Justice for Darrell Pierre - CAMPAIGN FOR A PARDON FROM BLACKPOOL COUNCIL

1.53.00pm GMT Sun 13th Dec 2009

Darrell Pierre

CAMPAIGN FOR A POSTHUMOUS PARDON FOR DARRELL PIERRE FROM BLACKPOOL COUNCIL, OWNER OF BLACKPOOL TRAMWAY.

TRAM ACCIDENT HEAD-ON COLLISION BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH 22nd JULY 1980

South Bound Driver Mr. Darrell Pierre.

Diagram of Tram Terminus

My late Father, Mr. Darrell Pierre former Blackpool Corporation Tram driver was involved in the above controversial and now historic tram crash. The points were left incorrectly set for the Pleasure Beach outer loop. The correct mainline setting should have been in the direction of Starr Gate. My Father's tram 705 was the southbound scheduled service tram for the destination of Starr Gate. As a result, two double-decker 'balloon' trams collided. Tramcar 705 crossed the points and within seconds they met un-expectedly in a head-on collision with sister tramcar 706 travelling in the northbound direction.

At the time my Father had worked as a reliable employee at Blackpool Corporation Transport for thirteen years. He had many years of unblemished, safe tram driving experience and was generally regarded by staff members as a smartly dressed, inoffensive and respectable West Indian gentlemen. He enjoyed the camaraderie of transport employment and his jovial personality was popular to both full time staff and the seasonal academic students. His knowledge of cricket and football was legendary and his understanding of politics was impressive. He gained an A' level in British Constitutional affairs and was a very intelligent, interesting man. My Father was a fit and healthy man with bouts of energy! As a family we did not have a great deal of money and we lived in a terraced house, but together we were content and happy. On the 22nd July 1980 Darrell reported to work and was driving a crew operated scheduled service tram working overtime on his day off. His life was never to be the same…

The BCT management team which then included Mr. Tony Depledge, (Traffic Manager) Mr. David Eaves (Operations Manager) and Mr. Derek Hyde (General Manager 1974-1986) wrongly apportioned Darrell 100% disciplinary blame for the whole accident. My Father was quite frankly made the victim of a scape goat situation. Why?

Prior to this accident Darrell was keen to work many hours overtime and was a well known member of staff on both shifts. I remember in those days as a child, inspectors regularly calling to our family home in green Ford vans (as we did not have a telephone) requesting if he would come in earlier to work, to do overtime or even to work on his day off. Darrell willingly co-operated to these often un-expected home visits and he appreciated the extra hours. With his loyalty and good attendance record, management officials including the Depot Inspectors knew perfectly well when necessary they could rely on Darrell in the event of a staff absence. Driving One Man Operated trams fulltime during the height of the busy 1970's/1980's summer seasons was a far cry from what it is today. This task was certainly no job for the faint hearted! Nor then were these duties suitable for the occasional overtime crew tram/bus driver. Much to the preference of Management and Union agreements these specific duties were only carried out by regular appointed OMO trained tram drivers. Darrell voluntarily became an OMO driver shortly after their introduction in the early 1970's. With a growing family to support and the uncertainty of future crew bus operations and the restricted winter tram service duties my Father appreciated the 20% pay incentive and job security of working OMO tram driving. Many of the older crew tram drivers were not used to collecting fares and found the recent introduction of decimalisation and the combination of working OMO quite a difficult task. In the early days of OMO trams and buses some drivers were vehemently against their introduction. My Father's work ethic was positive and his mental arithmetic was excellent and he was able to multi-task, quickly calculate fares and issue the correct change on- the- spot.

The term One Man Operation (OMO) was commonly used by transport staff in the 1970's/80's. With political correctness the term was changed to One Person Operation (OPO) in the 1990's and has remain ever since.

Following the accident in 1980 my Father had a family of six young children to support and was in a financially disadvantaged position to resign from BCT. Following a period of recuperation (due to his injuries) he endeavored to return to work. My Father was told by the management team as a disciplinary procedure, he would be suspended from driving trams for a period of six months. Indeed, he was also given the impression he was very 'lucky' to still have a job! The only 'lucky' factor was that he was still alive. Looking back at the photographs enclosed it is somewhat miraculous that my Father survived this accident. Fortunately, an almost full load of passengers had just alighted my Father's tram at the Pleasure Beach stop shortly before approaching the outer loop set of points. (Accident's location)

My Father's injuries were reported and originally perceived at the hospital as only minor. This was incorrect. Victoria Hospital Accident Department 22nd July 1980: "Multiple small lacerations to the head and face and an injury to his right knee. There was an abrasion on his right lower leg and lacerations were sutured under local anesthetic". My Father could hardly walk and his clothes were covered in blood yet no x- rays were taken that evening. Neither was he kept in Hospital overnight for observation. He was taken home in a Police car. It was Darrell's family GP Dr. Wrigglesworth a day later who arranged for x-rays to be taken at the Hospital which showed a fracture in the posterior aspect of the tibial tuberosity. There was swelling of the right knee and ankle and my Father was walking with the aid from traditional style wooden crutches and later with a walking stick. He had pain over the right elbow joint and right index finger and there was tenderness over the right rib cage. Dr. Bailey Blackpool Health Centre 19th November 1980: "I subsequently reviewed Mr. Pierre on 19th November, 1980. Mr. Pierre told me he was still attending hospital twice weekly for physiotherapy to his right knee and ankle and was due for review by Dr Dennis on the 12th December 1980. He complained of the pain behind his right knee and walking and standing". Clinically there appeared to be fluid on the right knee and the range of movements appeared less restricted. The right knee ankle was swollen. He still had a marked limp and was using a walking stick." The northbound driver Mr. John Fay (0329) was fortunate and did not receive any physical or visual injuries.

With my Father being an educated man, as an alternative to tram driving, my Mother made enquiries directly to Mr. Tony Depledge regarding Darrell returning to work within the several offices based at the Rigby Road Depot in an administrative capacity. I'm aware that in particular circumstances this option was offered to a number of platform staff where they chose or were forced to relinquish their driving jobs. His request for office employment was overlooked and he was forced to return to strenuous duties as a bus conductor with an injured leg which had sustained a fracture in the accident seven months prior. The 100% blame disciplinary decision was made by Mr. Tony Depledge on 17th February 1981, which determined to "relegate" Darrell to conducting duties for a period of six months. Department Memo Derek Hyde: "The Traffic Manager had considered carefully the reports about this accident, and it is his opinion that the accident was the result of your failure to observe the points at the Pleasure Beach were incorrectly set" He appealed against this decision following a further management meeting which took place with Mr. Derek Hyde, Mr. Tony Depledge and Mr. David Eaves on 27th February 1981. His appeal was denied. (See later appeal refusal Derek Hyde 5th March 1981.)

His fractured shin and his knee and elbow injuries had not fully recovered satisfactorily yet he endeavored to return to work. His appeal against Mr. Tony Depledge's decision to return him to conducting duties with the obvious physical difficulties of climbing stairs and standing was denied twice. Mr. Depledge's then superior, Mr. Derek Hyde (General Manager) had the final say and the perfect opportunity to reverse this decision, but he did not. This was not a rushed mistaken decision as there was ample time to reconsider. Derek Hyde 5th March 1981: "Your appeal was heard in my office on Friday 27th February 1981 in the presence of your Solicitor Mr. Buckley I considered all the points made on your behalf by Mr. Buckley and yourself, but could not find no justification to vary the Traffic Manager's decision." This kind of non-negotiable, inconsiderate and close ranked management behavior was a disgrace. This example definitely remains a serious injustice of Blackpool Transport's 125 year history. The Judge considered this disciplinary action as unfeasible and unjustified. I must also stress that my Father's solicitor Mr. Michael Buckley was born from a highly acclaimed family of legal professionals. Mr. Michael Buckley is now himself a full time professional District Judge.

The fracture in my Father's shin and knee pain were aggravated by standing and climbing stairs for the required 8-hour day. He should have rightly been allowed to return to work on an alternative 'light duties' basis. This was not offered to him. If he had been allowed to return to his winter OMO tram driving duties, this would have given him some opportunity to earn better wages than the lower paid bus conducting. Also and most importantly it would have at least enabled him to be seated in his job, which would have aided a speedier and possible full recovery of his injuries. The tiresome duties of bus conducting in his physically painful condition had the complete reverse effect to his much needed progressive rehabilitation. Dr.B Bailey, Blackpool Health Centre 19th January 1981: "Clinically there appeared to be fluid on the right knee and the range of movements appeared less restricted. I saw Mr. Pierre again on the 19th January 1981 when his right ankle was still swelling and he had pain from the knee to the ankle. He was still using a walking tick and said that walking exacerbated his pain. His knee had locked on one occasion. Clinically, he had swelling at the right ankle and lower leg. There was no evidence of a deep vein thrombosis and I suspected the swelling had followed the injury to the leg. There was pain in his right forearm and his finger grasp was poor on the right. My Conclusions were that there had been slow improvement and I would have to await the accident surgeon's clearance regarding Mr. Pierre's work capabilities"

Looking back, I can personally recall on the way to school seeing my Father struggling to collect fares and climbing in discomfort the steep spiral staircases on the old crew operated, rear loading, double-decker Leyland Buses. Then, bus passenger numbers in Blackpool and The Fylde coast were far greater than they are today. Conductors had the un-enviable task of operating a heavy mechanical Almex ticket machine and carrying a leather cash bag full of change. In 1981 there were no travel passes or 'Oyster' type cards available. Then, all journeys consisted of cash fares only. Furthermore, the bus conductor on old style Leyland buses (similar to the iconic London Route- Master design) had the responsibility of operating the bells and the difficult supervision of the dangerous open rear platform. The busy crew operated bus routes then were 5, 11C, 14 and 22. These routes were used intensively by school children and also served the busy town centre. This job was never perceived as 'light duties' for Darrell considering his recently sustained injuries. The pain from his knee to the hip and groin on the right side had become progressively worse due to the conducting duties so that ultimately in July 1981 his family doctor signed him off work. My Father was seen by Dr. Lammont, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon on behalf of BCT and had further x-rays taken at St Anne's Hospital that confirmed his condition and suffering. He also suffered a severe deep vein thrombosis in his right foot and was hospitalised four times with the same thrombosis problem. He was regularly treated by his family doctor with this condition and endured years of continuous swelling in his right foot until he sadly passed away of a heart attack on 11th July 2009. My Father did not smoke, drink alcohol or engage in any kind of recreational drug use. Offering my Father a temporary rehabilitation 'light duties' job in the cash office, ticket machine or administration offices was clearly against the morals of the management team and not considered an appropriate disciplinary punishment.

