Local man held at gun
point by bank raiders
by Terry Johnson
A WARRINGTON businessman building a dream home in Portugal was held up at gunpoint by two armed robbers as he left an Algarve bank.
The gunmen, wearing motor-cycle clothing with helmet visors, forced Jim Clark, 55, back into the bank in Albufeira.
He was ordered to line-up at the counter alongside Portuguese customers and threatened by the agitated robbers.
One of the gunmen leapt over the bank’s counter and snatched money. He then ran out of the bank, where his accomplice was revving a motor-cycle, and they sped off.
Jim, who has been in Portugal for two years with his wife, Christine, ran a TV and repair business in Warrington.
He told of the moment he came face-to-face with a gunman, who had his visor pulled down.
“I had just drawn cash from the bank to pay a building contractor”, he said. “Suddenly I was confronted by this gunman, who was with an accomplice.
“He waved the gun at me and it was obvious that he wanted me to go back into the bank. He then herded customers into a corner.
“Fortunately we all kept our cool and no shots were fired – but it was a very tense situation and anything could have happened.
“My wife was in our car across the road and saw the two gunmen jump onto a motor-bike and roar off”.
Mr Clark added: “The gunmen were in a mighty hurry and got only a small amount of money from the bank. I probably had more than that in my pocket!”
Mr Clark is supervising construction of a retirement villa just outside the popular Algarve resort.
“End poverty” campaign
makes Lymm cross
by Lesley Wilkinson
LYMM’S most best-known landmark, The Cross in the village centre, was adorned with white banners to publicise the Make Poverty History Campaign.
Schools in the area and teams of volunteers supported the project, which is part of a national campaign to decorate monuments in white banners – as white bands are a symbol of the campaign.
Local organiser Maureen McLaughlin, 36, of Statham Drive, said: “It is a year-long campaign to fight poverty in Africa. The aims are to make trade fairer, drop the debts and provide more and better aid.” Maureen, who is married with two children, is a music teacher at St Gregory’s High School, Great Sankey. She has involved Lymm schools in decorating the banners and staffing a promotional stall for the campaign in Lymm.
“I have always been involved in supporting Africa, and have always donated to charities. But I feel that is not enough as it just touches the surface. Now we want to get Lymm people involved in tackling these issues.”
Carnival capers
by Gary Skentelbery
HUNDREDS of villagers took part in the annual Croft Carnival when a colourful parade of floats toured the area.
Following the parade of more than a dozen floats carnival queen Amy Shaw, 15, was crowned on the Croft playing field.
Row flares over plan
for old fire station
by Terry Johnson
CONTROVERSY has flared over plans to turn a redundant village fire station near Warrington into a hot food shop.
Developers RF Estates Ltd. want to breathe new life into the early 20th-century Stockton Heath fire station building, within the village conservation area.
They propose ground and first-floor extensions to the old fire station building, providing hot food and also financial services use.
A two-storey extension to the London Road frontage would project three metres. A twin-gabled first-floor extension would project over the rear car park.
Stockton Heath Parish Council and residents of nearby East Avenue say the plans represent “inappropriate over-development” of the site.
Extending the front of the building would be over-bearing and cause serious damage to the street scene.
And the rear extension would have “a massing and overbearing effect” on East Avenue and residents’ homes.
Extra traffic and parking would add to the problems.
Residents fear a huge increase in smells, noise, litter, car doors slamming, anti-social behaviour and deliveries at unsocial hours.
But a local planning analysis urges acceptance by development control committee members at their meeting on Wednesday.(July 6)
The report notes that it is not intended to operate a pub or hot food take-away in Stockton Heath’s retail heartland.
Further, it is not considered that residents’ amenities would be harmed.
Lift-off for town’s
new “ball hall”
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON’S latest “ball hall” attraction has taken off with one giant bounce!
Surging interest in the Boteler community sports centre, with 600 people a week enjoying the recreation on offer, has led to an acute shortage of qualified coaches, referees and umpires.
The state-of-the-art “ball hall” off Knutsford Road, Latchford, offers coaching in netball, basketball and badminton at junior and senior levels.
A spokeswoman said: “We offer ladies netball, leagues and come-and-try sessions on Mondays; ladies and men’s basketball leagues on Tuesdays; junior and senior badminton, leagues and coaching on Wednesdays.
“There is ladies netball, leagues and come-and-try on Thursdays; years nine-10 and under-19 basketball leagues on Fridays; years three to eight, basketball leagues and starter sessions on Saturdays; and years three to 10, netball leagues and initial sessions on Sundays”.
The ball centre is open to anybody across Warrington and there is already a Stockport team travelling for away matches.
Further details: call 01925-655794.
Police clamp down on
underage drinkers
by David Skentelbery
POLICE at Warrington have vowed to continue targeting underage drinkers this summer in a bid to crack down on alcohol related anti-social behaviour.
Just over ?90 worth of booze has been seized by Community Action Team (CAT) officers in the East of Warrington as part of the on-going campaign to tackle underage drinkers.
During June, officers seized a total of 97 bottles and cans of alcohol and poured even more away down the drain from open bottles and cans. The booze was seized at various locations including Birchwood Forest Park in Birchwood, the Millenium Gardens in Culcheth and Hollins Green.
CAT officer, PC Julie Morse said: “We are committed to tackling alcohol related, anti-social behaviour in our communities. This campaign intends to target this low-level criminal behaviour, protect the vulnerable and provide re-assurance to residents and will continue during the summer months. Officers will be taking positive action against offenders.”
Police also arrested an 18 year old man from Woolston for possession of cannabis with intent to supply. Approximately ?200 worth of the drug was recovered.
