Distillery blaze: police
believe it WAS arson
by David Skentelbery
THE ?1 million blaze which devastated the Greenall distillery at Warrington is now thought to have been arson.
Police have revealed that they are treating the fire – said to be the biggest in the Warrington area for 20 years – as “suspicious.” They are appealing for information from the public – particularly from anyone who took photographs or video footage of the blaze.
Hundreds of people watched the inferno in Loushers Lane on October 15 and many are thought to have filmed or photographed it.
Detectives believe the pictures could contain vital clues to assist in tracking down the culprits.
They are now working closely with Cheshire Fire Brigade and Greenall’s management to try and find the offenders.
There were early suspicions that the fire could have been deliberately started. But it is only now that police have confirmed their suspicions.
More than two million litres of alcohol went up in the fire and firefighters had to contend with exploding bottles as they tackled the fire.
A 500 metres exclusion zone was established around the site and nearby residents were forced to evacuate their homes – some spending a night at the Daresbury Park Hotel, paid for by Greenalls.
More than 100 firefighters were involved in the operation and some were still at the scene several days later.
TA soldiers will
meet the Prince
by Lesley Wilkinson
SOLDIERS from the Territorial Army are to receive operational and service medals from The Prince of Wales when he visits Warrington tomorrow (Friday).
Prince Charles will present more than 200 medals to members from Cheshire, Manchester and Merseyside to recognise the service of King’s and Cheshire Regiment (KCR) soldiers in operational theatres worldwide, when he visits the regiment?s Warrington home.
The TA soldiers and officers juggle the demands of civilian life with serving with the military in their spare time.
Prince Charles will also present Territorial Decorations and Volunteer Reserve Services Medals to a number of the longest-serving personnel. The KCR will parade in front of Warrington Town Hall for the medal ceremony.
The Prince of Wales is Colonel-in-Chief of both The King’s Regiment and The 22nd Cheshire Regiment, the two regular full-time Army battalions which the KCR supports.
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Rafferty, Commanding Officer, KCR, said: “I know the KCR has always been held in The Prince’s affections, as the Territorial element of the two Regular battalions of which he is Colonel-in-Chief.
“We are delighted he will visit us in Warrington, inspect the troops and present a large number of thoroughly-deserved medals. It will be a special day for the KCR and a special day for Warrington.?
Lord Hoyle receives
town’s highest honour
by staff reporter
FORMER Warrington MP Doug Hoyle has been awarded the title Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Warrington.
The title, the highest honour the borough council can give, was awarded to Lord Hoyle for his many years of outstanding service to the borough.
The honour was bestowed at special council meeting when the 57 councillors of all parties unanimously agreed to the award.
Doug Hoyle was elected Labour MP for Warrington in 1981, and became MP for Warrington North after boundary changes in 1983. He was made a life peer on his retirement in 1997 and now sits in the House of Lords as Baron Hoyle of Warrington.
Lord Hoyle retains his links with the town. A passionate fan of Rugby League, he is chairman of Warrington Rugby League Club and President of the Supporters Club.
Speaking at the ceremony, he said: “It is the greatest honour of my life to be made a Freeman of Warrington. Warrington is extremely special to me and I am very grateful to the town and its people for all they have done for me.”
Coun Mike Hannon, who put Lord Hoyle forward for the honour – seconded by Coun Terry O’Neill – said: “Doug is and always has been held in the highest esteem. He has been a loyal, hardworking Member of Parliament and Member of the House of Lords and it is only right and proper that the council recognises his loyal service to the borough and its people. Although not from the town originally, Doug has truly become part of the Warrington family.”
A scroll, bearing the seal of the council, was presented to Lord Hoyle on his admission as an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Warrington and his name was entered onto the Freeman’s Roll of Honour at the Town Hall.
Lord Hoyle joins former council leader John Gartside and ex-Mayor Mrs Ivy Edwards, who are the borough’s only other Honorary Freemen.
The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment also has the Freedom of the Borough.
Another chance to
quiz health chiefs
by John Hendon
RESIDENTS of West Warrington are to be given an extra opportunity to quiz health bosses about possible changes to their community health services.
