New Milton Advertiser 9th Oct 2020

4 · Friday 9th October 2020

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‘He was just the most incredible guy’

Man accused of parrot theft A CHRISTCHURCH man accused of stealing an Afri- can grey parrot from a house has had his case sent to the crown court. Jack Alexander (30), of Nelson Drive, Christchurch, did not enter a plea to the charge, which accuses him of trespassing at the home to commit the alleged theft on 27th September. Poole magistrates sent the case to Bournemouth Crown Court, granting him condi- tional bail. Firefighter in river rescue AN off-duty firefighter was among passers-by who sprang into action to rescue a man who had reportedly jumped into a river in Ford- ingbridge. The fire service was called out shortly before 5.30pm on Sunday, after the casualty entered the water in Bridge Street. However, by the time the local crew arrived at the scene, he had been pulled out by the members of the public. The crew remained to treat him. 19 Fir Avenue, New Milton • Double glaze your whole house

Tributes paid to ‘well loved’ carer Andy who died aged 32

Chantelle said: “I know the lockdown had been difficult for Andy – he couldn’t get out as much as he would have liked and socialising had become re- ally difficult. “He did have help for his men- tal health before the pandemic but I think some of the support stopped and he struggled with that. “I knew he had been strug- gling recently and I saw him the week before he died and he didn’t look good. I just wanted to give him a hug but because of social distancing I wasn’t able to.” She added: “I am still in com- plete shock about what has happened – I just keep expect- ing Andrew to pop up. It’s very hard to accept that he’s gone.” Cousin Iain said: “Andy was actually quite reclusive and techie – he loved playing with computers, taking them apart and then rebuilding them. “He had struggled with his mental health for many years and had sought help in the past. He used to go to vari- ous support groups but sadly when Covid began I think they stopped meeting or went online which probably left him feeling a bit isolated and alone. “Personally I don’t think the support system was very effec- tive even before Covid but when the pandemic started lots of the avenues that he would have used were suddenly closed to him. He had nowhere to go in a crisis. “It has been wonderful to find out just how many friends An- drew had and how much they cared for him. He was clearly highly thought of by many peo- ple.” Friends of Andy’s hope to ar- range a memorial for him in De- cember which will take place on the beach at Durdle Door – one of his happiest places. Chantelle added: “Andrew had an absolute heart of gold and was very caring despite his own difficulties. So many peo - ple have been in touch to say how much he meant to them and how he touched their lives.”

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TRIBUTES have been paid to popular New Milton carer Andy Maclean who tragically died last week aged just 32 after friends said he struggled with his mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Described as intelligent and kind, Andy was a home carer working for Agincare in New Milton and was a well-known and popular member of the Walker Arms pool team. Pool team captain Iain Bar- ton said: “Andy had been on the pool team with me for around five years and during that time we became close friends. He struggled with his mental health at times but always real- ly loved the weekly pool nights. He was popular and well loved.” A spokesperson for the Hampshire coroner’s service confirmed Andy’s death was under investigation but said an inquest has not yet been opened. Originally from South Africa, Andy grew up and attended school in Johannesburg before travelling to the UK around 10 years ago, initially living in Lon- don and working in the catering industry. He followed in the footsteps of his cousin Iain Walker (34) who had moved to London a couple of years earlier. Iain said: “Although I’m only a couple of years older than Andy, I was a bit like a father figure to him. “He didn’t really have any other family here so I used to come down and visit him when I could and we’d go to Durdle Door or Weymouth. “He had built up a close net- work of friends since coming here.” After moving to the New Mil- ton area, Andy initially worked at the Walker Arms pub in Sta- tion Road and later joined its pool team. DORSET Police is riding a new wave in crime-fighting with a boat set to patrol the county’s 98 miles of coastline. Buccaneer, an 11-metre RIB, was officially unveiled at a small launch event attended by Chief Constable James Vaughan and Dorset police and crime com- missioner Martyn Underhill. Weighing in at 5.5 tons and carrying 600 litres of fuel, the vessel can travel up to 200 miles on a full tank at a top speed of 50 knots with up to eight people on board. Crewed by the force support group – a small team of special- ly trained marine police officers – it can be out in all weathers, day or night. Efforts to tackle criminali- ty on the water will be carried out alongside the force’s part- ners including Border Force, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, HM Coastguard, Roy- al Navy, RNLI, Marine Man- agement Organisation and the Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. HAMPSHIRE County Council has come under fire as it was revealed that most of its phone lines have been shut since March. A number of telephone ser- vices run by Hampshire County Council have been closed since 25th March, writes Maria Zac- caro of the Local Democracy Reporting Service . HCC said phone lines that take urgent calls have remained open and the others are set to be reopened in October. It stressed that online forms are available instead. Call centre staff have to work in a socially-distanced way and this has reduced the capacity of the council’s call centres, HCC added. But the news sparked criti- cism from opposition council- lors who said not every resident has access to online services. Phone lines for general en- quiries, libraries, blue badge and concessionary travel, coun- tryside, roads and transport, re- cycling, waste and planning are those that have been shut over the past six months. HCC said the school admis- sions phone line was reopened in August, while phone lines for