Photo 16

With the dear support of my late Mother, Kathleen my parents both managed to survive this very difficult period (1980 -1982). Financially they were hard times for us all. Due to my Father's condition he was no longer able to do the many additional hours overtime for which he was previously renowned for doing. Prior to the accident in 1980 (long before the restricted hours regulations) a particular day could include, early morning bus duties commonly known as 'factories', 'school buses', late morning crew tram 'specials' and his evening OMO tram duties. Together my parents sought independent legal advice, from which there was clear evidence to suggest BCT Management had acted inappropriately regarding the unfair disciplinary. As a result whilst still an employee in 1982 my Father plucked the admirable courage to stand up and take BCT to the Crown Court. The highly respected Judge Mr. Keith Dewhurst at Preston Crown Court was unimpressed with BCT's 100% blame approach to the southbound driver in this accident. The Judge made a number of safety recommendations and ruled BCT negligent with 80% blame. On this basis my Father was apportioned 20% responsibility for failing to notice the points were incorrectly set but was also awarded a £2,000 compensation pay-out for his injuries.

Photo 16a

Bearing in mind, in 1980, there was no mechanical or illuminated points signaling system in use throughout any section of the Blackpool tramway as an operational aid for its drivers. Illuminated points signals are now in place( see photo 16.) Neither was there any other kind of warning or protection system in place. The manually operated points were difficult for the driver to determine due to their location on the Fylde coastline- filling up with a collection of rain water and sea/sand blown across onto the tram tracks from the promenade and seafront. This problem also caused a number of un-expected tram derailments. (see photo 16.a) The windscreens had very poor visibility in sunlight, with the build up of sand and salt residue. The washer/ wipers fitted on these trams were inadequate and of a basic 1930's design. In recent years the resort has seen large areas of the Promenade transformed with over £68m spent on state of the art sea wall defenses. Also today for improved safety the points mechanism has a painted white edge on the running blade to help drivers determine their correct setting.

The Judge pointed out: whilst the Blackpool tramway in the 1980's was still operating in its archaic Victorian form, he recommended the return of points operators which would provide supervision. BCT had finally withdrawn the use of 'points boys' by the early 1970's. At no stage after 1982 were points operators ever re-instructed. Instead a strict management decision was made for all portable points bars to be removed from the hanging positions situated to the left hand side of the tram tracks. As an alternative, they were stored on supported brackets inside the tramcars themselves. BCT Chief Engineer Mr. Stuart Pillar in Court discounted this idea and claimed it was not advisable to carry loose equipment on trams. He was proved very wrong.

None of the management team attended the Crown Court. Why? The North bound driver involved John Fay (0329) did not attend the court hearing. Neither did the duty inspector (Bill Beardall) who was present at the crash scene. Why? It appears he knew too much information and was not given the opportunity to speak out. 'Big' Bill Beardall was also regarded by a number of crews as a very fair man with over 25 years experience. Mr. Beardall completed a two page written report which included the names and details of the tram crews present. A further three BCT inspectors attended the crash scene that evening: Mr. Harold Kin-Raid (better known as 'kipper') Mr. Dennis Pulford, and Mr. Len Wright (Chief Inspector). None of the inspectors, members of the tram crews or engineers who were present at the Pleasure Beach terminus at the time of the crash attended court or gave evidence. Why? I loosely assume the absences of Mr. Tony Depledge, Mr. David Eaves and Mr. Derek Hyde was due to wise advice given by their legal team. Evening Gazette Headline 9th October 1982: "Council is blamed for head-on tram crash." It is noted that during their long period at Blackpool Transport the management team and in particular Mr. Tony Depledge made a large number of television appearances and attention from the local media. My limited research shows them all to be on positive occasions. (See photo 20). Far right.

How and why the points were left open? The overall management's poor explanation and theory (prior to the Court hearing) concluded that: perhaps a member of the public passing by (in broad daylight and in the view of transport staff) could have deliberately interfered with the set of points! This assumption was generally considered as highly unlikely amongst staff and obviously a smoke-screen. Evening Gazette October 9th, 1982 'Tram Inspector Mr. Arthur Topham answering for Mr. Cecil Henriques for the Corporation said he had never heard of any incidents where vandals had altered the points with the rods hanging at the side of the tracks, but there had been instances of these bars being thrown over the sea wall'. The late Mr. Arthur Topham was an amiable, respected man and BTS has even named one of their new buses in the memory of his good name. If the points had been altered by vandals, surely this would have then become a serious criminal investigation, with media and Police reports. This did not happen.

It was obvious the BCT management had to provide an explanation about this collision to the Town Hall bosses that did not discredit themselves. The Judge is quoted as saying it was "an overwhelming likelihood" a young trainee conductor had mistakenly left the points open. The driver was a young female, Jean Cox in her first crew tram-driving season and therefore with little driving experience. In Court BCT claimed both these members of staff in question "could not be tracked down". This was a blatant untruth as Jean Cox is still employed today by BTS almost 30 years later! She has enjoyed continuous employment with seniority and has progressed to become the Customer Services Team Officer. By her own admission she mentioned to me personally whilst offering her condolences on Thursday 16th July 2009 that despite everything, my Father always acknowledged her respectfully. During this telephone conversation I politely asked her why she then chose not to co-operate (or even respond) to my Father's Solicitor Mr. Michael Buckley after the accident in 1980. I asked her if she could kindly name the student conductor who she was working with on the day of the accident. It was at this stage she politely and professionally advised me she was "terminating the conversation". It is generally understood that a number of Council officials and Depot officials had young relatives at University who joined the Blackpool Tramway during the summer months in temporary employment as student tram conductors. There is clearly a reason as to why the student conductor's identity was mysteriously kept top secret and quiet amongst the usual 'canteen' and Town Hall gossip.

Evening Gazette July 23rd 1980 "We have launched a full investigation into this accident, and although this is by no means complete, preliminary findings indicate that points on the track were incorrectly set" said Traffic Manager Mr. Anthony Depledge this morning. "We will be talking to both drivers, and also the drivers of the vehicles that used that section of track immediately before. Accidents don't just happen - they have causes, and we have to find out exactly why this collision happened" he added. The inquiry into the accident - which happened on a stretch covered by a 4mph speed limit - should be complete by the end of the week. "Any kind of tram accident in Blackpool is extremely rare. Occasionally one runs into the back of another, but we have no record of a head - on collision before" added Mr. Depledge.

At the time of the accident the last tram to have travelled through this set of points only a matter of minutes before and remained parked on the outer loop. In tramway or railway systems, a good analogy for the concept of an outer loop is a lay-by found on a dual-carriage way (please see Pleasure Beach terminus diagram). In the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's to avoid tramway traffic congestion the Pleasure Beach outer parking loop was a diversion lay-by predominately used as a parking area for the unscheduled tramcars referred to as 'specials'. At this location, crews would take their designated breaks for approximately 35-40 minutes. When the crash occurred there was no question about the obvious identity of the last tram parked on the outer loop, and of the driver and conductor involved. Gathering this information at the crash scene should have been a very straight forward task and should not have been omitted from the 'investigation'. The conductor's identity remains a mystery to this very day…

Unlike buses, trams are restricted by their inability to overtake one another. The inner and outer loops were then totally unconnected so there was no possible chance of mistaken identity. Furthermore, trams could not move from this location without strict authority and then receiving onward destination instructions from the Inspector/ time keeper. This vicinity during the summer months served as a busy terminus and housed a fulltime supervising Inspector/time keeper. There was also a crew tea room where a number of staff (in good weather) gathered outside smoking etc. The evening of Tuesday 22nd July 1980 (19.35hrs) was a warm and sunny one. The Inspector on duty was Mr. Bill Beardall, staff number 8888. He stated in 2009 " I will never forget that evening I was on the phone to the Time Keeper at Bispham, I heard this almighty bang and ran across. I could see that your dad was trapped. At first I honestly thought he was dead" He went on to say "I filled in a full report about what happened and the last person who had changed the points was the top deck guard on the double deck tram parked up on the loop." I asked Mr. Beardall about the Police investigation and whether any finger prints were taken from the points bar that was last used to alter the tracks? He added "I don't remember the Police doing any finger printing but there were a lot of Police Cars, about five Ambulances and the Fire Brigade there. Your dad was remembered as a very nice man and I don't know why he was blamed for this crash". He concluded " shortly after your dad's crash I was transferred from the Pleasure Beach to the Bispham top terminus as the regular time keeper. I was never asked to go to any court case and I never heard much more about it until we all read about it in the newspaper"

Who was responsible for opening and closing the points? Drivers were not responsible for operating the points (unless working on a One Man Operated tram). On crew operated trams it was always the duty of the conductor to open and close the points (please see later quote from tramway rule-book notice 7239). On the day of the accident, the conductor of the crew tram in front of Darrell's, who had mistakenly left the points open was never officially named, brought into the enquiry, or apportioned any blame whatsoever and therefore received no disciplinary. Why?

