself.

Plenty of people disagree with this last. Companies such as Nestle allege there is no ‘right’ to clean water, to justify diverting rivers from the agricultural communities that depend on them, to commercial bottling plants.

All this is interesting in an Isle of M ancontext, especially in an election year and when an allegedly growing economy masks rising inequality and impoverished democracy.

In particular, energy democracy – affordable, securely supplied, green power for all who want it – isn’t even up for debate; we’re locked in to dirty, potentially insecure and morally unburnable fossil fuel supplies because of the failings of previous administrations. As usual, the poor and middle earners suffer most. This needs to change.

Topaz Properties Limited, whose registered office is situated at Unit 33K, First Floor, Snugborough Trading Estate, Braddan, bought Unit K and L, Snugborough Trading Estate, Braddan, for £1,745,921.06.

It was bought from Silver Star Estates (PCC) Limited, whose registered office is situated at Unit 33K, First Floor, Snugborough Trading Estate, by liquidators, Gordon Wilson, of 60 Circular Road, Douglas, as liquidator, and Michael Simpson, of 60 Circular Road, Douglas, as liquidator.

Other recent transactions lodged at the General Registry in Douglas are as follows:

Samuel Neil Skelton and Barbara Dian Skelton sold 28 Turnberry Avenue, Onchan, for £525,000, to Richard Graham Stockman and Fiona Deanne Stockman, both of Ballamaria, Bay View Road, Port St Mary.

Lyndon Howard Casey and Jane Karen Casey sold Palma, Old Laxey Hill, Laxey, for £331,000, to Mark John Anscomb and Magdalena Anscomb, both of Pucks Cottage, Ballacollister Road, Laxey.

Christian Gaetano Cellamare and Natalie Anne Cellamare, sold 14 Hilltop View, Douglas, for £279,000, to Gareth James Notman, of Ballafletcher Farm House, Cronkbourne, Braddan.

Carole Lesley Collins sold 63 Greenlands Avenue, Ramsey, for £185,000, to Gary Agate Montgomerie and Margaret Jean Montgomerie, both of 2 Second Avenue, Onchan.

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We publish details of all house sales unless we receive a written request from the police or probation services.

Equiom Solutions Limited has appointed Derek McNutt as a senior tax consultant.

Tax director Phillip Dearden has meanwhile decided he is ready ‘for a new challenge’ and willbe leaving the business on July 1.

Derek McNutt joins an established team of tax professionals at Equiom Solutions, which provides Isle of Man tax advice to a wide range of taxpayers and their structures including trusts and companies administered by Equiom.

In addition to providing tax advice to local individuals and companies, Derek has considerable expertise in the taxation of non-UK domiciliaries, as well as settlors and beneficiaries of offshore trust structures.

Derek has 18 years’ experience, beginning his career working in accountancy before specialising in tax.

He joins Equiom from Abacus, where he held the position of tax manager for more than seven years.

Equiom Solutions also announced tax director Phillip Dearden is leaving the business. Phillip joined Equiom in 2013 following its acquisition of West Corporation Limited.

He began his career at PKF in 1991, where he became managing director, and has specialised in the offshore aspects of UK taxation including residence, domicile, UK anti-avoidance provisions and the taxation of non-resident trusts and companies.

Phillip said: ‘After a long and successful career in tax I feel that the time has come for a change of direction.

‘This is by no means the end of my working life but I am ready for a new challenge outside of the tax world.

‘Throughout my career I have had the privilege of working with some fabulous, highly talented people – some for more than 20 years – and I will miss them dearly.

‘However, the timing is right and I am delighted to say that I am leaving Equiom Solutions in an incredibly strong position following some key appointments to support the highly experienced and established team.’

Helen Woods, managing director of Equiom Solutions, said: ‘Derek brings a great deal of experience to Equiom Solutions, particularly within the highly topical areas of residence and non-UK domicile taxation.

‘This addition to the business, along with the recent appointment of Monica Dixie and the gradual expansion and development of Equiom Solutions over recent years, has created a team that is larger and stronger than ever before.

‘This is also reflected in the steady increase in clients and the ability of Equiom Solutions to provide the highest standard of support to its fiduciary clients.’

She added: ‘Having worked with Phillip for more than 20 years I will be sad to see him go and I wish him well for the future. I would like to thank him for his support over the years and particularly for the work he has put into developing the team we have today.’

