A magistrate who has campaigned for the toughening up of laws on cannabis is welcoming the news that the drug is to be re-classified.
Roger Davy, who lives in Ben Rhydding, won the backing of JP colleagues from all over the country in 2006 when he called on the Government to rethink its soft touch' drugs policy.
Mr Davey warned that the down-grading of the drug from Class B to Class C had sent out the wrong message to youngsters and led young people into a life of crime.
Now he has applauded the Government's decision to reclassify cannabis.
The magistrate says he believes the downgrading has resulted in an increase in the number of youngsters appearing at court who are committing crimes to fund their cannabis habits.
Now he hopes the announcement by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will send out the right message to young people.
He said: "I am pleased about that. I don't know how much influence we have had as an association but hopefully we have brought some influence to bear. There has been this accusation that they are pandering to the tabloids but I don't really believe that."
He added: "It is not going to change anything overnight but it will enforce the fact that the wrong message has gone out."
Mr Davy argued that cannabis was a gateway drug and he said its down-grading was having a direct effect on young people and crime.
He said: "We get youngsters in court who are 12 and 13 and 14 years old who are going out robbing and thieving to fund a cannabis habit, knowing that nothing is going to happen if they are caught in possession."
He stressed: "We are not trying to get more youngsters into the criminal system - we are trying to keep them out of it. Hopefully long-term the message will go out that it is a dangerous habit to start."
[bold]WHY IS THE ILKLEY GAZETTE NOT ALLOWING ANY "COMMENTS" ON THE FOLLOWING "FRONT PAGE" STORY ?!!!
'Fear hitting support for trail' claim[/bold]
By Paul Langan
FEAR may be preventing supporters of a path on the old railway line between Bolton Abbey and Addingham coming forward to help turn the idea into a reality, a campaigner has claimed.
Andrew Scull has been at the forefront of the local drive to create the cycle, foot and bridle path and he feels that the recent consultation exercise shows that there is strong support in the village for it.
But Mr Scull thinks people are put off from displaying their backing by the behaviour of a minority of the opposition group.
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Mr Scull was on the Wharfe-dale Trail Forum which carried out and arranged the funding for the consultation exercise and has been criticism because of his role. He was reported to the Standards Board for England accused of misbehaviour as a parish councillor - an accusation the board rejected.
Mr Scull has tried to keep his role as a parish councillor and his involvement in the Sustrans project separate.
But it is the harassment he has been subjected to which has caused the most difficulty for him.
He said: "I have been subjected to an organised campaign of personal harassment for the past year - most of it carried out anonymously.
"I have had hate mail - people have been ringing up people who employed me 20 years ago and someone has even rung up my Dad posing as someone else.
"A lot of people who would support it are a little shy because they don't want to be harassed themselves."
Mr Scull said it was only a small minority of opponents who were responsible for harassment.
He said it was now up to other supporters to get on board as members of a new steering group to take the project forward.
The group will have no support from Addingham Parish Council which has resolved to ignore the matter until landowners have been persuaded to support it.
And Bradford Council seems to have washed its hands of the project, after providing £4,000 worth of Council Tax payers' money for the consultation.
A council spokesperson said: "We have noted the consultation report but we have no plans to take any further action.
"If we receive any plans or applications for the trail in the future then we will deal with them through the usual planning process."
Mr Scull said that he would help with the setting up of the steering group if people contacted him through the Wharfedale Trail website.
He said: "The bottom line is that the consultation has shown that there is a great deal of support for this.
"It is up to the people who support it to come forward and drive it forward."
He said unless that happened the majority would lose out, adding: "My role from here would be to facilitate people who are taking it forward."
[bold]
It is perfectly clear to all now why the Australians refer to us as a nation of ......
"WHINGING POMS" !!![/bold]
How we must all now pity poor Councillor Andrew James Scull.
I am sure it has not gone un-noticed by the readers of the Ilkley Gazette
that every time he comes up against opposition or bad news, poor Councillor
Scull is the first to throw his rattle out of the pram.
Yet again poor Councillor Scull whinges on because things are not going his
way and ... yes ... yet again blames his various failures on mysterious
persons unknown.
