“But what concerns us now is that the presence of otters should be taken into account in city centre development.”For example, there are a few patches of scrub and brambles in the area which are likely to be ‘tidied up’ in future, but are in fact ideal for otters to lie up in They should be left alone, with .. a sign to explain to people what their worth is. “Development land is worth so much money that it’s hard for planners to take anything else into account, but we’re trying to get across .. that otters should be a great asset.”. David Dennis and his mount Kingsmark completed a hat-trick of victories in the Edward Hanmer Memorial Chase at Haydock Park yesterday and another tilt at the Grand National in April is now in prospect. Kingsmark picked up a 6lb penalty for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury at the end of the month but is not certain to run there, the grey’s trainer, Martin Todhunter, said.But Terry Biddlecombe, husband of Chives’s trainer Henrietta Knight, said: “We were thrilled with him. Chives has 10st 4lb in the Hennessy and could run at Newbury if he got his favoured soft ground.”Another Hennessy possible is Takagi, who won the Troytown Chase by five lengths at Navan yesterday.

“We’ll have a look at the Hennessy, depending on whether he’ll get his soft ground and how the handicapper treats him,” Edward O’Grady, the winner’s trainer, said. The lone English raider, Behrajan, finished last of the six contenders and badly disappointed his trainer, Henry Daly.. Brighton Bears went clear at the top of the BBL Championship by stretching their unbeaten start to seven games, with an 84-75 win over the defending champions, Chester Jets, on Saturday and a 105-96 victory at Milton Keynes Lions last night. A three-point play from Lions’ Jason Siemon and two-pointers from Freddie Cole and Joel Burns cut Bears’ lead to 94-89, but Wilbur Johnson, 25 points, and Alderson, with 22, steered the leaders home.John McCord, who led Chester’s scorers with 20 points in the defeat at Brighton, scored another 25 and added 10 rebounds in their 97-82 win against Essex Leopards in Brentwood last night. The Leopards led only once, on Sly McIntosh’s three-pointer for a 47-46 lead, but 9-0 Jets’ run took them clear at 70-60.London Towers moved to fourth by condemning winless Birmingham Bullets to their eighth defeat, by 85-72, at Crystal Palace.

The Towers outscored Bullets 21-6 up to half-time after trailing 30-26, with 6ft 8in Kendrick Warren and 6ft 11in Stuart Robbins inflicting the damage close to the basket. The American Kevin Griffin scored eight points on his debut, including six of the team’s last eight.. Two penalty corner goals from Richard Mantell ensured Reading maintained their one-point lead in the Premier League. The defending champions beat Hampstead and Westminster 4-2 while second-placed Cannock came from behind to run out comfortable 5-2 winners at Canterbury.

They were fortunate that St Albans’ scoring nerve failed them after they breached the Surbiton defence several times. In the scrappy second half, Brett Garrard scored at a penalty corner.Spare a thought for Doncaster’s Stuart Boddy, who scored four times and yet finished on the losing side as Teddington grabbed a 5-4 victory.The First Division leaders Old Loughtonians dropped their first points of the season in a 4-4 draw at Beeston.. Paul Hunter beat Ian McCulloch 9-4 last night to win the British Open at Telford and pocket the £52,000 first prize. When McCulloch, who had beaten John Higgins and Mark Williams earlier in the tournament, did compose himself to win frame four, Hunter replied with a break of 110 and was never again threatened “I was happy with the way I played all week,” Hunter said. “I felt I was the best player all through the tournament and came out on top in the final.”However, McCulloch, who collected £26,000, now rises to a provisional 26th in the rankings and was satisfied with his run to the final.. Jamie Schroeder, who only began rowing in 2001, won the AXA British indoor rowing championship in a time of 5min 46.7sec at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham yesterday. Robin Williams, the Cambridge coach, felt his team had shaded it, but explained that both had suffered recent sickness, with Oxford suffering worst at the Fours Head and the light blues worse off here..