Drivers in the Isles of Scilly face putting their vehicles through an MoT after local police called for tougher testing.

Twice-yearly checks are carried out by vehicle examiners and police, but MoT testing has never been in place for the Islands? 800 cars, lorries and buses.

And many unroadworthy vehicles escape scrutiny because drivers put their vehicles out of sight, said Islands? Pc Steve Gardner.

“The jungle drums start and a lot of unroadworthy vehicles are taken off the road and hidden away,” PC Gardner told bbc.co.uk.

He said six of the last batch of 20 vehicles tested failed the safety scrutiny and although dangerous vehicles were taken off the road immediately, new cars are appearing on the Islands.

?Informal discussions are now under way about the options for improving the standards of vehicles, said PC Gardner. “We would welcome an MoT, or some kind of compulsory test for island vehicles.”

Gillian Pender, wife of St Mary’s window-cleaner David, was given a two-year community service order on Wednesday after hitting him over the head with a glass-topped coffee table - but says she will not be returning to the Islands.

Pender was sentenced at Truro Crown Court for assaulting David and niece Ann Marie Bolitho, who suffered a broken nose, after a drinking session on April 24, according to The Cornishman newspaper.

Her Counsel, Timothy Hills, told the court that she had decided to rent a flat in Penzance and would receive treatment to deal with alcohol and anger management issues.

“She realises there is a problem as far as drink is concerned. There are likely to be further problems if she stays on the Islands,” he said.

St Mary’s Theatre Club is gearing up for its annual panto this week with auditions being held for ‘Charlie the Chimney Sweep.’

And if you missed Tuesday’s auditions, there’ll be another chance to camp it up tonight with a second set of try-outs at the Masonic Hall.

This year’s production, by veteran writer and producer Maggie Perkovic, has roles for the usual assortment of Panto ne’er-do-wells, including Dame Dolly Doughnut, comic duo Hit and Run, and posh Lady Hannah and her daughter Lavinia, as well as the central character of Charlie and a pair of dastardly villains. There are also various roles for children.

“The panto is set in Victorian London, just after the war,” explained Maggie when Scilly News caught up with her earlier this week.

“A family has fallen on hard times. The father is away at war and saved an officer’s life. Charlie is forced to be the man of the house and go out to work as a chimney sweep. Without giving away the plot, there’s a happy ending - but also a surprising twist!”

In fact, this year’s production was in danger of falling at the first hurdle when many of the usual stalwarts were ill, on holiday or otherwise unavailable - but Maggie is hopeful a new crop of talent will save the day.

“We’re hoping to get a lot of new faces - and younger faces,” she said. “And of course we also need backstage helpers, painters etc, as many as we can get.”

For Maggie and other Theatre Club members, it’s all good fun. “It’s a laugh to do and it brightens up the winter,” said Maggie. “The Off-Islanders particularly enjoy coming over and watching us in January. And it’s a good opportunity to find new faces for the Summer production.”

She added that Theatre Club has two nominations for the Cornwall Drama Association Awards, one for the Summer play and one for best actor, also in the Summer play. The ceremony will be held in Perrenporth on November 5th and Maggie will be on hand to represent the Islands and receive any awards given. “I’ll be so chuffed as there was such a good cast in the play this year!”

Drama is thriving on the Islands at the moment with another joint Scilly - Hall for Cornwall production scheduled for late November, following the hugely successful ‘The Alice Analysis.’

Firefighters were called on Tuesday when a faulty washing machine sparked a blaze in a garden shed.

Smoke could be seen up and down Hugh Street when the concrete outhouse, just inches from the back door of a home in the Sallyport area of St Mary’s, caught fire as tenant Rachel Gaulton was decorating upstairs.

Rachel said she discovered the fire, understood to have been caused by a washing machine housed inside the shed, when she heard a ‘bang’ at around 11.45am and thought it was someone knocking at the door.

Heading outside to investigate, she saw smoke billowing out of the shed - and realised the ‘bang’ had been its asbestos roof tiles popping and shooting into the air.

Rachel, who lives in the council-owned property with son Conor, 13, and Caylem, 8, was forced to move to a safer spot down the road as tiles soared upwards, some even clearing the roof of the house and landing in the front garden.

Five of the Islands’ retained firefighters, called by concerned neighbours whilst Rachel was still in the house, quickly doused the blaze. Tarpaulin was then placed around the shed roof to prevent asbestos dust floating into the air.

Asbestos, though considered fire-proof, can explode under intense heat, releasing fibres into the air which can cause lung damage if inhaled.

The fire crew returned three hours later on instruction from the Council to further board up the shed, the contents of which also included a dryer, lifejackets, dinghys and other beach equipment, and garden implements.

