Police chief warns parents
over underage drinking
by David Skentelbery
CHESHIRE?S police chief has been back to Warrington to warn parents of their responsibilities over boozing teenagers, in the wake of the murder of father of three Garry Newlove.
Chief Constable Peter Fahy suggests that youngsters who indulge in under-age drinking should be taken into care if their parents refuse to take responsibility for their drinking.
Mr Fahy (pictured) also believes youngsters should be subject to a curfew by which time they should be indoors ? and that there should be a ban on drinking in public places.
Speaking at Warrington Police Station, Mr Fahy said: ?We would like so see some form of sanction that actually makes parents come forward and take up offers of support.
?If it gets to the stage where a parent has a very vulnerable child through drinking, but is not willing to take up support, then it should become a child protection issue.
?We would like to see more support and advice, but with a sanction from the criminal justice system.
?Unfortunately, if they are not willing to take up that offer, their child would have to be considered as part of care proceedings.?
The Chief Constable said when police took drunken teenagers home parents were sometimes shocked, occasionally did not care and sometimes were drunk themselves.
?When you have got a parent who just doesn?t care, what do you do?? he asked.
Mr Fahy said many police officers would be in favour of setting a time when it was expected that young people were at home indoors.
They would also like to see drinking in public places banned ? except in areas where the local council believed it to be suitable.
Four teenagers are in custody having been charged with the murder of 47-year-old Mr Newlove, of Station Road North, Padgate, Warrington.
“Rodent village” is
new zoo attraction
by Lesley Wilkinson
MONEY raised at a wedding fair helped fund a “Rodent Village” at Walton Hall Children’s Zoo, Warrington.
Two large glass fish tanks have been combined in a wooden Wendy House structure to provide the latest attraction at the popular venue. One features 20 mice and the other contains two male rats.
Ranger Liz Clarke said a raffle at a recent wedding event at Walton Hall raised ?500, which was donated to the zoo.
She said: “The tanks are side by side and visitors look through the windows of the Wendy House into them.
“The attraction is proving very popular, especially with children.”
The zoo has bred 13 baby rats and once they have been sexed the females will be kept separately. The females will be trained by rangers to get used to being handled, so that when groups visit the zoo they can handle the rats.
Liz said: “This is exciting for the zoo. Rodents make excellent pets, so we want visitors to get used to them.”
Rachel plans to
follow her dreams
by Gary Skentelbery
WITH a degree in nutrition and classically trained as a dancer Rachel Thilwin is not just a pretty face and plans to follow her dreams.
The young dancing teacher who is also aiming to set up her own dance school, is now following her dreams to win a beauty pageant and is planning to enter the Miss England competition next year.
Rachel aged 21, from Padgate, Warrington, has entered an online Miss Limousine competition where the top 20 girls are invited down to London to compete for the title.
The winner gets to be the face of a top limousine company in London who supply cars to the stars.
“I need as many votes as possible and its free to vote if you go on the website.
“I am also entering the “Face of Divinity” competition where the winner gets to be a cover girl on a top magazine.”
Rachel’s hobbies including dancing, in which she has been classically trained while she also works part time for a local entertainments agency. She is also currently teaching dance to under 16s.
“My ambitions are to win a beauty pageant to show that women can be beautiful and talented. Hopefully next year I will be competing in Miss England.”
Meanwhile she is trying to establish her own dance school, the All Stars Dance Academy at Warrington?s Cinnamon Brow Farm Club, to encourage children to follow their dreams.
DIY road works spur
contractors to action
by Lesley Wilkinson
THE do-it-yourself road works of election hopeful David Mowat spurred contractors into action.
Within days of him rolling up his sleeves and filling in a pothole in Wardley Road, Walton, workmen arrived and finished the job off.
More than 12 months ago local resident Maureen Heaton complained about a dangerous pothole in the road near her home. But no action was taken.
Then Mr Mowat, Conservative Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Warrington South heard about the hole while out canvassing.
Mrs Heaton was worried that someone could be hurt because of the hole and that lorries driving over an adjacent faulty manhole were causing noise disturbance.
Mr Mowat arrived with a bag of DIY tarmac and filled the hole himself – to the surprise and delight of residents.
But a couple of days later they were even more surprised when contractors turned up and did a permanent repair.
Said Mr Mowat: “I’m pleased the problem has been sorted.”
Inspector rejects
home extension
by John Hendon
A PLANNING inspector has rejected an appeal by a resident of Armstrong Close, Birchwood against the refusal by Warrington Borough Council to grant planning consent for an extension of an existing garage and a single storey rear extension.
The council refused permission for the extensions earlier this year but the householder appealed.
The inspector who dealt with the appeal disagreed with the council’s view that the development would be out of scale with the existing house. But he said the view of the extension from neighbouring houses would make them very much less places to live.
A council spokesman said: “This was a straightforward rejection of a two storey side extension, within the immediate outlook of neighbours given relative positions at head of a cul de sac.”