Two additional public meetings have been arranged following two already held at Whittle Hall more than a week ago.
The extra meetings will be on November 30 at Penketh Parish Council Community Hall, Honiton Way at 2pm and Penketh High School, Heath Road at 7.30pm.
The proposals affect people living in Westbrook, Whittle Hall, Great Sankey, Penketh, Cuerdley and Burtonwood.
Consultation with the public will end on December 1 after which the Primary Care Trust board will make its final decision.
The consultation focuses on a new health centre in the new Chapelford urban village.
Health chiefs face two choices:
A replacement for the temporary Chapelford Primary Care Centre on Burtonwood Road, providing the same types of clinical services such as GPs and practice nursing.
A much larger health centre which could provide specialist services such as therapy, mental health nursing, minor surgery, for the whole of West Warrington. They believe the second option could result in some reduced waiting times, more choice appointments, etc.
Around 55 per cent of people who have already been consulted favour the first option, mainly because of worries about transport.
PCT chief executive Allison Cooke said: ?There are some real benefits in developing a much larger facility in Chapelford, but it will mean that some people may have to travel further. We need to understand what that will mean to patients and their families before the PCT board makes its decision.?
Walk in the village
– with the police
by David Skentelbery
VILLAGERS at Culcheth and Glazebury, near Warrington, are being invited to go for a walk – with the police.
Two walks taking in Culcheth, Mee Brow and Glazebury are planned by local police in the run-up to a Community Action Meeting.
The aim is give people a chance to highlight issues they are concerned about in their local areas.
Anyone can join the walks – but police stress they are only for community concerns and not for individual issues which should be addressed by contacting the police in the normal way.
The walks are expected to last about an hour each – one during the day and one at night. Local councillors are expected to take part.
Daytime walkers should meet at the Millennium Gardens at 1pm on Saturday December 10 while the evening walk starts at 6pm on Saturday, December 17.
People are advised to bring transport as the walk will extend to Glazebury.
The Community Action Meeting will be at 7.30 pm at Newchurch Parish Hall on Wednesday January 4.
Anyone who wants to highlight any community issue can attend.
Prison conferences
cause traffic chaos
by David Skentelbery
PRISON officials visiting Appleton Thorn, near Warrington, from all over the North West to attend conferences, are causing chaos through inconsiderate parking.
They park on both sides of Arley Roadoad and on p
avements ? and local residents are sick and tired of the problem which, they claim, causes inconvenience and a road safety hazard.
Pupils from Appleton Thorn Primary School could be placed in danger because of the problem.
Appleton Parish Council is asking Warrington Borough Council to consider introducing waiting restrictions to ease the situation.
Efforts to persuade the police to act have failed because police say the road is ?passable with care.?
Coun Dot Edwards, who represents the area on the parish council, said the problems had started after the former Thorn Cross prison officer?s club was converted into a conference centre.
She stressed that Thorn Cross Young Offenders? Institution was not to blame. In fact, the governor had made 60 parking spaces available within his premises and had also written to prisons all over the North West asking them to send delegates by mini-bus rather than in individual cars.
?Something has to be done as the school has no chance of setting up a ?safe route to school? scheme as long as this parking goes on. It can happen two or three times a week.?
Fire wrecks
office building
by staff reporter
AN office building at Birchwood, Warrington was severely damaged by fire during the night.
The blaze was at the YMCA Pavilion building in Hamnett Court.
Fire crews tackled the blaze but could not prevent severe damage to an office and contents and less severe damage to the roof.
A Fire Service spokesman said it was believed the cause was an extractor fan which overheated and burst into flames in the office.
Security alert at store
POLICE sealed off the area around the Marks and Spencer store at the Gemini Centre, Warrington following a security alert.
The store was evacuated and the building searched – but nothing was found and the store later re-opened.
The circumstances surround the security alert are now being investigated.
Police say they are not linking the incident with an alert at a distribution centre at Hardwick Grange, Woolston early this morning when an Army bomb disposal carried out a controlled explosion on a suspect package. It turned out to be a false alarm.
