UPDATED: Soldier’s grave destroyed by L-driver taking a lesson through Landican Cemetery (From Wirral Globe)
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UPDATED: Soldier’s grave destroyed by L-driver taking a lesson through Landican Cemetery
9:40am Friday 3rd August 2012 in News Exclusive By Craig Manning
Les Lines at the graveside of son Terik
THE headstone of a Wirral soldier killed on overseas duty in 2008 has been destroyed by a learner driver taking an early morning lesson through Landican Cemetery.
Lance Corporal Terik Lines, 27, from Birkenhead, lost his life when the armoured truck he was driving collided with a van while he was serving in Kenya.
He was buried with military honours at Landican. Terik’s was one of four headstones damaged when the vehicle went out of control this morning.
Wirral Council, which manages the cemetery, says there are no bye-laws preventing driving lessons being taken there.
Terik’s grieving mum, Les, told the Globe: “I have seen proper driving schools going through here, but apparently this time it was a parent teaching his child.
“The grave is completely wrecked and obviously there are items on it which can never be replaced.
“I think it’s very disrespectful to have driving lessons in Landican. "People come here to pay their respects to their loved ones – it should never be used for teaching people to drive.
“There are many more appropriate places in Wirral where people can take their lessons.”
However, Les said she bears no animosity towards the learner driver: “It is easily done and I’ve got nothing against the person who has done this. “It was an accident, and that’s the end of it. “I’d have been far more annoyed if it had been a joyrider.
“Thankfully, the grave stones are going to be replaced by Landican and we don’t have to pay anything towards it.”
Terik died on the morning of December 4, 2008. An inquest at Wallasey Town Hall 18 months later heard that Terik, a member of the Royal Engineers, was driving an armed Toyota twin-cab vehicle when it collided with a van and landed in a ditch.
He died at the scene from his injuries. His Regiment has been informed of the gravestone damage. Also among the headstones destroyed was that of Kitty Craze. Her niece, who asked not to be named, said:
"The whole family is really upset by this. I would like to see a total ban on people driving through the cemetery.
"People should not be allowed to learn to drive through a place where people have been put to rest. I've never known anything like it, notices need to be put up to stop this happening again."
A council spokesman said: “There is no specific bylaw prohibiting learner drivers from using the roads at Landican. However we would expect people to be sensitive and use their common sense and to respect the needs of others.”
Council officers have contacted families of three of the five memorials affected, and are writing to the remaining two to explain that the memorials will all be restored or replaced via a claim on the driver’s insurance.
“One of the affected memorials was that of Lance Corporal Terik Lines. Council officers have contacted Lance Corporal Lines’s family to explain the situation."
Comments(20)
Robin of Loxely
says...
6:18pm Wed 1 Aug 12
Get insurance on your vehicle and go to learn your "child" on the public highway.
angie w
says...
7:49pm Wed 1 Aug 12
Ben Beaconsfield
says...
8:04pm Wed 1 Aug 12
littleme77
says...
12:09am Thu 2 Aug 12
robocoupe
says...
11:37am Thu 2 Aug 12
We will have able bodied people parking in disabled bays next.
Moronic.
red devil
says...
4:38pm Thu 2 Aug 12
andywing
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8:43pm Thu 2 Aug 12
Ivorromaleyn
says...
8:55pm Thu 2 Aug 12
over there. WHAT are the council thinking of?
One concludes irresponsibility is now acceptable in local administration.
smabo
says...
10:08pm Thu 2 Aug 12
I'm pretty certain driving lessons within the cemetery aren't officially sanctioned by the Council and if it was a common occurrence we'd know about it by now - how many vehicles drive in and out of Landican every day for funerals and to visit relatives or friends' graves? Never mind cemetery staff noticing, funeral directors would have complained a long time ago.
More likely this is a really unfortunate, isolated accident, which will be put right at no cost to the Council, the Council Tax payer or the families who have been affected.
Wirralrob
says...
10:13am Fri 3 Aug 12
I know it's a big one but why is Landican any different?
louistoffee
says...
11:45am Fri 3 Aug 12
andywing wrote:this isn't about oxton, it's about landican. did you gain the ability to drive overnight or were you not a learner? of course they are taxed more, but wouldn't you rather people take time and learn than fill the roads with careless drivers?
Loads of learner driver around Oxton. Loads around here driving at 15mph. Blocking the roads doing 3 point turns in 10 minutes. I hope driving instructor cars are taxed higher than normal drivers for taking up so much road time and inconveniencing other drivers.
Johntaxi22
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1:10pm Fri 3 Aug 12
Jimrob
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8:47pm Fri 3 Aug 12
WELL RUDDY WELL MAKE ONE THEN!!!!!!
You parasites at the Clown Hall are quick enough to legislate in your own favour, time and time again, now do something for the rest of us for a change!!!!
Smabo "More likely this is a really unfortunate, isolated accident, which will be put right at no cost to the Council, the Council Tax payer or the families who have been affected."
No. But our car insurance will go up though, you can be sure of that, so in the end we WILL all be paying for this idiots reckless and inconsiderate actions.
spamfiend
says...
6:11pm Sat 4 Aug 12
We have experienced driving instructors for a reason, and whilst I do agree that it benefits learners to go out on the road with friends and family once they have a sufficient amount of time and experience behind a wheel, that certainly doesn't give anyone the right to drive around a cemetery.
There are enough places out there for learners to practice their three point turns etc., without the risk of damage to other peoples property or people as a whole.
I myself was a learner who went out with instructors and only when I had 10 or so lessons did I go out with family, but I did so at times when the roads where quiet and went to places that where not populated and had minimal traffic. I think I even used Port Sunlight village on a early Sunday morning where the roads where straight and you could see for a lng distance, and only performed manoeuvres when there was no traffic coming either way.
bickyboy
says...
6:28pm Sat 4 Aug 12
andywing wrote:What you describe comes with the territory for every person who learns to drive with a driving school. Did you learn to drive on the deck of a ship, like my Dad?
Loads of learner driver around Oxton. Loads around here driving at 15mph. Blocking the roads doing 3 point turns in 10 minutes. I hope driving instructor cars are taxed higher than normal drivers for taking up so much road time and inconveniencing other drivers.
Nobody in their right mind would take a learner driver into a cemetery. Car parks, wide promenade boulevards, even industrial estates, why not. But cemeteries? Lunacy.
barmybird
says...
8:32pm Sun 5 Aug 12
No Bye Laws????
**** WELL MAKE THEM THEN!!!!
You councillors, sat on your fat backsides in the Town Hall, counting your expenses, should be ashamed of yourselves.
That things can come to this makes mockery of the respect we have for those who serve our country and for the tax payers of this county.
Learner drivers should be banned from cemeteries and parks immediately!!!
pykey08
says...
9:36am Mon 6 Aug 12
Positive thinker
says...
10:14pm Mon 6 Aug 12
Ex-Cestrian
says...
1:11pm Wed 8 Aug 12
bigfoot says...
5:12pm Wed 1 Aug 12
A properly registered driving school and instructor would never do this.
I mam so sorry for the damage and direspect shown!