FROM the icy waters off the coast of Norway to a taxi rank in the middle of Ormskirk, it's been a busy week.

With two people away from The Champion office this week it really has been all hands on deck to get the six editions of the paper finished in time, so I'm eternally grateful to our subeditors for making this week's West Lancashire lead - the story of the Burscough couple who watched an emergency rescue go horribly wrong - look as powerful as it did.

Without wanting to sound too big-headed I honestly think it's one of the best front pages I've had while working at The Champion, and obviously The Mirror agreed because they've picked the story up (with a link back to our paper) for their website. And before you ask, yes, it was an exclusive.

Yet it's often the smaller stories further back in the paper which prompt the biggest reaction, as I've discovered this week with a report I wrote that hackney cab fares in West Lancashire are about to rise by 9%.

Stephen Alexander wrote in to say:

"We are not happy the way you worded your article in the Champion, you failed to say it is 3 years since our last increase, therefore the 9% figure works out at 3% per year,we know it will hit the public but with diesel,insurance,crb,mot,badge and even air to blow up our tyres have all gone up in price,the time has come to increase our prices, we apolagise to the customers but most will understand.

"I must also add that from 380 councils we are 367th in the price table,we try our best to keep our prices as low as possible,but unfortunatley the time has come for us to ask for a small increase. Our thanks to the public of West Lancs for using us and we hope you understand our plight."

Fair point, but I think the numbers speak for themselves: 3% over 3 years is still a 9% increase, whichever way you cut it, and even though I sympathise entirely with taxi firms hit hard by rocketing fuel costs, it's still a cost that's going to get passed on to West Lancashire residents.

Feel free to disagree though.

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