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Andy Maclean was ‘very open’ about his mental health struggles

His close friends Chantelle Deeks and Matt Luscombe re- call they first met Andy around four years ago at the Walker Arms. Chantelle said: “Andy was sit- ting alone at a bench outside looking a little lost so we start- ed chatting and asked what he was doing. He explained he was writing out a mathematical equation to see if anyone could work it out. “We were chatting away to him and at first he was so en - grossed in what he was writing he wasn’t really responding – but after a bit of perseverance he came out of his shell a bit and we realised he was living just round the corner from us in Barton.”

The couple soon formed a close friendship with Andy and he would often pop round to their house or meet them to play pool. Matt said: “Andy was always very open with us about his mental health struggles but that wasn’t all he was about. He was just the most incredible guy who would do anything for anyone. “He cared deeply about his friends and the people who he cared for and looked after as part of his job. He would always put others first.” A keen photographer, Andy loved nature and particularly enjoyed visiting Durdle Door and the Dorset coast to take pictures.

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From left: PC Bruce Murdoch, PC Libby Peak, Sgt Jon Waddell, Chief Constable James Vaughan, PCC Martyn Underhill, and Acting Supt Heather Dixey

The new vessel will also play a key role in search-and-rescue operations. Mr Vaughan said: “Buccaneer represents a significant invest - ment by Dorset Police and the police and crime commissioner, enhancing our specialist capa- bilities in policing our coastal

waters and marine communi- ties. “The boat is three years in the making to get to launch: from design requirements, building, sea trials and final - ly unveiling the new specialist equipment. “It includes brand new fea-

tures and the latest marine nav- igation technology and search- and-rescue equipment.” He added: “This will great- ly enhance the service we’re able to provide to our marine communities and I would like to thank all those involved for making it happen.”

Council slammed after shut phone lines revealed

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adult health and care, children’s services and registrations have remained open throughout the pandemic. But Liberal Democrat oppo- sition leader Cllr Keith House criticised the authority and said district councils were able to have their call centres up and running over a weekend in March. He said several resi- dents complained. Cllr House added: “It is beyond belief that after six months the main county phone line is still closed, as are access to a whole raft of services. This is a significant issue. “The county council is there to provide support to all resi- dents, not just those with de- cent internet facilities. For ser- vices such as getting a new Blue Badge for parking, this can limit where residents are able to shop or access other public services such as their GP or hospital.” The county council said a new technology platform, allowing staff to answer calls away from the office, will “shortly” enable the phone lines to be switched back on. HCC leader Cllr Keith Mans added: “I realise that many people still prefer to use a

telephone to reach public ser- vices and that, for a small few, it is the only means of commu- nication. “I am therefore pleased we were able to maintain critical phone services during the pan- demic, and look forward to re- suming our other phone servic- es very soon. “To be clear, our telephone contact centre does not direct- ly deliver services, but is one of several routes through which residents can get directed to the services that the county council provides.” He said the Hantshelp4Vul- nerable helpline for isolated and vulnerable residents had been launched over the past months. “People contacting Hant- shelp4Vulnerable via 0333 370 4000 can then be connected with the appropriate support services, including Blue Badge,” Cllr Mans said. The authority confirmed that during this period call centre staff have continued to work re- motely responding to enquiries submitted online, processing online applications, as well as working to manage the phone lines that remained open.

Arms wrapped up for town CHRISTCHURCH’S coat of arms will be protected for gen- erations to come after it was transferred from the former borough council to the new town authority. Mayor Cllr Lesley Dedman had petitioned the Crown to keep the symbol and has now had the royal seal of approval. Town clerk Daniel Lucas said: “It’s not very often you receive an email from a herald of Her Majesty enclosing a royal war- rant. It was quite humbling to receive and to be a tiny part of history.” Cllr Dedman said it was im- portant that Christchurch re- tains its heritage and identity. “These coat of arms are a signif- icant part of this town’s story,” she said. A history of the arms and their meaning can be found on the council’s website at www. christchurch-tc.gov.uk

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2nd October 2020 Answers quiz answers