Schoolchildren grinning like a Cheshire East cat

Animals are normally banned from kitchens, but there could be an exception made for the new school meals mascot in Cheshire East.

A competition was recently held where schools across the Borough were asked to come up with a name for the new mascot, a large cat.

The winning entry came from Woodcock Wells Primary School in Mow Cop. Pupils came up with the name CECil – ‘Cheshire East Council incredible meals’.

The new mascot will be the ‘face’ of the service, championing school meals and the importance of healthy eating.

CECil will be used to raise the profile of the great range of low-cost, balanced school meals and snacks available.

The mascot recently visited Woodcock Wells to present the school with their prize – £200 to go towards cookery or gardening equipment.

Councillor Hilda Gaddum, Cabinet member with responsibility for children and family services, said: “January is the time of year when many people take stock and make resolutions to eat more healthily.

“We are encouraging schoolchildren across Cheshire East to do the same. Apart from being good for their health, there is also strong evidence that a balanced diet can aid concentration levels in the classroom.

“I would like to congratulate the pupils from Woodcock Wells for choosing the winning name.”

Crewe library re-opens

 

Cheshire East Council is reminding residents that Crewe library fully re-opens today, Monday, January 16.

The library has been partially closed since November 2011 to allow for essential improvements to be made.

A reduced service has been offered during this time, with residents still able to borrow and return books.

The improvements include a larger children’s play area, new shelving and carpets and the installation of energy-efficient lighting.

The official opening of Crewe library will take place on Saturday, February 4.

Do the Council discriminate against the West End of Crewe?

 

On the Derby Docks there has been a light out for ages which leaves the people walking across at night in danger of falling or being mugged as its total dark on a small path flanked by bushes.

You can see below that it was reported on the 17 Dec last year and again on the 9th of this year and still this light hasnt been replaced. Would it take them this long to replace a bulb if it was in Macclesfield I think not. So how long does it take to get a new bulb? We have asked Brian SILVESTER to take some action before someone gets hurt

 

Customer Reference: 
Enquiry Number: 4734767 
Date Report Logged: 17/12/2011 
Location: Underwood Lane 
Subject: light out 

For the attention of Mr

Customer Reference: 
Enquiry Number: 4736370 
Date Report Logged: 09/01/2012 
Location: Footway Pioneers Club to Chell Street 
Subject: light out 

Asda verses Tesco

People in the town had a laugh today as Asda did their price guarantee challenge on the square  but who should come along but two guys advertising the new Tesco store that opens on Monday at 8 o'clock and will be a 24 hour store.

What was more fun was one of the lads took the challenge and Tesco won. People were concerned about Asda  as when you go to get your voucher off the Asda website you have to fill in your name address, post code and email. What are Asda doing with the data? One of the girls rang head office and they say they throw it away. So why would you create a form on the website to collect this data if its not used? It links what you have bought and who you are  and your address so they must be using it for something?

Councillor's Celebration will raise funds for local good causes.

 

Councillor Brian Silvester is holding a birthday celebration on the 21st. January at Willaston Social Club. During the evening there will be a prize raffle and an 'Auction of Promises' to raise money for local good causes, including  Willaston Pre School and the St. John's Parent and Toddler Group Willaston.

Cllr Silvester said," I am really grateful to all those that have offered raffle prizes or auction promises or have generally assisted in the organising of the event.. We will have  a really enjoyable and entertaining evening and at the same time we will be raising money for local groups that do so much for our local community. It is always good to support local volunteers who give so freely of their time to help others.

Local singer Tim Gallagher, the winner of the local Star Quest competition 2008, will provide some of the entertainment and local Willaston Chippy, ' Mick the Chip' will provide the refreshments."

Police investigate fire at disused pub in Northwich

 

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire at a disused pub in Northwich last night.

Police and fire crews were called to the blaze on High Street, Northwich just before 9pm on Friday 13th January.

There were no reported injuries following the incident and no damage to adjoining premises. The premises had been unoccupied for several months. Structural engineers will now examine the building to address any safety concerns.

Police and fire investigators are now working to establish the cause of the fire. Two men aged 18 and 24 and a woman aged 45 were arrested in the time that followed the fire on suspicion of arson and remain in police custody to await interview.

Any witnesses are asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 quoting incident 885 13th January.

Lorry driver found guilty of causing M6 deaths

 

A lorry driver responsible for the death of two men changing a tyre on the hard shoulder of the M6 has been sentenced to 6 years behind bars.

