SPEECH TO FULL MEETING OF BURY COUNCIL TONIGHT

Mr Mayor,The Liberal Democrat Group put this motion before Council tonight in an attempt to raise an issue in the borough that could ultimately have serious consequences for safety and crime detection in the area and therefore ultimately undermine the Bury Safe partnership. Greater Manchester Police are either heading for or in a crisis depending on your stand point. 

They are currently heading towards a £5m overspend on their current £560m budget and are in the middle of a radical shake up.Just before Christmas Chief Constable Peter Fahy and his deputy Simon Byrne imposed a 90 day action plan to improve performance. This includes:

• Getting more officers on the beat
• Cutting beaurocracy
• Targeting the worst performing divisions

Failure to succeed in improving GMP performance could lead to Home Office intervention.The affects of the budget overspend could lead to 450 jobs going, potentially 300 officers, although this is hoped to be mitigated by investment in new improved IT systems which is hoped will free up 200 officers from paperwork for frontline services.In addition 2 police stations (neither in Bury) are scheduled to be closed. On top of that there is real fear that GMP could even face a grant reduction which if not compensated by s significantly improved precept, and I doubt it would be, could lead to a £30m plus shortfall – the real disaster scenario. 

So what it will mean if these cuts are implemented is that in absolute terms there will be 100 less police officers and about 150 other positions in addition to two stations closing. Part of the problem faced by GMP is that have struggled to control spending on devolved division budgets. In addition they are now operating under a 3 year precept agreement which whilst it does carry significant benefits for financial management and accountability aligned to targets and performance management, significantly the big big downside is the difficulty in absorbing the financial implications of responding to high profile investigations and unforcasted events. 

Now before you think I’m knocking GMP let me be absolutely clear –  I am not. What I am outlining here is a situation identified and being responded to by Peter Fahy and GMP themselves.  

But whilst GMP are addressing these issues as best they can and with a determination to not only bring their spending under control but to use the opportunity to introduce improvements, they are being hampered, I believe unfairly, by the financial funding formula applied by the Home office.  Read the rest of this entry.

The latest Homewatch Newsletter from Greater Manchester Police features an article promoting a national database called immobilise.com, which enables people to register their valuables in case of theft - making it easier to identify who owns them if they are subsequently recovered as well.

In addition it carries the latest news on any local criminal activities such as the location of the 11 thefts from vehicles in the last week! Plus some very useful contact information.

Don’t forget there are Police surgeries held on the 2nd and 4th tuesday of each month at the Childrens centre at Sedgley Park School, Bishops Road between 4pm and 6pm.

Meanwhile you can view or download the newsletter here: homewatchnewsletter20jan2020.pdf

Commenting on the launch of the Conservatives’ crime section of their draft manifesto, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: 

“The Tories love to tell you they are the party of law and order, when in fact they are the party of crime.“Their disgraceful record in Government speaks for itself – crime nearly doubled, violent crime nearly tripled and robbery quadrupled.  

“A vote for the Tories is a vote for more crime; a vote for more tried and tested policies which don’t work.  

“The Tories cannot be trusted – one of their policies is to reduce one of the few remaining protections from the surveillance state.” 

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South added.“The Conservatives’ crime policies are masked by a total disregard for the causes of crime and an insatiable determination to undermine Police resources. There policies are tough on paper, but don’t add up in the real world. As with their other “policies” pronouncements they are all spin and no substance.” 

In the latest Homewatch newsletter local Police are urging school children not to flaunt expensive gifts publicly.

Thieves will be on the look out for people with new mobile phones/Ipods etc so make sure you keep them safe and try not to flash them about too much!

The newsletter is packed with other useful information and recent crime statistics you can read it here: homewath-newsletter-january.pdf

The Government has just admitted that a massive £3 Billion in benefits were overpaid last year as a result of fraud and error.

It is absolutely staggering to consider that a combination or fraud and errors are seeing such a massive waste in tax payers hard earned money. The Government really does need to get a grip of the situation.

Firstly they need to cut down on official error. It is incredible that officials appear unable to administer a system of their own creation.

Secondly at a time of recession with millions worse off and many in genuine need of support it is crucial the right people get help. At a time when we are all facing the impact of impending spending cuts it’s crucial that money isn’t being poured down the drain due to poor administration. That is obscene.

If they simplified the benefits system it would go a long way to addressing these issues. At present it would appear the officials don’t understand it, claimants can’t get whats due and fraudsters are the key beneficiaries of an over beaurocratic over complex system.

BT is warning customers to be on their guard after a series of phone scams involving people claiming to be calling from the company.

The scammers call up their victim and warn them that their account is in arrears.
They then ask for card or bank details in order to settle the account.
If the person refuses or asks for proof, the fraudsters then offer to prove who they are by disconnecting the phone line then and there.

Once the victim puts the phone down, the scammer stays connected to their line, thus giving the impression that the customer’s line no longer works.

Evidence shows this type of phone scam has been happening all over the country.
Last weekend a number of elderly people in Suffolk fell victim to the scam; there have also been cases in the past year all over England and Wales.

Graham Preston, the lead officer for scams at Trading Standards, admits this type of phone fraud is around.
“Scams sadly are very common, they are variations of a theme and this particular scam seems to be prevalent at the moment,” he said.

He warns people to be on guard.
“In terms of advising people, keep your wits about you, be cynical. If somebody calls you, mistrust them if you have to, or don’t trust them,” he said.

“Particularly if they are asking for money, if they want your credit card details don’t be afraid to say no,” he added.

BT says it does sometimes make calls to customers about debt - but stresses that it never carries out disconnections during the call.

It advises customers not to give out any banking details over the phone unless they are absolutely certain who they are dealing with.

Is the world going mad? Are all men guilty until proved innocent? Is there so much danger exposed to our children when they take part in organised events?

The Government have today announced that parents who regularly drive children for sports or social clubs will have to undergo criminal record checks or face fines of up to £5,000 under new rules.

Along with parents who host foreign exchange students, they will fall under the scope of the Vetting and Barring Scheme, the Home Office has confirmed.

There is a real suggestion here that Government is losing the plot on this issue. At the very least it is a further civil liberties intrusion, at worst it will threaten the existence of small sports and other clubs.

What next ? Why not check out prospective fathers when their partners get pregnant? Why not get schools to carry out checks on parents who want to place their kids in their school?

It’s frankly ridiculous and we are in serious danger now of moving to a society of visible and invisible checkpoints. Perhaps this was one of the aims of the ID card scheme - they could carry our criminal record check details 

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the government was “in danger of creating a world in which we think every adult who approaches children means to do them harm”.

“Should parents who give other people’s children a lift to sports matches really face a £5,000 fine and criminal record if they fail to register?”

I wonder how long will it be before they extend this to the elderly or the disabled?

The worlds gone crazy.

I was horrified to read the latest report from the Community Security Trust (CST) into anti-semitic incidents for the first half of the year.

Unfortunately the report is grim reading with a record number of incidents reported in the 6 months to June.

Overall they have catalogued 609 incidents for the first six months compared to 544 for the whole of last year and 276 for the first six months of last year. In the Manchester area there were 143 incidents compared to 125 for the whole of last year.

The CST report identifies an upsurge in issues following the violence in Gaza in January.

These incidents are totally unacceptable and clearly every effort by the authorities has to be made to tackle anti-semitic based violence and assaults of any kind, whether verbal, physical, against the person or property. In our society there is no place for this.

Anti-semitism cannot be justified by the actions of the Israeli Government past or present and is in effect a warped excuse for extremism.

Read the full report here anti-semitic-incidents_report_jan_june_09.pdf

There were 24 burglaries reported in the last week in Bury and over half were due to open windows and unlocked doors.

Due to the warm weather residents have been leaving windows open and effectively providing an invitation to burglars. Police are warning residents to be vigilant and keep windows and doors closed and locked when out of the house.

See attached Bury Homewatch newsletter for more information and recent crime statistics here. homewatch-newsletter.pdf

Police investigated a quite staggering 300 cases of child abuse in Bury last year and a further 180 complaints from residents worried about child welfare etc.

Vic D’Albert commented, “These are frankly frightening statistics and in many ways a sad reflection on modern society. I just hope and pray that these statistics represent most if not all of the “iceberg” rather than the tip. There is no place for abuse in our society whether child or elder abuse and I would implore anyone who is worried about an individuals welfare and the possibility of abuse to contact the authorities immediately. I also applaud the Police and Council officers for their efforts and diligence in what must often be very trying and disturbing circumstances.”

Bury Police also confirmed that between 90 and 110 incidents of domestic violence are reported in Bury each week. The unit also investigates 120 reports of serious sexual offences each year, including 40 rapes, and 300 video interviews per year are conducted with vulnerable witnesses and victims. Around 100 complaints are received in Bury each year about the abuse of elderly and vulnerable people.

To report a crime contact the unit by calling (0161) 872 5050.