Eighty-one year old Doreen Hindle is limbering up to take part in a sponsored walk for over 60s on Douglas’s promenade.

The ‘Best Sponsored Walk for Ages’ is being organised by the Isle of Man Live at Home Scheme and will take place tomorrow (Friday).

Doreen, from Onchan, attends Onchan Live at Home scheme lunch outings and social events and she will be raising funds for the charity through sponsorship.

The walk is for people over the age of 60 and it will start at the War Memorial and finish opposite the bottom of Summerhill Road, making it just short of one mile at 0.91 miles.

The emphasis is on fun and participation, so those taking part don’t have to cover the full distance if they don’t feel up to it. Everyone who takes part will be presented with a certificate.

Jo Dixon, MHA Live at Home area manager for the Isle of Man, said: ‘Doreen is a great example of the approximately 700 older people who are members of our schemes.

‘We’re hoping to see many more members taking part in the “Best Sponsored Walk for Ages”, but anyone aged 60 or over is more than welcome whether they can walk independently, need assistance, or are wheelchair users.

‘It will be a lot of fun and the perfect warm-up for the Parish Walk the day after! But our sponsored walk has a very serious purpose too – it’s an important event to raise funds which will help us make an even bigger difference to the lives of older people, and an ideal opportunity to introduce more people to our schemes and all of the services we offer.’

Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney will be at the event and intends to complete the walk.

The sponsored walk will begin at 2pm.

There’s no need to enter the event in advance, just turn up before 2pm on the day near the War Memorial to register or call Onchan Live At Home Scheme manager Anni Pearsall on 459226.

It’s free to enter, but the charity is hoping participants will raise funds via sponsorship.

There are five Isle of Man Live At Home schemes across the island and the charity also runs the Northern Men in Sheds group. The schemes are run by the local branch of the UK-based charity MHA. All funds raised from the walk will help support the charity’s work in the island.

It was a ‘happy coincidence’ that a newly-built nursing home became available just as government needed to tackle a growing problem with bed blocking at Noble’s Hospital.

Health and Social Care Minister Howard Quayle has defended plans for the government to buy a 68-bed care home due to be completed in Douglas this year and insisted it is a ‘good deal for the taxpayer’.

Tynwald will be asked this month to approve proposals to buy the home on Salisbury Street at a cost of up to £8.1m - although the final cost is likely to be £7.9m.

If the purchase goes ahead, the Department of Health and Social Care plans to seek expressions of interest for operators to run the home. If this is not successful, the DHSC says that as a ‘last resort’ it will seek to provide the services through an ‘arms-length’ operation.

Planning approval was granted to David Wormald of Salisbury Care Limited in September 2014 for the development (14/00876/B) on the site of the former Homefield bus depot. JCK was the contractor for the project which is due to be completed in September.

Health and Social Care Minister Howard Quayle described it as a ‘bold move’ which would help address problems with an increasing number of elderly patients being ‘stranded’ in Noble’s unable to afford to move into a nursing home.

He insisted his department had only approached Salisbury Care in April this year, initially with a view to block buying of beds.

Mr Quayle said the DHSC had been planning to build a nursing home on the former Glenfield residential home site but this would have cost £3m more and could have taken three years until it was ready.

‘It’s ready to move into and will cost considerably less that if we had done it another way. It’s a very good deal for the taxpayer,’ he told a press conference.

‘I appreciate it’s a curved ball. It’s a happy coincidence it turned up when it did. It’s a fortuitous set of circumstances. It’s a good deal for the taxpayer and certainly a good deal for the people in Noble’s.’

At present all of the island’s nursing homes are privately operated and set their own fees. The maximum benefit rate paid through social security is currently £819.80 a week. Private homes are charging as much as £950 a week.

Mr Quayle said there are currently 20 to 30 people in Noble’s waiting to be discharged to a nursing home - and the number peaked at 38 last winter.

Government has not been involved in nursing home provision since 2003.

Cath Hayhow, director of adult social care, said another 411 nursing home beds would be needed over the next 20 years. This would be the equivalent of building a new care home every two years. This would not necessarily be down to government alone but would mean working in partnership with the private sector, she said.

The DHSC believes that having a stake in the nursing home sector, as it does with residential homes, will help encourage private investment.