Malcolm John Simpson (62) of Sycamore Road, Barlby, Selby in Yorkshire was convicted of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving after a three day trial at Chester Crown Court.

At 11.15am on Thursday 9 September 2010 Thomas Southward and Philip Cawley were changing a tyre on the hard shoulder of the M6 close to junction 17.

At the time a Scania HGV being driven by Simpson was travelling North on the M6.

As he reached Bradwall near Sandbach, which is between Junction 17 and 18 he was seen to drive onto the hard shoulder and collided with the two men.

Thomas was thrown forward into the line of traffic and was hit by another HGV.

The terrible incident was caught on the Highways Agency′s CCTV and showed the vehicle drive onto the hard shoulder and back out and almost onto the middle lane. It then drifted back into the hard shoulder where it collided with the men.

The injuries were extensive and proved fatal. The men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Motorway Inspector Liz Cunningham said: "Had the driver paid the necessary and correct attention, this tragic incident could have been avoided.

"He was employed as a professional driver in a high risk environment where the responsibility to other road users is paramount.

"As a Constabulary we are actively working to improve the conditions for motorists on Cheshire roads alongside our partner agencies and working to educate drivers in respect of the consequences that their dangerous driving can cause."

She added: "This was a tragic incident which has left a hole in the lives of two families. While the sentence will bring a sense of closure, this will stay with the families of Thomas and Philip forever as they try to come to terms with such a horrendous loss."

The families of both men said: "On the 9th September 2010 our families were devastated when we were informed by the Police that Philip and Tommy had been killed on the hard shoulder of the M6 north of Sandbach.

"We have found this a very distressing and difficult sixteen months for the enquiry to come to trial.

"We would like to thank everyone who assisted at the time of the incident, including the witnesses at the scene, Cheshire Police, CPS in particular Simon Parry QC and the family liason officers who supported the families through this very trying time."

Following the conviction of Malcolm Simpson at Chester Crown Court today the family have now asked to be afforded some privacy to come to terms with their loss.

Planning application – Gypsy and Traveller site

Information bulletin

 

A planning application for the development of a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site on Parkers Road, in Crewe, will be submitted on January 18.

Due to high levels of public interest in the proposed site, it has been decided to keep residents informed as the process moves forward.

If approved, the site would house 10 pitches and an amenity block with washrooms, kitchen, dayroom and laundry.

The application will now be processed and the necessary planning protocol followed.

This includes a planning consultation where residents will be able to write to the Council expressing their views. Residents in the immediate locality, plus others who have written with comments in advance of the application, will be notified of its submission.

All comments on the application should be sent to:

Development Management
PO Box 606
Municipal Buildings
Crewe
Cheshire
CW1 9HP

Or via: planning@cheshireeast.gov.uk  

All existing comments made on the proposal will also be considered as part of the planning application process.

It is expected that the application will be discussed by the Council’s Strategic Planning Board by early March.

The Council can also confirm that it has received a petition from residents campaigning against the proposed site. The matter will be debated at the next meeting of full Council on February 23.

The Ugly start to the New Year for people who didn't listen to Cheshire Police's warnings

 

As the New Year sales come to an end and people pack away their Christmas decorations for another year some Christmas festivities will have far reaching consequences over the few months.

Throughout the festive period Cheshire Constabulary highlighted the dangers of excessive drinking and the impact it can have on people having a night out. ′The Good, The Bad and The Ugly′ campaign delivered hard hitting messages and gave safety advice to hundreds of people over the Cheshire period.

The Bad news for those people who didn′t heed the advice of the police and put themselves and others at risk through alcohol, the next few weeks will be a worrying time as they face the consequences of their actions.

The national campaign to tackle drink and drug driving took place between the 1^st of December and 1^st of January. During the campaign 188 people were arrested for drink and drug driving offences. Out of the 188 arrests 7 people were arrested for drug driving.

Assistant Chief Constable Janette McCormick commented:

"People are not listening, they are not accepting that excessive drinking can cause Bad and often Ugly behaviour. This can be evidenced by the number of alcohol related anti-social behaviour incidents recorded over the festive period.

This year when compared to the same period last year saw incidents of anti-social behaviour that have alcohol as an influencing factor rise to 692. The impact this has on resources within the emergency services is huge

In Cheshire, officers where called to deal with drunken brawls, disputes that erupted on the street, drunks who were passed out, domestics that had escalated because those involved had been drinking and on top of dealing with these incidents officers and staff were investigating crimes where victims and offenders had little or no recollection of what had happened because of the amount they have had to drink.