The scheduled trams (which ran to a timetable) did not terminate at the Pleasure Beach. In the summer of 1980 they operated on a five minute frequency with a large number of additional 'specials' running in between augmenting the regular service. As the scheduled trams continued through to the Starr Gate terminus they did not require the points to be left open at the Pleasure Beach. On particular occasions when a scheduled tram was running excessively late, permission was granted by the Time Keeper to terminate at the Pleasure Beach Loop in an attempt to regulate the timetable. This was not the case for my Father's tram; his was scheduled to continue past the Pleasure Beach for a further 1.5 miles to Starr Gate. The second sets of points (accident location) were only ever temporarily opened for the sole purpose of trams diverting on to the outer loop. The first set of points diverted trams on to the inner loop. Once the diverting, parking or terminating trams had crossed over the points and joined either loops applicable, it was compulsory for the points to be closed immediately by whomever had opened them returning the tracks to the direction of the main running line towards Starr Gate in readiness for the scheduled service trams following.

On the 22nd July 1980 (prior to the accident) there was no engineering works or un-expected incidents advising drivers or conductors of track diversions or reasons for those particular points to be left open. On such occasions the points would have been supervised by an inspector or senior official who would have handed the driver a baton which acted as authority and clearance to enter the opposite tracks.

Taken from the Blackpool Tramway rule book: STAFF NOTICE 7239 ALL TRAM CREWS HIGH IMPORTANCE. 'Please note that the correct and efficient operation of all tramway points is a basic safety requirement due to recent incidents all conductors operating a set of points must ensure the points have changed correctly this is a conductor responsibility. Conductors must stay in the immediate vicinity and close the points as soon as possible. Conductors must then confirm to the tram driver that the points have been correctly re-set to the main running line. All drivers are required to visually check with their conductor that when points are manually operated they have been correctly re-set after the tram has crossed them. Proven failure to adhere to this vital health and safety instruction will lead to disciplinary action. Please remember that the safe operation is for the benefit of all of us'

Since 1980 and to this very day, every year, seasonal tram conductors are shown a series of photographs of this accident displayed in the training room emphasising the dangers of points at crossovers being left incorrectly set. The fundamental point made by the Judge was blatantly clear: If Mr. Pierre's (the southbound tram) destination was for Starr Gate, the points should not have been set for the tram to veer off in the wrong direction.

The manually operated points required a level of force to open or close properly on the old style tracks (bull head rail along with check rail and paved in between). Doing so made a distinctive 'clanging' noise and this loud resonant, metallic sound travelled a fair distance. The points could only be changed by the use of the situated points bar and the knowledge of how to do so was with authorised, trained transport staff. To avoid doubt, the heavily placed finger prints on the handle of the weighted iron points bar should have clearly exposed the identity of the last person who operated the set of points in question. This and other crucial information was never independently investigated and therefore never publically disclosed. Why? This added to an air of unrest amongst a number of staff (including inspectors) who actually knew the blatant truth: The student trainee conductor allowed his tram to cross over the open points, left the immediate vicinity and simply forgot to close them back in the direction of the main running line. My experience and calculated guess suggests this conductor's mind was preoccupied with the eager anticipation of taking his break (parked on the outer loop).

As my Father was injured and taken from the crash scene to Hospital by ambulance, this placed him in a huge disadvantaged position to gather his own crucial evidence. This ultimately gave staff that chose to withhold first hand information and collaborate, the perfect opportunity to do so. Darrell was absent from work and recovering for the next seven months. I am told for several weeks after the accident that on most Thursday evenings discussions took place regarding this crash amongst a number of staff in the renowned 'Charlies Bar' situated on the corner of Rigby Road/Tyldsley Road within close proximity of the Depot. I'm sure some who worked for Blackpool Transport at the time will recall the many conflicting and speculative 'canteen rumours' surrounding this case. The infamous which conductor left the points open, and why on earth was he allowed to get away with it? A thorough and proper independent railway and Police enquiry should have been undertaken and all information including witness statements and staff duty records revealed without prejudice. This never happened. Why?

Photo 1 Darrells' Tram

The honorable young Police Constable who attended the accident was supportive towards my Father and remained with him at the Hospital. My Father gave him a statement in the presence of the retired BCT inspector Mr. Dennis Pulford. Sadly, according to reports and what my Father remembered I believe this young Police Officer was tragically killed on duty only a few weeks later. Most retired employees have agreed that Dennis was considered the black sheep of the Inspector 'family'. Many retired staff also doubt whether his no nonsense, straight talking, colourful manner would have benefitted the BCT management at my Father's High Court Hearing. Dennis was ex-army trained and also regarded as the 'bouncer' and was often called upon when passengers were behaving badly. He stated recently "I would often pull your dads leg and tell him to get a bloody move on and your dad would jokingly reply yes Major you're the boss" He added "your dad was one of the few that was allowed to remain driving as you were taught to do , but it was impossible to keep time that way working OMO, He added "I remember calling to your house a few times to see how your dad was doing after the crash" He concluded "I was unaware of what was going on upstairs and didn't even know about any legal case your dad was doing" "Upstairs" was the term used referring to the management officials

The conductor, who my Father was led to believe had left the points incorrectly set lived in the North Shore area of Blackpool and was often seen jogging around Gynn Square. This conductor was a tall, athletic man whose presence my Father found intimidating. After the court case a few members of staff would often point out this particular conductor to Darrell in a way which accentuated this anxiety. Prior to the court case my Father's solicitor Michael Buckley tried several times to seek information from the young female driver/conductor, Jean Cox. For her own reasons she chose not to co-operate. As Darrell was taking legal proceedings against BCT, Jean Cox was under no obligation to give any evidence. With consideration I accept at the time Jean Cox was around 21 years of age, a junior female member of staff in a predominantly male authoritative environment. It is fair to assume that she was perhaps placed in a difficult and compromising position. I have expressed my view of empathy towards her and with the passage of time I harbour no personal sustained ill feeling or any misgivings against her person. Her husband Mr John Cox was also a very good bus and tram driver who remained an employee until recent years. In the summer of 1985 as a teenager I held a few brief conversations with Jean Cox about this accident and she told me she was at crash scene at the time of the head-on collision. Given the severity of the collision (driver and passengers injured) and the first head-on of its kind in Blackpool Tramway's history, a public inquiry should have taken place. This did not happen. Why? In such a public investigation members of staff would not have had the option to withhold any information. This accident was featured in a book produced by an academic student in 1985 a chapter entitled "The 706 Story". This publication wrongly stated that a Public Inquiry had been undertaken.

Photo 10

The fortunate male conductor remained in his job unscathed and some might suggest protected from any involvement in this investigation. At the time a number of experienced, full time tram drivers and other members of staff were secretly shocked at this decision. Many were reluctant to voice their opinions too loudly or later to appear as witnesses in Court for the fear and risk of jeopardising the future of their jobs. However an experienced, long standing female tram driver of good character (Doris Cobley) bravely attended the Crown Court in support of Darrell and told the truth. Sometime afterwards this courageous driver was dismissed from her job and there was a presumption Doris had been set up. Giving evidence to the Crown Court without the support of an official union body was strongly considered to be against worker's 'protocol'. Before and after the Court case, my Father was anxious to avoid engaging in conversations and heated arguments with platform staff, union officials or any members of the management team. Darrell also harboured a reluctance to instruct union intervention. He was opposed to creating any kind of militant strike action. Instead admirably he undertook his daily work duties quietly and chose a legitimate, independent legal route to prove his injustice.

10a

Due to the severity of the crash, there were a number of technical factors involving both trams (and the set of points) which were not investigated in thorough detail. This accident was a serious collision with a reported six people injured. Crash Investigation experts should have been instructed to gather as much detailed information as possible. They were not. Darrell did not take advantage of these investigative failings, much to the surprise of some staunch union officials. Instead, he simply told the truth and was wrongly apportioned 100% disciplinary blame. In recent years several drivers and inspectors (now retired) have spoken quite openly about how regretfully they felt the management team had treated Darrell. My Father was wrongly made an example off and as a result was utterly demoralised .

Photo 9 & 7

With the severity of the damage sustained to tramcar 705, ( see photo 1.) this vehicle was considered beyond economical repair and was scrapped and dismantled for spare parts. In contrast tramcar 706, structurally an identical vehicle received far less damage (see photos.10 and 10a ) and was later repaired in 1985 and returned to service. (see photo 9.) This clearly shows that my Father and his tram suffered a far greater impact from the collision. The differences in damage sustained by the two trams raises a number of important issues, namely: Confirming which tram was travelling at a greater speed. In basic terms it is similar to the damage sustained to a broken nose after being hit by a speedily thrown fist. In addition if my Father's tram had been travelling at a greater speed it is likely his tram would have travelled much further than the very short distance of the adjoining tracks and the collision would not have been head on. The north bound tram (706) would have undoubtedly hit the side or centre of the southbound tram (705). (see photo.7) It is important to acknowledge the position of the front wheels in relation to the façade of the tram body itself- the front wheels are positioned a good distance back from the front life guard (directly above the drivers cab) and therefore awareness of actually veering to the right would be somewhat delayed. The driver of a tram, due to the fixed rails and unlike a bus is unable to swerve out of the way to try and avoid a collision. If you can image the fear whilst driving a car and then suddenly the steering mechanism locks and you are faced with the uncontrollable prospect of another vehicle approaching you at speed.