For the record, Councillor Scull, let's get those verified facts back in the
public eye.
(All of the following facts having previously been verified AND, for
Councillor Andrew Scull's benefit, are in the "public domain")
[bold]LIES ABOUT LANDOWNER SUPPORT
(made by David Hall of Sustrans)
FACT - David Hall of Sustrans was quoted in the minutes of a meeting held on
12th July 2005 (where Jeff McQuillan just happened to be present) as
saying:- "He (David Hall) said he had spoken to the major landowners and
received a positive reaction, particularly from the Bolton Abbey estate"
UNBALANCED CONSULTATION LITERATURE
i.e. All the "pros" BUT none of the "cons"
(prepared by Jeff McQuillan)
FACT - Previously reported in the Ilkley Gazette
UNBALANCED AND OFFENSIVE FORUM WEBSITE
(created by Councillor Andrew Scull)
FACT - Councillor Scull apologised to the other Forum members AND
acknowledged full responsibility for the content on the website
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF INTIMIDATION
(made by Jeff McQuillan)
FACT - North Yorkshire Police confirm no action taken
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF THEFT
(made by Jeff McQuillan & Councillor Andrew Scull)
FACT - West Yorkshire Police confirm no action taken
ATTEMPTS TO BULLY LANDOWNERS
(carried out by Sustrans)
FACT - Previously reported in the Ilkley Gazette[/bold]
How dare poor Councillor Andrew Scull cast the first stone (as per usual)
and accuse others of harassment when, on 12th July 2005, this sorry affair
was kicked off by his pal David Hall of SUSTRANS with a lie about landowner
support for this Trail.
Proof of this lie has been clearly minuted AND, under Freedom of Information
legislation, is available for all to see.
Councillor Andrew Scull, is it really a surprise that the good folk of
Addingham do not wish to be involved in the continuing harassment that those
against this Trail proposal have had to put up with for the last 3 years ?
Councillor Scull's suggestion of a new "steering group" is laughable .......
no doubt it is his intention that it will have the same ethos as his failed
(so-called) "Forum" which .....
[bold]NEVER MET AS A GROUP
NEVER ISSUED ANY MINUTES
NEVER PRODUCED ANY ACCOUNTS[/bold]
What a relief it is that the good folk of Addingham & Ilkley are represented
(and protected) by other local Councillors who have a better understanding
of such matters:-
FACT - Addingham Parish Council have resolved not to support the concept
unless all the landowners are in agreement
FACT - Bradford Metropolitan District Council have no plans to take the
Trail proposal forward
[bold]
THE WHARFEDALE TRAIL
A CORRUPT, FLAWED & HIGHLY PREDICTABLE CONSULTATION
STOP WHINGING COUNCILLOR SCULL ..... "The bottom line is that the consultation" ...... IS OVER !!![/bold]
WHY IS THE ILKLEY GAZETTE NOT ALLOWING ANY "COMMENTS" ON THE FOLLOWING "FRONT PAGE" STORY ?!!!
'Fear hitting support for trail' claim
By Paul Langan
FEAR may be preventing supporters of a path on the old railway line between Bolton Abbey and Addingham coming forward to help turn the idea into a reality, a campaigner has claimed.
Andrew Scull has been at the forefront of the local drive to create the cycle, foot and bridle path and he feels that the recent consultation exercise shows that there is strong support in the village for it.
But Mr Scull thinks people are put off from displaying their backing by the behaviour of a minority of the opposition group.
advertisement
Mr Scull was on the Wharfe-dale Trail Forum which carried out and arranged the funding for the consultation exercise and has been criticism because of his role. He was reported to the Standards Board for England accused of misbehaviour as a parish councillor - an accusation the board rejected.
Mr Scull has tried to keep his role as a parish councillor and his involvement in the Sustrans project separate.
But it is the harassment he has been subjected to which has caused the most difficulty for him.
He said: "I have been subjected to an organised campaign of personal harassment for the past year - most of it carried out anonymously.
"I have had hate mail - people have been ringing up people who employed me 20 years ago and someone has even rung up my Dad posing as someone else.
"A lot of people who would support it are a little shy because they don't want to be harassed themselves."