Salisbury Care purchased the Homefield bus depot site in 2015. It was not in government ownership but had been leased to the then Department of Tourism and Leisure until the spring of 2009.

Two apprentice joiners have been rewarded for their outstanding achievements.

Aaron Raby and MikeDempsey work for Cedar Developments Ltd.

The men were given a pat on the back at the awards evening for the Isle of Man College.

Aaron, a second year apprentice in carpentry and joinery, scooped the Rotary Club award for best vocational student.

Mike, a third year apprentice in carpentry and joinery, was the level 3 student of the year for carpentry and joinery.

Cedar directors and senior management were at the Villa Marina and were delighted to support the pair who were recognised for their commitment.

So here we are again in the annual post TT slump.

The island is quiet and serene once more and normality has resumed, almost!

While the buzz and excitement of TT fortnight may have died down as quickly as it appeared, a few of the regulars on the Manx music scene proceed ever onward this weekend with their live shows in the various pubs and bars.

Jaks Bar in Douglas, known mostly for their covers band line-ups each weekend, play host to two acts that would certainly not be accused of dodging their public and their live responsibilities.

First up tomorrow night (Friday) is the Ian Thompson Trio.

On one hand Ian has become more known for his original recordings and his own material performed as a singer/songwriter.

Plays on 3fm, a performnce at the Tinkermann Festival in 2014, shows with the likes of Chris Gray, Matt Creer and Teresa McNulty at various acoustic shows have done much to raise his profile.

Now on to what Ian would call his day job!

These covers gigs with the trio boasts a setlist made up of songs from the likes of The Kinks, David Bowie, The Beatles and the like, so if that sounds like your type of night out then you can’t go far wrong.

For more information about Ian and his forthcoming shows, visit facebook.com/ianthompsonmusic or www.ianthompsonmusic.co.uk

A new band that has cropped up on the scene in recents months is Voodoo Bandits.

A group relatively new players on the scene, the band made up by Matthew Reynolds on vocals, Ben Donaldson and Corey Vaughan sharing the guitar duties, Sam Lancaster on bass and Nathan Vaughan on drums specialise in what you would term alternative rock.

Their covers setlist pays homage to the likes of the Stone Roses, Arctic Monkeys, Foals, The Strokes and Tame Impala and there are even a couple of their own original songs thrown in.

The band will appearing at Jaks on Saturday night from 9.30pm.

For further information on the band and their future movements, visit www.facebook.com/voodobandits/

Moving west to Peel now and tomorrow night you’ll be able to catch three-piece outfit Powercut in action.

The band formed back in 2009 and comprise of members John Percival on bass, Simon Watson on drums and Ian Bradley on guitar.

They play a sets worth of material that ranges from The Kinks and The Who at one end of the spectrum through to the likes of more modern day offerings from the likes of The Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, The Kings of Leon and Green Day at the other.

For more information on the band, visit www.facebook.com/Powercut-33638987057

It’s a little quiet out there for the next week or so, although that’s to be expected after the madness of the previous two weeks!

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Steve Leach brings the latest rumblings, murmurings, news and views on forthcoming events in and around the island’s music scene. Help support the scene by emailing leachsteve@hotmail.com

A retired medical receptionist died from chest injuries after a road accident, an inquest has ruled.

Phyllis Margaret Hine, who was 84, came from Walton in Liverpool.

Coroner John Needham heard Mrs Hine died at the casualty unit at Noble’s Hospital on June 5 after suffering cardiac arrest following the accident.

A post-mortem examination, carried out by pathologist Dr Ervine Long, found Mrs Hine died as a result of chest injuries sustained in a road accident. Mrs Hine’s body was formally identified at the Noble’s Hospital mortuary by her daughter. Adjourning to a later date, Mr Needham offered condolences to Mrs Hine’s family.

Manx Telecom has appointed Mark White as head of data centre infrastructure and facilities.

He has 15 years’ experience as a data centre manager and supervisor, and is a trained electrical engineer with more than 25 years in the building services industry.

Mark joins Manx Telecom from Norland Managed Services in the UK where, as technical supervisor, he had responsibility for the operation of two data centres, including upgrade projects, technical back-up, sub-contractor selection, and management of an engineering team.

Earlier in his career he worked for Equinix UK as technical facilities manager responsible for the operation of five data centres in the UK.