This was the week that…

·         Allegations into the misuse of MPs’ expenses continued – one MP claimed for his ‘servants’ quarters’ [more]

·         Labour and Tory MPs decided to stand down over their expenses claims [more]

·         Former Labour Deputy Leader Roy Hattersley called for ministers who avoided paying tax to be sacked [more]

·         Nick Clegg, writing for the Guardian, set out his proposals for electoral and constitutional reform [more]

·         A number of Cabinet ministers and former ministers called for electoral reform [more]; [more]

·         The Treasury’s economic forecasts were doubted by a survey that it commissioned [more]

·         The BNP faced the prospect of an inquiry into their funding [more]

·         David Cameron was criticised for failing to wear a seatbelt in his latest party political broadcast [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         The government’s mortgage rescue scheme has only helped two households in four months [more]

·         Despite government attempts, social mobility in the UK is still falling under Labour [more]

·         Mortgage lending has hit a new low [more]

·         The taxpayer has funded a former Tory spin doctor to the tune of £66,000 through Tory MPs’ expenses [more]

·         Conservative proposals could force a British exit from the EU, claims a group of senior lawyers [more]

·         Tory and UKIP MEPs are the worst UK MEPs for voting for EU transparency and reform [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Launched the campaign for fundamental political reform [more] and http://www.takebackpower.org/

·         Challenged UKIP MEPs to publish their expenses claims as Lib Dem MEPs have [more]

·         Renewed calls for extra police officers to tackle the credit crunch crime wave [more]

·         Highlighted concerns arising from the nationalising of banks [more]

·         Cast doubt on train punctuality figures [more]

·         Demanded the publication of MI5 agents’ guidelines [more]

·         Called for the FSA to launch an allegation into financial irregularities at HBOS [more]

This was the week that…

·         The Speaker of the House of Commons bowed to pressure and stood down [more]

·         The government finally backed down and granted Gurkhas and their families the right to settle in the UK [more]

·         Two Labour Lords became the first peers to be suspended from the House of Lords since 1642 [more]

·         The government’s car scrappage scheme got off to a chaotic start [more]

·         A Tory MP blamed the outcry over MPs expenses on public ‘jealousy’ [more]

·         The UK’s reputation suffered on credit markets as the outlook for government debt was downgraded [more]

·         A business leader attacked the government’s ‘economic vandalism’ [more]

·         Labour sunk to an all-time-low in opinion polls [more]

·         A group of Lib Dem MPs were named ‘heroes of the week’ [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Car production fell 55% in April [more]

·         Household spending has fallen at the fastest rate since 1980 this year [more]

·         Mortgage lending fell again in April, this time by 9% [more]

·         The government has paid out £15bn too much in tax credits since 2003 [more]

·         Spending on NHS management consultants has trebled in the last two years [more]

·         The UK economy has slid further into deflation [more]

·         Prison violence is increasing [more]

·         Government buildings, including the Department for Energy and Climate Change are not meeting green standards [more]

·         Jo Swinson, Lib Dem MP, has made the most parliamentary contributions of any Scottish MP [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Challenged the government to make the difficult decisions needed to cut the budget deficit [more]

·         Called for a complete transformation in the way politics is conducted [more]

·         Revealed that 24,000 people die prematurely every year in Britain due to air pollution [more]

·         Showed how the government managed to block the creation of 10,000 new jobs [more]

·         Held the government to account for failing to tackle Britain’s alcohol problems [more]

·         Uncovered a huge rise in sexually transmitted diseases among under 16s [more]

·         Warned that the UK is facing a junior doctors crisis [more]

·         Federal Executive published its response to the revelations of misuse of MPs expenses [more]

·         Lord Rennard announced he would be stepping down in September for health and family reasons after six years as Chief Executive of the party [more]

The present overwhelming media and public pre-occupation with the expense claims of our MP’s though understandable and necessary to a degree, is also in danger of turning into a persecution of politicians that will only serve to damage democracy, undermine the governing of the country (remember we are supposed to be fighting a recession!) and could lead to the rise of extremism and social disorder.

I would urge the Daily Telegraph who have led the media expose’ of expense cheating MP’s to now publish the remainder of their news on this issue rather than dragging it out seemingly forever. We need to reach a point where we can say OK that’s that, lets move forward. Neverending revelations are not helping the process.

It should be clear to vitually everyone now that our steeped in tradition parliament is in a mess, out dated customs and practices need to be swept away and replaced by modern practices. The “gentlemens club” needs to change radically. That means greater public accountability in all things from expenses to voting.  And yes, the speaker should resign.

As for expense cheating MP’s. In order to show public accountability MP expenses need to be scrutinised by an independant body and those that made genuine mistakes should repay their expenses, however those that have made serious breaches (bordering on the criminal in my mind), should resign their seats and either face a by-election or stand aside for someone else. Those that refuse should have the party whip removed.

Only then can the public who put them in Parliament in the first place, pass proper judgement on them.

Frankly its no good MP’s claiming they are going to ”pay it back” and brandishing cheques on national television. It shouldn’t have happened in the first instance.

Finally the Commons Fees Office that deals with expense claims needs to be modernised and  along with a more appropriate and streamlined/simplified allowance code should be run with greater emphasis on rigorous checking.

Perhaps then we can start to rebuild public confidence that our MP’s are true, honest and worthy representatives of the people they are elected to serve.

This was the week that…

·         Parliament was rocked by revelations about the misuse of MPs expenses [more]

·         One of David Cameron’s closest aides was forced to quit over his ‘unacceptable’ expenses claims [more]

·         Labour suspended a former minister from the parliamentary party [more] and accepted the resignation of the Justice Minister over the expenses scandal [more]

·         Two Labour peers faced suspension from the House of Lords after being found guilty of intending to accept money to amend legislation [more]

·         An opinion poll showed that Labour support has fallen to a record low [more]

·         A poll of Euro-election voting intentions showed a three-way tie for second place, with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP all on 19% [more]

·         European leaders criticised Cameron’s decision to move his party to the fringes of European politics [more]

·         Nick Clegg’s public approval rating continued to rise [more]

·         An expert on crime reduction said Labour had failed in its pledge to be ‘tough on the causes of crime’ [more]

·         On Burnley Council, Labour and Tory councillors teamed up with 4 BNP councillors to try to unseat the Lib Dem council leader [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         The number of unemployed jumped 244,000 in the first three months of the year [more]

·         BT announced that it is to cut 15,000 jobs, mostly in the UK [more]

·         100 primary schools are closing every year as demand for places looks set to grow [more]

·         Alistair Darling’s economic forecasts are over-optimistic, according to the Bank of England [more]

·         Teenage crime has soared 60% under New Labour [more]

·         The government has cut funding by 25% for five key environmental initiatives [more]

·         Only 13% of terrorism arrests lead to convictions [more]

·         Gordon Brown is “brutal” and has “anything but” a moral compass according to a former aide [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Launched their European Election campaign under the slogan ‘Stronger Together Poorer Apart’ [more]

·         Wrote to party leaders urging them to fully accept the recommendations of the investigation into MPs’ expenses [more]

·         Called for intercept evidence to be made admissible in court in terrorism cases [more]

·         Welcomed proposals for a mandatory code on alcohol sales [more]

·         Revealed the environmental impact of the government’s major road schemes [more]

·         Uncovered the fact that over 15,000 farmers earn less than the minimum wage [more]

·         Argued for a shift in focus in crime policy - from punishment to crime prevention [more]

·         Pushed for an investigation into allegations against the police at the G20 protests [more]

All combined for a typically broad ranging Prestwich Area Partnership meeting at Heaton Park School last night.

FESTIVAL

Area Partnership manager Carran O’Grady and Festival Organiser David Curtis gave a joint presentation on arrangements for the 1st Prestwich Festival which kicks off on sunday with the Clough Day in St.Mary’s Flower Park. From an initial hope that we may have about 10 events this inaugural festival has grown to a whopping 50 events. Much credit must go to the efforts of David and Carran amongst others.

OASIS

The Area partnership had requested an update on arrangements for the June Oasis concerts in Heaton Park.  Questioners asked about toilet provision, parking arrangements and security. There were also concerns raised about access to homes and polling stations. A 700 car parking facility will be available at Bowlee ticket holders are being advised that there is no local parking available. In addition there will be a massive security operation, including wheel clamping and monitoring of public drinking etc.

YOUNG PEOPLE

The partnership received a presentation from a representative of the Youth Inclusion Support Panel (YISP). YISP tries to intervene to help young people avoid the slippery slope to crime by intervening through referalls when young people get involved in anti-social behaviour. They help and support young people in meeting acceptable standards, adhering to ascceptable behaviour contracts etc and advising and offering help on youth issues.

HEALTHY EATING 

As opposed to tackling the the obese the NHS has instead launched a massive £75m campaign to encourage healthy eating. I’m sure most will have seen the nationwide TV advertising campaign. Basically it places greater emphasis on encouraging better, healthier eating habits and more exercise. It encourages parents to review what food they provide, portion control etc and develop more exercising for their children and themselves.

