A crossbow-wielding maniac wreaked havoc in Bournemouth this morning, ending in three deaths before he was finally shot down by police.
The events began at 8am, when Pascal Tonk, 21, broke into the Kieran Verdon Archery Range at Chapelgate Leisure Centre. He stole a JCB from the site and dug a hole in the side of the building, only taking a crossbow and bolts.
Armed with his deadly weapon and ammunition, Tonk headed to Horseshoe Common, where a Shih Tzu- a small fluffy dog- became his first victim.
The small dog, Bouncebackability, was on a walk with its owner Pippa Snufflebottom.
Miss Snufflebotton said, “He was riding around laughing manically when he shot Bouncy, I didn’t see where he went but he was wearing a baseball cap and a brown furry jacket.”
Then at 10:40am, Tonk turned his crossbow to Mels Ratue, a 32-year-old Belgiun citizen visiting a Bonsai Convention.
Ratue was shot in the eye outside St Augustine’s Church on Wimbourne Road- he died at the scene.
Travel companion and lifelong friend, Dennis Landsbert said: “We were getting off the bus so we could go to the cemetery when Mels fell to the floor, I didn’t see who did it. This is a very sad day for me and his family.”
After murdering an innocent man, Tonk set fire to his own home in St Anthony’s Road, where he lived with his mother and dog.
The fire took over an hour and 19 fire engines to control, according to Chief Fire Officer, Rocky Staten. When officers were able to enter the building, Louise “Lou-Lou” Tonk was found decapitated and covered in petrol along with her beloved German Shepherd, Laughing Gravy.
Assistant Chief Constable, Barry Lyndon said, “It is thought they were decapitated using a machete, the fire started at 10am so it is likely Tonk’s mother and dog were his first victims, not the Shih Tzu in the park as previously estimated.”
Tonk’s murderous rampage was brought to an end when he was gunned down by officers at Talbot Combined School in Wallisdown. He had been cornered by Police and was pronounced dead just after twelve.
Chief of Police, Alan Rose said, “It is suspected Tonk was not mentally stable when he carried out his attacks.”
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Running Story Mock
Two people have died after a massive chemical spillage of Lindane occurred when a passenger ferry collided with a roll-on-roll-off ferry, L Taurus.
A spokes-person for the Coastguard said, “A male and female, both in their 80s, were found half a mile from the crash site by Danish Lifeboats, en route to a conference. It is expected they died from Lindane poisoning.”
There have been no other chemical poisonings and the rest of the passengers have only suffered minor injuries.
So far, it has been estimated that 70 people are in hospital.
The Environmental Agency have said that the Lindane will dissipate but an exclusion zone is being set up from Sandbanks to Bournemouth pier and people will be asked to keep away for 48 hours.
There will also be a two to three week ban on fishing in the local waters as it is feared the fish could poison people on consumption.
Pollution consultant, Torbon Lee said: “Lindane is an extremely dangerous poison and has already killed all the sea life it has come into contact with. We are currently setting up a chemical boon to contain the spillage. This will hopefully prevent any more damage to the sea life and stop any further spreading.”
The emergency services have all been provided with chemical suits and any passengers rescued are being hosed down before being taken to hospital.
Tourists on board the passenger ferry, heading for Sandbank’s, jumped into the freezing sea in a blind panic as it collided.
Nick Gosney, the chief loader for Sandbanks Ferry’s said: “There were roughly 30 people on board, the chain on our boat snapped so it can’t move anywhere. It looks like it will be out of action for the rest of the day at least, if not longer.”
Bridget Verdon, the owner of Torbay Seaways said, “It was an unfortunate incident and I’m sad about what happened, hopefully all the missing passengers will be located soon and no fatalities more will occur.”
The company carry lorry cargo to Cherbourg in France.
Mrs Verdon said it was L Taurus’ maiden voyage with Torbay Seaways and they have lost out on a lot of business today as a result of the collision.
The Lindane leaked out of one of the lorry cargos on board L Taurus, when they slipped across the deck and smashed in to each other.
A spokes-person for the Coastguard said, “A male and female, both in their 80s, were found half a mile from the crash site by Danish Lifeboats, en route to a conference. It is expected they died from Lindane poisoning.”
There have been no other chemical poisonings and the rest of the passengers have only suffered minor injuries.
So far, it has been estimated that 70 people are in hospital.
The Environmental Agency have said that the Lindane will dissipate but an exclusion zone is being set up from Sandbanks to Bournemouth pier and people will be asked to keep away for 48 hours.
There will also be a two to three week ban on fishing in the local waters as it is feared the fish could poison people on consumption.
