Syringe attack outside
town centre nightspot
by Terry Johnson
POLICE at Warrington have issued an e-fit of a “vagrant” who stabbed a man with a syringe as he left a town-centre night spot.
The 21-year-old victim has been left in fear of a contagion like HIV since the attack outside Big Bar on June 19.
He is undergoing hospital tests to detect possible infection risk.
Police say he was stabbed in the arm by a scruffy-looking man of between 50-60, wearing thin-rimmed glasses, brown waistcoat and rigger boots.
The assault took place after this man asked his victim for cigarette papers.
The middle-aged man stuck the syringe in his victim’s arm, pulled it out and threw it away. He then ran off.
“We would appeal for witnesses to this incident – or anyone who recognises the description or e-fit to contact us”, said PC Mark Smith(01244-613860).
One striking feature was that the assailant was smoking a long wooden pipe.
Mother of three’s
dreams of theatre
by Paul Saville
A MOTHER-of-three from Warrington is one step closer to fulfilling her childhood dreams of being an actor and dancer in her own theatre after achieving a 2.2 in Performing Arts and Sport.
Thirty-four-year-old Debbey Goodban, from Oakwood, was awarded the honours degree after completing a three-year course at the Warrington campus of the University of Chester.
Since graduating, Debbey has joined Warrington-based GLR productions where she has performed in a play called I Will Come Home, which was written by GLR’s Simon King and George Greenall.
The sell-out performance was shown over three nights at Cinnamon Brow Farm, Warrington – a small club with a stage.
Debbey said: “Warrington has a limited amount of theatres and the club would make an ideal venue for a new one. The popularity of our latest performance shows that Warrington residents would welcome it.
“It is mine and GLR’s dream to convince the Arts Council to award the club repertory theatre status.”
Debbey put her ambitions on hold when she married, concentrating instead on raising a family. She decided however to revisit her childhood ambition after the marriage broke down.
“Being a single parent of three meant I had to juggle study with running a home. Although I knew it would be difficult, I decided to proceed, and therefore set about taking the steps to fulfil my dream”, she said.
As part of her degree course, Debbey undertook numerous work placements including Impact Theatre School’s marketing department, dance workshops at Bridgewater High School, and another school placement where she taught girls football in PE lessons.
Debbey enjoyed studying at the Warrington campus because of its intimate size. “Lectures were made up of fewer people, allowing the chance for greater interaction, discussion and debate”, she said.
“I urge all mature students to follow their dreams, as coming to university has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Planners to visit site
of proposed factory
by David Skentelbery
PLANNING chiefs are to visit the proposed site of a controversial factory building at Warrington before deciding if it can be built.
Members of the borough council’s development control committee decided they need to inspect the site after hearing of objections from worried neighbours.
Householders in Old Liverpool Road, Sankey Bridges say the building would have an unacceptable impact on their residential amenity and could lead to increased traffic.
They say directors of Warrington Fabrications Ltd have displayed a total disregard to the impact on neighbours of their expansion plans and current 24-hour working patterns.
The company has applied for planning consent for the 25ft high steel framed building on land currently used as a yard between the River Mersey and the railway line which runs parallel with Old Liverpool Road.
Environment Agency experts have raised no objections to the scheme but say the floor level of the new building should be 27 feet above the minimum tide level as the site is within the Mersey flood plain.
The residents have won the backing of borough councillor Jeff Richards – a former planning chairman – who believes the development would have a damaging impact on residential amenity.
Planning officers accept that the main issue relates to the impact of the development on the residential amenity of people living on the opposite side of Old Liverpool Road.
They admit the building will increase the overall massing of the site when viewed from the houses, but as the nearest house is some 180 yards away and the site is to be landscaped they do not consider it will have any detrimental impact on residential amenity.
Conditions can be applied to control noise, smells or air pollution arising from use of the building, they say.
Young offenders’
dramatic message
by Terry Johnson
INMATES at Appleton’s Thorn Cross Young Offenders’ Institution used drama to raise awareness of testicular cancer – the most common cancer in men in the 15-44 age group.
The young offenders took part in a 15-minute play which focused on the ‘most untalked about’ health issue.
Barrow playwright, John Kenneth Hall, wrote the play to highlight a problem which affects 2,000 new patients in the UK every year.
Testicular cancer responds well to early treatment, with nine in 10 patients cured.
A spokesman for Macmillan Cancer Relief said: “This is a unique way of increasing awareness of testicular cancer and encouraging more young men to self-examine”.
Katie Roberts, Warrington Primary Care Trust specialist, added: “There are many men who have difficulty talking about health issues. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer is not well understood by men.
“This project aims to break down the barriers and raise awareness”.
Gas explosion averted
“by pure chance”
by David Skentelbery
A MAJOR explosion or fire was averted by pure chance after a mystery arsonist struck at a house in Warrington.
The offender – believed to be about 25 – was seen to set fire to a wheelie bin outside a house in St Elphin’s Close.
He was spotted by the occupant who shouted in his direction, causing him to run away.
The fire was extinguished by the householder – but about 10 minutes later the man returned, went to the rear of the house and forced a gas box off the wall.
He then ripped gas pipes from the wall and tried to set them alight. Fortunately he failed – and ran off again.
Fire crews and Transco engineers were called to the scene.
A police spokesman said: “This could have been a much more serious incident. There could have been a serious fire or even an explosion.”
Anyone who saw either incident is asked to call PC Paula Hargreaves on 01244 613875.
Trees stand in way
of housing scheme
by staff reporter
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to axe protected trees to make way for a pair of semi-detached houses has been withdrawn.
The application was withdrawn from the agenda at a meeting of Warrington Borough Council’s development control committee.
Officers had been recommending it be refused because of the loss of two protected trees and a damaging impact on nearby listed cottages at the junction of Greenall’s Avenue and Cooper’s Place.
They claimed the trees were vital to the “pastoral character” of the 100-year-old cottages in the shadow of the former Greenall’s Brewery.
Although the scheme involved replacement trees, this would not mitigate the harm caused to the setting of the listed buildings.
Police in hunt
for 2p burglar
by Terry Johnson
Police at Warrington are seeking a small-coin “big spender”.
A baseball-capped burglar, aged between 25-30, took a large quantity of 2p pieces in a green canvas money bag from the Tetley Walker R
ecreation Club, Warrington.
The alarm at the Long Lane club went off at 4.05am. The money bag, credit cards and a silver Motorola ‘phone were taken by the thief, who was caught on CCTV film.
He was wearing a three-quarter red coat and black tracksuit bottoms, with three red lines down the side. He had collar-length hair under a black baseball cap and was wearing white garden gloves and white trainers.
News in brief
Hospital lottery
WINNING numbers in the weekly lottery run by the League of Friends of Warrington Hospital were 1, 5, 10 and 15. There was one winner who received ?713. The ?25 consolation prize was won by R Urey.
Stable plan
PLANS for a block of four stables at Old Alder Lane, Burtonwood, Warrington, have been given the green light by borough planners.
Footpath closure
A TEMPORARY footpath closure is to be introduced between Paddington Bank and Wilkinson and Jackson Avenue, Warrington from Monday, August 1, to enable the safe installation of electrical cables.
Plan withdrawn
THE McDonalds restaurant in Winwick Road, Warrington, has withdrawn a planning application for a cash machine at the premises.