His CV also includes being system engineer/consultant on the Heathrow Express rail link. Mark said he was delighted to move to the island, and to join Manx Telecom in a role which will see him evolve, develop and operate the company’s data centres, network and business facilities.

The company claims it is the only Isle of Man hosting provider which owns and operates two Tier 3 designed data centres (Douglas North and Greenhill).

The twin Tier 3 centres have been designed and purpose built to protect the informational assets and operational viability of the Isle of Man, including all government and emergency services networks, and private sector clients such as world leading eBusiness and eGaming companies, and businesses from the finance sector.

Kevin Paige, Manx Telecom customer services and technology director, said that Mark would bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the company, and welcomed his appointment.

A resident living in Queen Street, Castletown, has appealed to the local authority for a residents’ free parking scheme to be introduced.

David Lancaster usually parks over night in the car park adjacent to the fire station, but parking restrictions are proposed. Were he unable to move his car for some reason he would get a penalty which is ‘grossly unfair’ for those with ‘nowhere else to park,’ he wrote.

A scheme should be introduced so people can park for free near their homes.

Commissioner Carol Quine said: ‘There is no parking for any residents round there.’

James Barrow said they should consider extending an area for parking further along Queen Street.

Clerk Hugo Mackenzie said they should review the charges for contract parking as people are unwilling to pay at that level and spaces in the car park are under-utilised.

David Parnell said they should ‘see what the options are for that land’.

Secondary school students from across the island are receiving expert advice from health professionals about a healthy diet.

Members of the Department of Health and Social Care’s school nursing, dental and dietetics teams have been visiting five secondary schools to promote healthy eating, drinking and cooking among young people, as part of Healthy Eating Week.

The team have been talking to pupils during lunchtime and have a display showcasing how many sugar cubes are in various drinks, other facts on food and drink, and tips for keeping a healthy diet.

Particular topics being focused on are the problems associated with energy drinks, issues with children visiting local convenience stores with ‘buy one get one free’ deals, the growing trend of large ‘grab bags’ packets of crisps and extra-large or twin chocolate bars, how to read and understand food labels and portion sizes, and tips for making healthier food and drink choices.

Healthy Eating Week has been organised by the British Nutrition Foundation and was launched at Ramsey Grammar School on Monday.

Head teacher of Ramsey Grammar School Annette Baker said the secondary school is ‘delighted’ to host the first in the series of the event: ‘It’s important for young people, and all of us, to be aware of exactly what’s in the food we eat. We all lead such hurried and rushed lives that at times you just don’t have the time to think about what it is you’re eating.

‘An event like this really brings it home to all of us the importance of taking care of what food we eat and are aware of what the impact of certain foods can have, above all the sugar and salt content in things which can be quite shocking.’

She added: ‘You can’t always convince people to make the choices you think are right, but I think it is important to make sure our students and young people are armed with the information and facts which allow them to make healthy choices, and we should encourage them to make those choices.

‘I hope students make the choices that enable them to feel healthier, to live longer and to be happier in life.’

Dental nurse Pebbles Maddrell, dietitian Rachel Cleator and Ramsey Grammar school nurse Jayne Platt were all on hand to answer pupils’ questions.

Students had the chance to fill in a healthy eating quiz and take fact sheets home.

School nurse Jayne said youngsters can find out for themselves how many sugar cubes are in different food and drinks by downloading the free mobile phone app ‘Change4Life Sugar Smart’ on the app store.

Labels on food and drink can be scanned and it shows how many cubes of sugar is in the item.

Health Minister Howard Quayle MHK said: ‘If we can get the next generation coming forward to buy into healthy food then they’re going to have a better quality of life and it’s going to enable us to have a more affordable health and social care policy going forward.

‘So it’s incredibly important that we drive the message home to our young people that they act as our champions and therefore what Ramsey is doing today is absolutely fantastic and I fully support. By making our health professionals available to every secondary school pupil on the island, we’re hoping to educate and influence our young people so they can learn to make sensible and informed choices about their lifestyle.

‘I just hope that it’ll register the damage they are doing to their teeth and their body. If we can subtly show them what they are doing to their bodies it’ll maybe just make them think.’

Prosecutions policy has been criticised by the Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes after charges against a Castletown man were dropped seven months after the initial allegation.