Pollution consultant, Torbon Lee said: “Lindane is an extremely dangerous poison and has already killed all the sea life it has come into contact with. We are currently setting up a chemical boon to contain the spillage. This will hopefully prevent any more damage to the sea life and stop any further spreading.”
The emergency services have all been provided with chemical suits and any passengers rescued are being hosed down before being taken to hospital.
Tourists on board the passenger ferry, heading for Sandbank’s, jumped into the freezing sea in a blind panic as it collided.
Nick Gosney, the chief loader for Sandbanks Ferry’s said: “There were roughly 30 people on board, the chain on our boat snapped so it can’t move anywhere. It looks like it will be out of action for the rest of the day at least, if not longer.”
Bridget Verdon, the owner of Torbay Seaways said, “It was an unfortunate incident and I’m sad about what happened, hopefully all the missing passengers will be located soon and no fatalities more will occur.”
The company carry lorry cargo to Cherbourg in France.
Mrs Verdon said it was L Taurus’ maiden voyage with Torbay Seaways and they have lost out on a lot of business today as a result of the collision.
The Lindane leaked out of one of the lorry cargos on board L Taurus, when they slipped across the deck and smashed in to each other.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Russell Cotes Re-branded.
Russell Cotes museum is desperately in need of a make-over and that is precisely what it is going to get in the next few months.
On a Tuesday morning, only a handful of older people can be found enjoying the art work in the surprisingly large main gallery.
Set out like an old mansion, the museum is full of art and sculptures, with no wall space left uncovered. In its current state, it would be the perfect film location for a haunted-house style movie. Although this does mean it is not pulling in the audiences it needs to make a profit.
An employee of the museum, who asked not to be named, said “At the moment we attract an older generation and school visits, we want to appeal to teenagers and young adults. To do this we are giving the museum a make-over, creating new leaflets, updating our website, making it interactive; and most importantly creating an environment that appeals to younger generations.”
They have already started by creating a new, more modern logo and have included it on all the leaflets and advertisements.
The latest exhibitions are diverse and interesting, including a Japanese display called “The Art of Japanese Metal Work” which includes a gold elephant that has proven popular with visitors.
There are many children’s activities held weekly, including an art club and a weekly get together for under 5’s.
There are currently 15 permanent members of staff but they do rely on volunteers from the community to get involved and help out.
On a Tuesday morning, only a handful of older people can be found enjoying the art work in the surprisingly large main gallery.
Set out like an old mansion, the museum is full of art and sculptures, with no wall space left uncovered. In its current state, it would be the perfect film location for a haunted-house style movie. Although this does mean it is not pulling in the audiences it needs to make a profit.
An employee of the museum, who asked not to be named, said “At the moment we attract an older generation and school visits, we want to appeal to teenagers and young adults. To do this we are giving the museum a make-over, creating new leaflets, updating our website, making it interactive; and most importantly creating an environment that appeals to younger generations.”
They have already started by creating a new, more modern logo and have included it on all the leaflets and advertisements.
The latest exhibitions are diverse and interesting, including a Japanese display called “The Art of Japanese Metal Work” which includes a gold elephant that has proven popular with visitors.
There are many children’s activities held weekly, including an art club and a weekly get together for under 5’s.
There are currently 15 permanent members of staff but they do rely on volunteers from the community to get involved and help out.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Vox Pop
The Bank of England has announced that £1.8 trillion has been lost by financial firms around the world as a result of the credit crunch. The global recession is now threatening 1.2 million UK homeowners as house prices drop below that of their mortgage. The chairman of online estate agency, first4sale.com said “The housing market is severely depressed at the moment because of the lack of money supply and I’ve noticed the same symptoms in the international market. I can only see an improvement in the situation when the banks start lending again“.
Heather Atkins, 45 from Southbourne said “I’ve rung my mortgage, gas and electricity companies to organise my payment as I cannot afford to pay them all off in the same month.”
Many families will be hit hard by in the housing market; Amanda Mallett, a mother-of-two from Wokingham in Berkshire expressed worried about the price of her mortgage.
The unemployment rates have increased with up to 1.7 million out of work in 2008, causing many UK citizens to fear for their job security. John Grantham, a 42-year-old council worker from Christchurch said “I think my job could be at risk as there will be more competition. I work for the council. The commercial sector has been the worst affected so far but it may have a knock-on effect.” In contrast, another council worker, Sam Oliver, 20, of Edge Park, Bournemouth said “No I’m not affected at all because I’ve just started a new job, I would have been affected in my old job though.”
With winter approaching, charities such as Help the Aged are setting up schemes to aid the elderly, for example by providing free loft insulation to cut down their energy bills.
