Drug addicts “living
the high life” – claim
by Lesley Wilkinson
DRUG addicts are living the “high life” and nothing is done to stop them, Stockton Heath Parish Council heard.
Coun Marilyn Timmins said that addicts in Stockton Heath and on the Cobbs estate, Appleton, were often involved in crimes. She claimed residents felt police did not do enough to stop them.
“When registered heroin addicts in Stockton Heath are involved in crimes, who do we report it to?” she askd.
“Also on the Cobbs estate nothing seems to be done about them. They are living the high life and nothing seems to be done about it.”
Coun Timmins said individual incidents were dealt with by police when they were reported, but some long term action was needed to deal with the overall problem.
John Bucknall, young people’s commissioning manager at Warrington’s Drug Action Team, told members that any crimes should be reported to the police.
Chairman Coun Celia Jordan said: “With the reporting of drug crimes, we just have to keep knocking at the door until something happens.”
Members asked if following changes in classification, whether the police took action against those found with cannabis.
Mr Bucknall said: “Those under 18 will be charged if they have cannabis. But with the over 18s it is left to the police’s discretion.”
Coun Tudor Pole said: “But are you winning or losing the battle against drugs? The public perception is than you are losing.”
Mr Bucknall said if the team got people into treatment, then they were ?winning?. But in terms of reducing the supply of drugs, there was still a long way to go.
He said alcohol abuse among young people was more of a problem than drugs and the team was working with schools and other agencies to tackle this.
“More young people get into trouble with alcohol issues at home, school and in the community, than with drugs,” he said.
Strong winds produce
dramatic day of sailing
by our correspondent
STRONG winds and one of the highest tides for 25 years made for a dramatic day of racing at Fiddlers Ferry Sailing Club near Warrington as crews battled to win the 12th annual Mersey Basin Trophy.
Constant winds of about 16 miles per hour ? force 3 to 4 in sailing terms ? produced some of the best sailing in years. They combined with a tide of just over 33 feet – the second highest tide of the last 25 years ? that produced strong currents.
As the boats launched, the water was lapping into the club?s car park.
With the sun shining, 16 boats lined up at the start of the six mile course on the River Mersey. Setting off from the sailing club they raced a course as far down river as Five Bar Gate at Penketh and back up river to the finishing line at Fiddlers Ferry power station.
The winner of this year?s Mersey Basin Trophy was John Ainsworth, who managed the course in a very fast time of 56 minutes in his light, high performance ?Blaze? class boat. He came in a full six minutes ahead of Ian Reading in the second placed boat, who took the Mersey Basin Week Regatta trophy.
Fiddlers Ferry Sailing Club has run the race at the start of October for the last 12 years as part of the annual MWH Mersey Basin Week, run by the Mersey Basin Campaign.
It is the biggest week of water-themed events and activities of the year. Each year around 4,000 people get involved with over 300 events, from clean ups to sponsored walks and of course sailing regattas.
Every year a sailing regatta is held as part of MWH Mersey Basin Week at a different sailing club around the region, and this year it was Fiddlers Ferry?s turn to host it.
Colin Howard, vice commodore of Fiddlers Ferry Sailing Club, said: ?This was one of the best days of sailing I?ve seen in the 15 years I?ve been a member of the club. The strong, constant wind and good course with twists and turns produced close racing with lots of excitement.?
Iain Taylor, development and research director at the Mersey Basin Campaign, is also a keen amateur sailor who competed in the race and presented the winners with their trophies. He said: ?I don?t usually race on rivers and I couldn?t believe how strong the currents were. The thrill is to be out on the water competing against the other boats and the winners did exceptionally well.?
Award winners will
control parking
by David Skentelbery
THE overall winners of this year?s British Parking Awards have won the contract to enforce parking in Warrington from February 5.
Borough council chiefs have agreed to appoint APCOA Parking Ltd after considering tenders from five companies.
APCOA won the British Parking Awards? Innovation Award and were adjudged overall winners.
They were also highly commended for ?Effective On-street Enforcement.?
But council leader Ian Marks (pictured)has given an assurance that the changes in parking enforcement in Warrington are not designed to raise funds for the borough council.
He said: ?We want to cut down on illegal parking, but we want sensible enforcement of the law for everyone?s benefit ? including motorists.
?We want to introduce the changes in a sensitive way. We must have excellent communications with the public and give clear guidance to everyone.? Motorists have been able to regularly park on double yellow lines at Warrington in recent times in the almost certain knowledge they won’t be booked.
This is because the police no longer employ parking wardens and do not enforce parking regulations themselves.
This situation will end when APCOA start operations.
But parking offences will be classed as “civil” rather than “criminal” as they are when dealt with by the police.
Creamfields – why
couldn’t we hear it?
by staff reporter
AFTER all the controversy over the Creamfields festival at Daresbury? the noise, the litter, the drugs, etc? now comes a new complaint ? from the people who COULDN?T hear it!
Some residents of Walton were apparently disappointed they could not hear the music.
Coun Peter Walker told Stockton Heath Parish Council that some householders planned to hold barbecues and garden parties so they could sit outdoors and hear the music for free.
But the festival organisers made a last minute decision to change the position of the main sound stage.
As a result, the music could not be heard in Walton.
Some residents of the Appleton area complained they could not sleep for the noise as a result of the sound stage being moved.
Warning over new
telephone scam
by staff reporter
RESIDENTS across Warrington are being warned to be on their guard against a new telephone scam.
The scam involves a trader making a cold telephone call to householders in which a pre-recorded message is delivered advising that the caller is a messaging service and that the householder has a message, which can be collected by dialling a standard rate number charged at 10p a minute.
Householders that dial this number receive another pre-recorded message advising that they will shortly be connected to a live operator. However, callers that remain on the line are put on hold. It’s not clear if they ever get through to collect any message.
The advice from the borough council’s Trading Standards is that such a Call should be ignored.
Award for man who aims
to make millionaires
by business staff
THE founder of Warrington-based Latitude Group has been named as one of the UK?s leading entrepreneurs at the UK finals of Ernst and Young?s Entrepreneur of the Year awards.
Dylan Thwaites was awarded the title of Technology and Communications Entrepreneur of the Year.
The judges described him as ?a professional entrepreneur who has secured deals with huge blue-chip companies.?
They added: ?Dylan intends to make 12 of his staff millionaires through funding their business ideas and start-ups. While creatin
g wealth for others, he has made his own fortune, starting from scratch.?
Latitude is the UK?s largest search engine marketing company with a turnover in the 15 months to December 2005 of ?21.2 million.
He started his company in 2001 when he bought e-commerce company Corporem and decided to focus on search engine marketing. Last year, they rebranded the company as Latitude Group.
Car wash will
boost charity
by staff reporter
A CAR wash is to be held at Little Bollington Primary School, near Lymm on Saturday November 11 to raise money for Kabuki research.
There will be bacon and sausage butties from ?5 and all monies raised will go to the research fund.
Hannah Scales, of Lymm, who died tragically from the rare Kabuki syndrome, was a pupil at the school and her parents have set up a charity to raise money for research into the condition.
The car wash is between 10am and 2pm.
Car fire
POLICE are investigating an arson attack which left a car in ruins at Great Sankey, near Warrington.
The blaze was in the station yard at Sankey Railway Station and involved a vehicle owned by a nearby taxi firm.
