The Little Lever Mattress. - After this I need a lie down

It all started off in an innocuous way. An early morning dog walker in Dove Bank noticed that somebody had dumped a mattress down the cut. He contacted me about it and I passed the information on to the relevant department in the Town Hall asking for it to be shifted.

That should have been the end of the matter.

However I received an e-mail from a Council officer saying that a risk assessment had been carried out, that it could not be moved manually and a JCB would be required.

Further to this, the e-mail said it would be removed within ten days.

Having seen the location and the mattress I could not believe that the proposed level of activity, delay and expense could be justified.

Apart from anything else, using a JCB would have churned up the grassed area between Park Rd and the cut.



Chatting to a friend of mine I suggested that we prove a point by shifting it ourselves to which he readily agreed.

In order to record the event for posterity I invited down a photographer from the Bolton News.

Ok, if you like, it was a bit of a publicity stunt but with a serious message behind it.

Little did I know or expect the consequences. The following morning it was plastered over the front page of the Bolton News

Within twelve hours the story had been picked up by the Nationals.

By 05.00 am on 31st March the Mail Online had received 64 comments from all over the world.

Try the links below.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/5457874.Two_men_removed_a_mattress_in_minutes_______after_health_and_safety_bosses_said_a_JCB_was_needed/

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2913629/Barmy-councils-mattress-policy.html

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/166183/Local-men-to-the-rescue-as-officials-hire-JCB-to-lift-a-mattress

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1262305/Council-need-JCB-dumped-mattress.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7538145/Council-ordered-JCB-and-four-men-to-remove-mattress.html

I'm not the most popular man in the Town Hall at the moment. Somebody remarked that I should be defending the Council.

I'm not here to defend the Council - I'm here to represent the residents of Darcy
Lever and Little Lever and the hard earned money that they pay in Council Tax.

Let's see what developes.

Sean

Any comments to - electseanhornby@hotmail.co.uk



Promoted by Paul Richardson 24 Ripon Close Little Lever BL3 1EQ on behalf of Sean Colin Hornby 35 Williams St Little Lever BL3 1LQ.