Mrs Morris, 81 from Christchurch said “The pensions haven’t changed yet but the bills have doubled. The government should help pensioners pay for their fuel bill; the current fuel allowance is nowhere near enough. I don’t worry about the bills until they come in and I realise I can’t afford them. Heating’s essential!”
Many younger people are not feeling the same economic pressures- Simon Reyes (24) and Ali Sharp(18) from Winton, both claim to have remained unaffected. For those in the tourist industry it is hard to say as they’ve not yet had a full season; Tom, a bouncy castle owner from Boscombe, said “I couldn’t really say, we had a tough summer but that was probably due to the weather.”
Despite it being a worldwide problem, at least some people are completely unaware- Rohann, 21, a law student from Cape Town said “I don’t know about it so I can’t really comment.”
Heather Atkins, 45 from Southbourne said “I’ve rung my mortgage, gas and electricity companies to organise my payment as I cannot afford to pay them all off in the same month.”
Many families will be hit hard by in the housing market; Amanda Mallett, a mother-of-two from Wokingham in Berkshire expressed worried about the price of her mortgage.
The unemployment rates have increased with up to 1.7 million out of work in 2008, causing many UK citizens to fear for their job security. John Grantham, a 42-year-old council worker from Christchurch said “I think my job could be at risk as there will be more competition. I work for the council. The commercial sector has been the worst affected so far but it may have a knock-on effect.” In contrast, another council worker, Sam Oliver, 20, of Edge Park, Bournemouth said “No I’m not affected at all because I’ve just started a new job, I would have been affected in my old job though.”
With winter approaching, charities such as Help the Aged are setting up schemes to aid the elderly, for example by providing free loft insulation to cut down their energy bills.
Mrs Morris, 81 from Christchurch said “The pensions haven’t changed yet but the bills have doubled. The government should help pensioners pay for their fuel bill; the current fuel allowance is nowhere near enough. I don’t worry about the bills until they come in and I realise I can’t afford them. Heating’s essential!”
Many younger people are not feeling the same economic pressures- Simon Reyes (24) and Ali Sharp(18) from Winton, both claim to have remained unaffected. For those in the tourist industry it is hard to say as they’ve not yet had a full season; Tom, a bouncy castle owner from Boscombe, said “I couldn’t really say, we had a tough summer but that was probably due to the weather.”
Despite it being a worldwide problem, at least some people are completely unaware- Rohann, 21, a law student from Cape Town said “I don’t know about it so I can’t really comment.”
What makes a good reporter- Gary Crowley
Lord Crowley of Pop aka Gary Crowley has had a journalistic career that would make any music reporter sick with envy.
He began his career in secondary school when he started a punk fanzine, and interviewed legends such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash.
From there he went on to work on radio, presenting on stations such as XFM and writing for magazines including NME.
He currently works for the radio station, Capital BBC London, and when he has the time, as a BBC Reporter.
So what’s the secret to this amazing career spanning thirty years?
Mr Crowley claims that to be a good reporter you must have “ an inquisitive nature and ask the right questions, I also find it really helpful to do some research before I speak to someone, so if they dry up I can lead the interview in another direction .”
It is clear that the London based 49-year-old is a great lover of music and has used his influence as a well respected journalist to give many bands their first radio play and send them to greatness.
He was the first DJ to play the likes of Oasis, Suede and even Wham.
When asked what the highlight of his career was, he replied “Interviewing Paul McCartney, The Beatles were such an big influence on me when I was growing up and they really got me into the music scene and to where I am today.”
As the youngest DJ to have his own radio show, Gary now gets a big element of free choice when he chooses the playlist for his shows on the BBC. “It’s brilliant that I get the opportunity to play what I think people will like and also I enjoy listening too.”
He began his career in secondary school when he started a punk fanzine, and interviewed legends such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash.
From there he went on to work on radio, presenting on stations such as XFM and writing for magazines including NME.
He currently works for the radio station, Capital BBC London, and when he has the time, as a BBC Reporter.
So what’s the secret to this amazing career spanning thirty years?
Mr Crowley claims that to be a good reporter you must have “ an inquisitive nature and ask the right questions, I also find it really helpful to do some research before I speak to someone, so if they dry up I can lead the interview in another direction .”
It is clear that the London based 49-year-old is a great lover of music and has used his influence as a well respected journalist to give many bands their first radio play and send them to greatness.
He was the first DJ to play the likes of Oasis, Suede and even Wham.
When asked what the highlight of his career was, he replied “Interviewing Paul McCartney, The Beatles were such an big influence on me when I was growing up and they really got me into the music scene and to where I am today.”
As the youngest DJ to have his own radio show, Gary now gets a big element of free choice when he chooses the playlist for his shows on the BBC. “It’s brilliant that I get the opportunity to play what I think people will like and also I enjoy listening too.”
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