Mr Scull said it was only a small minority of opponents who were responsible for harassment.
He said it was now up to other supporters to get on board as members of a new steering group to take the project forward.
The group will have no support from Addingham Parish Council which has resolved to ignore the matter until landowners have been persuaded to support it.
And Bradford Council seems to have washed its hands of the project, after providing £4,000 worth of Council Tax payers' money for the consultation.
A council spokesperson said: "We have noted the consultation report but we have no plans to take any further action.
"If we receive any plans or applications for the trail in the future then we will deal with them through the usual planning process."
Mr Scull said that he would help with the setting up of the steering group if people contacted him through the Wharfedale Trail website.
He said: "The bottom line is that the consultation has shown that there is a great deal of support for this.
"It is up to the people who support it to come forward and drive it forward."
He said unless that happened the majority would lose out, adding: "My role from here would be to facilitate people who are taking it forward."
It is perfectly clear to all now why the Australians refer to us as a nation of ......
"WHINGING POMS" !!!
How we must all now pity poor Councillor Andrew James Scull.
I am sure it has not gone un-noticed by the readers of the Ilkley Gazette
that every time he comes up against opposition or bad news, poor Councillor
Scull is the first to throw his rattle out of the pram.
Yet again poor Councillor Scull whinges on because things are not going his
way and ... yes ... yet again blames his various failures on mysterious
persons unknown.
For the record, Councillor Scull, let's get those verified facts back in the
public eye.
(All of the following facts having previously been verified AND, for
Councillor Andrew Scull's benefit, are in the "public domain")
LIES ABOUT LANDOWNER SUPPORT
(made by David Hall of Sustrans)
FACT - David Hall of Sustrans was quoted in the minutes of a meeting held on
12th July 2005 (where Jeff McQuillan just happened to be present) as
saying:- "He (David Hall) said he had spoken to the major landowners and
received a positive reaction, particularly from the Bolton Abbey estate"
UNBALANCED CONSULTATION LITERATURE
i.e. All the "pros" BUT none of the "cons"
(prepared by Jeff McQuillan)
FACT - Previously reported in the Ilkley Gazette
UNBALANCED AND OFFENSIVE FORUM WEBSITE
(created by Councillor Andrew Scull)
FACT - Councillor Scull apologised to the other Forum members AND
acknowledged full responsibility for the content on the website
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF INTIMIDATION
(made by Jeff McQuillan)
FACT - North Yorkshire Police confirm no action taken
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF THEFT
(made by Jeff McQuillan & Councillor Andrew Scull)
FACT - West Yorkshire Police confirm no action taken
ATTEMPTS TO BULLY LANDOWNERS
(carried out by Sustrans)
FACT - Previously reported in the Ilkley Gazette
How dare poor Councillor Andrew Scull cast the first stone (as per usual)
and accuse others of harassment when, on 12th July 2005, this sorry affair
was kicked off by his pal David Hall of SUSTRANS with a lie about landowner
support for this Trail.
Proof of this lie has been clearly minuted AND, under Freedom of Information
legislation, is available for all to see.
Councillor Andrew Scull, is it really a surprise that the good folk of
Addingham do not wish to be involved in the continuing harassment that those
against this Trail proposal have had to put up with for the last 3 years ?
Councillor Scull's suggestion of a new "steering group" is laughable .......
no doubt it is his intention that it will have the same ethos as his failed
(so-called) "Forum" which .....
NEVER MET AS A GROUP
NEVER ISSUED ANY MINUTES
NEVER PRODUCED ANY ACCOUNTS
What a relief it is that the good folk of Addingham & Ilkley are represented
(and protected) by other local Councillors who have a better understanding
of such matters:-
FACT - Addingham Parish Council have resolved not to support the concept
unless all the landowners are in agreement
FACT - Bradford Metropolitan District Council have no plans to take the
Trail proposal forward
THE WHARFEDALE TRAIL
A CORRUPT, FLAWED & HIGHLY PREDICTABLE CONSULTATION
STOP WHINGING COUNCILLOR SCULL ..... "The bottom line is that the consultation" ...... IS OVER !!! 
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