Cornwall University site - could it be Falmouth or Penryn?

FALMOUTH and Penryn look set to be put forward as possible sites for the proposed University of Cornwall.

Carrick Council held a special meeting last night to discuss which sites within the district should be considered as locations for the university.

Exeter University has asked all six district councils in Cornwall to put forward details of potential sites within their areas which will enable the university to prepare a shortlist before making a final decision.

Carrick's chief planning officer Mr Steve Watson told councillors: "If the university is to be seen as part of the real world rather than an introverted elitist academic institution, it needs to have close contact with the social and cultural activities of a substantial well-rounded and diverse town which will not be swamped or overwhelmed by the large influx of students and teachers."

He added: "The number of towns in Cornwall capable of assimilating a development of this size is limited to perhaps eight or nine and two of the best candidates, Falmouth/Penryn and Truro, are in Carrick.

Labour woman's ferry nightmare

FALMOUTH'S prospective Labour parliamentary candidate Candy Atherton is at the centre of a row with a cross-channel ferry company amid claims that her party of five narrowly escaped being crushed under a car ramp.

Miss Atherton is calling on Brittany Ferries to review its unloading procedures iN the wake of what she describes as a near tragedy on board the Val Delloire ten days ago.

She insists a car ramp from an upper deck stopped just two inches from the top of her car and its terrified passengers, including her father Denis, 73, and two friends from the Falmouth area.

Miss Atherton, 39, says her party was handed an incorrect deck ticket and was left deeply "traumatised" by the near-miss, which happened when the ship docked at Plymouth after a crossing from Roscoff.

Brittany Ferries was prompted to investigate the incident after Mr Atherton, who lives with his daughter at Rame, lodged an official complaint with the company.

That inquiry, carried out by the captain of the Val Delloire, rebuffed the allegations and concluded that no member of the party was put at risk during the unloading of the ship.

However, the ferry company apologised for the incident this week and offered each of the party a complimentary three-day return ferry ticket as a gesture of goodwill.