diff --git a/threads.py b/threads.py
index 2ccc2b952..cdb3cb95d 100644
--- a/threads.py
+++ b/threads.py
@@ -1,53 +1,52 @@
-__filename__="threads.py"
-__author__="Bob Mottram"
-__license__="AGPL3+"
-__version__="1.1.0"
-__maintainer__="Bob Mottram"
-__email__="bob@freedombone.net"
-__status__="Production"
+__filename__ = "threads.py"
+__author__ = "Bob Mottram"
+__license__ = "AGPL3+"
+__version__ = "1.1.0"
+__maintainer__ = "Bob Mottram"
+__email__ = "bob@freedombone.net"
+__status__ = "Production"
 
 import threading
-import os
 import sys
-import trace
 import time
 import datetime
 
+
 class threadWithTrace(threading.Thread):
     def __init__(self, *args, **keywords):
-        self.startTime=datetime.datetime.utcnow()
-        self.isStarted=False
-        tries=0
-        while tries<3:
+        self.startTime = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
+        self.isStarted = False
+        tries = 0
+        while tries < 3:
             try:
-                self._args,self._keywords=args,keywords
-                threading.Thread.__init__(self,*self._args,**self._keywords)
-                self.killed=False
+                self._args, self._keywords = args, keywords
+                threading.Thread.__init__(self, *self._args, **self._keywords)
+                self.killed = False
                 break
             except Exception as e:
-                print('ERROR: threads.py/__init__ failed - '+str(e))
+                print('ERROR: threads.py/__init__ failed - ' + str(e))
                 time.sleep(1)
-                tries+=1
+                tries += 1
 
     def start(self):
-        tries=0
-        while tries<3:
+        tries = 0
+        while tries < 3:
             try:
-                self.__run_backup=self.run
-                self.run=self.__run
+                self.__run_backup = self.run
+                self.run = self.__run
                 threading.Thread.start(self)
                 break
             except Exception as e:
-                print('ERROR: threads.py/start failed - '+str(e))
+                print('ERROR: threads.py/start failed - ' + str(e))
                 time.sleep(1)
-                tries+=1
+                tries += 1
         # note that this is set True even if all tries failed
-        self.isStarted=True
+        self.isStarted = True
 
     def __run(self):
         sys.settrace(self.globaltrace)
         self.__run_backup()
-        self.run=self.__run_backup
+        self.run = self.__run_backup
 
     def globaltrace(self, frame, event, arg):
         if event == 'call':
@@ -62,81 +61,86 @@ class threadWithTrace(threading.Thread):
         return self.localtrace
 
     def kill(self):
-        self.killed=True
+        self.killed = True
 
-    def clone(self,fn):
-        return threadWithTrace(target=fn, \
-                               args=self._args, \
+    def clone(self, fn):
+        return threadWithTrace(target=fn,
+                               args=self._args,
                                daemon=True)
 
-def removeDormantThreads(baseDir: str,threadsList: [],debug: bool) -> None:
+
+def removeDormantThreads(baseDir: str, threadsList: [], debug: bool) -> None:
     """Removes threads whose execution has completed
     """
-    if len(threadsList)==0:
+    if len(threadsList) == 0:
         return
 
-    dormantThreads=[]
-    currTime=datetime.datetime.utcnow()
-    changed=False
+    dormantThreads = []
+    currTime = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
+    changed = False
 
     # which threads are dormant?
-    noOfActiveThreads=0
+    noOfActiveThreads = 0
     for th in threadsList:
-        removeThread=False
+        removeThread = False
 
         if th.isStarted:
             if not th.is_alive():
-                if (currTime-th.startTime).total_seconds()>10:
+                if (currTime - th.startTime).total_seconds() > 10:
                     if debug:
-                        print('DEBUG: thread is not alive ten seconds after start')
-                    removeThread=True
+                        print('DEBUG: ' +
+                              'thread is not alive ten seconds after start')
+                    removeThread = True
             # timeout for started threads
-            if (currTime-th.startTime).total_seconds()>600:
+            if (currTime - th.startTime).total_seconds() > 600:
                 if debug:
                     print('DEBUG: started thread timed out')
-                removeThread=True
+                removeThread = True
         else:
             # timeout for threads which havn't been started
-            if (currTime-th.startTime).total_seconds()>600:
+            if (currTime - th.startTime).total_seconds() > 600:
                 if debug:
                     print('DEBUG: unstarted thread timed out')
-                removeThread=True
+                removeThread = True
 
         if removeThread:
             dormantThreads.append(th)
         else:
-            noOfActiveThreads+=1
+            noOfActiveThreads += 1
     if debug:
-        print('DEBUG: '+str(noOfActiveThreads) + ' active threads out of '+str(len(threadsList)))
+        print('DEBUG: ' + str(noOfActiveThreads) +
+              ' active threads out of ' + str(len(threadsList)))
 
     # remove the dormant threads
-    dormantCtr=0
+    dormantCtr = 0
     for th in dormantThreads:
         if debug:
-            print('DEBUG: Removing dormant thread '+str(dormantCtr))
-        dormantCtr+=1
+            print('DEBUG: Removing dormant thread ' + str(dormantCtr))
+        dormantCtr += 1
         threadsList.remove(th)
         th.kill()
-        changed=True
+        changed = True
 
     # start scheduled threads
-    if len(threadsList)<10:
-        ctr=0
+    if len(threadsList) < 10:
+        ctr = 0
         for th in threadsList:
             if not th.isStarted:
-                print('Starting new send thread '+str(ctr))
+                print('Starting new send thread ' + str(ctr))
                 th.start()
-                changed=True
+                changed = True
                 break
-            ctr+=1
+            ctr += 1
 
     if not changed:
         return
 
     if debug:
-        sendLogFilename=baseDir+'/send.csv'
+        sendLogFilename = baseDir + '/send.csv'
         try:
             with open(sendLogFilename, "a+") as logFile:
-                logFile.write(currTime.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")+','+str(noOfActiveThreads)+','+str(len(threadsList))+'\n')
-        except:
+                logFile.write(currTime.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ") +
+                              ',' + str(noOfActiveThreads) +
+                              ',' + str(len(threadsList)) + '\n')
+        except BaseException:
             pass