We are delighted to report that our Night Shooting and Lamping training sessions provided for both members and non-members are getting a welcome response from the Pest Control Industry.

Originally started as a pilot training evening course in June 2007 we have now held a series of most successful courses – one in Scotland following our Annual Training Day, one in Cheshire and one in Gloucestershire. In addition, the course held at the conclusion of the Barrettine / NPTA Training Day in June at Shuttleworth College in Bedfordshire attracted another “FULL HOUSE”. This course is attracting great interest from the pest control industry and the farming / gamekeeping fraternity.

Sufficient interest is still being shown so we have penciled in 2 more Courses, one in Bristol and one in Kent, both for September 2008. Currently we are looking for a suitable venue for either in the North East or North West of the country. Watch this space!

The whole course is presented by the double act of Charlie Parkes OBE and John Thornley OBE and is tailored to Pest Control Technicians. Subjects covered included:-

• Lawful target species
• The legality of shooting from vehicles
• Night shooting with a lamp
• Firearm certificate conditions
• Firearm Safety
• Shooting from and over public rights of way
• Health and Safety, safe systems of work and risk assessments
• Insurance
• Codes of Practice

When we have sufficient interest shown by members in different regions we shall arrange regional courses. Obviously this depends on NPTA House creating a ‘waiting list’ so pick up the telephone today and reserve your Regional Course place!

Act today as it may be too late tomorrow!

The cost of the evening course, including Certificate, Refreshments and a most useful, practical and informative CD Rom is £45 + VAT for members and £60 + VAT for non-members.

North East Region CIEH Training Day
This month on Thursday 10th May the NPTA were invited to attend a most successful Training Day at the Marriott Hotel, Gateshead when the subject was "Pest Control Update". Barrie Sheard, our Chairman and main co-ordinator of the Rodent Survey Report 2006 was invited to present a paper on this very Report, and wishes to say the whole day was a great credit to the Organisers, the North East Region of the CIEH.

Other papers were given on such subjects as Bed Bugs (Today's top story), an interesting subject under Health and Safety called "Lone Working" especially relevant to most of the UK Pest Control Industry, Bats, Bees and one entitled "Delusionary Parasitosis" (you know the"Cable Bug" problem we all come across now and again in our day to day jobs!) certainly a fascinating three quarters of an hour for Barrie. He suspects thousands of other people interested in this subject would have found the paper excellent. He is arranging to get an extract from the speaker, subject to his approval, for an article to be placed within a future issue of "Today's Technician".

Interested people may like to know that the NPTA would be only too willing to attend similar days in the future and give a similar presentation on the subject of the NPTA's Rodent Report 2006 - Its history, its findings, how the findings have been used and what of the Future?