Man “critical” in hospital
after Samurai sword attack
by David Skentelbery
A MAN is critically ill in hospital at Warrington after being attacked with a Samurai sword.
The attack took place in broad daylight on Alder Lane, Warrington ? and police are anxious to speak to anyone who witnessed it.
Six men have been arrested and are being held in custody in connection with the incident. They are all local and are aged between 18 and 29.
The victim, a 35-year-old local man, suffered serious injuries after being struck with the sword.
A police spokesman said: ?We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the attack.?
Anyone who can help is asked to call Warrington Police on 01244 613833.
In a separate incident, a 57-year-old local man was attacked and robbed of his Nokia mobile phone as he waited at a bus stop in Delenty Drive, Birchwood, Warrington.
He suffered cuts and bruising to his face after being struck by the offender.
Anyone who can help police is asked to call DS Richard Langford on 01244 612645.
Angry MP hits out at
“Stalinist” health chiefs
by John Hendon
ANGRY MP Helen Jones has launched an outspoken attack in Parliament on proposals to merge Warrington Hospital with Whiston Hospital on Merseyside.
During Question Time in the House of Commons, she described health chiefs as ?Stalinist? and out-of-touch.
The Warrington North MP said the merger ? proposed by the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority ? would force her constituents to make a 20-mile round trip to and from Prescot.
She said: “What people want is good services provided locally.
“Because of their actions neither I, nor my constituents, have any confidence in what is an increasingly Stalinist and out-of-touch health authority.”
The proposed merger would involve North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust merging with St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals Trust so in effect would be a merger of several hospitals ? including Halton General and St Helens Hospital.
It first came to light through leaked documents last November.
Ms Jones has repeatedly attacked the proposals since then.
She believes the inevitable consequences of such a merger would be some services being moved away from Warrington.
North Cheshire Hospitals have recently been criticised for proposals to switch some services from Halton General, in Runcorn, to Warrington.
New design proposals
revealed for school
by David Skentelbery
NEW design proposals for the proposed school to replace Stockton Heath Primary School have been unveiled by Warrington Borough Council.
A number of changes have been from the original scheme which caused an uproar among local residents when they first revealed last November.
The design changes include:
A redesigned roof, with a steeper pitch to enable the use of slates rather than a shallower roof requiring metal sheeting.
The external finish to the main admin block has been revised to enable the use of brickwork rather than render. Bricks used will be as close a match as possible to local brick colour.
The cill heights to ground floor classrooms have been reduced for an improved view and to provide window sizes and design appropriate to the proposed building.
A planning application for a replacement school has now been submitted to the borough council.
Tim Warren, the borough?s interim operational director of education, said: “The council has responded positively to the concerns expressed during the consultation process by some residents, who felt the design could better reflect the local streetscape.
“As a result, our architects have added a pitched slate roof to the school, instead of the flatter aluminium sheet, and have changed the face of the building to incorporate more use of red brick.”
The plans can be viewed at the council’s planning reception at New Town House, Buttermarket Street, Warrington. Opening times are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
They can also be seen at a special meeting of Stockton Heath Parish Council on Monday, February 6 at the Methodist Church in Walton Road, Stockton Heath. The plans will be on show from 6.45pm.
More than 5,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans to demolish the existing school and replace it with a new building.
They favour refurbishment of the existing building which they say is a fine example of a Victorian school and stands on a site steeped in local history.
Celebrating 80 years
of organ music
by Lesley Wilkinson
AN organ virtuoso who regularly broadcasts will give a special performance at Parr Hall, Warrington, to mark the 80th anniversary of The Cavaille-Coll organ arriving at the venue.
Kevin Morgan, well known throughout Britain and Europe and contributes to the popular BBC Radio Two show “The Organist Entertains,” will perform at the hall on Wednesday February 15 at 7.45pm.
He began to play the piano at the age of three and was a music scholar at school. He was awarded the highest marks in the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations. At the age of nine he started playing the organ and two years later played for his first service in Salisbury Cathedral.
Having studied extensively in Durham, London, Oxford and Cambridge, he moved to Bolton in 1986 to become organist and choirmaster at the Parish Church. He met the late Ron Curtis who introduced him to the theatre organ and the two performed many concerts.
A prize-winning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of London, he also holds a Bachelor’s, Master’s and a Doctorate degree. He plays classical, theatre and electronic organs and the piano.
The concert is being organised by Parr Hall and The Cavaille-Coll Organ Supporters Group.
Supporters group spokesman Ronald Dowd said: “We are very pleased to have Kevin Morgan giving a recital of cinema/theatre organ music on our organ. A lot of people in Warrington think the Par Hall organ is a church organ, which is incorrect. Those that enjoyed the Lidz and Odeon would do well to come and listen to the wonderful sound that Kevin will display, very much a modern sound.”
The instrument is one of only three Cavaille-Coll organs left in the world and dates back to 1870. It was built by a famous French organ builder and initially resided in Bracewell Hall near Skipton, Yorkshire.
Tickets are ?5 and ?4 for concessions. The next organ recital is on April 19 and will host John Walton.
For more information call the box office on 01925 442345 or log onto the website at www.pyramid.org.uk
Benefit cheat
obtained ?22,300
by court reporter
A WARRINGTON woman who falsely claimed ?22,366 in benefits as a single parent when she was living with a partner has been sentenced to 40 hours Community Service, a 12 month community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay back the overpayment.
Mandy Miller, 31, of Cabul Close, was sentenced at Warrington Crown Court after pleading guilty to three charges of benefit fraud on December 21.
The court heard that between May 2002 and June 2004 Miller defrauded Warrington Borough Council of ?1,696 Council Tax Benefit and ?8,016 Housing Benefit and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of ?12,654 Income Support.
Adrian Webster, the council’s benefits manager, said: “Benefit cheats are not just defrauding the government, but their own tax paying neighbours and communities. With the new methods of data matching we are using, the obvious message to benefit cheats is – ‘you will be caught’.”
Fraud operations manager for the DWP Roy Paul added: “The public is fed up with cheats who steal money from the taxpayer when it should go to those in genuine need of help.”
People in Warrington can give information about alleged fraudsters free an
d in confidence on the National Benefit Fraud hotline on 0800 854440.
Resurfacing work
in town centre
by staff reporter
RESURFACING works in Sankey Street, Warrington, in connection with the Golden Square development, start on Monday (February 6) between 7pm and 7am, for three nights.
Sankey Street will be closed between its junctions with Winmarleigh Street and Legh Street during the period of works.
Traffic approaching Sankey Street from the west will be diverted along Crosfield Street, Midland Way and Legh Street. Access to Springfield Street and Palmyra Square North will be from Bold Street with the one-way restrictions on these streets being suspended during the closure.
Quizzing
the police
PEOPLE will have the opportunity to question police about their work at a public meeting being held tonight (Thursday) in Stockton Heath, Warrington.
The third Stockton Heath Community Action Meeting (CAM) will be held from 7pm at Stockton Heath Primary School. Everyone is invited to attend.
Car overturned
FOUR youths escaped unhurt when a car overturned in Alder Root Lane, Winwick, near Warrington.
Fire crews were called to the scene to help release the youngsters and make the vehicle safe.
No other vehicle was involved in the incident.
