A Tameside resident writes in support of Liam Billington

The Tameside Advertiser publishes the letter supporting Mr Billington and then in an almost unbelievable display of deception they insert a photograph of Willow Wood Hospice - suggesting that Mr Billington and the writer from Hattersley object to charitable donations being made to the said institution. This could not be further from the truth! It appears The Advertiser has finally dropped any pretence of neutrality and is prepared to blatantly distort the truth to support Roy Oldham and the Labour Party in Tameside.

Amazing sunset over Tameside this afternoon

Basil Beeley - a man who gets things done

That is what a resident who lives close to The Croft said about Basil when I was in the area checking on how work was progressing this afternoon. I canvassed opinions from a few locals and despite Croft Street and Lindsay Street not being what most would consider to be ideal Conservative territory - not a single person had a bad thing to say the performance of their local Conservative councillors. If the Conservatives can count on strong support in the small terraced rows of Lindsay and Croft Street’s - they are almost certain of holding Stalybridge South come the elections in May.

Residents triumph over nuisance family

A family in Ashton-under Lyne who caused misery to their local community with their persistent anti-social behaviour has had their house closed down by police.

For the first time in Tameside police have used the powers and procedures provided by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. The police can, working in consultation with the local authority, apply to close dwellings where severe nuisance and anti-social behaviour occur in residential areas. The power is only used as a last resort where previous interventions and enforcement activity have failed to stop the anti-social behaviour.

The Premises Closure Order was made after complaints to the police, Tameside Council and New Charter about serious persistent nuisance and disorder at a home in Cumberland Grove, Ashton-under-Lyne. Police applied to Tameside Magistrates Court for the Order following information provided by residents and with the agreement of the local authority and New Charter.

Inspector Tony Alogba said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their own home and this family’s severe anti-social behaviour made the lives of those living around them a misery. We are committed to dealing with the issues that matter most to local people. Anti-social behaviour is a blight on local communities and we will continue to target those that show no regard for others.”

The Closure Order is effective for up to three months and anyone who enters the semi-detached house commits an offence and can be arrested.

Chairman of the bench, Trevor Hulmes said: “We were satisfied all statutory requirements had been met.”

Managing Director of New Charter Homes, Tony Powell said: “Last month we obtained an Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction with power of arrest attached. The tenant breached this and was arrested by police. She was remanded in custody for a week before appearing in front of a District Judge. She was warned any further breaches would be dealt with severely. But further nuisance followed.

“So far, we have taken all the action open to us. Because the tenant has not responded, the police applied for the most effective route to restoring peace and quiet in the neighbourhood. Faced with lack of cooperation from the tenant, we were seeking possession of the home.”

After magistrates granted the Closure Order, the tenant consulted her legal representative and voluntarily terminated her tenancy.

Cllr John Taylor, Tameside Council’s head of community safety: “This is an example of how effective the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership is on behalf of the community. We shared our expertise and powers to find the solution to this anti-social behaviour.”

Inspector Alogba recognised the support from the neighbourhood. He said: “This closure would not have been possible without the support of the local community and I would like to thank everyone who has provided information to enable us to close this residence.”

People can help police by providing information on crime and criminal activity either by calling them directly on 0161 872 5050 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. GMP

Christmas cards for Dukinfield

Both old designs which have been used before, but still - it is a nice gesture from all concerned.

Latest Labour leaflet for Stalybridge South

An interesting leaflet which will certainly polarise opinions in the Stalybridge South ward. Fox hunting is a highly emotive subject and by Labour giving it such prominence on this leaflet - they may very well manage to mobilise habitual non-voters who feel passionately about this subject. Basil may have a real fight on his hands at the next elections.

Roy West talks health and safety in Dukinfield

Roy West lays down the gauntlet to his local councillors! They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If they act immediately Mr West can say when he says jump - they ask how high. If they don’t act and someone gets injured - Mr West can accuse them of dereliction of their duty as elected councillors. It will be interesting to watch this as it unfolds.

Public services rated on website

And Tameside MBC gets top marks yet again. For a Oneplace overview on Tameside click here. Tameside may be a Labour run council, but I think its success is directly attributable the wisdom of The Great Leader

A citizen writes and the Great Leader responds

Click image to enlarge

Hunting with dogs in the Peak District

After a stressful 48 hours away, I decided upon my return to head for the hills to unwind and to see if the local Mountain Hare are yet wearing their winter coats.