“We’ll have to wash some bedding and curtains in the house, though fortunately all the windows were closed,” said Rachel, who runs the Kavorna cafe/restaurant with partner Richard Smith.

“I just feel very lucky. If the washing machine had been inside the house, there could have been a major fire. We’ve lost the washer and dryer, but it could have been a very different story.”

An ITV News crew were spotted filming outside St Mary’s police station on Monday.

They visited the Islands to film a segment “to do with the road traffic issue on the island,” said PC Steve Gardner, who was interviewed as part of the feature.

The story will appear on Wednesday’s ITV News.

Popular Duty Managers Nick Ball and Andy Duggan have left the Atlantic Inn on St Mary’s.

The pair, both 27, have lived on Scilly since February. They are leaving the Islands to ‘pursue interests on the mainland,’ according to a statement released to Scilly News by Atlantic management.

‘The boys have resigned their post to pursue interests on the mainland in order to help them realise their long term ambition of opening a bar of their own on the holiday island of Gran Canaria,’ the statement read. ‘We would like to wish Andy and Nick good luck and every success with their future aspirations.’

Organisers of Scilly’s first Community Sports Day have said they were “overwhelmed” by the turnout on Sunday.

The event, held at Carn Gwaval playing fields, “exceeded all expectations,” Council Early Years Officer Joel Williams told Scilly News.

More than 70 people took part in the 10km run around St Mary’s in soaring temperatures, whilst 65 children competed in the morning’s junior road runs.

“It went very well,” said Williams. “The day met all its aims and objectives and everyone seemed to get a great deal out of it. The children’s events were very successful.”

The overall winner of the 10km run was Richard Wilcox (37.54), second was Duncan Graham (39.13) and third, Craig Dryden (40.19). The first woman to finish was Helen Pearce (42.24).

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The first three through the tape in the junior 1km race were Jordan Penhaligon, Daniel Evans and Megan Douglas, whilst Jonathan Bird, Joanne Hulands and Lee Humphreys lead the pack in the secondary school’s 3km run.

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“The organisers would like to thank everyone who marshalled and helped make the day such a success,” added Williams. “We just hope it wont be a one-off and that people will carry on what they’ve started and keep on running!”

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It seems you can’t move on Scilly these days without bumping into a huddled mass of green and khaki or tripping over a tripod; the streets are a cacophony of bleeps and ringtones and the pubs are full of talk about red eyes, long ears and yellow breasts.

There is of course a reason for this madness - October is here and Scilly’s birding season is upon us.

Birdlog kicked off this week at the Scillonian Club, an annual event which has existed on the Islands for over thirty years. The log, which lasts for up to an hour every night for most of October, features slideshows and sales of photographs and magazines, as well as the log of recent sightings.

Early highlights include a Blackpoll Warbler and Red-Eyed Vireo, both robin-sized birds from Canada.

Over 550 visitors, many of them birdwatchers, entered St Mary’s today, with more expected in the next two weeks.

For up-to-date news and photographs of the Scilly birding scene, check out the Isles of Scilly Bird Group website at www.scillybirding.co.uk

There is to be a new cafe/restaurant at Porthmellon Beach.

The project, to be housed in a former boatshed, was granted planning permission on the condition that it will also feature a public toilet - a first for the area.

Chief Planning Officer Craig Dryden said the toilet agreement would “negate the need to provide new public toilets, thereby minimising the impact of essential infrastructure including water and sewage.”

Islanders will be taking to the streets on Sunday for a run around St Mary’s.

And if you found the Tresco Marathon slightly daunting at 26 miles, Sunday’s run is a much more manageable six.

“The run was set up as a medium between nothing and the Tresco Marathon,” explains Council Early Years Officer Joel Williams, who organised the event. “It wasn’t set up as a race; it’s a chance for people to meet their own personal challenge. Some people will be running, some will be jogging, some will be walking.”

The event is part of a Council-organised Community Sports Day, the first of its kind on the Islands. It takes place at Carn Gwaval playing fields from 10am and will feature a bouncy castle, table top sale and refreshments, as well as various sporting activities.

“The aim of the day is to give children, young people and adults the opportunity to have a go at sports,” Williams told Scilly News. “There are two junior road runs in the morning, as well as football, netball and athletics.”

The 10km challenge sets off at 1.45pm. “Hopefully it will give people a chance to train for and be involved in something fun and social, which could be a stepping stone for greater things,” says Williams.

“People may realise they can run six miles and then feel comfortable trying 26,” adds Early Years Admin Assistant Helen McGuinness, who will be among those taking part in Sunday’s run.

“Who knows, we may have some future Olympians on our hands!”