POLICE REPORT

PC Andy Ferguson gave a brief report at the end of the meeting informing the partnership that following a sustained campaign on Polefield the gang of young people that had caused much nuisance had been broken up and the estate is now much quieter.

There is to be a further campaign against the illegal use of quad bikes and scooters shortly. The campaign over last bank holiday weekend was a big success with several bikes confiscated. 

The Governments response to a European Court ruling that its DNA database of 4.5 million people is illegal, is to time limit the keeping of records for innocent and cleared citizens.

The Government says it is because offenders are likely to re-offend within that timescale, thus missing the point completely that the “unfair” and illegal records are for those proven innocent or not even charged!

What the Government is effectively saying to its citizens is, “OK, we couldn’t prove it this time, but we think you will commit a crime - so we’re going to take the evidence now so we can use it against you later”.

If you can understand the need to do that in a democracy with an independent judiciary and justice system based upon the doctrine of “innocent until proved guilty” please explain, cos’ I must be missing something!

The Government plans to retain DNA for those found not guilty or not charged of serious and sexual crimes for 12 years, lesser crimes for 6.

And what happens when a database containing the names and addresses of those on the 12 year list goes missing, like details of missile systems etc etc etc.

The fact of the matter is that the Government wants the DNA of every man, woman and child in the country, that’s the only way this can ever make any kind of sense. They can’t get away with that so this is their next best option. But its unfair, intrusive, unnecessary, undemocratic and an offence against personal liberty.

In Scotland they have a system where records are retained for 3 years. The police may apply for an extension , but they have to show reasonable justification and get court permission. That is at least fairer with a check against unnecessary retention. 

ID Cards, databases, access to emails and phone calls, surveillance by local councils - I’m just waiting for curfews, greater censorship and social genetic engineering and then i’ll be off. 

Leading local Lib Dem, Vic D’Albert, Parliamentary candidate for Bury South has called for a boycott of the proposed Manchester pilot ID card scheme.

Home Secretary,Jacqui Smith has announced that Manchester has been selected as a pilot area for the voluntary ID card scheme, which will be launched in the autumn.

Vic D’Albert said, “This scheme should be scrapped now. The fact that the Government are intent on pressing ahead with this discredited scheme just shows they are in complete denial about the  cost, the value and the flaws of this scheme.

“At a time when Government finances are in a mess the last thing we should be doing is spending £5 billion on ID cards. Why not plough that money into more Police?

“My advice to anyone in Manchester would be to boycott this scheme, its not needed , it’s a waste of money, it won’t stop crime or terrorism. But it will eat billions of pounds of public money and enable the Government to store more data on you and your family.

“No to ID cards. Scrap the scheme now.”

This was the week that…

·         The World Health Organisation warned of the threat of a pandemic as swine flu spread across the world [more]

·         Gordon Brown was forced to make concessions in his plans to reform MPs expenses [more]

·         Labour MPs, including two former Home Secretaries, queued up to criticise Gordon Brown and his government [more]; [more]; [more]

·         The government made a u-turn on their communications database plans [more]

·         And the government also cancelled plans for Titan prisons following Lib Dem opposition to the scheme [more]

·         The Home Secretary who launched ID cards called for the scheme to be scrapped [more]

·         Gordon Brown was snubbed by the Pakistani President on a visit to the region [more]

·         The van maker LDV went into administration [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         A record number of people were declared bankrupt in the first quarter of the year [more]

·         Government departments are set to miss their own carbon-cutting targets [more]

·         Labour has lost half its voters from the 2005 election [more]

·         A Labour Minister bet against Labour winning the next election [more]

·         The recession can be “constructive” – according to one Labour Minister [more]

·         Tory parliamentary candidates are more socially conservative and less green than the leadership line [more]

·         The Tories tried to recruit a BNP member to stand as a councillor, saying the parties “sing from the same hymn sheet” [more]

·         David Cameron took an all expenses paid trip to apartheid South Africa as a young party worker [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Defeated the government over Gurkha rights – the first time since the 1970s that a government has been defeated on an opposition day motion [more]

·         Revealed that the government’s mortgage rescue scheme has only helped one household [more]

·         Nick Clegg wrote to other party leaders to try to find a solution to the issues of MPs pay and expenses [more]

·         Welcomed government climbdowns on databases [more] and Titan prisons [more]

·         Criticised the policy that has led to a huge increase in imprisonment of mentally ill offenders [more]

·         Demanded tougher building regulations to prevent an “environmental catastrophe” [more]

·         Uncorked the statistic that the government has a wine cellar worth nearly £800,000 [more]

This was the week that…

·         The Budget was unveiled to severe criticism, revealing the dire state of the nation’s finances [more]

·         Labour broke their election manifesto promise by raising the top rate of income tax to 50% [more]

·         The Education Minister and the General Secretary of the Labour Party were drawn into the email smears scandal [more]; [more]

·         The Education Minister faced further criticism for allegedly ‘sexing up’ evidence given to an inquiry [more]

·         Francis Maude became the latest Conservative politician to become embroiled in an expenses scandal [more]

·         A former Labour MP resigned from the party, citing the culture of spin as her reason [more]

·         The Lib Dems new tax proposals were well received by influential political figures [more]

·         Unison, a Labour supporting union, attacked the government over their “childish venom” [more]

·         Allegations of ballot-box tampering threw the selection of a Labour parliamentary candidate into further controversy [more]

·         A leading think-tank said that the government’s income tax rises could lose the Treasury money [more] 

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Unemployment has hit a new high of 2.1m [more]

·         The national debt has crept over 50% of GDP [more]

·         Deflation has arrived in Britain for the first time in 50 years [more]

·         The IMF are far less optimistic about the economy than Alistair Darling [more]

·         1 in 10 households are struggling to pay their council tax this year [more]

·         The care system is “catastrophic” for vulnerable children a report concludes [more]

·         The number of burglaries has risen for the second quarter in a row [more]

·         UK youth are some of the unhappiest in Europe [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Launched tax proposals including a pledge to cut income tax £700 for low and middle income earners [more]

·         Attacked the Budget as “a political supermarket sweep of random promises” [more]

·         Reacted to the Budget’s proposals for housing [more], broadband networks [more], car scrappage [more], energy [more] pensions [more], child poverty [more] and college funding [more]

·         Gained council seats from Labour, the Conservatives and an Independent in a spectacular week of council by-election results north and south of the border [more]; [more]

·         Nick Clegg rejected Gordon Brown’s proposals for reforming the system of MPs expenses [more]

·         Warned that the UK was facing a “credit crunch crime wave” [more]

·         Demanded that David Miliband corrects the Parliamentary record over torture allegations [more]

·         Led a debate calling on the government to provide greater support to armed forces veterans [more]

·         Criticised banks for charging exorbitant credit card interest rates [more]

·         Called for greater support for the children of nuclear test veterans [more]

 I have attached the latest report from our local Prestwich neighbourhood Police.

During March there were 74 violent acts against the person, Reported crime would appear to be up on last year with 441 incidents reported in March compared to 539 for the 3 months from January to March 2008.

Similarly anti-social behaviour incidents seem to be on the rise with 355 reported incidents in March.

Sergeant Campbells update is below meanwhile you can read the full Crime and ASB report for March here:police-report-march-09.pdf 

Sergeant Campbell writes:

“Hope you all had a peaceful Passover and Easter Break.I am pleased to attach the latest Prestwich Neigbourhood Policing Team and a contact details of all my Prestwich Neighbourhood Police Team.

I can tell you that the graffiti offender who committed over 60 offences throughout Prestwich recently has been caught and legal proceedings are in progress.

May I remind you that as we approach the nicer weather please take time to keep your property secure.  Don’t leave doors and windows open, this just invites burglaries. 

It is fact that reported burglaries increase during the nicer weather due to home owners own insecurities during the summer.

Let’s work together to fight crime.“

Sergeant Ian Campbell

Telephone 0161 856 4528/9 (Answer Phone Facility)
e-mail : prestwich.npt@gmp.police.uk

Don’t forget the local police are represented at meetings of Prestwich Area Partnership at which you have an opportunity to raise issues directly. The next meeting of the Partnership is May 14th from 6.30pm at Heaton Park Primary School, Cuckoo Lane.