Many will remember that Darrell was often mocked for his cautious manner and abiding by the rules of the tramway. For example, a maximum 16mph (4 notches) whilst driving along the open-grooved track sections of the Promenade. Also a speed limit of 4mph approaching facing points. The northbound tram had also passed a set of facing points within very close proximity of the collision. Was the driver of the northbound tram (John Fay) travelling at the imposed 4mph limit? The impact received to the southbound tram suggests otherwise. Mr. John Fay did not receive any kind of disciplinary action and apportioned no blame whatsoever even though evidence suggests he was travelling well beyond the 4mph speed limit. Had he adhered to this rule, he would have been presented with a far greater chance of stopping in an emergency. At that time John Fay was in his first season driving and had less than two weeks tram driving experience. He had started as a seasonal conductor the previous summer. It is now widely accepted that many less experienced tram drivers from that generation who only drove trams as overtime duties had a tendency in an emergency situation to instinctively use the foot pedal (horn) mistaking it as a brake pedal which they were obviously accustomed to using on a bus or in a car. The correct emergency tram braking procedure was using the rheostatic electric brake on the left hand controller (anti clock wise) and the right hand air brake (across to the right) simultaneously to gain full effect on the English Electric balloon trams. The many drivers who experienced probationary driver training from my Father have all said Darrell was very much a 'rule book' man, professional, patient and always polite. He was renowned for saying in his profound West Indian accent "you're the driver you're the boss"

Today, BTS requires a basic minimum amount of hours of tram driving duties included in a bus driver's weekly/monthly roster. This applies winter and summer for all bus drivers who wish to retain their tram driving licenses. This current health and safety rule is to maintain a high level of tram driving standards and to ensure bus drivers avoid becoming complacent. Failure to comply with the minimum amount of tram driving hours required actually resulted in a number of experienced bus drivers having their long standing tram driving licenses withdrawn in 2008

On display in Staff Tea Room!

In October 1982 the former Blundell Street Depot was cleared out in readiness for demolition. Accident damaged tram 706 was moved out of Blundell Street Depot and stored outside in the bus yard adjacent to the former canteen area. Ironically this transit occurred the same month of my Father's successful tribunal against BCT. I can personally recall this transit and have a number of photographs showing tram 706 in this location with the crash damaged end exposed in full view. Was this a deliberate act of provocation? It could be said that BCT at the time were short of storage space? However at no stage were there any attempts made by the management for this damaged vehicle to be sheeted over or even partially covered whilst stored in the open bus yard. Disgracefully, for the following two years my Father had the disturbing reminder of this accident as part of his daily work routine. Blundell Street Depot was only finally demolished in the winter of 1983 (due to severe storm damage). This was shortly after the Lancashire Ambulance Service vacated and relocated to their new Depot and premises in the South Shore area of Blackpool. The Princess Street approach to the Blundell St Depot was occupied by the Ambulance service whereas the Rigby Road entrance was still used by BCT. Tramcar 706 remained parked outside in the bus yard for all to see as a daunting reminder of the head-on collision. It was not scrapped but repaired in early 1985. It was named the Princess Alice and restored to its original 1930's open top design for the tramway centenary celebrations which took place during that year.

The staff tea room next to the inspector's cabin at the Pleasure Beach loop displayed on the wall a black and white photograph showing the un-nerving sight of the smashed end of tram 705 for several years after this crash. Today, this kind of contemptible and inconsiderate behavior towards their staff would not be tolerated in the work place and employers would find themselves guilty of contributing towards post traumatic stress disorder. Several of the boisterous crews would often ridicule my Father with scathing sarcasm and make humiliating jokes about the smashed up tram parked in the bus yard opposite the canteen. As a result of the notoriety, seasonal conductors would make a point of constantly asking Darrell questions about how this infamous tram crash had occurred.

Following my Father's legal case achieved in 1982, Darrell did not want or expect a rapturous welcome return to work. With consideration Darrell rightly deserved some recognition from the management team to clear his negative association with the accident, and an acknowledged apology for his suffering. This was never presented to him and the management team remained wholly unrepentant. My Father's remaining working life at BCT was an unhappy and difficult period. He learned from his Roman Catholic Christian values on many occasions to simply 'turn the other cheek'. His priority was to continue working hard to support his loving family and to pay off the outstanding debts he had accrued whilst unable to work and receiving the basic statutory sick pay.

Around this time (in the 1970's and 1980's) a number of the 1930's built English Electric series 'balloon' and 'brush' rail coach tramcars were renowned for having comparatively different air braking performance response respectively. On 7th July 1977 tram car 705 was also involved in a serious rear end collision outside the Barton Ave' tram stop near Manchester Square. The driver of 705 had just taken over and claimed this particular tram had poor braking response which had led him into the rear of OMO tramcar 10. These old trams were covering large daily, seasonal mileage. They were mechanically and externally starting to show the signs of their age. Between 1976 and 1982 BCT engineers rebuilt two former double-decker 'balloon' trams and converted them into modern enhanced large capacity One Man Operation trams 761 and 762 referred to as the 'Jubilee' cars. (See photo 14a) Their appearance had some resemblance to the 1977 design Leyland Atlantean double decker buses. It is reported these two tram conversions came at a huge cost all-round. Mr. Derek Hyde 1982: "it was felt that the protracted time taken to build the two double-deckers had been at the expense of fleet maintenance and had produced a financial burden on the department"

It is interesting the highly skilled BCT chief engineer Mr. Stuart Pillar was able to undertake and oversee the two major Jubilee rebuilds. With impressive modifications which included latest technology in variable acceleration and braking 'joy stick' type controllers. However at my Father's tribunal he claimed the installation of lights signaling at points crossovers would be a "formidable job" . He also claimed it was not advisable to carry portable points bars inside the trams (the simple task of installing aluminum brackets). Jubilee car 762 has been named 'Stuart Pillar' in the memory of his engineering excellence at BCT. By October 1982 (The Court Hearing) Mr. Stuart Pillar attended but was technically no longer employed by BCT as he had retired previously in May 1982. I guess he was in a better placed position to say or answer questions than the management team who had wrongly apportioned my father 100% blame. I have photographs and film footage of Mr. Stuart Pillar at the crash scene in the presence of other senior figures (both BCT and Police) along side some of the tram crews present. I vehemently do not except the unbelievable BCT explanation that the conductor of an earlier tram minutes before the crash "could not be tracked down" when the double deck tram was parked up on a staff break only 20 or 30 yards away. It seems justice was not served properly in the 1982 case as my father obviously did not receive a fair hearing as none of the tram crews or management involved attended the one day hearing. Although the majority of blame was shifted and Blackpool Council was found 80% responsible the conductor's negligence escaped unidentified.

At the crash scene both damaged trams were separated by BCT engineering workmen, moved on to the outer loop and then towed back to the Depot that evening in a rushed attempt to re-open that section of tramway as quickly as possible. It would appear that all the evidence i.e the accident wreckage, to form a full and proper investigation was towed away without the scrutiny of an independent rail inspectorate. At 7.30pm on a Tuesday evening, the availability of up to 4 buses to replace the trams could have easily been arranged to shuttle between South Pier and Starr Gate (approx 1.5 mile journey) for the small number of passengers continuing their journeys South. The majority of passengers would alight at South Pier, a very short walk to the Pleasure Beach. Very few passengers travelled on to Starr Gate (except during the illuminations September/October). All southbound trams could have easily terminated at the crossover locations of South Pier, Manchester Square, Tower, or Talbot Square and then returned back to the Cabin, Bispham, Little Bispham, Cleveleys, Thornton Gate or Fleetwood accordingly.

There was no justified reason as to why an external Rail Inspectorate or their appointed transport representatives such as the British Transport Police etc did not undertake a thorough independent investigation. At the time of my Fathers Court Hearing an independent chartered engineer Mr James Leslie Bell confirmed that a thorough independent investigation should have been undertaken namely scrutiny of the points, brakes and crews present. He also suggested the installation of points signaling to aid drivers. I strongly suspect that the last thing BCT management wanted was any external intervention that evening with the fear of a public inquiry. Mr. Mike Hunt who was an overhead engineering expert sadly passed away on 24 August 2009 whilst still employed by BTS. He supplied a number of colour photographs which I presume were taken by him as a young BCT employee at the crash scene. Mr. Hunt stated that due to the severity of the crash with staff and passengers injured, both trams should not have been separated by Blackpool Transport without the authority of the Rail Inspectorate. It appears basic codes of practice were ignored and breaches were made.

I am fully aware and appreciate that it is widely acknowledged throughout the whole transport industry, health and safety requirements and regulations have improved since 1980. At the time, the Blackpool tramway had been operating for 95 years and this remains the worst collision in its history. However, back then Blackpool was the only remaining conventional tramway in Britain. It seems likely BCT had the favourable advantage of poorly recognised legislative procedures, which are now firmly in place to deal with this kind of serious accident. In all honesty I believe it was far easier for Mr Tony Depledge to apportion 100% disciplinary blame to a decent senior member of staff with thirteen years of unblemished work history, rather than excepting and exposing the real truth behind the primary failing which had caused the accident (the young student conductor leaving the points open). By the open admission of many retired drivers from that period they have all appreciated that Darrell was very unfortunate, bad timing and simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was an accident waiting to happen. Evening Gazette October 9th 1982: Tram Driver Doris Cobley said "she had been a tram driver for 10 years on that particular track. Drivers could only see the points when trams were a yard or two away". She said "that a few times she had gone through the points onto the other track, but fortunately nothing else had been coming the other way".

