Festive rowdies warned:
“Stay out of town”
by John Hendon
TROUBLEMAKERS are being warned to stay away from Warrington this Christmas.
Traditionally booze-fuelled violence and disorder has spilled out onto the streets of the town centre during the festive season, leaving many nursing a hangover in the cells.
This year officers will be out in force as part of an intelligence led campaign to prevent this kind of anti-social behaviour from happening in the first place and to crack down on those who get drunk and cause misery for everyone else.
Divisional commander Supt Julia Clayton said: “This is not about targeting law-abiding Christmas revellers who want to go out in Warrington and have a good time.
“We want people to enjoy the festive season in safety, reassured by the knowledge that police will be out on the streets of the town centre cracking down on alcohol fuelled violence.
“We are sending out a clear message to those who want to cause trouble to stay away from Warrington.”
As part of the campaign police will work together with Warrington Borough Council’s Trading Standards and Licensing departments, the Fire Service and Environmental Health to visit licensed premises.
Coun Mike Hannon, the council’s executive member for Community and Well-being, said: “We want people to celebrate Christmas in Warrington knowing they can do so in safety. Through our collective efforts, we will make sure that is the case – by cracking down hard on those people who want to spoil it for others or who flout the law.”
Seven new volunteer recruits, who recently joined Cheshire’s Special Constabulary, will be out on patrol with the division’s existing team of Specials to boost police numbers on the streets.
But the initiative won’t just focus on the town centre. Pubs and bars in outlying villages will be monitored.
Fixed penalty tickets – which have proved to be an effective way of dealing with offenders in the past – will be used for low level offences such as littering and drinking alcohol in the designated exclusion zones. Penalty tickets for these types of offences have risen to ?50 following Home Office guidance. More serious offences may be dealt with by way of an ?80 fixed penalty ticket.
To reinforce the festive campaign officers will also be taking part in two specific Yellow Card weekends during the Christmas period when rowdies will be issued with a card detailing what is considered acceptable behaviour – and arrested if they don’t toe the line.
Masked men grab
cash at off-licence
by staff reporter
TWO masked men burst into an off-licence at Warrington, threatened a cashier and made off with a substantial quantity of cash.
The raid was at the Bargain Booze shop in Chester Road, Warrington at approximately 10.30pm.
Police said the two men were wearing balaclavas with eye holes cut in them.
Both were of stocky build and around 5ft 7 to 5ft 8 inches tall and both were dressed completely in black.
One went behind the counter where he demanded the cashier open the tip while the other kept watch. They then fled with the money.
One is believed to have spoken with a Liverpool accent.
Anyone who witnessed the attack or who saw anything suspicious at the store should call DC Moira Hay or DC Andy Cribbin on 01244 613835.
Government accused of
using “politics of fear”
by David Skentelbery
THE Government was accused of offering people the politics of fear, according to Warrington’s Liberal Democrat Euro MP Saj Karim.
Mr Karim – the country’s first Asian MEP, levelled the accusation in a speech at the annual meeting of Warrington Liberal Democrats at the Town Hall.
He was elected last June and became the second Lib Dem MEP for the North West.
He said: “Labour is setting out to make terrorism and security an election issue. We are particularly opposed to the introduction of ID cards. This would mark a major shift in the fabric of British society.
“Once our rights and liberties have gone, they have gone for good. Cards are likely to give rise to discrimination against ethnic minorities through increased identity checks. Sadly they gave no protection to the people of Spain and the USA when atrocities were committed there, although they do have ID cards in these countries.”
Mr Karim, who became the North West’s second MEP when he was elected in June, said the cost of the scheme would be at least ?3 billion.
The money would be far better spent on more police and better intelligence services, he said.
For this sum we could have 10,000 more police officers for the next six years. The new technology for ID cards is not properly tested and the Government has a poor record with new computer systems. If all this new legislation were put into place, it is doubtful whether we would even qualify for membership of the European Union if we were not already part of it.
“Liberal Democrats offer a programme of hope that does not feed on people’s fears.”
Leave thieves
out in the cold
by staff reporter
OPPORTUNIST thieves should find themselves out in the cold this Christmas as thousands of local residents take heed of a seasonal warning.
To prevent burglaries during the Christmas and New Year period, Cheshire Police has teamed up with Warrington Borough Council to remind residents to think carefully about how they dispose of their rubbish.
Opportunist thieves only have to see boxes and packaging from presents left outside a property to know what valuables are inside.
From next week (Monday December 13) notices are being stuck to the lids of 82,000 rubbish bins across the borough to advise people not to advertise to thieves what they got for Christmas and to inform householders when their collections will be.
“Why make it easy for the thieves?” said Community Support Officer (CSO) Kath Harkin. “It only takes a few minutes to dispose of your rubbish carefully and it could save you the heartache of returning home to find you have been broken into and your possessions have been stolen.”
Coun John Kerr-Brown, the council’s executive member for Neighbourhood Services, added: “Leaving boxes by your bin gives opportunistic thieves a perfect way to know exactly what they might get their hands on by targeting your home. Dispose of you boxes carefully and make sure that your Christmas is a happy one – not one you remember for all the wrong reasons.”
Woman cheated council
out of ?9,000 benefit
by court reporter
A 57-year-old woman claimed almost ?9,000 in benefits from Warrington Borough Council, the town’s magistrates were told.
Christine Payton, of Rudloe Court,Padgate was made the subject of a six-month rehabilitation order and was ordered to repay the overpayment.
She was also ordered to pay ?100 costs.
Payton had pleaded guilty to six counts related to non-declaration of income and three counts related to non-declaration of non-dependants in a household.
The court was told the woman defrauded the council of Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit amounting to ?8,799 between October 2000 and July 2003.
After the hearing, Adrian Webster, the Council’s benefits manager, said: “Benefit cheats must realise that they cannot abuse the benefit system and steal from the rest of society. They are not just defrauding government or the local authority, but their own neighbours and communities.
“Fraud is a serious matter and this case is a clear demonstration of our determination to tackle benefit theft and to reduce the amount of money lost through fraud and abuse.”
Body found
in Mersey
by staff reporter
POLICE and fire officers working together recovered the body of a man from the River Mersey off Chester Road, Warrington.
Enquiries have been launched to try and establish the identity of the deceased and a post mortem organised to establish the c
ause of death.
Police say more details will made available as soon as possible.