Getting close enough to photograph Mountain Hare can be challenging - but that is part of the fun! However today I had a an experience like never before. As I positioned myself in an area where I know a relatively tame Mountain Hare resides during the colder months I was convinced I could hear huntsman’s horns in the distance. I reassured myself that such a thing was impossible because this place is deserted and you would never get horses up the steep gradients.

I found my favourite hare and he seemed happy enough to let me get close enough to take some decent pictures. As I was doing this I was disturbed by what I assumed was a stray dog - now this was strange because the only dogs seen around this location is the occasional sheep dog with his master. This dog was different; it was a beagle type dog and it had no lead or collar. I went over to meet it and it was friendly enough, however moments later a dozen more of the same type of dogs arrived - along with camouflaged men who were carrying shovels and various other tools - as well as a legion of smaller terrier type hounds.

The situation now changed from strange to surreal as a huntsman’s horn - the exact type you would expect to hear at a Boxing Day hunt, sounded, and the dogs and camouflaged, shovel carrying men and their hounds all went dashing towards another location also frequented by Mountain Hare. I thought - no way is this happening to me here, this place is where I come to escape from the stresses and worries of day to day life and now I am going to find myself confronting a large group of hunters who seem to be after the blood of Mountain Hare.

I made it obvious I was watching them as I followed. I caught up with one of the camouflaged hunters and asked what were they doing and was what they were doing legal. He said they were after clearing the area of ‘pests’. I enquired what type of pests, he replied foxes, rats and rabbits who are all guilty of stealing and eating grouse eggs.

Now as far as I know; fox hunting is banned, and I have never heard of rabbits eating eggs. And would this group be able to distinguish the difference between a rare water vole which resides in the exact area their hounds were roaming and a common rat?

I think I can take a little credit for saving the lives of some Peak District Mountain Hare today; as I was watching, with camera in hand complete with very obvious 400mm lens they seemed a bit nervous, but god only knows what death and destruction they lay behind them from their exploits earlier in the day. I will be back in the morning to see what I discover. (To enlarge click on the image)

Advice on car security from GMP

Motorists in Tameside have been told that thieves shop for Christmas too and reminded of the importance of taking all valuables out of their vehicle.

Police in Tameside and Tameside Council are reminding drivers that thieves are always on the lookout for an easy opportunity to steal valuables and they can help avoid becoming victims of crime by removing all possessions from their vehicles.

To reinforce the message bold signage has been put up around the borough’s main car parks to remind people to lock away their valuables out of sight of opportunist thieves.

In addition the police and Tameside Council are giving away a limited number of tax disc holders telling motorists to remove their valuables from their vehicle.

The tax disc holders will be available on a first come first served basis from Tameside Council’s customer services at the council offices on Wellington Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, in return for answering a short questionnaire.

Sergeant Joanne Edwards said: “The cost of replacing a broken window or repairing damage to a car can often be more expensive than the value of the goods taken and can be extremely inconvenient.

“People should avoid leaving valuables on view in their car and better yet remove them completely when leaving their vehicle, even if they are parking at home on a driveway.”

Councillor John Taylor, executive member for community safety at Tameside Council said: “This is a time of year where people are busy Christmas shopping, often dropping presents off in their cars before continuing shopping. It’s important to remember to lock these items away and out of sight

“Opportunist thieves only tend to strike when valuables are on show and easy to steal. Don’t give them a chance – lock your valuables away.”

The signs have been installed in 40 car parks around Tameside and funded by Tameside Council’s Acquisitive Crime Team who are responsible for developing and implementing initiatives to tackle burglary, robbery and vehicle crime.

Advice to avoid becoming the next victim of vehicle crime:

· Select a safe and secure parking area, preferably a secure car park
· Avoid parking in side streets or areas with poor lighting and blind spots
· Take all valuables out of your vehicle, including Christmas presents
· Remove the CD or stereo fascia
· Take all items out of your glove compartment and leave it open so thieves can see it is empty
· Using a wipe, remove any marks left on the vehicle windscreen by sat navs.