This was the fortnight that…

·         Gordon Brown’s key aide’s plans to smear senior Tories and their families were exposed [more]

·         And Gordon Brown eventually accepted responsibility [more]

·         The Home Secretary came under pressure following the collapse of the case against Damian Green MP [more]

·         A DNA pioneer attacked the government for storing the DNA of innocent people [more]

·         The Chancellor admitted that his previous economic forecasts were wildly optimistic [more]

·         The CBI attacked the government’s environmental policy [more]

·         Two organisations criticised the government’s ‘knee jerk’ crime and prison policies [more]; [more]

·         A teachers’ union called for a boycott of SATs [more] and adopted a Lib Dem policy [more]

·         A high profile Tory MEP branded the NHS a “mistake” [more]

·         A former Tory councillor was jailed for a year for abusing his expenses privileges [more]

·         Vince Cable published a “lucid and eloquent” book on the recession to positive reviews [more]

Over the last fortnight we learnt that…

·         The UK economy will not recover from the recession until 2012 [more]

·         A bailed-out bank will cut a further 4,500 UK jobs [more]

·         Unemployment will reach 3.2m by 2010 [more]

·         UK industrial production is falling at the fastest rate in four decades [more]

·         Car sales have fallen 30.5% in the last year [more]

·         The government have overpaid the Irish health service – possibly by €750m in the last five years [more]

·         Cost-cutting in the NHS is responsible for 4,000 blunders a year and putting up to 1m patients at risk [more]

·         The Treasury will be left with a £39bn public sector spending gap by 2015 [more]

·         Two thirds of small businesses feel they are not getting enough government support [more]

·         Three ministers have claimed their second home allowances while living in grace-and-favour apartments [more]; [more]; [more]

·         The leader of the Green Party thinks flying to Spain is as bad as stabbing someone in the street [more]

Over the last fortnight the Liberal Democrats…

·         Criticised the governments plans for a new generation of nuclear power plants [more]

·         Rejected government proposals to dock alcoholics’ benefits as ‘inhumane’ [more]

·         Dismissed the government’s new electric car policy as a ‘gimmick’ [more]

·         Uncovered the fact that the NHS is paying the government £81m at a rate of up to 5.6% [more]

·         Published research showing that 4 patients a day die in mental health trusts [more]

·         Revealed that the number of anaphylactic shock cases has doubled in ten years [more]

·         Found that the government’s VAT cut is principally benefiting the rich [more] 

·         Discovered that the dole is worth less now than in the previous two recessions [more]

·         Condemned a proposed 30% price hike by water companies [more]

Despite recent assurances, notably at the recent Prestwich Area Partnership, I am growing increasingly concerned about aspects of preparation for the Oasis concerts in June.

I understand that despite initial suggestions to the contrary it is now expected that half the numbers attending these gigs will be travelling from out of the area by car or coach etc - that’s an influx of 35,000 using private transport on our local roads.

In addition I am concerned that the provision of portable toilets is likely to be wholly inadequate.

It also surely makes sense that we introduce some form of Residents permit for key blocks of residential areas adjacent to the park. If these events are to be a success then that means local residents won’t suffer unecessarily as well.

I will be seeking assurances over the coming week that these aspects will be re-examined. We need a committment from the organisers that the safety of local people and the Prestwich environment will be protected.

This was the week that…

·         World leaders met in London and agreed to pump $1 trillion into the world economy [more]

·         A report showed that only 0.6% of the Government’s fiscal stimulus will be spent on green measures [more]

·         At least 4,000 jobs were lost in the UK across a range of sectors [more]

·         The UN named and shamed the UK over its response to the Somali refugee crisis [more]

·         The Home Secretary was criticised for charging the taxpayer for her husband’s adult films [more]

·         An inquiry began into a millionaire’s donations to the Tory party [more]

·         21 NHS trusts failed to meet new hygiene standards [more]

·         Lord Myners came under pressure to resign after he was accused of misleading Parliament [more]

·         A Select Committee called for the National Curriculum to be slimmed down – a Lib Dem policy [more]

·         The scandal into MPs expenses showed no sign of disappearing [more]; [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Unemployment will hit 3 million within two years [more]

·         The national DNA database has grown 40% in two years and now has more than 5 million people on it [more]

·         There are 10% fewer hospital beds today than there were three years ago [more]

·         The Government’s adult literacy drive is failing and wasting billions according to a government adviser [more]

·         According to most measures, house prices continued to fall in March [more]; [more]

·         Boris Johnson proposes to cut his environmental team in half [more]

·         160,000 kids left primary school without basic English and Maths competency [more]

·         Older people do not have fair access to mental health services in most mental health trusts [more]

·         The Europe Minister hasn’t read the Lisbon Treaty [more]

·         Conservative run Bournemouth Council are employing a transport manager who lives in Edinburgh – and paying £200,000 a year for his travel expenses [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Challenged Gordon Brown to turn the G20 agreement into real help for British people [more]

·         Led a debate challenging the Government in the House of Lords over tax havens [more]

·         Unveiled research showing that 80% of hospitals do not pass on knife crime information to the police [more]

·         Led a debate calling for a step up in nuclear non-proliferation action in the House of Lords [more]

·         Proposed a bill to end discrimination in the line of succession to the throne [more]

·         Highlighted shocking figures showing that prison assaults took place every half an hour in 2008 [more]

·         Called for the same guarantees of access for mental health care as for other health services [more]

Last nights Area Partnership meeting at Sedgley Park School was billed as “the one not to miss”, and I think it lived up to expectations.

The meeting was well attended - although most members of the public were there to here further about proposals for the development of Prestwich Village or arrangements for the Oasis concerts in Heaton Park. Key highlights included:

Prestwich Festival

Panel and residents received an update on progress for this years inaugural Prestwich Festival which will run from May 17th to June 21st.

David Curtis who leads the carnival organising committee and is coordinating the Festival on behalf of the AP gave an update and confirmed that at present there are 25 events scheduled to take place. Starting with the Clough day on May 17th and climaxing with the Carnival on June 21st.

More events are being finalised and added all the time so its a case of wait and see. The Prestwich Festival programme will be printed in the next month and will schedule out all the events.  

Oasis concerts

3 concerts are too take place in Heaton Park on 4th, 6th and 7th June with Oasis headlining. Many residents have expressed concern at these proposed concerts. Especially with regard to home security, traffic, anti-social behaviour  etc.

The event promoters attended alongside the Manchester City Council project manager and a representative of the Event traffic and & transport management company. They addressed concerns raised and informed residents that a information leaflet is to be delivered shortly and a hotline number is to be established. Inspector Ryecroft confirmed that there will be a massive police operation to maintain security. In addition a private security firm are to be deployed.

Its fair to say that concerns still remain about traffic and parking issues and the impact across Prestwich, although they will be directing traffic through Middleton Road. and from Bowker vale Tram station.

Prestwich Centre Regeneration

Representatives of Hollins Murray Group the owners of the precinct - gave a presentation on their plans for the precinct following the proposals formulated by Urbed and subject to extensive consultation. Plans were also made available to view. Essentially at present they are not significantly dissimilar from the Urbed love-prestwich vision plans and that can only be good. Obviously it is relatively early in the process still and HMG informed the meeting that an Outline Planning Application would be submitted shortly. It would be fair to say that the presentation and proposals were well received from those that asked questions or made comment.

Police Report

Inspector Ryecroft reported on the last crime and security situation. he outlined that there has been a spate of burglaries across the area  and a drop in anti-social behaviour generally - although Holyrood ward remains the worst affected.

Graffiti was raised by a number of residents and Inspector Ryecroft was delighted to report that a main culprit has been caught who has confessed to 65 graffiti offences.

Next meeting: May 14th, Heaton Park School, Cuckoo Lane. 

Greater Manchester Police lost more than 830 working days in a single year because of assaults on their officers, new figures reveal. 

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South said: “Violence against police officers is totally unacceptable. Police officers are clearly not being provided with the protection that they need to do their jobs. 

“Current measures are clearly not effective enough 832 days are lost because of attacks on Greater Manchester Police officers. 

“There must be zero tolerance on attacks, abuse and threats of violence and this means prosecuting the offenders and putting them through the courts. We must send out a strong message that the strongest possible action will be taken to prosecute any attacks on our Police Officers. 

“Our Police do a tremendous job in often difficult and dangerous conditions. They need to know that everything possible is being done to protect them. They deserve to know that the Government is doing all it can – they deserve those assurances.

Figures show that 34 forces lost a total of 15,338 officer working days due to assaults in the latest year for which figures are available.  Most badly hit was the Metropolitan Police, with 5,848 days lost, followed by West Midlands (1,166), Northumbria (1,075) and then Greater Manchester. The figures were released in a written parliamentary answer from Policing Minister Vernon Coaker. 

Last nights meeting of Polefield TRA was hopefully a turning point in the fortunes of the organisation and the estate.

Local police were in attendance with Anti-social behaviour officers. They are currently organising a clamp down on anti-social behaviour and crime etc on the estate as part of a concerted effort to restore the fortunes of the estate and improve community spirit and confidence.

As part of this coordinated efforta number of initiatives are planned for residents - young and old. It’s too early to go into detail yet, but I hope this is at long last the much needed breakthrough this estate and the decent long suffering residents have been waiting for. Watch this space!

Bury Liberal Democrats are calling for a commitment from Bury Council to clamp down on graffiti across the borough. 

The Lib Dems have launched a “6 to fix graffiti” campaign and are challenging the Conservative-run Council to take a zero-tolerance approach to the problem. 

