In Brief

Police have arrested a minor on suspicion of having been responsible for several recent robberies in Es Castell.The hairdressers Loher in Carrer Gran was broken into on the night of 24th January and around 75 euros was taken from the till together with various hairdressing products. The opticians in the same road was also the victim of an attempted robbery, as was the Bar Bahía in Calle San José.
In the early hours of last Tuesday the bar on Es Castell Industrial Estate was robbed of the till, containing about 50 euros.
As a result police patrols have been increased in Es Castell.

Ciutadella shops also victims of robberies

A wave of robberies has hit shops in Ciutadella's Calle Carnisseria with six outlets having been the victims of robberies or attempted robberies in the past week.The culprits are believed to be a group of thieves who "know what they're doing" as, in one break-in, the security camera was disconnected so that the robbers would not be recorded on film.Shopowners are indignant that the suspects have been identified by the police but, as the amounts stolen are only small, the culprits are released back on to the streets. There is talk of employing a private security firm to safeguard the properties.

Minor earthquake in Palma felt in Maó

A minor earthquake in the Bay of Palma at 0800 hrs. on Saturday morning was felt by some residents in Maó, two of whom called the emergency services. The quake which measured 3.2 on the Richter Scale was mainly felt in the areas of Palma, Calvìa and Llucmajor, but no material damage was caused.

Speed trap caught 14,000 drivers in 2009

Between January and August 2009, the speed traps at Es Mercadal on the main road (Me-1) caught a total of 14,411 drivers exceeding the 50 kph limit in force on the stretch of road passing the town. June was the month in which the most motorists were captured by the cameras, 4,177 in total. The statistics were similar to those for 2008, the year the radar was installed.The speed trap on the Maó-Fornells road (Me-7) "may" be fitted this year, two years after its arrival was announced.

January winners in the 200 Club draw

The winning numbers in the Anglican Church's 200 Club draw for January were as follows: the first prize of 50 euros went to number 78, the holder of which lives in the Netherlands; second prize of 25 euros to number 103 from Maó; third prize of 10 euros to 35 from Thetford; and fourth prize of 5 euros to number 51 from Son Parc.

Car Boot Sale to raise money for La Salle

A car boot sale has been organised for Sunday, 7th February, in the grounds of La Salle School, Maó, with the pitch fees going to the school funds, although stallholders will keep any profits from their sales for themselves.Pitches, at 10 euros each, should preferably be reserved in advance, online, through jules.menorca@live.com. Stallholders will be able to set up their pitches between 0830 hrs. and 0900 hrs. and the sale will be open to the public 1000 hrs. to 1300 hrs., with no entrance charge.
Should the event prove popular, the intention is to hold it on a two-monthly basis.

Cash prizes in darts competition

The winner and runner up in the Singles Darts Competition to be held on Saturday 20th February will receive cash prizes. Played as the best of three, 501, the competition will be held at El Castillo, Addaia, with an entrance fee of 5 euros per person. Registration will be at 1430 hrs. with play starting at 1500 hrs. and carrying on down to the final. Depending on the number of entrants for the competition, the final may be played on Presentation Night, 10th April.
The two regular annual darts competitions, the Captains Cup and Ladies Singles will both be played at the Casino in Sant Climent on Tuesday 23rd and Tuesday 30th March respectively, with registration at 2030 hrs.
This year the Darts Presentation and Dinner will take place on Saturday 10th April in the Hotel San Luis, S'Algar.