GMP

Digital cameras for Christmas

Older residents of four New Charter sheltered housing schemes in Ashton and Droylsden have been presented with cameras in time for Christmas. But instead of scratching their heads at the instruction manuals and squinting at small print, residents can just switch on the TV to use the latest technology. Thanks to the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, work completed this week has increased day and night surveillance cameras to dissuade bogus callers and sneak burglaries. The locations – Birchfield, Leesfield and Ryefield in Ashton and Gardenfold House in Droylsden – provide generally safe homes for their elderly occupants. But analysis of police records of acquisitive crimes in a quarter mile radius of all sheltered housing showed the four as within neighbourhoods with most recorded crime. Acquisitive crime, which includes burglaries, robberies and criminal damage, has fallen across the area. But the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership wants to see further improvement and has made the topic a key priority this year.

A bid from landlord New Charter Homes to the Tameside Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership secured almost £10,000 to deter crime and increase resident confidence. As well as cameras linked to central monitoring and door entry cameras linked to residents’ own TVs, some security gates have been installed. New Charter has funded the rest of the installation cost and will meet all running expenses.

Ryefield in the west end of Ashton is the largest of the four schemes and residents have already felt the difference. Linda Hill has lived there for just a few months, and from her armchair showed how the surveillance cameras record all visitors approaching and entering the building. She said: “Sometimes the fear of crime is greater than the level of actual crime. But the risk of being caught on camera is a deterrent to criminals posing as genuine visitors. There’s no such thing as ‘under cover of darkness’, either – these capture images clearly at night time. We all feel safer as a result.”

Managing Director of New Charter Homes Tony Powell said: “Everyone should feel safe at home. Although crime levels have fallen, some opportunists and sneaks deliberately target areas with high concentrations of elderly people. These measures are physical and emotional reassurance for our older residents.”
24Dash.com

What a great idea! Well done New Charter and Tameside Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership. Tameside Citizen

Roy West discusses dog dirt on the streets of Tameside

Tameside Völkischer Beobacht (formerly known as The Tameside Citizen free newspaper)

I have just received the latest edition of TMBC’s propaganda newspaper - The Tameside Citizen. It is quite outrageous that council money is spent on this publication when it is blatantly promoting and raising the profile of Labour councillors. This is not good for democracy and I hope the Conservatives make an issue of this in the council chamber.

Tameside Cllr’s featured in this glorified borough wide Labour leaflet are Jim Fitzpatrick - twice, with special guest appearances from Cllr’s Taylor, Sweeton, Doubleday and Lane.

Check out the Longendale Conservatives website

The website can be viewed by clicking here. The site is in its infancy at the moment but expect great things to follow as it begins to grow. It is heartening to see the Longendale Conservatives are planning early for next years elections. It is crucial that all people who value democracy do not allow the Labour juggernaut to overrun the whole of Tameside. Good luck to the Longendale Conservatives!

Roy West welcomes home the troops

I was also in Rochdale today to welcome home the troops. I met a wonderful Iraqi lady from Basra - a genuine asylum seeker - which is a very rare thing in this country. She had to flee Iraq after Islamic zealots killed five of her neighbours and accused her of being a British spy. She said life was so ordinary and peaceful - yes peaceful, under Saddam. However after the war it all changed and Iraq was transformed from a tolerant country where Christian, Muslim and Jew could worship in peace, to a country where Islamic zealots were prepared to slaughter those of different faiths. She asked me to take pictures of her to send to her family who are still in Basra, I might do a feature on her nearer to Christmas as the lesson I learned was an interesting one which centred around Saddam being a necessary part of the Iraqi nation because he was a ‘strong man’ and in some cases only strong men can keep law and order in countries with the historical complexities of Iraq.

Latest Labour leaflet for Hyde Newton

Love them or hate them, but there is no denying that Labour are streets ahead of the opposition when it comes to getting their message across either by leaflet distribution or by a weekly presence in the local papers. While others post on the internet and make amusing videos - Labour are out there preparing the ground for next years elections. If people think they can win elections by collecting ten signatures from nominees and then distributing a leaflet or two in the weeks before an election they are sadly mistaken.

I did chuckle at this leaflet when I noticed they want people to sign a petition to make St Georges day a public holiday. It is obvious that they are worried about the patriotic vote in Newton which I reckon goes largely to the BNP and they view the St Georges campaign as a way of showing they are patriotic too. I somehow doubt people will believe that Labour have suddenly had a change of heart and that they are now patriotic - but from Labour’s point of view I suppose it is a good information gathering scam for those foolish enough to sign the petition with their correct details.