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Bury South commented, “Bury Council has failed to tackle the problem of graffiti. We have to show our support for local people who are the victims of this crime, and our commitment to our community which shouldn’t have to put up with vandalism like this.” 

“Despite graffiti being an issue for several months now, all the Tories at the Town Hall have done so far is issue Area Partnerships a few graffiti cleaning kits. While that’s a start it’s a wholly inadequate response to the problem. They are telling us we should clean the mess ourselves, but it’s the Council that should be tackling the problem. The Conservatives running Bury Council talk about writing a policy, but it’s taking months and it’s not getting rid of any graffiti.”  

“It’s time Bury Conservatives showed some leadership on this issue and worked alongside local police, residents groups and others to tackle the problem head on. It’s spoiling our town”

Local Lib Dems have identified 6 points they would like to see developed to fix the problem of graffiti.

1. Local people – encouraged to challenge graffiti, report graffiti 
2. Bury Council – to commit  to clean up graffiti quickly
3. Local Businesses – pledge to clean up graffiti on their property 
4. Police – to catch the offenders and punish them including getting them to clean their own mess up
5. Schools & Youth Service– to educate and challenge pupil perceptions and opinions
6. Utitility Companies – to work with Bury Council and commit to cleaning sites swiftly. 

“We believe we have been patient with Bury Council, but now we need action not more warm words from Bury Conservatives. Let’s see some commitment to our communities, A coordinated effort and zero tolerance.” 

This was the week that…

·         Unemployment passed the 2m mark for the first time in 12 years [more]

·         The IMF predicted that the recession in Britain will be the worst in the developed world [more]

·         Evidence grew of the Government’s complicity in torture [more]

·         NHS target culture was blamed for up to 1,200 people dying unnecessarily at a Staffordshire hospital [more]

·         The NHS was criticised for spending millions on unproven schemes [more]

·         The Immigration minister announced plans for a detention centre outside Calais – although no one in France had heard of the plan [more]

·         After Lib Dem pressure, the government backed down on plans to share data between departments [more]

·         Senior Labour figures lined up to criticise the PM and make him accept blame [more] ; [more]

·         The Government Chief Whip accused his own backbenchers of “idleness” [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Car production fell by almost 60% in January [more]

·         Each adult in Britain is an average of £40,000 worse off because of the recession [more]

·         Gordon Brown was warned over Britain’s weak regulatory regime in 2004 – and did nothing [more]

·         2m people will be on the waiting list for social housing by 2011 [more]

·         The UK will borrow more money than any other major economy next year [more]

·         Britain is giving less help to the country’s poor in the recession than other G8 nations [more]

·         Youth crime has soared over the last 10 years under Labour [more]

·         The Government’s new Department for Energy and Climate Change is in chaos [more]

·         Housing prisoners in police stations has proved more expensive than the Ritz per night [more]

·         The Government has spent £780,000 on flowers in four years [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Condemned the Government over their management of the Northern Rock crisis [more]

·         Exposed a £2bn black hole in the government’s unemployment benefits estimates

·         Challenged the Prime Minister over the Government’s “frenzied” target culture [more]

·         Attended the launch of a cross-party campaign for a ‘Post Bank’ (a long-standing Lib Dem policy) [more]

·         Revealed shocking statistics about alcohol related youth hospital admissions [more]

·         Heaped pressure onto the Government to open a public inquiry into the invasion of Iraq [more]

·         Called for a green road out of recession and criticised the Government’s neglect of the environment [more]

THIS WAS THE WEEK THAT…

·         House sales fell to their lowest level in at least 31 years [more]

·         The recession in the UK continued to gather pace [more]

·         A United Nations report declared that the UK had breached human rights [more]

·         Government divisions over the need to apologise for the economic crisis continued to grow [more]

·         A former cabinet minister publicly attacked Gordon Brown on Labour’s lack of ‘narrative’ [more]

·         Labour MPs rounded on the PM at Prime Minister’s Questions [more]

·         A business leader said that the government was focusing on ‘red herrings’ [more]

·         Government ministers failed to comprehensively reveal their financial interests [more]

·         A Tory MEP described climate change as a ‘media driven frenzy’ [more]

·         A Labour mayor resigned after his arrest over corruption charges [more]

OVER THE LAST WEEK WE LEARNT THAT….

·         Continued systematic failings in the social services are leaving vulnerable children at risk [more]

·         Almost one playing field a day was sold in 2008 despite government commitments to reverse this trend [more]

·         Many elderly people are looked after by untrained staff in unclean care homes [more]

·         One in six children did not get into their first choice secondary school [more]

·         New Royal Navy destroyers will be delivered £1.5bn over budget and two years late [more]

·         The private sector pension deficit is at a record £219bn – and is still growing [more]

·         One in four of the world’s CCTV cameras are in Britain [more]

·         Gordon Brown is the country’s most boring public speaker! [more]

OVER THE LAST WEEK THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS…

·         Revealed that over 1000 serving police officers have criminal convictions [more]

·         Said government economic proposals were “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted” [more]

·         Visited Google to discuss internet privacy issues [more]

·         Called for dirty care homes to be closed down [more]

·         Demanded a public inquiry following revelations of heavy-handed policing at a protest last year [more]

·         Called for a tougher government response to reduce knife crime [more]

·         Exposed a huge decrease in the amount of domestically produced food consumed in the UK [more]

·         Attacked the government’s insubstantial approach to tackling domestic violence [more]

·         Accused the Home Office of being “illegal, immoral, and ineffective” for keeping the DNA of a baby on record [more]

Local people are rightly growing in frustration over the lack of action from Bury Council on the problem of graffitti.

Last year the current spate of graffiti flared up and was met with the incredible sight of local residents , some elderly and retired, being threatened with court action and fines if they (the victims) didn’t clear up the mess.

Since then the Police have done tremendous work trying to catch culprits and through restorative justice have managed to get some of the perpetrators to clean up the mess.

As for the Area Partnership, due to a lack of resources, we have only been able to offer the gesture of free clean up kits for those that want. Nevertheless people have been community minded to take up the offer.

What we are crying out for now is a) A council policy for dealing with this issue, b) People within the authority with the responsibility to clean up the mess and c) Action.

The council have been supposedly working on a policy for months, meanwhile seemingly every day there is another example of graffiti to put up with.

Bury Conservatives have got to get their act together and respond faster to local problems.

Its taken nearly 2 years for an alley-gating policy (and we’re still waiting), We’re approaching the 1st anniversary of the graffiti policy ( and still waiting). It’s hardly surprising Radcliffe Riverside school has taken so long to get built!

Its just not good enough.

This was the week that…

·         UK and world markets sank to new lows [more]

·         Repossessions and losses soared at the nationalised bank Northern Rock [more]

·         The Bank of England created £75bn to boost the economy in an unprecedented step [more]

·         Gordon Brown’s speech to Congress received a mixed reception [more]

·         20% of pupils failed to get into their first choice schools [more]

·         Government ministers finally admitted to mistakes over the economy [more]

·         A double Victoria Cross holder condemned the government’s treatment of veterans [more]

·         The government made a u-turn and adopted Lib Dem policy on voter registration [more]

·         Discontent over Brown’s leadership continued to grow [more] but his deputy did herself no favours [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Labour has spent £7bn on an army of consultants [more]

·         The government misled the public over opposition to Heathrow’s third runway [more]

·         A top Tory became the latest opposition MP to break parliamentary rules [more]

·         Government incompetence and waste has put UK soldiers at risk [more]

·         David Miliband spent £7,000 on ‘presentation’ lessons [more]

·         A breakthrough depression treatment launched two years ago is still not available in most of the country [more]

·         A Labour-dominated committee of MPs launched a stinging attack on the DCLG’s competence [more]

·         It could take a decade for the country to fully recover from the economic crisis [more]

·         12,000 kids could be left without primary school places in London alone [more]

·         One third of young people have carried a weapon in the last year [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Boycotted the government’s new unrepresentative Regional Select Committees [more]

·         Warned the government that it had run out of options to tackle the economic crisis [more]

·         Fought to cap individual party donations to £50,000 [more]

·         Voted against the continuation of control orders legislation [more]

·         Revealed that 45,000 pensioners were forced to sell their homes to pay for care homes [more]

·         Called on the Chancellor to stop propping up Labour’s failed PFI projects [more]

·         Pointed out that less than 3% of the government’s fiscal stimulus is going on green measures [more]

The apalling murders of 2 soldiers in Antrim and a Police officer by IRA splinter organisations has to be no more than a desperate attempt to destabilise the progress to normality and long term peace and stability in Northern Ireland.

I strongly believe that although clearly all sides must condemn these murders, the most effective condemnation must come from the nationalist side of the fence.

So it was particularly encouraging to hear Martin McGuinness condemn the murderers as “betraying the island of Ireland”.