During this particular period at BCT, it is common knowledge a small number of staff, were often unreliable, untidy, dishonest, erratically dangerous, racist, drunk on duty, and ill mannered to both passengers and their work colleagues. This type of character abused their entitlements and the many privileges of having a steady secure job within the Corporation. In addition there were a small number of crews who were loud, foul mouthed trouble makers and considered themselves 'voices of authority'. My Father was certainly not of that ilk and in comparison his overall manner and appearance put a few of the eight hundred or so full time BCT staff to shame. I'm convinced that had he been one of the notorious troublesome rebels I have referred to , the apportionment of 100% disciplinary blame to the southbound driver (based on Mr. Tony Depledge's investigation) would have been very different! It is my personal view which is also shared by many other decent people, the management team simply took advantage of Darrell's good, inoffensive and courteous nature. It is widely accepted in contrast some of these 'rebels' between 1980-1986 would have created mayhem at BCT and together with union intervention caused ongoing militant strike action until they received a fair, satisfactory agreement.

Regretfully Darrell did not publically make a big fuss, and my Father fell victim to his own good nature. Many retired BCT staff have stated had they been personally involved in this accident they would not have 'carried the can' and accepted it the way Darrell was treated. I guess today BTS management would think very differently about withholding information from a court of law and wrongly apportioning 100% blame. It could be argued those involved in my Father's case had they attended court, could have risked or faced charges of perverting the course of justice. Retired tram driver Joan Norton (2029) said " Your Father was a really lovely man and it wasn't right he got treated like this, I remember this crash it was a bad one, it's a wonder your dad wasn't killed. I never knew who this guard was, no-one seems to know who it was" She added "having to go back bus guarding with his bad leg being thrown about all day must have been hard work" She concluded "I can remember one time I just missed by inches being in a head- on crash at the Pleasure Beach. A guard had left the points open and he just stood there laughing and he thought it was funny, I got out of the cab and nearly strangled him, the inspector on duty had to separate us"

By the open admission of several retired BCT employees: at times the management operated on a 'favours' and 'old pals act' basis. The following example optimizes this behaviour: One now retired male staff member (for legal reasons we shall name him Mr X) who joined BCT around 1970 and mysteriously did not hold a bus conductor's license. He was granted tram-only duties which at the time was not the usual practice. As a junior 'spare' conductor you was required to work both buses and trams. With the introduction of One Man Operated tram services in the winter he was then trained up as a tram driver. During this period from the mid 1970's to 1983 Mr. X was involved in a large number of accidents. He held the highest record of five pedestrian fatalities whilst driving trams for BCT. I am not suggesting there were any sinister motives for these fatalities. All drivers on a daily basis faced the unfortunate possibility of knocking down pedestrians during the height of the busy summer seasons especially on the open track sections of the promenade. Interestingly, at no stage was this driver ever suspended or forced to relinquish his driving duties in connection to any of the five accident deaths he was involved in. However I am simply perturbed (like many others) as to why he was allowed to remain tram driving for quite so long? His Father had been a senior figure at BCT for many years.

On a busy summer's day in 1983 the tram driving career of Mr. X eventually came to an end. I can vividly recall my Father un-expectedly having to give up his break whilst in the canteen. He was urgently required as a relief OMO driver and travelled with a senior inspector in the staff van (commonly known as the mobile) to the location where the Police had stopped Mr X on his tram whilst on duty for questioning. Allegedly I am told this episode of Police questioning was not for reasons relating to his tram driving or previous accidents at BCT. Mysteriously this driver never returned to BCT as an employee. Was Mr. X suitable to be in charge of a public service vehicle? With the allegations and speculative rumors it would appear questionable. My Father conceded as the relief driver that afternoon and as always accommodated to the often last minute requests placed upon him by giving up his break or covering extra duties etc. If BCT in those days operated on a 'favours' basis Darrell like a good few others certainly did not have them reciprocated.

Mr. Tony Depledge was also the Traffic Manager responsible during the period relating to the many accidents this particular male driver Mr X was involved in between 1977 and 1983. Retired driver Sheila Rossall who was approaching in the opposite direction at one of these fatal pedestrian accidents in May 1981 recalls that "it's like what happened to me at Little Bispham when a stupid guard had left points open and because of it I ran into the back of another tram. It was ludicrous you faced a disciplinary or even the sack, yet if you knocked down or killed a pedestrian it was no questions asked…" She added "I was suspended from driving for six months even though the guard accepted he was wrong" She concluded "I can remember Tony Depledge being a student guard and he became a tram driver for a short time because he said to Bill Eatough he wasn't going back to university so he was trained up as a driver. We soon found out he was going back to university and the union and the crews all threatened to walk out on strike as there was no seasonal tram or bus drivers allowed." I understand due to the invested costs of driver training you were obliged to remain in employment at BCT for at least three years. In 1977 when Mr. Bill Eatough retired as the BCT Traffic Manager, Mr. Tony Depledge returned to BCT from The Midland Red Bus company and became his successor as the new Traffic Manager or Traffic Superintendent as he was sometimes referred.

Photo 15a

As my Father was the first and only full time black Caribbean employee for a number of years, he was easily recognisable and popular with both passengers and staff alike. I recall during his working years on several occasions passengers wrote to the local media (The Gazette) reporting how polite, dedicated and smartly dressed Darrell was. Members of the passenger-public fondly remember his jovial character and for many years have stopped him in the street to talk about their travels to school or work on his bus or tram between 1967-1986. Britain is the signatory of the human rights act, providers of public services are charged with a duty of care. My Father always maintained this idyll during his many years of tram driving- he never once hit, injured or killed a pedestrian or ran into the rear of another tram.

Rear End Collision 1984

On 28th July 1984 Darrell was on duty driving a 1970's style single -deck One Man Operated tram. (see photo's 15 and 15a) He stopped allowing a passenger to alight at the Harrowside tram stop south promenade. A double-deck (balloon) tram suddenly ran in to the rear of Darrell's single deck tram. With the un-expected force received from a 16 ton vehicle, my father was violently thrown forward towards the windscreen. These converted One Man Operated cars had restricted cab space in which the driver could work and he was thrown from his seat. This was a painful experience. These vehicles were built with wooden frames and steel chassis and converted from the 1930's English Electric Railcoach series. The passenger was also pushed forward from the centre exit door space. There was little visual damage sustained to either trams as the protruding towing bar clamps are positioned at equal height and this also acted as a protective cast iron bumper. In 1984 none of the Blackpool Tram fleet had protective rubber bumpers as many do today which would help cushion any similar impact. Within a short time Darrell suffered a prolonged upper back and neck injury. He was signed off work with whiplash, he experienced great discomfort and was restricted to wearing a supportive cervical neck collar which was necessary to be worn for a number of years.

He tried to return to work on several occasions; these earnest attempts were short lived whilst driving trams as he was unable to move his neck properly and therefore unable to carry out the simplest of tasks safely. The driver who was to blame for this rear collision was a recognised union official- the late Mr. Roger Lewis (0075) who did not receive a disciplinary Why? This driver was in breach of the often disobeyed 5 tram pole lengths travelling distance of (approx 80 meters) rule required to avoid a rear collision. Furthermore my Father's tram was fitted with brake lights and in 1984 it was only these cars and the two Jubilee trams which then benefitted from this facility so there was little room for excuse. The tram tracks were slippery due to the spray of sea water and this section of track was notorious for these conditions. Taken from the Blackpool tramway rule book. TRAM REAR END COLLISIONS "The 5 pole rule is a safety rule that must be complied with. Proven failure to adhere to this vital health and safety instruction will lead to disciplinary action"

Between October 1984 and April 1986 my Father was wrongly accused by the same management team of attempting to falsely exaggerate his medical condition. During this period on one occasion my Father found Mr. David Eaves' approach towards him quite intimidating and he took a dim view to Mr. Eaves' comments. My Father duly noted his approach on this occasion and his next meeting was attended in the presence of his legal representative. My Father recalled to me that Mr. Eaves (on the office stairs and out of sight) had claimed in a derogatory and doubtful manner that he would have Darrell seen by another specialist. BCT arranged on the 20th May 1985 for my Father to be seen by Dr. J. Johnson based in West Didsbury, Manchester some 50 miles away! It's fair to assume due to the pending litigation proceedings against BCT they were finding it difficult to find collaboration from the many highly professional local Fylde Coast medical experts.

Not only did my Father suffer from physical pain but in addition to this a professionally recognised post-traumatic neurosis (please see report by Dr. M.D Cashman, Consultant Psychiatrist). He was forced to have further consultations to satisfy the BCT management (please see report by Dr. J.K Wright, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon). With this overwhelming professional evidence, it was finally decided by the Blackpool Borough Council District Medical Officer on 23th May 1986 that Darrell was unable to continue to work due to ill health. BCT management then retracted their misleading claims and Darrell was awarded £10,000 out of court settlement for his neck injuries. All this in turn, affected his capacity as a strong patriarch which ultimately impacted on his wife and children.

It is noted and well recognised that during this period in the 1980's and up to the mid 1990's a number of staff deliberately offered all kinds of convoluted explanations as to why they believed they were unfit for work. These were often attempts to take advantage of their superannuation pension entitlements. Many were granted permission to leave on the 'sick' if they had 10 years or more service. They were automatically awarded and entitled to receive 20 years worth of superannuation pension benefit. If I recall correctly one bus driver was even 'pensioned off' for having an in-growing toe nail! This particular driver since leaving BCT has enjoyed years of continual employment driving buses for a rival bus company in the North West ever since (like many others). My Father had been involved in a rear tram collision struck from behind and suddenly thrown backwards and forwards. He was the innocent party and victim. He had sustained genuine injuries, and between 1984-1986 with over 17 years of good service behind him he was treated appallingly by the management of BCT.

