New Milton Advertiser 8th Jan 2021

Friday 8th January 2021 · 9

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Tories overjoyed as MP returns to party

Award for EV charger drive A DRIVE to install more than 1,000 electric vehi- cle charging points across Hampshire has earned the county council a national award. The authority took top spot in the Public Sector In- frastructure Strategy of the Year category of the Electric Vehicle Innovation and Ex- cellence (EVIE) Awards. Cllr Stephen Reid, cabinet member for commercial strategy, human resources and performance, said: “We recognise the significant benefits of electric vehicles, particularly in relation to air quality, public health and the carbon reduction target set out in our climate change strategy.” Woman denies attacking man A PENNINGTON woman is set to go on trial before a judge and jury accused of attacking a man. Karen Darke (59), of Milford Road, pleaded not guilty to causing actual bod- ily harm on 1st July last year. Poole magistrates granted her conditional bail and sent the case to Bournemouth Crown Court for a trial on 21st January. Rotary club store collection ALMOST £650 was collected for charity by members of the Hythe and Waterside Ro- tary Club over Christmas. Members of the group were delighted with the re- sponse after being permitted by the Holbury Co-op store to do their annual collection there, under strict Covid-19 regulations. Rotarian John Samuels said: “I would like to thank all those Rotarians who helped with the collections under difficult circumstanc - es as well as the Co-op staff and customers who made us so welcome.”

Care team’s deer dash raises charity cash Colleagues from Colten Care’s Colten House head office in Ringwood in their running gear and antlers

New Forest East’s Julian Lewis welcomed back after five months

THE number of people claiming out-of-work benefits in the New Forest has stayed near the 4,000 mark, according to the latest of- ficial figures. There were 3,980 claimants in the district in November, said the Office for National Statis - tics (ONS) – compared to 3,910 the month before and 1,525 in March before the first lockdown. The total was 4% of the pop- ulation aged 16-64 in the New Forest District Council area, compared to 5.2% in the south- east region and 6.3% in Great Britain. COLLEAGUES at a care home company donned antlers to raise more than £350 for a charity supporting people with autism and learning disabili- ties. Thirteen team members from Colten Care’s Colten House head office strapped on the headgear and laced up their trainers for a 5km circuit around the town, clocking up nearly 70km between them. The festive dash was in aid of an appeal by the Stable Fami- ly Home Trust which provides essential services in Hampshire and Dorset including residen- tial homes, personal develop- ment programmes, day services and supported living. Colten Care director of IT and support services Andy Keeble, who wore a full-body reindeer suit complete with a Rudolf red nose, said: “I didn’t mind prancing around Ring- wood in my outfit in full view of everyone as it was all for such a great cause.” The Stable Family Home

In the parliamentary constit- uency of Christchurch, Novem- ber’s claimant figure came to 1,990 – a rise on the previous month’s 1,935. In March the to- tal was 765. As a proportion of residents aged 16-64 years old, it was 4.4%, compared to 5% for the south-west region. National figures released by the ONS showed redun- dancies reached a record high of 370,000 in the three months to October 2020, an increase of a record 217,000 on the quar- ter. Trust was established in 1980 and works with more than 120 adults and families. The charity’s corporate and community fund development officer, Tracey Hickford, said Colten Care was among several local businesses that together raised £2,200 for its first virtual Cheer the Deer fun run. Tracey said: “Our day servic- es and funds have been hugely affected by Covid since March 2020 so we are incredibly grate- ful to all local businesses who support us. “A special thank you goes to Colten Care staff and manage- ment for joining forces with us, sporting antlers and noses, and running round Ringwood town.” The event is the latest in a series of fundraising activities by Colten staff and residents. The firm also ran a food bank appeal, held activities in aid of Children in Need and Macmil- lan Cancer Support, and sup- ported the Rotary Club’s annu- al shoebox appeal.

By JON WALLER

LOCAL Conservatives have praised the reinstatement of New Forest East MP Julian Lewis into the parliamentary party after he was kicked out last year. After just over five months in the cold, ardent Brexiter Dr Lewis was welcomed back into the fold on the eve of the UK completing its departure from the EU on 31st December. He was given the boot in July after winning the chairmanship of the House of Commons intel- ligence and security committee against Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pick, former cabinet minister Chris Grayling. Dr Lewis confirmed the news of his return by sharing with the A&T a message he sent to his colleagues in the party. It said: “I’m pleased to let you know that, following a rath- er gracious letter from the chief whip shortly before the recess, the Conservative whip has been restored to me. “It’s good to see that the season of goodwill is alive and thriving in the government

New Forest East Conservative Association chair James Binns (inset bottom) has praised the party whip reinstatement of MP Julian Lewis (inset top)

whips’ office – and that I shall be able to vote for a real Brexit under the banner of our party.” Losing the party whip made Dr Lewis an Independent MP, and was thought to be the first non-Conservative to represent the constituency in its various forms for about a century. New Forest East Conserva- tive Association chair James Binns responded: “The associ- ation was both outraged and

disappointed upon learning of the whip being removed in July, giving Julian our full sup- port throughout. “We have endeavoured, in re- cent months, to have this rem- edied and are naturally now overjoyed with this news.” Dr Lewis has held his current seat since 1997, and was previ- ously chair of the Commons de- fence committee. But he fell out with party

leaders in July this year when, according to reports, he voted for himself, along with four op- position members, to chair the nine-strong intelligence and se- curity committee. Mr Grayling had been seen as the Prime Minister’s choice to lead the prestigious body which, soon after, released the long-awaited report into al- leged Russian interference in UK politics.

New Forest unemployed number nearly 4,000

Woman sexually assaulted in woods

POLICE are hunting a man who sexually assaulted a woman in woodland at Blackfield on Sat - urday morning. The 31-year-old victim was targeted after she sat down on a fallen tree while out walk- ing at the site off Row Down, between Roughdown Lane and Kings Copse Road, some- time between 11.20am and 11.50am.

A man approached, sat next to her and made an indecent suggestion. After she told him to go away he attacked her. The victim fought off her as- sailant and he fled. She called police and sought help from passers-by. It is believed the attacker suf- fered an injury to his eye and scratches to his face during the assault.

People are being urged to come forward if they saw any suspicious activity or the of- fender in the area around the time of the attack. A Hampshire police spokes- person said: “It is believed there were a lot of dog walkers and other people walking in the area at that time.” The offender is white, in his late 20s to early 30s, about 5ft

8in to 5ft 9in tall, medium build, with pale skin. He was wearing a dark-coloured beanie hat, dark top, blue jeans, trainers and a dark-coloured fabric mask. Those with information should contact officers on 101, quoting crime reference num- ber 44210001443, or call Crime- stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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