I pray that the perpetrators of these crimes are caught and brought to justice soon so that they are denied further opportunities to kill. And I hope they are turned in by the nationalist community that will I hope dismiss them as murderers not freedom fighters.

This new test of Northern Irelands peace must be met with a united condemnation and renewed efforts to achieve the goals of the people of Northern Ireland through long term peace and democratic progress.

Anti-terror measures worldwide have seriously undermined international human rights law, a report by legal experts says.

After a three-year global study, the International Commission of Jurists said many states used the public’s fear of terrorism to introduce measures. These included detention without trial, illegal disappearance and torture. It also said that the UK and the US have “actively undermined” international law by their actions. It concluded that many measures introduced to fight terrorism were illegal and counter-productive, and called for justice systems to be strengthened, warning that temporary measures should not become permanent.

The Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is a non-governmental organisation which promotes the observance of the rule of law and the legal protection of human rights. The panel of eminent lawyers and judges concluded that the framework of international law that existed before the 9/11 attacks on the US was robust and effective.

Vic D’Albert commented, This report from such a renowned organisation drives a coach and horses through our Governments claims that the UK Governments counter terrorism methods are essential in dealing with the terrorist threat. While undoubtedly tough measures are required against our enemies there can be no trade off in our human rights. Rights won over centuries. In light of this report our counter terrorism measure, in particular the 28 day detention without trial should be reviewed in line with the need to preserve our human rights and redress the balance.” You can read the full report here: assessing-damage-report.pdf

The number of attacks on Jews in Britain has risen sharply since Israeli attacks began on Gaza last December, a charity has said.

The Community Security Trust, which is responsible for the safety of Jews in the UK, says more than 250 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in four weeks. They include property vandalism, verbal threats and some physical attacks, most of which centred on north London. This compared to just 27 incidents for the same period last year, according to the trust.

However the trust does point out the overall number of anti-Semitic attacks in 2008 was slightly lower that the previous year, falling from 561 to 541. The trust says schoolchildren have been singled out for verbal abuse and bullying. The incidents took place in predominately Jewish areas in Bury, Salford and London.

Mark Gardner, from the trust, said the “outburst of anti-Semitic rage during the Gaza conflict showed the shocking impact upon British Jews of widespread anti-Israel hysteria”.

Liberal Democrat shadow home secretary Chris Huhne called for the home secretary and the police to stamp on anti-Semitic crime “quickly and firmly”. “It is totally unacceptable that any minority should find their lives disrupted because of events in another part of the world, for which they cannot be held responsible,” he said.  

Last month, prominent British Muslim scholars and progressive thinkers denounced the attacks, saying British Jews “should not be held responsible” for Israel’s actions in Gaza.

An international summit to be held in London next week will try to come up with ways to tackle the problem around the world.

Vic D’Albert commented, “It is despicable and cowardly for anyone to single out any members of our society,  for hate crimes for something that’s happened half way across the world. We are all duty bound to defend our neighbours against attacks such as this. If anyone knows anything about race/faith hate crimes they should contact the Police immediately.”

Local Councillors have reacted with anger after another spate of graffiti in Prestwich, and are calling on the Council to take immediate action to clean up the mess.

Cllr Vic D’Albert, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Holyrood ward and Chair of Prestwich Local Area Partnership said “I am disgusted that vandals continue to bring misery to local people by daubing our streets with graffiti. And I am equally angry with the Council’s woefully inadequate response. This has been going on for too long now, and it’s about time action was taken. The Local Area Partnership and the Police are already using very tight resources to try to manage this problem, but the Council need to take action now to help us and clean up the streets”

Liberal Democrats at Bury Town Hall have been campaigning for action for months. At a Council meeting in February they staged a demonstration displaying photographs of graffiti which has blighted Prestwich for months. The Council have offered graffiti kits for residents and businesses, but have so far directed no extra resource to clear up a problem which is getting worse.

Lib Dem spokesperson for Environmental Service Cllr Ann Garner said “The graffiti is on everything from streets signs to walls, and from utility buildings to business property. Graffiti kits are not a suitable solution except in limited circumstances. The Council have the power to insist that utility companies clean up graffiti on their property, and need to direct real efforts into cleaning it from their own property. I am proud of what Prestwich has to offer, and it is being ruined by graffiti which goes uncleaned for months.”

Cllr D’Albert concluded “We need to work together on this. Prestwich Councillors are doing their bit by leading the community fight. The Police did their bit by catching offenders, and we are supporting them to try to catch the latest offenders. But the Council are letting us down. They need to take action to clean up Prestwich now. “

Ends

Notes to Editor
Cllr Vic D’Albert is the Chair of Prestwich Area Partnership and is a Councillor for Holyrood Ward in Prestwich
Cllr Ann Garner is the Lib Dem Spokesperson on the Environment and is a Councillor for Sedgley Ward in Prestwich

There is growing concern from local residents and shopkeepers about increased anti-social and criminal behaviour at the rear of these shops and around the ginnel to Penryhn Drive.

There has now been two break-ins to the garages at the rear of shops and a number of other smaller incidents. Residents have approached me to raise concerns at the police response and I have subsequently raised the issue with the local Inspector.

However further issues have now been raised and so I will be organising a meeting with the local PC and PCSO’s shortly to allow residents to air their concerns and try and improve communication and responses from local Police.

Overnight there has been a further outbreak of Graffiti from Prestwich Tram station down to the cenotaph at PADOS house.

I am pleased to say the Police are already on the case and are believed to be seeking to identify and speak to 4 youths.

While clearly it is difficult to eradicate this vandalism we remain committed to a policy of zero tolerance towards these acts and will continue to press for more resources to aid the clean up. Meanwhile we will work with, support and encourage the Police in their efforts to trace the individuals and in getting them to clear up their mess.

Residents and shopkeepers alike are sick to the back teeth with problems at the rear of shops on Heywood Road and Penryhn Drive.

There have been a spate of anti-social behaviour incidents in recent weeks and well publicised graffitti  incidents. Last thursday was the final straw for some residents however when garages at the rear of the shops were broken into.

“I will be working closely with the local Police to ensure this hotspot gets plenty of attention over the coming weeks. It is appalling that residents and shop keepers are living in fear of gangs of youths and intruders breaking into property. It is wholly unacceptable and I will be doing all I can to ensure this problem is dealt with.” 

I have a pretty sound stomach for most gruesome stuff, especially the usual news fodder, but last nights news leading on the Baby P death turned my stomach. I just had to stop watching it was so upsetting.

The only good aspect is that the perpetrators are being brought to justice and the issue is being highlighted in the public domain - we do need to know, even if we could do without some of the images.

What I really cannot get my head round is that years after the Climbie’ case in the very same Council area - Haringey - this happens again. Its bad enough it happens at all, ever, but after all the recommendations and enquiries its hard to not come to the conclusion that there has been a monumental failure to protect by the authorities. Clearly there has to be a full independant public enquiry into both the events that led up to the death of Baby P, but also surely, how this could happen again in the same borough as previously.

I fail to comprehend that in an era of missions to Mars, great scientifc strides, incredible technology on the one hand and almost over bearing regulations and legislation on the other we still can’t protect our children.

Another failure, another victim.  Surely it could have been avoided.

I don’t like to be overtly critical of people - other than those that set themselves up for it or of course are answerable to the great British /Bury public. In addition I have a great respect for journalists and the job and duty they have to get to the truth and cover the stories of the day for their readership, often in the face of political/organisational attempts to deceive, manipulate or on occasion just lie.

I realise my admiration of the efforts of journalists is sadly not always shared with the wider public, so therefore it dismays and dissapoints me more than perhaps most people when I read stories like the one in the Jewish Telegraph today about graffitti in Prestwich.

At first reading I for a moment thought the “black hole” experiment in France must have gone wrong and i’m now living in a parallel universe, such was the distortion of facts surrounding the issue of graffiti in Prestwich and attempts to deal with it by the Area Partnership and Lib Dem councillors.

Not only did they fail to acknowledge that the individual concerned (A tory activist) was doing his community bit with a graffiti cleaning kit provided free by Prestwich Area Partnership - Lib Dem led and requested by us from the Tory council. And that it was the Tory council of which Cllr Michelle Wiseman is lead member) that was issuing the threatening letters. But it was then suggested that the Council and the Area Partnerhsip have done nothing for months, which I regret to say is a lie.

This is also an insult to the efforts of local police officers who working in partnership with the Area Patnership and Bury Safe/the Council have put in a sterling effort to deal with this problem. In fact one of the only accurate points made in the JT article was regarding those offenders caught, that are now cleaning this up.

It is sad when such distortions are expressed in a respected newspaper because ultimately it undermines the reputation and credibility of their reporting. But we don’t want to let the facts get in the way of a good story do we ?

PLANS to free local police forces from the grip of central government bureaucracy and targets have been welcomed by Liberal Democrats in Bury.

The proposals have been launched by Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne and will be debated at the party’s conference in Bournemouth in September.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Bury South said that police officers would be freed to spend more time policing communities rather than chasing government targets. 

