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Bideford Magistrates Warning

25.8.1918 Westward Ho Wise

At Bideford County Sessions on Tuesday, before Mr C S Carnegie, Col Bennett and Messrs J C T Heriz-Smith, A G Duncan, J Cock, W Harris and S Fulford, Olive Wise, daughter of a lodging-house keeper, of Kingsley Terrace, Westward Ho! was summoned for not obscuring a light visible from the sea on 2nd May. PC Ley spoke to seeing a very bright light coming from a window at 9.50pm. Defendant admitted having forgotten to draw the blind, and when he said he said he should report it she said there were things he ought to report but didn’t.
Her mother said if they were summoned they could afford to pay the fine, and shut the door in his face. The Chairman called defendant’s attention to the fact that considering the position of the coast it was a very serious offence.
The fine could be £100 but under the circumstances the Magistrates ordered the payment of one guinea.
Gazette article dated 25 August 1918

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