"The Ugly truth is; some people are still not getting the message about the dangers associated with excessive drinking. They need to understand the damage alcohol can do to their bodies, the dangers and risks it posses on our streets, how it influences themselves and others around them as well as how they can be at risk of becoming a victim of crime.

"This is a problem that we face all year round, the emergency services can not pack away their Christmas memories as officers and staff will face the same problems on the streets this Friday and Saturday night where alcohol is the root cause of many of the incidents and crimes they will be called to deal with this weekend, my question to those who are reading this is − is this acceptable?"

Magic Anti-Bullying Campaign backed by Cheshire Police

 

An anti-bullying magic show that toured Cheshire schools in November and December last year, has been hailed a ′wand-erful′ success by Cheshire Police.

The award winning show, that links directly with the National Curriculum, is funded by Cheshire Crimebeat − the High Sheriffs of England and Wales′ charity − and participating schools.

Six schools hosted the events, with the show being performed in front of Year 5 and 6 primary school children.

PC Elizabeth Stanton, the Safer Schools & Young Persons officer for Cheshire Police organised the show to tour the county, revealed that the force have used the anti-bullying magician, Sarah Lewis, for a number of years and that her show has always been well-received by the many children who have seen it.

PC Stanton said: "Anyone can be a bully and anyone can be bullied. It can happen at home, in school, in the community and even at work. Bullying can make you feel lonely, frightened and upset but the Safer Schools Partnership can help. By working together, we can stop people suffering. Speak out − don′t suffer in silence."

Highlighting that bullying is any form of repeated and targeted behaviour that is intended to make someone feel unhappy, Sarah said: "The show is an interactive assembly presentation that teaches children about the important messages of bullying and how everyone′s feelings are special. I was delighted to be asked to perform the shows for Cheshire Police again."

Police seek further witnesses to a fatal collision in Nantwich

 

Police are appealing for two cyclists to get in touch as the may have witnessed a fatal road traffic collision in Nantwich.

Between 6.30am and 7am on Saturday 17 December, a white Mercedes ′Sprinter′ van was travelling along the A530 Middlewich Road, Nantwich towards Crewe. In the vicinity of Alvaston Hall Hotel, the Mercedes overtook another vehicle travelling in the same direction.

At this point, the van was in collision with a male pedestrian who was walking along the A530 on the Nantwich-bound carriageway.

Sadly, pedestrian Michael Betts sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision.

PC David Alexander said: "There were two cyclists travelling along the A530 from the Rising Sun towards Nantwich at around 6.30am. It is highly possible that they would have either seen the collision or arrived and passed the scene shortly after it occurred. We would ask them to get in touch in order to help us with our enquiries."

The driver of the Mercedes Sprinter van, a 21 year old man local to the Nantwich area, was arrested by police on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and later released on police bail.

Any witnesses to the collision are asked to contact Sergeant Carl Bailey at Eastern Traffic Unit on 101 quoting incident 322 of 17th December.

Investment in Cheshire East’s flood defences

 

Cheshire East Council (CEC) has received £780,000 in funding to improve its flood defences.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has awarded the grant to the authority to carry out flood management works over the next five years.

With the funding, the Council plans to install CCTV on all water courses within Cheshire East to monitor flooding.

CEC has identified three sites, worst affected by flooding. Flood alleviation schemes will begin in these areas over the next five years:

· Eaton Village in Macclesfield in 2012;

· Astbury Marsh, Newcastle Road in Congleton, from 2013; and

· Coppice Road/Wistaston Road in Willaston, from 2013.

The flood alleviation schemes will take five years to complete and will be carried out by Cheshire East Council’s highways service.

In addition to this, the authority will use some of the funding to improve the water course running parallel to Liverpool Road West in Church Lawton, which has caused flooding in the surrounding area.

The Flood Defence Grant in Aid funding, via Defra, is granted depending on how it will benefit the local community, for example, how many properties are affected by flooding in these areas.

Cheshire East Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: “I am sure this funding will go a long way to improving flooding in these areas of Cheshire East. I would like to thank Defra for their support and all the officers involved in bidding for this money.

“The affects of climate change show that we will experience increasingly wet weather and we must be prepared for this. These improvements will take time but they will hopefully have a positive impact on alleviating problem flooding for many years to come.”