“The police have to be free to police our local communities,” said Vic D’Albert, “Constant interference and targets from Whitehall do little to catch criminals and deter crime. Bury police are far better placed than a government minister in Whitehall to decide what the local priorities are. “

The proposals also call for police authorities to be elected by local people, rather than appointed by ministers. That will mean policing priorities are under the control of local people.

Other proposals to be debated by the Liberal Democrats include appointing 10,000 extra police officers, paid for by scrapping the expensive and bureaucratic National Identity Card scheme. 

The spokesman’s paper from Chris Huhne MP, Cutting Crime: Catching Criminals With Better Policing, is available on the Liberal Democrat website: http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/Cutting%20Crime%20by%20Catching%20Criminals.pdf

Liberal Democrats in Bury have welcomed proposals made by the party’s Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP to tackle youth crime.The plans aim to deter crime and get young people involved in positive activities that benefit local communities. They include: 

• The creation of a Youth Volunteer Force, to engage with young people, involve them in community projects and give them skills to benefit them in later life;
• Establish Community Justice Panels across the country, where offenders admit their guilt to the community and agree on a Positive Behaviour Order as a course of action;
• Create a dedicated PCSO youth officer within every Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify and work with teenagers most at risk of offending;
• 10,000 more police on the streets by scrapping the ID cards scheme;
• Intelligence-led stop and search and ‘hot spot policing’ targeted at gun and knife crime;
• Restorative justice programs to be run in every community, specifically targeted at early intervention with widespread use in schools and care homes.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesperson for Bury South said, “These proposals could potentially go a long way to reduce youth crime. By having more police and by focusing on crime hotspots, we will be able to deter crime more effectively from happening. 

“But we also need to give young people positive alternatives to do. Too often they get into trouble because there is nothing for them to do. The Youth Volunteer Force will be a great way to get young people involved in activities that benefit themselves and the area where they live.  “I am also keen to ensure that those who do break the law or cause disturbances or vandalism have to pay back the community they have wronged.  “That is why restorative justice is important. It will mean that those convicted of offences will have to work on cleaning up vandalism or on projects that benefit communities as part of their punishment. Even now in this area we are seeing the benefits of this approach as some of those responsible for recent graffiti have agreed to clean up the mess and face the consequences of their actions.

“Residents of Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich often tell me of their worries about youth crime. I believe that the proposals the Liberal Democrats have put forward will go a long way to addressing those concerns.”

It has been brouIt is extremely worrying that Bury Council unlike some other authorities, does not keep records of knife or offensive weapon possession in our schools.It amounts to a “head-in-the-sand” policy over knives. If Bury Council is to play its part in dealing with knife crime it is critical that we know the scale of the problem. That starts with our own school and youth facilities.

If knife crime is to be dealt with we need a concerted effort across the board - I hope Bury will review this policy as a matter of urgency and develop a proper strategy working with Police and other partners to ensure safe neighbourhoods across Bury.

First the good news. I understand the Police have caught someone responsible for a significant number of “tags” in the Heaton Park/Heywood rd area. I further understand that they have agreed to clean up the sites they are responsible for.

Sadly the bad news is it looks like it could get worse before it gets better - The Phoenix centre was attacked last night and badly graffitied with various obscenities and garages between the Heywood Road shops and Penrhyn Drive have also been attacked this week.

At least with the Phoenix centre the culprits were caught on the park CCTV and may be able to be identified.

Government figures have today confirmed that under the “Early release  scheme” 31,500 have been released early in the schemes first year.

MANY VIOLENT OFFENDERS

Included in the scheme were 6000 violent offenders, 8 sex offenders, 2 convicted terrorists and 739 Robbers.

Clearly the Governments “tough on crime” policy has come back to mug them. Now they are desperately trying to build more prisons to accomodate the largest prison population in western Europe and to no doubt “re-house” the many that have been released early when they commit further offences!

A complete and utter pigs ear!

We need restorative justice, we need proper, logical sentencing policy ( and yes life should mean life!), modernised prisons and community sentences for non-violent minor offenders. And we need to ensure that when someone goes to prison for the first time , they don’t come out with a whole new set of criminal skills. We need prisons that put people away from society for a proper proportionate sentence but tries to ensure that if they have to go back into society they are less likely to re-offend - not more likely.

LIBERAL Democrats in Bury are calling for tougher action against those caught selling knives to children and young people. 

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Bury South made the call after being sent figures for prosecutions that were uncovered in Parliament by Chris Huhne MP, the party’s Shadow Home Secretary. 

The figures reveal that:

• Only 71 people have been successfully prosecuted for selling knives to children in the last five years
• None were sent to prison and only one was given a community sentence
• 56 people were fined, but 21 of them were given fines of less than £200

“This is a completely inadequate deterrent to unscrupulous shop keepers who flout the law to sell these weapons to children and young people,” said Vic D’Albert. 

“These tiny fines and a lack of custodial punishment is the wrong signal to those who profit from the illegal sale of knives. 

“These figures are particularly worrying as they came to light only days after the release of other figures showing 2294 serious crimes in Greater Manchester area involved a knife in 2007/8. Knife crime is 20% of all serious crimes taking place here. 

“These figures do not record children and young people separately but they do show that knife crime is a serious problem. It is too easy for children and young people to get hold of knives. Too many are being drawn into a culture of carrying and using knives. 

“Liberal Democrats believe that the courts must take a much stronger stand against those who are fuelling knife crime by illegally selling knives to children and young people. 

“Cutting the supply of knives will be one of the most effective ways to reducing knife crime in the first place.”

Liberal Democrats in Bury have welcomed the launch of the Liberal Democrats’ vision for Britain by Party Leader Nick Clegg MP. Called ‘Make it Happen’, the paper will be debated at the party’s conference in Bournemouth in September. In ‘Make it Happen’ the Liberal Democrats say: 

       ·         They will cut taxes for ordinary families

• If your local hospital can’t see you on time, they will pay for treatment elsewhere

• They will switch taxes from people to pollution - so it pays to go green

• To improve standards in education, they will fund extra help for those who need it most

• They will put Britain at the heart of Europe to make us a force for good in the world

• They will stop ID cards so we can keep control of our privacy

• They will change the voting system so everyone’s voice counts

• They will bring communities together with local people in charge

       ·         They will give communities a say in how offenders pay for their crimes 

Vic D’Albert, Bury South Parliamentary spokesperson said, “I am delighted to be able to back ‘Make it Happen’. It sets out how the Liberal Democrats will run Britain. “No resident of Bury has escaped the rising cost of food and fuel. The credit crunch is biting hard and local people are feeling the pinch. “Nick Clegg has set out how we can help ordinary people through cutting taxes on those on low and middle incomes. Thousands of people in Bury will benefit from this.  “We are taking the plans in ‘Make it Happen’ to the people of Bury during the summer to get their response.  And in September, we will be heading to the Liberal Democrats’ conference where we are looking forward to taking part in the debate.

” ‘Make it Happen’ is available at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/Make%20it%20Happen.pdf 

The Liberal Democrats have outlined radical plans to tackle youth crime.
The dual approach aims to stop young people committing crimes in the first place by enabling them to play a full role in society through increased training and volunteering, as well as stopping criminal behaviour early by making young offenders face up to their crimes.

The main proposals :

· The creation of a Youth Volunteer Force, to engage with young people, involve them in community projects and give them skills to benefit them in later life
· Establish Community Justice Panels across the country, where offenders admit their guilt to the community and agree on a Positive Behaviour Order as a course of action
· Create a dedicated PCSO youth officer within every Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify and work with teenagers most at risk of offending
· 10,000 more police on the streets by scrapping the ID cards scheme
· Intelligence-led stop and search and ‘hot spot policing’ targeted at gun and knife crime
· Restorative justice programs to be run in every community, specifically targeted at early intervention with widespread use in schools and care homes
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Affairs Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

“This Government has spent 10 years trying to sound tough while failing to cut youth crime.
“In fact, ministers have embarked on the mass criminalisation of a generation of young people. By dragging more and more young people through the criminal justice system, they have reduced the fear of a criminal record and contributed to the problem.
Instead of shock tactics to grab headlines, we need practical measures that are proven to work.
“Only the Liberal Democrats propose a dual approach to stop kids from getting involved in crime in the first place, and measures to make them face up to the consequences of their actions if they do.”

Bury South Parliamentary spokesperson,Vic D’Albert commented, “I think we all recognise that this problem bears all the hallmarks of getting out of hand. Partially due to the fashion amongst some young people to be seen carrying knives. But gimmicks and off-the-cuff policy announcements will not help. We need a considered response that aims to send the right signals to anyone that thinks its cool to carry knives and at the same time seeks to address the underlying long term issues associated with (especially) youth problems in our communities. These proposals are balanced and tough and would at least start to tackle the issue on both fronts.