Jason Leo Brown, aged 36, of Orry Place, Castletown, was accused of making annoying or nuisance telephone calls and sending menacing messages by telephone, both said to have happened on November 18 last year.

Mr Brown had denied the charges and a trial date was set, however, prosecutor Michael Jelski said the matter had since been reviewed. In the light of UK case law there did not appear to be sufficient evidence to proceed, he said.

Acting for Mr Brown, advocate Ian Kermode said it had been a ‘disgraceful decision’ to press charges. He said the matter had incurred charges of more than £903 to be met from the legal aid fund - all because of what he described as a ‘cavalier attitude to civil liberties’.

Dismissing the case and awarding costs, Mrs Hughes said it had a ‘sad and sorry history’.

‘These circumstances are often repeated these days. It is a phenomenen that has arisen recently and I ask that consideration be given to the manner in which cases such as this are reviewed.’

Mr Jelski said a member of staff who had dealt with the case had since left the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Inquests have been opened and adjourned by coroner John Needham on two TT competitors.

Dwight Stewart Beare, who was 27, died during the first sidecar race on June 4 in an accident near the 16th milestone on the TT course.

Mr Beare, who was a carpenter by trade, lived at Greeba Drive in Onchan but came originally from Melbourne in Australia. A post mortem examination by Dr Ervine Long found he died principally from head and neck injuries.

Mr Needham offered his condolences to Mr Beare’s family and adjourned the proceedings which will conclude at a later date. Well-wishers are invited to take part in a memorial lap of the course for Mr Beare at midday on Monday June 20 prior to a service at St Ninian’s Church at 2pm.

An inquest was also opened and adjourned into the death of Paul Jeremy Shoesmith who was killed in an accident at Sulby during a practice session on June 4.

Mr Shoesmith, a 50-year-old managing director from Mill Hill Hollow, Poynton, near Stockport, was pronounced dead at the scene soon after 6.30pm. The cause of death was multiple injuries as a result of severe blunt trauma.

Mr Needham adjourned the proceedings to resume at a future date when investigations are complete.

He offered condolences to Mr Shoesmith’s family and friends and formally released the bodies of both men.

Tynwald should not be bullied into making an urgent decision over the Steam Packet’s £170m offer, a backbench MHK told the House of Keys.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne faced a series of questions in the Keys over the ferry operator’s pledge to invest in new ships, port facilities and fare reductions in return for a new 25-year sea services agreement.

He told MHKs that the old user agreement was no longer fit for purpose but insisted that the new agreement was not a done deal and it was down to Tynwald to accept, amend or reject it.

But Ramsey MHK Leonard Singer said: ‘There is a considerable amount of fog around this £170m investment. Tynwald should not be bullied into making any urgent decision in July. Clearly a lot more information is needed.’

Mr Gawne said it was absolutely right that Tynwald should not be bullied. Our role is not to be bullied by anybody.’

He insisted the figures were clear - £65m would be invested in replacement vessels for the Ben-my-Chree and Manannan and £55m was earmarked on retaining the Ben as a back-up third vessel over the 25-year term of the proposed new agreement. He explained that the Packet currently pays about £2m a year on retaining the MV Arrow on charter as a freighter vessel.

Mr Gawne said a reintroduced frequent traveller scheme was worth about £500,000 a year. He accepted there was a ‘little bit of fogginess’ around the £38m figure given for a proposed new revenue sharing deal with government because that would depend on the profitability of the company.

But told MHKs that the Steam Packet would be free of all its old debts by 2026 and the only new debt would be the £65m for the capital replacement of the Ben and Manannan. All other investments would be funded out of operating profit.

Some MHKs were sceptical however. Peter Karran (LibVan, Onchan) asked if the ‘tooth fairy’ was coming along to pay off the company’s debts.

Graham Cregeen (Malew and Santon) asked about the £100m of debt ‘parked’ in another company. The Minister insisted that the debt could not go back into the Steam Packet Company.

Mr Gawne claimed the talk about debt was a ‘bit of red herring’.

Douglas East MHK Chris Robertshaw asked why, if the user agreement wasn’t fit for purpose, it was now being extended. Mr Gawne replied: ‘I don’t think I said this is a fantastic, wonderful deal and you must support it. I’m not talking about extending the user agreement. I don’t believe the curent user agreement is fit for purpose. That’s why were are talking about a totally new agreement.’