MR PENDLE: Crack down on greasy spoon cafes

According to the council’s figures, around 60% of the 358 food outlets in the borough are classed as good or very good.

Now Mr Pendle works that out as meaning 215 food outlets fall into those two categories.

What is more worrying is that there are 143 outlets which do not even reach the good standard.

And this is something which sets Mr Pendle wondering - if these 143 outlets are not reaching the good grade now, how long have they been serving sub-standard food, and just how poor are they?

What effects has this had on people’s health?

And what powers does the council have to close them down if they fail to make the necessary improvements to come up to the mark?

It is all very well singing the praises of those outlets who realise good or very good quality food is what the vast majority of the public want.

But it is equally important the low-level greasy spoon cafe level outlets are visited regularly and action taken to ensure they meet the standards we expect.

A LETTER from North West MEP Paul Nuttall on a topic which briefly hit the headlines and which we published two weeks ago certainly struck a chord with Mr Pendle.

This related to the advice handed down to over 65s on their alcohol intake, which doctors said should be limited to half a pint a day.

Mr Nuttall slams what he describes as the all-pervasive nanny state for seeking to interfere in the lives of our senior citizens and says they should be left alone to enjoy themselves while they still can - and Mr Pendle agrees wholeheartedly.

He knows a good number of over 65s whose alcoholic intake of an evening far exceeds the recommended levels and who are in perfect health.

They enjoy going out, meeting their friends, having a few pints of bitter and going home at the end of the evening having had a sociable few hours.

But if the nanny state had its way, even this simple pleasure would be denied them in this supposedly free country, with restrictions being placed on pubs and clubs whereby any licensee or steward serving a senior citizen with a second half pint in an evening would run the risk of having his or her establishment closed down and them being carted off to the Tower of London.

As Mr Nuttall says, enough of our freedoms are being eroded as it is - at least let our over 65s enjoy this remaining one as long as they can.