“In addition I reiterate previous comments about kitchen knives. Most stabbings are committed with kitchen knives. Knives that don’t actually need a shart pointed end! If the design of kitchen knives was addressed then that would reduce the availability of some of our most dangerous knives and perhaps make it easier to regulate or even ban many of the others.”

Yesterday some hanging baskets put around the Longfield precinct water feature were dragged down and destroyed by mindless vandals. People who may well live in Prestwich, certainly visit Prestwich, use Prestwich facilities but patently don’t give a damn about Prestwich.

These hanging baskets were requested by Prestwich Area Partnership following consultation with residents who wanted to see the area brightened up, made more attractive to visit and rest near the fountain. It took months to get then ordered and installed and in a few minutes some idiot destroys them.

This follows a spate of graffiti breaking out across Prestwich. But one thing is sure those that love Prestwich must not allow these mindless vandals to win. We must replace the baskets, we must remove the graffiti and we must pursue these vandals and they must be made to pay. Justic must be done.

Someone knows who did this, someone must have seen something - it was in broad daylight! I appeal to you to please come forward and contact the Police. Do it because you care about Prestwich.  

Last night was the regular meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership, this brings together your nine local Liberal Democrat Councillors together with representatives of partner agencies like the Police and NHS, and community group representatives.

The main issues that came up were:

Area Manager’s Report
Included in the report of the Area Manager was news of Prestwich’s bid to the £1 million that Bury has been awarded for play facilities. These are:
- Ballzone at St Josephs Playing Field
- Improvements to the Kersal Road playside
- Natural play area behind the existing childrens play area on Kings Road.

My colleague, Cllr Tim Pickstone asked about promised consultation on closing the cash office at Prestwich Library - apparently this will be coming back to a meeting in the Autumn.
There we also numerous mentions of graffitti in the area and I voiced my concern about an appalling letter council officers are sending out that threatens the victims with court action unless they clean up the mess! (see earlier story). It was requested that the numbers that people can ring are widely published, but that we monitor the effectiveness of some of these agencies in clearing up graffiti.

Youth Manager Update
We received an update from James Perkins - Prestwich’s Youth Manager on some of the excellent activities that are planned over the summer months for young people in Prestwich. The local Youth Action Group has also got off the ground again and I asked James to help make sure that there was a good “two-way” communication between young people and the area partnership.
We also heard about an excellent “Health Kick” scheme (part funded by the Area Partnership to raise health issues in the Rainsough Area. Its targetted at 16-25 and over 50 men, and involves football sessions leading into health awareness and promotion sessions.

Funding Bids
The Partnership agreed a number of funding bids for local projects -see seperate article.
Prestwich Heritage Society asked for some money to help with the heritage exhibition at Prestwich Library, we said we would consider in detail before the end of August.

Open Forum
Open Forum is the part of the agenda (45 minutes) set aside to hear issues and concerns from local residents in Prestwich. These included:
- concerns on fencing on Ludlow Avenue
- concerns about youth nuisance on Ogden Street
- concerns about the closing time noise of a local pub
- good news about the recently funded Simister Wetland site
- discussion about the opening times of Prestwich Police Station

Prestwich Community Plan
Richard Baum, who chairs the Developing Communities Group, presented the proposed Prestwich Community Plan for 2008-2011. The plan was agreed,(see seperate article).

The next meeting of the Area Partnership is on Thursday 4 September 2008. This will be a special meeting to discuss the URBED proposals for Prestiwich Village Centre. 6.30pm at the Longfield Centre and will be preceded by an exhibition of the proposals in August and a summary leaflet identifying key proposals to be circulated throughout Prestwich.

Any questions just drop me a line!

Prestwich Local Area Partnership, which brings together your nine Liberal Democrat Councillors, together with representatives of partner bodies and community groups, have agreed a “Prestwich Community Plan” for 2008-2011. The plan sets out what the Partnership aims to achieve over the next three years to make Prestwich a better place to live and work.

There are three overall themes, and within this ten priority areas:

GREEN PRESTWICH
1 - Improve Parks and Leisure Facilities (play areas, parks, green spaces - including the Phillips Park development)
2 - Achieve a reduction in car useage in Prestwich (walk to school, community bus routes, cycle routes etc)
3 - Reduce air pollution in Prestwich (particularly addressing the M60)
4 - Improve the Prestwich environment by reducing litter and graffiti

THRIVING PRESTWICH
5 - Vision for the Redevelopment of Prestwich Village Centre (the URBED study)
6 - Support local Prestwich businesses
7 - Create better facilities for the most deprived areas of Prestwich

STRONG PRESTWICH
8 - Make Prestwich Healthier (working with the local PCT and others)
9 - Make Prestwich Safe (working with the Police and others to reduce crime and the fear of crime)
10 - Create a Prestwich for people of all ages (focus on young people and older people, and a sense of community pride).

The plan sets out an exciting vision for how we want Prestwich to develop over the coming years, people’s views and ideas are much appreciated.

You can download the full plan here: Prestwich Community Plan 2008-2011

A leading local Liberal Democrat has called on the Government to start tackling knife crime head on, by first dealing with knives in the home. 

In response to health service research that has identified that most knives used as weapons are kitchen knives, Vic D’Albert, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesperson for Bury South is calling on the Government to press for changes to kitchen knife design. 

Vic D’Albert said, “Most kitchen knives have a sharp pointed end which is rarely if ever needed. Most kitchen knives are needed for chopping and cutting and we just don’t need a pointed end for stabbing! Even my bread knife has a pointed end – god only knows what that is needed for. “Health research has proven that many of these knives end up being used as weapons. If the Government is serious about reducing knife crime then every avenue has to be investigated.  

“Clearly it is a traditional that knives have a pointed end, even when not required. In my mind it is blindingly obvious that at a stroke we could make the home safer and cut the number of dangerous knives in the public domain by designing out the problem. Its time manufacturers responded and the Government needs to make sure that they do”. 

Police in Whitefield and Prestwich are urging residents to be extra careful after a number of burglaries recently.

People calling at houses have pretended to be from the council and then stolen money from elderly residents.

Gaynor Mason, crime reduction advisor for Bury police said: “We would urge anyone who does have callers at the door to ask for identification. All official workers do carry identification and are pleased to show it. If you are still unsure then ring the company by looking up the number in the phone book. Any legitimate caller would be happy to wait while their credentials are being checked.

“People may feel embarrassed that they have become a victim of this type of crime but it’s important these crimes are reported, so we can investigate and catch the perpetrators.

If anyone knows the identity of the offender they should contact the priority crime unit at Bury on 0161 856 8179 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Bury MBC Service Managers and Managers within partner agencies are requested to ensure that staff, who may have a need to call on residents in the borough, carry suitable identification at all times.

Last night I attended a meeting of local residents,Police and Council reps to discuss the possibility of setting up a Homewatch for this area.
The issue of petty crime, nuisance and anti social behaviour in the area came to the fore at the recent meeting to consult on proposals for play areas at Heaton Park School. As a result the Area Partnership working with local councillors and local police/community support decided it would be an opportunity to explore the possibility of establishing a Homewatch in the area.
I am pleased to report about a dozen local residents turned up and expressed varied levels of support and committment to the proposal. As a result further publicity and local contact will be made and a date for an inaugural meeting is being looked at. So Watch this space.

If you would be interested in joining or becoming involved in Homewatch in any capacity please get in touch.

We’ve been asked to share the following information around doorstep crime in the area.

The BurySafe Partnership and Trading Standards would like our help generally in preventing doorstep crime (bogus officials and/or rogue traders). Across the borough in the last few weeks, we have had a few doorstep crime instances; the tactic or modus operandi is as follows;

(1) Elderly vulnerable resident approached in her home, by a man with a holdall selling household items supposedly for the Epilepsy Group, she went into her home to get her money and was followed in. Another man later came in as well. She bought an ironing board cover, a polisher and a packet of handkerchiefs. The man filled in the cheque for her, told her it was for £50, when presented the cheque was made out for £150. She does not appear to have had anything stolen. She describes the men as white, 5 foot 7″ tall, one blond, one dark, of ordinary build, and in late 20’s.

(2) There has also been a couple of instances of consumers being approached for tree cutting. Trees have been cut down, for varying costs, however the father and son team, state they will take them away and don’t. One consumer has been taken to the bank to with draw the money. They are described as father and son, both white, approximately 6ft tall, thick set with short dark brown hair, father late 40’s early 50’s, son in 20’s.

If you have any elderly or vulnerable relatives, or know any one who may be the potential victim of doorstep crime, please try to discourage them from buying goods and services on their door step.

“Bury Safe” have have stickers available for any one who would like them which state no cold calling. If anyone wants to report a door step crime incident, please contact ether trading standards or the police. If you are in a “Homewatch Area”, your Homewatch Coordinator may also be able to assist.

For further information or advice in the first instance contact Trading Standards on 253 5566.
If a Crime is in progress contact the Police on 999 or 872 5050. Please feel free to contact your local councillors if you need any further information.