Assessed Running Story

Police have shot a crossbow –wielding maniac who is suspected of setting fire to his own house after going on a killing spree.

Dorset Assistant Chief Constable, Barry Linden, said: “Pascal Tonk came out firing his crossbow at police, was shot and died at the scene.”

A Senior Police Officer, Alan Rose said: “Tonk, suspect in the murder of a Belgian national earlier this morning, was cornered by marksmen at the Talbot Combined School in Wallisdown.”

Fire officers found his mother, Louise Tonk, and family dog, Laughing Gravy, decapitated on the ground floor of Tonk’s burned down house in St. Anthony’s Road.

Mr Linden also said: “A machete was found alongside the 32-year-old mother who was also known as Lu Lu.”

Chief Fire Officer, Rocky Stateon said: “The fire is now under control but 19 fire engines tackled the blaze.”

Mr Tonk is a suspect in the murder of Mels Rattue, 32, who was shot in the eye with a crossbow at 10.30am.

Mr Rattue was attending a Bonsai convention at St. Augustin’s church when he was murdered after getting off the bus.

Dennis Landbert, 52, a good friend of Mr Rattue, said: “It is really sad. He had a wife and two young children.”

Police suspect the same crossbow was used in an attack on a Shitzu puppy on Horseshoe Common at 9.40 am.

Pippa Shufflebottom, the 20-year-old owner of Bouncebackability, said: “The maniac laughed as he rode past on a bicycle and shot my puppy with a bow and arrow contraption.”

The murders could be connected to a break in at Chapel Sports Centre this morning, in which cross bow and bolts were stolen.

A Dorset police spokesman said: “Someone broke in using a JCB and a cross bow from the Keiran Verdon Archery Range was taken.”

Vox Pop

MS sufferer Debbie Purdy lost her landmark case on Wednesday on legal assisted suicide.

The 45-year-old went to the Royal High Courts in an attempt to guarantee her husband wouldn’t be prosecuted if he travelled abroad with her to aid her death.

Her case was rejected, meaning she now has to take the trip to Switzerland alone.

More than 90 families have journeyed with relatives overseas, where assisted suicide is legal.

Although none have been prosecuted, Mrs Purdy wanted assurance that her husband wouldn’t be condemned.

There is much debate to be had on this sensitive subject.

Beryl Smith, 82, a retired voluntary worker from Endfield Road in Moordown commented: “I don’t think he should be prosecuted, she should have her husband there with her in her dying moments.”

Oliver Kasmir, 18, agrees: “People should be able to choose what they want to do; if she wants her husband there, he should be there. It’s meant to be a free world after all.”

The hospitality management student said that if her husband wasn’t allowed to travel, then Mrs Purdy may suffer more heartache: “The government shouldn’t be able to dictate what people can do with their lives.”

Mr and Mrs Eaton, NHS workers from Corhampton Road in Christchurch, took an alternative view, both firmly disagreeing with assisted suicide in general.

Mrs Eaton, a 54-year-old nurse said: “It’s not our right to choose whether we live or die” and her husband, a 59-year-old paramedic agreed declaring “It should be illegal abroad, as well as here.”

Some people are in doubt on the distressing subject, Lucy Jones, 20 said: “She should be able to do what she wants, God gave us free will, then again, maybe she should let life take its natural course.”

A friend of the Law student, Lauren Graimes, 18, agreed saying: “It’s God’s decision when we die, not ours.”

Andrew Davis, 68, didn’t have a strong view either way.

The retired insurance manager from Cardiff commented it was a “personal choice” for each human being and that it was “down to each individual’s situation”.

Whereas, James Dunkin, a 24-year-old retail worker from Wimborne Road, was adamant that everyone should have their own choice: “that’s what makes us human.”

Mother of three, Linda Wallis said: “It is not law in this country to allow people to assist suicides. My personal feeling is that if a person is dying an awful death then someone should be allowed to help them end their life when they choose.”

The 57-year old cook from Frost Road, Kinson added: “Why should terminally ill patients’ families have to watch them suffer in pain and die an awful death?”

So, overall, the feelings on assisted suicide are varied, however the strong consensus is that everyone should have their own choice when it comes to death.

Raymond Remembers

Raymond Butler’s earliest memory is the birth of his younger sister and the celebrations that followed 76 years ago.

As was common in 1932, a female neighbour delivered the baby in the parents’ bedroom.

The house was full of suspense as Mr Butler’s mother went into labour and his older brother was sent to get the next door neighbour, Margaret Hawkins.

Mr Butler, who was two years old at the time, lived in Hove with his parents and five other siblings.

The children were forbidden from going upstairs and were told to amuse themselves whilst the drama commenced.

Mr Butler said: ‘What felt like hours later Mrs Hawkins came down the stairs and announced that we had a new baby sister.’

A new birth in the street was a momentous occasion and all the neighbours made a huge fuss.

The house had a stream of visitors in the hours following the birth and Mr Butler vividly remembers a neighbour bringing round Swiss roll for tea.

He said: ‘Thinking back I can almost taste it’.

Mr Butler, a retired post office worker, now lives in Lancing with his wife Pat Butler.

They have a son, two daughters, six grandsons and one granddaughter.

Two die in ferry disaster

Two elderly people have died after leaping from a passenger ferry into toxic waters.

The man and woman, both in their 80s, jumped from the Sandbanks ferry as it collided with a cargo vessel in Poole Harbour at 9.10am.

The collision caused a major spillage of a dangerous chemical, Lindane, which came from a lorry on the cargo vessel, L Taurus.

A spokesman for the Coastguard said: “It appears that they have not died as a result of drowning.” It is feared the chemical may have caused the deaths.

The bodies were found half a mile from the collision by a Danish lifeboat crew who were on their way to the headquarters in Poole.

Torben Lee, a pollution consultant from the Environment agency, said the chemical has killed everything it has come into contact with so far and said: “We are concerned about contamination to humans.”

Over 70 people have been taken to hospital and everyone else that jumped into the water has been recovered safely.

The people from the water have been hosed down and so far the only injuries suffered have been cuts and bruises.

A 48-hour exclusion zone along the beach from Sandbanks to Bournemouth Pier has been put in place.

Bridget Verdon, who runs Torbay Seaways, said: “People panicked when they saw the vessel coming towards the ferry so they jumped into the water.”

The Environment Agency has installed chemical boons in order to contain the spillage.

A spokesman for the Coastguard said: “The chemical is already starting to dissipate and we hope it can be removed within 48 hours.”

Speed limits being reviewed in Bournemouth

Road safety experts are carrying out a review of higher speed limits within the town.

John Satchwell, 56, a Road Safety Manager at the council said: ‘There are a number of sites where the speed appears to be inappropriate for the environment.’

These sites include Queens Park South Drive, Boundary Road, Ringwood Road and Wessex Way.

There is currently a proposal to extend the 30mph limit on Boundary Road to the junction with Wallisdown Road, reducing it from a 40mph zone.

There have been a series of accidents on Boundary Road within the last three years; the most recent of these involved a speeding motorcyclist.

Mr Satchwell said: ‘Pedestrian behaviour, including school children jumping over barriers rather than using the bridges, has been a factor in the decision.’

He believes reducing the limit will give drivers more visibility and they will have more time to react, should pedestrians unexpectedly cross the road.

He expects the proposal to go ahead unless there are significant objections and there could more measures put in place in the future.

Mr Satchwell said: ‘Approximately 780 people are injured in car accidents in Bournemouth each year and two people were killed last year.’

He hopes that these measures will help make Bournemouth’s roads safer for all.