Regretfully, since retiring Darrell unfortunately remained unfit for employment from the relatively young age of 54 unlike many other 'pensioned' off BCT employees who were able to work again. He required ongoing physiotherapy and osteopathy treatment. Furthermore he endured years of psychological anguish as a result of these accidents and his subsequent tormented years of employment at BCT between 1980-1986.

Sadly my Father passed away on 11th July 2009 at the age of 77, four weeks before I finally presented this case to the Local Authority and Blackpool Transport Services. He may have died a comparatively financially poorer man than Mr. Tony Depledge and his retired management colleagues but I trust he was a richer and far greater man in many other ways. In his retirement years my Father did not keep good health overall and was blighted further in recent years from being an insulin-dependant diabetic. Quite frankly, for a man who narrowly escaped death in 1980, due to a number BCT failings the former management team and those involved in this episode should be utterly ashamed of how they treated my Father.

You may ask why I have chosen to compile this letter now and reveal my detailed and truthful knowledge about the case? With the under hand tactics my Father suffered from the 1980 accident he was apprehensive in taking any further legal action against the former Corporation Transport. My Father assumed and feared reprisals could have occurred from the Fylde Coast hierarchy 'elite boys club' had several damming revelations been made public some years earlier. For reasons only known to a select few, my Father's 1980 accident and the disciplinary which followed was without any doubt a Blackpool Council Transport Department injustice. As a result of the 1980 accident my Father may not have received a criminal conviction, but as a result it is clear he wrongly received a prejudiced internal prosecution from the BCT traffic superintendent Mr. Tony Depledge. Based on this evidence if a passenger or staff member had later died as a result of this crash it is likely my Father could have been charged and wrongly held personally responsible. Equally my Father could have lost his life. Would the conductor who last operated the points still remained elusive then? Would the management have still claimed he "could not be tracked down"…

In January 2009 my Father almost died and was revived in an ambulance by paramedics. It was following his return home from hospital a week later that my Father finally granted me the permission and his blessing to look through his archives in relation to the accidents and 1982 Court Case. He presented a great deal of other information which he had respectfully silenced for a number of years. I am a fair, straight talking and law abiding citizen of good character. My factual and truthful information has been gathered and submitted in good faith and in a manner of which I trust my late Father would approve. I made a sincere promise to him in February 2009 that my investigation and pursuit for the truth and closure would be conducted in a legitimate and dignified manner. I first wrote about this case of injustice and discrimination over 20 years ago as part of my English GCSE school work. My Father believed in social justice and peace in the world both of which were close to Darrell's heart. One day I hope to form and sponsor an education, sport or musical foundation in the memory of his good name.

The much improved Blackpool tramway is now operated by Metro Coastlines (logo name for Blackpool Transport) . Between 2001 and May 2009 the forward thinking management team was headed by the impressive Mr. Steve Burd (Managing Director) He plucked Blackpool Transport from the dark ages and helped save the tramway from closure and secure it's long term future . Mr Burd replied October 2009 in a courteous and professional manner "Although I heard a lot of people at Blackpool Transport reminisce about many things that happened in the past at the company I never heard anyone talk about this unfortunate episode. I was of course aware that a head-on incident occurred at the beginning of the 1980's due to the photographs which existed, but no-one ever spoke about this event".

The late Geoff Hyde the older brother of Mr Derek Hyde was an avid tramway enthusiast and his history and knowledge of trams worldwide was comprehensive. His hands-on approach and many museum contacts helped shape and pave the way for the 1985 Blackpool tramway centenary celebrations. He was a very approachable man and I can remember speaking to him many years ago whilst he was travelling on the newly restored Princess Alice tram 706. I asked him what he personally thought about the 705/706 crash story. As a young enthusiastic teenager I then went on to say I was the son of the driver who had taken BCT to the Crown Court. By his solemn reply I got the impression he did not want to talk about it any further and was quite embarrassed by the whole affair. Mr. Geoff Hyde was a very fine, generous man and I am sure he is greatly missed by his many tramway enthusiast friends.

Mr. Derek Hyde retired in 1986 and was generally considered as an 'old boys school gentleman' type. Mr. David Eaves retired in 2006 and has served as an honorable pillar of the local community. He was elected as a Fylde Borough Councilor and served as a JP Magistrate for many years. I wrote to him on 3rd August 2009 and I have not yet received a reply to the issues I have raised. In 2001 Mr. Tony Depldege left Blackpool Transport and became the Director of Transport Policy for Arriva PLC. In 2002 Mr. Tony Depledge gained an OBE for his services to the transport. In 2008 Mr. Depledge was granted the first Life Time achievement award presented at the prestigious Passenger Transport Management ceremony in London. In June 2009 he was elected the new Chairman of the UITP European Transport Committee. I wrote to Mr Tony Depledge on 3rd August 2009 he responded 17th August 2009 "As all the matters to which you refer in your letter relate to a time when your father was employed by Blackpool Borough Council Transport Department, I have passed the correspondence to the Chief Executive of the Council"

On 10th August 2009 I spoke to former BTS Manager Mr. Garth Wolfe about my Father they had worked together a great deal in their early days. Mr Garth Wolfe had many years 'hands on' experience having progressed from conductor-driver and inspector. I was pleasantly surprised at his accommodating and sympathetic manner. I asked him would he comment on my Father's character he kindly replied "Darrell you couldn't fault him" . Although he did advise me that he would much rather seek some professional advice prior to commenting any further in particular about the 1980 accident. He was due to meet his former colleague Mr. David Eaves (former BTS Operations Director) the following day at the funeral of the late Mr. Graham Bibby who had been a popular Blackpool Transport employee for a number of years.

Since 23rd July 2009 with consideration of the Freedom of Information Act I have tried to obtain copies of the archived accident information directly from both Blackpool Transport Services based at Rigby Road Depot and Blackpool Council Offices. I have been told three different accounts as to the whereabouts of this information by BTS. On the 23rd July 2009 BTS Operations Manager Mr. Guy Thornton politely claimed they did not hold this information at the Rigby Road Depot offices. He stated the former pre-deregulation Blackpool Corporation Transport records were now held at the Blackpool Town Hall. On 14th August 2009 BTS Customer Services Co-ordinator & Company Archivist Mr. Bryan Lindop stated "Your fathers records would have long since been destroyed when the Company took over. Much of the Corporation Transport Departments records were systematically incinerated in 1986 when the Company took over". He added "I very much hope I had been here then as I could have saved a great deal of material which now creates a yawning gap in our history"

In 2003 Channel Four TV produced the 'salvage squad' documentary restoring a 1950's Blackpool 'Coronation' style tram. Blackpool Transport provided the producers with much information and archived records to track down an elderly retired 1950's BCT driver Mr. Jack Nicholls to feature on the programme. Have BTS office staff genuinely underestimated my comprehensive knowledge of Blackpool Transport? Former pupils and teachers of St Mary's RC High School in the mid 1980's often recall and reminisce to this day about my theatrical lectures at school assemblies which I proudly performed relating the fascinating history of the Blackpool Tramway.

In a letter dated 22nd September 2009 received and instructed by BTS solicitor's (a law firm based in Preston) states "As to the location of any tram investigation documents concerning the incidents of 22nd July 1980 and 28th July 1984, our client does not hold any such documents itself and has no information or record as to where they may currently be held" Does anybody know the reason as to why these documents are not available?

Between 23rd July 2009 and 17th October 2009 I made five written requests (fax, email, and recorded post) directly to Blackpool Council Town Hall regarding the whereabouts of the archived corporation transport accident investigation documents. During this period I did not even receive an acknowledgement of receipt of my correspondence until I finally received a written response over three months later! Letter dated 11th November 2009 ICT Services Blackpool Council: "I regret to tell you that following a search of our paper and electronic files and records, the information you requested is not held by the Council" Why did my simple request take so long to be answered? I am reliably informed as a public authority they are obliged to respond within 20 working days. I wrote to Lancashire County Council 1st October 2009 regarding the archives and received a professional, courteous and helpful prompt reply. I shall allow you to speculate and form your own conclusion as to why Blackpool Council took a suspicious three months delay in answering my simple question of obtaining archived records under the Freedom Of Information Act 2000.

Regarding my campaign and the other issues I have raised, Blackpool Council bosses Mr. Stephen Weaver, Mr. Julian Kearsley and Council Leader Mr. Peter Callow have politely referred the matter back for the attention of Mr. Trevor Roberts current Managing Director of Blackpool Transport Services based at the Rigby Road Depot. In fairness to Mr. Roberts he only took over the reign of BTS in June 2009 and I guess he was unaware of the sensitive and controversial nature surrounding this accident cover up which was quietly brushed under the carpet many years ago. At no stage between July 2009 and October 2009 did any of the above the Council Chiefs confirm the whereabouts of my father's staff records or accidents documents. Why? The Mayor of Blackpool Mr. Norman Hardy (a keen supporter of the tramway) finally responded to the letter I wrote to him on 3rd September 2009. Letter received on 10th November 2009 on behalf of the Mayor: Head of Legal and Democratic Services states "He is, however not in a position to become personally involved during his year in office as Mayor of Blackpool. He has asked me to thank you for bringing this matter to his attention" Interestingly, Mr. Norman Hardy worked at the Blackpool Corporation Transport traffic office between 1955 and 1982. By 1980 he was regarded as a senior administrative figure and in 1982 was promoted to the Corporation Illuminations electrical department. On 3rd August 2009 I also wrote to Mrs Jean Cox and Mr Derek Hyde, they have both chosen not to respond to any of the issues I have raised. It is clear nobody is willing to name who the elusive, mystery conductor was . Why? Asking such a straight forward question should not be considered unreasonable. Was this mystery conductor a young man of significance? The overall consensus confirms perhaps so, and assuming this young man been 'ordinary' with no connections he would have been disciplined, officially named and shamed or sacked.

