Accidental Death Verdict: A verdict of ‘accidental death’ has been handed in at the inquest into the death of Robert McCarthy, 22, who died following a mountain climbing accident. Mr. McCarthy, who worked for an outdoor pursuit centre in Loch Lomond National Park as a tutor for schoolchildren, grew up in Dereham and attended Northgate High School.

Taser Gun Assault Outside Police Station: Andrew Clarke, 42 who had gone to the Dereham Police Station because he thought his ex-wife was there and wanted to talk to her, was assaulted with a taser gun by police officers who considered that he was showing signs of aggression. Clarke, who measures 6’3”, and is a resident of Swanton Morley, appeared in Thetford Magistrates Court where he was subsequently cleared of all charges. Mr. Clarke’s solicitor, Ian Fisher, has stated that they are considering taking legal action against Norfolk Constabulary.

Tribute To Dead Soldiers: Patricia Skittrall from Dereham, Margaret Bohn and Marguerite Statham from Bradenham, all members of the Mid-Norfolk Family History Society, came up with the idea of creating a book that would be a tribute to the soldiers who died during the war. The three women spent three years collecting information from old newspaper articles and visited graves and memorials in France and Belgium. The book is being kept at St. Nicholas Church and is available for public viewing.

Town Centre Show Of Disrespect: Dereham residents who gathered at the memorial in Market Place on Armistice Day were disgusted to note that not only was traffic not stopped during the two minutes of silence, but some drivers actually honked their horns. This lack of respect was felt by all, and saddened more than a few. One person commented that the disrespectful attitude of the drivers, coupled with the theft of three charity collection boxes was a sad reflection upon the town.

Cancer Care Charity Broken Into: The premises of the Dereham Cancer Care charity were broken into last week, and although nothing was taken, volunteers are angry because the money they have raised in order to help cancer patients will have to be used in order to pay for repairs. The volunteers, who have worked hard in order to raise money for their charity, are disappointed that such a thing should have happened.

Women’s Royal British Legion Closing: On the 17^th of December, the Dereham Royal British Legion Women’s Section will be holding their last meeting. For 82 years the organisation’s members have kept up the weekly flower rota from Easter to Remembrance Sunday and placed a vase of fresh flowers on the war memorial. With most of the members now aged in their 80’s, and membership down to twenty-five with only a small portion able to attend meetings, the organisation has decided it’s time to close their doors. The men’s section of the Royal British Legion, along with the Royal Navy Association, have stated that they will continue with the weekly flower rota.