text: The Northern Herald: THE CASE OF THE MISSING POSTS
  Yesterday I posted on the strange goings on at Curly's Corner Shop. Relating to an issue he covered on 29th October 2007 (Gypsies Green Ballot) something contained within the posts comments section has ruffled a few feathers and Curly has been forced to publicly urge restraint when it comes to readers initially having there say on what he has posted on. Feeling a little perturbed, I have revisited the original entry only to find that at least 5 comments have mysteriously disappeared (17 are outlined, but only 12 listed). One of them was mine! How the plot thickens on a daily basis!
  If memory serves me right, my post was certainly "honest and factual" and definitely "friendly, well intentioned, banter". In fact, all that I asked was that a certain "BRENDA" clarify comments she made about vote rigging. As Curly allowed this exchange to remain in the public domain for nearly a week, I can't understand why they have now gone missing in action.
  My concern is how can a comment lead to the words "do not use this blog as a vehicle for smears, slurs or unfounded rumours which could be tested in law", yet from the 29th October to 5th November it remained unchallenged for all and sundry to see? Did it become a smear, a slur or unfounded only as the sands of time washed over it? Clearly not; if it was a dodgy post, it was dodgy from day one! It should have been removed in the first instance, but somebody was happy to see it sit there in the full knowledge that it was libellous. It seems sanctimonious to cry "foul" in the second half of the game when the foul was committed in the first five minutes!
  As yesterday's post clearly states, the blog is "widely read nationally, locally, and within South Shields Town Hall". As Curly also said in his disclaimer, "I have a good friendly working relationship with many politicians in this town". Perhaps it is one of these friends then, who isn't to happy as to what was originally, and very publicly, implied over a 7 day period.
  My well toned Hercule Poirot instincts tell me something is up, and that this "something" aint going to be too good for the Boroughs reputation. Only time will tell, but I have a feeling we won't have to wait to long. Not if the stampede by certain people to distance themselves from the original comment is anything to go by.
  Perhaps this is a case for Inspector Morse, or indeed The Northern Heralds own "Inspector McBribe". Transferred from the Rise Like Lions beat, McBribe will be back detecting again this Friday with "That Was The Week That Was".
  His first crime? "The Case of the Missing Comments"
  Posted by PETER SHAW at 7:59 am
  even I can be guilty of just seeing idle tittle tattle, and that is what I thought it was.
  The greater significance had to be brought to me by an outsider! If I had genuinely known that a libellous statement was being made (am I privy to the inside workings of local Labour Parties?) I would have deleted the comment in an instant.
  7 November 2007 at 00:14
  I'm not sure about this one. Do you think Curly has been 'got at' in some way or worse still threatened?