It is no secret Blackpool Council still own the infrastructure of the tramway and are 100% shareholder of BTS Ltd. My Father's accidents took place when the tramway was also operated by Blackpool Council. Between July and October 2009 I was given the false impression that BTS are a totally independent and a privately owned company. Theoretically perhaps so? When BTS was formed on 26th October 1986 the new company automatically inherited the BCT staff, vehicles and Offices. All existing or retired BCT staff are entitled to receive a superannuation pension paid on monthly basis by Lancashire County Council. The BTS board members are predominately made up of local Councillors. This complex, Municipal Public Ownership and undertaking of BTS Ltd is similar to the scenario the once married couple who still choose to share the same bed!

Mr. Trevor Roberts' view point suggests my legitimate and genuine attempts to obtain the records and to seek the truth have caused several members of his office staff to be "alarmed and distressed". Presumably most decent people would agree if there was never any foul play conducted against my Father between 1980-1986 or any malpractice in any form perpetuated from July 2009 no members of staff (past or present) should have any reason to be concerned. It is fair to assume this controversial information being released and the truth revealed may cause some upset, fear or embarrassment. Equally, any surviving accident investigation records should be released without question under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Public Transport accident records are usually held with the Health and Safety Executive, The Department of Transport, The Office Of Rail Regulations (formerly HM Rail Inspectorate) and The National Archives. They have all confirmed there are no records held of these two particular accidents. Why? With the advancement in administration technology over the past 30 years, presumably any paper records being incinerated or destroyed would have been saved or transferred onto micro film or later scanned and saved onto electronic files and computer databases.

BTS confirmed on 6th November 2009 that they were willing to undertake an "extensive search" of their archives for the employment record cards of both deceased staff members Mr. John Fay and Mr.Roger Lewis at a fee of £184.62 towards administration costs. (both drivers involved in accidents with my father) Does BTS customer services charge this considerably high tariff to all its customers with a similar query? BTS Customer services co-ordinator and company archivist Mr. Bryan Lindop has stated in February 2010 to the Public Authorities Information Commissioners Office (ICO) that a voluntary member of staff kindly under took the laborious task of filing the employment record cards of former staff members in the correct alphabetical order in September 2009 hence the delay in obtaining my Fathers record card. Surely on that basis an "extensive search" was therefore not required in November 2009 and was actually a straight forward task. I suspect the £184.62 charged to myself for this simple request was a contribution towards their costly legal bills(?) as BTS forced themselves to instructed lawyers based in Preston to answer replies or further questions on their behalf from 22nd September 2009. Was this due to the seriousness of my enquiries and the potential implications of them providing inconsistent or inaccurate information? I note Mr. Lindop has responded to the Information Commissioner in (February 2010) in a polite, accommodating and respectful manner, his tone is a far contrast to the email responses I received from him in August 2009. My father had recently passed away and I found his responses regarding to my two legitimate enquiries unprofessional, insensitive, and sarcastic.

Paul Rowen MP

It is widely accepted Mr. Lindop in particular does have very good BTS reputation. However when I politely asked him for the second time about the conflicting information I had received from his colleagues regarding the authenticity of BCT records he replied email 14th August 2009 "Despite my best endeavours I obviously failed to make myself clear in a way which you have been able to understand" He is renowned for his willingness to assist the local and national media, authors, historians, the Fylde Tramway Society and the Lancastrian Transport Trust with archived historic and current tramway records. Mr. Lindop is also a keen tramway enthusiast and his recent successful campaign to restore the illuminated 1963 Western Train was very impressive. Mr. Lindop won the prestigious Light Rail Awards Employee of the Year 2008. It is interesting to note over the past few months a 'wall of silence' has been formed regarding my campaign by several locally based acclaimed transport consultants, historians and enthusiasts. A few months prior to my Father's death, tramway enthusiasts and trustees of the Lancastrian Transport trust welcomed my proposed, generous £2,000 donation towards the restoration of the converted 1970's OMO tramcar 8 currently disused and held in storage awaiting some improvements in preparation for the tramway's 125th anniversary celebrations in 2010.

Many of these pleasant, law abiding, and often academic tramway enthusiasts are now reluctant to talk freely about their keen association with Blackpool Transport when I have approached them for any information or support. Very few even passed on their condolences. I have certainly become unpopular within the tramway fraternity. Is it because many transport enthusiasts know the truth about the BCT records and archives? Collectively local enthusiasts hold regular meetings and produce quarterly magazines, which feature current tramway news and 'memory lane' stories which feature archived BCT artifacts, records, which are often loaned from Rigby Road Depot Offices. Most tram enthusiasts can tell you information down the size of every nut and bolt! but few are willing to confess or share any knowledge about the historic head-on collision. However the identity of the conductor who last operated the points minutes prior to the crash has remained a closely guarded secret for almost 30 years.

My personal knowledge of tram enthusiasts confirms most of these pleasant characters are usually excited at comparatively insignificant aspects relating to the publications and current issues affecting the Tramway. I am neither a barrister nor bookmaker, but I bet with confidence most tram enthusiasts, retired staff and senior councilors will have knowledge or a recollection of the serious Blackpool head on 705/706 tram collision. Until recently did they know about the circumstances and the controversy surrounding the case?

The local historians, authors, enthusiasts and journalists share detailed historic information on a regular basis. Archived documents relating to the unique world-famous Blackpool Tramway do exist and date back to 1885. The Corporation archives and records are considered priceless and would not have been 'systematically incinerated in 1986'. Rigby Road Publications produced by the acclaimed Mr. John Woodman features archived tramway documents in his excellent voluminous books. John Woodman April 2008 "There are many contributors to this book. Firstly and foremostly the Directors and Managers of Blackpool Transport Services, who provided the Author with extended co-operation over the two years in the sourcing of material and interviews with staff. In particular, the assistance of David Eaves, formerly Director of Operations, and Brian Lindop. I am especially appreciative of the encouragement and support for this project by Steve Weaver, Chief Executive, Blackpool Borough Council and Alan Cavill. Mike Chadwick and Ian Butterworth-Blackpool Toursim and Information, facilitated access to the files and publicity material at their offices in Clifton Street."

The Blackpool Transport Rigby Road Depot and Head Offices were built in the 1930's. In its hey day BCT employed over 1500 staff and had three other tram routes. (Today BTS have around 400 employees) These offices were purpose built to accommodate the many administrative clerks who would manually type paper work and file documents etc. This building holds several storage rooms and in the past decade the daily administration has become predominately computerised. BTS now employ dedicated IT support staff. I doubt most transport companies would destroy important accident records for obvious reasons before they have been transferred and saved onto electronic files. Over the past 5 years college students have had the opportunity to look at old BCT archived records and memorabilia which date back 125 years as project studies. It is not credible as to why Blackpool Transport and Blackpool Council claim they have 'no record' of the biggest head-on collision in their history. Blackpool Council are very proud of their historic tram heritage and proudly display in the Town Hall a picture of the first post war female tram driver Mrs. Joyce Dicks who I am told is still alive today.

If this information has been deliberately destroyed (recently or many years ago) Why? Is the truth of the matter due to the controversy? This kind of closed rank behaviour does not come as any surprise to me whatsoever. Rigby Road Depot offices deliberately withheld staff-duty records and omitted the time keeper's and Inspector's accident reports from a Court of Law in 1982. Retired Inspectors Mr. Bill Beardall and Mr. Dennis Pulford and retired longstanding union official Mr. Laurie Marson all claimed recently the staff records were available, and held at the Depot . The claim that the staff's testimonies at the crash scene "could not be tracked down" is ridiculous. All trams which left the depot were date and time logged along with the staff duty roster sheets which were recorded for wages etc. It is incomprehensible to suggest the crews present at the scene were not interviewed. Withholding this standard transport information was a crime and an injustice served towards my Father. Attempting to cover up this information was ludicrous beyond the joke. It is no wonder the BCT management did not attend the Crown Court hearing. In October 2009 I wrote to a senior BTS employee and union representative of the T&GWU based at the BTS Rigby Road offices. My polite request was for them to acknowledge if they held any archived union records regarding these accidents or my Fathers union subscription records of 19 years. I received no reply….

High profile: If Mr. Tony Depledge OBE was not the Chairman of the UITP European Public Transport committee and a number of BTS officials (past and present) were not Councilors or serve as JP Magistrates I suspect (although I can't be certain) the legitimate issues I have raised may have been answered and perhaps acted upon with a different view point… Without any prejudice my findings should be duly acknowledged professionally and not taken with a 'blind eye or deaf ears' approach. I accept that with the passing of time and for obvious reasons it may be difficult to fully re-investigate the whole case. However Blackpool Council should rightly answer the straight forward questions presented to them namely, (a) why my Father was apportioned 100% blame, (b) why the conductor's identity was deliberately withheld from the investigation (c) why my Father never received an apology.

Mr. Roberts' response to the issues I have raised namely the archives and my sincere request for the consideration of granting my late Father an acknowledged pardon in my opinion have been very poor. I believe his handling of the situation has certainly fallen below the level expected of a man of his good reputation and position. I had hoped Mr Roberts would have appreciated my sincere efforts to publically disassociate the much improved operation of BTS from the questionable procedures of the former BCT. However I received this Email from Mr. Trevor Roberts on 14th August 2009 "I have asked the question about the records and I'm afraid I can add nothing further to Brian Lindop's email to you. There is nothing further I can add from the current Company viewpoint" Mr. Trevor Roberts has attempted to make what I consider an unfounded claim against me of harassment and deformation. It is interesting that he has omitted the polite, professional and jovial telephone conversation I held with Mr. Guy Thornton (Operations Manager) on 23rd July 2009 in his correspondence. This was my final telephone conversation to the offices at BTS… I was satisfied with the Operation Manager's explanation and the call was ended amicably. This particular omission from Mr Roberts' itemised log of my communications to BTS on his undated and only posted letter demonstrates his stance on this important matter. Mr. Trevor Roberts undated letter received 26th August 2009. "In relation to your pursuit of the matter, I was handed on Friday 21st August the envelope containing all the papers sent to Mr. Stephen Weaver by Mr A Depledge. I therefore restate the company's position in this matter and would refer you to my email to you dated 14th August 2009 and an email of Bryan Lindop's dated 14th August 2009."

All my correspondence to Blackpool Transport Offices and Blackpool Council whether by email, fax or telephone have been conducted in a courteous and respectful manner. My approaches have been made with the best of intentions. As I truly believe in fair play therefore in equal measure each BTS office member (Jean Cox, Guy Thornton and Bryan Lindop) have been given the equal opportunity to be copied into my correspondence. My submissions and genuine transparency should not be misinterpreted or manipulated as harassment or deformation by any members of BTS management or office staff.

Stephen Pierre

It is often the case when a company Chief Executive, Cabinet Minister or Chief Police Officer is faced with a regrettable situation that was inherited from their predecessors that they are often obliged or forced to take the appropriate action by disclosing an acknowledged pardon accordingly. It must never be forgotten my Father's name was cleared by a High Court in 1982. However my Father was clearly wronged by the unfair administration of Blackpool Council's Transport Department before and thereafter. My Father was a good man and did not deserve to be treated in such a disgraceful way. With such an appalling display of management behavior, it is only fit and proper a fully disclosed posthumous pardon from the appropriate body is granted to our family and in the memory of our late Father's good name. Local Authorities and their transport partners or operators are duty bound to provide good ethics and standards. To date there remains a lot of unanswered questions.

Thankfully I have received a great deal of support in my campaign from a number of retired Blackpool Transport staff and several former Councilors/ BTS board members. Several Members of Parliament and retired Police officers have displayed positive support. The Rht Hon Mr. Paul Rowen MP for Rochdale who is well known for being a passionate public transport enthusiast and a big supporter of light rail commented on 27th November 2009 " I am very sorry to hear of what happened to your father, giving his outstanding service in Blackpool for over 42 years. I am also disappointed that he has not received a full apology from Blackpool Council and any recognition of his sterling service. I am very happy for you to add my name to any campaign that you are carrying out, to clear his name and receive the apology that he undoubtedly deserves." I have received stories from drivers involved in public transport accidents from other companies who were treated appropriately and supported properly by their employers. Furthermore I have also received a collection of kind words from many local residents who fondly remember my Father as a charming and polite true gentleman. My Father was a very popular character and was an important part of Blackpool's developing social history between 1967 to 2009.

A source has told me that several BTS board members in October 2009 were talking down my pardon campaign in a derogatory manner and in time I would simply give up my pursuit. Some officials would much rather give the impression to all concerned that my findings are completely unfounded and that I am either "Crazy" or some kind of "Walter Mitty" type character. As a mixed race 38 year old male; in my life experience I have been insulted far worse than this and I feel that their ridiculous comments are simply aimed to divert from my findings and try to discredit my character. I am fortunate to say I do not have any history of poor mental health or any history of alcohol or drug abuse. Furthermore I do not have a criminal history or any convictions and maintain a respectable professional reputation. I guess my findings could have 'unsettled the dust'. The truth of the matter is many professional individuals have found my independent research impressive and of genuine public interest and regret. I hold further strong evidence to support my claims and for legal reasons I have been advised to withhold this information. On this matter one barrister quoted recently "regarding the head-on crash it appears the 'black box' containing evidence, was mysteriously 'lost' but is has appeared some 30 years later". I have many years professional experience of addressing an audience and I am not afraid to stand up and speak out! I hope the Council will allow me the opportunity to attend one of their Council Town Hall meetings and publically present my case to them. All councilors, officials and the general public should be allowed to judge whether I am "Crazy" or question the credibility of Blackpool Transport. This case of 'skullduggery' is a topic no-one cares to talk about freely and remains a regrettable embarrassment to Blackpool Council(?)

I trust the former management team of BCT duly acknowledge their management failings and the terrible injustice they served towards my Father with regret. With their vast experience and integrity, Mr. Tony Depledge in particular (who headed the investigation) should have granted my Father a fully disclosed pardon many years ago. This never happened. Morality was clearly absent from the outset, and I question whether these morals have truly made themselves apparent today. The silence relating to this episode shown from a number of individuals is it due to the sheer fact that no-one can quite understand or explain as to why my Father was treated so badly? Fortunately I have the truth on my side and likewise in recent years, several other regrettable incidents have been rectified by the appropriate bodies accordingly. Despite the hurdles I face I will endeavor to continue my campaign respectfully and with the full support of my brothers and sister. As a family we were blessed with an upbringing of wonderful parents which taught us good morals and respectability.

If the points were not faulty? it would be fair to assume according to the 'rule book' that my Father was not totally blameless. However none of the evidence from the 'investigation' has ever been formally offered to our family. Why? In any event my Father did not deserve to become the victim of a cover up and to have 100% blame wrongly pinned upon his shoulders. Neither did he deserve as an injured man, not to be supported properly by his employers. He was suspended from duty and bullied into accepting a job to which his physical condition was not suited, which ultimately caused a deep vein thrombosis in his right foot. This accident had a profound impact on his life and his family. It was following this head-on collision lessons were learned and the training and awareness to all crews relating to the operation and implementation of rules regarding 'points' were much improved as they are today.

Do you honestly believe The Lancashire Constabulary , The British Transport Police, and bodies such as The Office Of Rail Regulation, The Rail Accident Investigation Branch, The Department of Transport, and the Health and Safety Executives would allow such a whitewash 'investigation' to take place following a public transport accident. Would authorities allow such biased ,and unjust apportionment of blame to be conducted similarly in 2009/2010? Coincidently on the 4th September 2009, once again the points were left incorrectly set at the Pleasure Beach terminus. The Southbound tram this time mistakenly passed a red signal, crossed the points and hit the side of a slow moving vintage tram (Bolton 66). The Northbound tram which had fortunately just set off, and was placed much further forward. On this occasion the conductor involved who had last operated the points (and failed to close them) was sacked and the Southbound driver simply received a written warning and no suspension. A thorough investigation was undertaken. Foremost I am pleased that no-one was injured and secondly it seems no cover up or misgivings occurred happened this time….

The genuine support I have received over the past few months clearly demonstrates that most decent law abiding citizens would righty pursue this matter further if a member of their own family had been injured in a public transport accident and treated appallingly by their employers. May I kindly request if you do support my pardon campaign or if you had the pleasure of meeting my Father and wish to comment on his character or any of the issues I have raised in this correspondence I would be wholly grateful of your support in my endeavors. Please find my contact details below. You will find updated information on the internet social networking site-FACEBOOK a dedicated page entitled "Justice for Darrell Pierre". The BBC TV North West news clip broadcast on the 27th December 2009 is available to view on the FACEBOOK page and on the internet site www.youtube.com Much of the campaign information can also be found online by using the Google Search engine. A further dedicated website www.pardon4darrell-pierre.com is currently in construction. Please ask you're your friends, colleagues and acquaintances to become members of this support group. Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me and I will happily forward paper photo copies of archives, images and cuttings at your request. My posthumous pardon campaign should not be misinterpreted in any form other than to put the record straight, allow our family closure and for my Father to rest in peace with the belated pardon he deserves.

To summarise, the 1980 head-on accident was the first collision of its kind, correct procedures were clearly not adhered to by the former management of BCT. On the balance of probabilities it would appear important accident documents have been 'mislaid' or 'destroyed' purposely due to overwhelming evidence of inappropriate behaviour. In equal measure clearly if there was nothing to hide papers relating to this accident and my father's staff records would have been willingly disclosed to support there was no foul play. I hope the Council officials of today will finally take the opportunity to appreciate the High Court decision of 1982 which was forced upon them albeit with a delay of 27 months (!) I also hope the appropriate body will form a fair and sensible conclusion and an impending pardon is established for which we have been waiting almost 30 years. Blackpool Council have never apologised for wrongly apportioning Darrell Pierre 100% blame and the suffering he endured.

I will be eternally grateful for the many hours of overtime my Father worked to bring up his large family with dignity and pride. He was a true and sincere stoic. He sacrificed opportunities to further his own ambitions for the benefit of his children. Please find enclosed his last picture proudly taken on Wednesday 8th July 2009 at his daughter's honors degree graduation ceremony only four days before he died. (See Photo 25). He encouraged the importance of education and good manners to all his young passengers and the teenagers in the local community. I am proud to have been his son and also proud that he bravely challenged the terrible injustice and discrimination he suffered and rightly took the unfair BCT administration to the Crown Court and respectfully won his case between 1980-1982.

Finally, I trust you have found my Father's case file of interest. May I thank you very much for taking your personal time to read this extensive correspondence and I look forward to hearing from you. As always in the fullness of time the truth remains the same….

Stephen Pierre

DARRELL PIERRE CAMPAIGN GROUP

PO BOX 53575

LONDON SE19 9AY

Email: stephen-pierre@blueyonder.co.uk www.pardon4darrell-pierre.com

Justice for Darrell Pierre Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168490946922&ref=nf

or join the blogoshere: http://philtheone.com/2009/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/