Cheshire East cracks down on woman benefits cheat who netted £9,000

 

A Cheshire East woman who admitted fraudulently claiming more than £9,000 in benefits has been given 100 hours’ community service.

Following an investigation by Cheshire East Council’s benefit investigations team, Shannon McCormick, 33, pleaded guilty (on December 16) at South Cheshire Magistrates Court (Crewe) to obtaining by deception means-tested benefits. She had fraudulently claimed income support, housing benefit and Council Tax benefit over a 17-month period.

McCormick, of McNeil Avenue, Crewe, had said she was a single parent and on a low income – but she was living with her partner, Alan Edge, who was working.

The benefits overpayment of £9,139 was in relation to offences committed against the Department of Work and Pensions and Cheshire East Council between November 9, 2009 and March 20, 2011.

Magistrates ordered McCormick to repay the money she had fraudulently claimed and a further £100 costs. She was also sentenced to 100 hours’ community service.

Councillor David Brown, Cheshire East Cabinet member with responsibility for performance and capacity, said: “As a Council, we would not be serving taxpayers well if we didn’t take action against a selfish minority of people who try to defraud the public purse and shirk their responsibilities.

“Cheshire East will not tolerate selfish people cheating honest taxpayers. Such fraudsters will be rigorously pursued through the courts and brought to justice.

“Benefit fraud robs hard-working communities of resources needed to pay for crucial public services. Such criminal acts rob councils and the Government of hard-pressed funds that could be spent helping the most vulnerable and needy people in our communities.”

One man crime wave sentenced for preying on vulnerable and elderly in Crewe

A one man crime wave who terrorised elderly and vulnerable people in Crewe was sentenced to six years imprisonment last week.

Oliver Boswell, 34, from Northwich and Middlewich was charged with eight burglaries and two attempt thefts with violence in the Crewe area. At an earlier hearing he pleaded guilty and on Friday 6 January 2012 he was sentenced.

Police in Crewe stepped up patrols last year as it began to emerge that pensioners were being targeted in their own home by a man pretending to be from the waterboard. He would try to gain entry to their homes, and once inside, would either demand cash or distract his victim to take cash.

Det Insp Nigel Groom said: "We were very concerned about the increase in burglaries targeting vulnerable people in the Crewe area, in particular the two incidents where the offender showed violence towards the victims. Detectives from my burglary unit worked tirelessly alongside Neighbourhood policing officers to track down the man who carried out these despicable crimes."

Officers tracked Boswell down and arrested him on 31 July. He was charged and remanded two days later.

Boswell was charged with 10 offences including one at Tennyson Avenue on 27 July 2011, where he tricked his way into the home of an 83-year-old woman. She suffered a minor cut to her foot when he pushed past her and demanded cash.

He was also charged with forcing his way into the Claughton Avenue home of a 78-year-old woman on Monday 25 July 2011. At the time he again claimed to be from the water board, forced his way into the house and pushed his victim into a wall before stealing her handbag.

DI Groom said: "Although no one has been seriously physically injured during these burglaries, all the victims had understandably been deeply affected and traumatised by what had happened to them. While we cannot turn back the clock so they didn′t have to experience such a shocking incident, we can take satisfaction in the fact Boswell is getting what he deserves for preying on the elderly and the vulnerable."

Driver dies in motorway collision

 

The M6 Motorway in Cheshire remains closed following a serious collision earlier this evening.

The collision was reported at 1730 hours on Monday 9 January 2012, and involved two Heavy Good Vehicles. One of these vehicles has come to rest in a ditch, the other has jacknifed across the three lanes of the southbound carriageway. Neither vehicle is carrying any cargo of note.

Following the collision, the M6 was closed between Junction 16 (Barthomley) and Junction 18 (Holmes Chapel) on the southbound carriageway. Tailbacks remain from the scene of the collision, and there is congestion in the surrounding areas.

Two lanes of the northbound carriageway at the scene of the collision (Lanes 2 and 3 ) have been temporarily closed to facilitate the work of the emergency services. However, the southbound closure is likely to continue for some hours yet, and motorists are advised to find an alternative route.

One of the HGV drivers was trapped in his vehicle following the collision, before being released. He was tended by paramedics at the scene, but sadly died shortly after the collision. The deceased is a man who was driving a foreign registered vehicle, and enquiries are ongoing to identify him and locate his next of kin.

The other lorry driver was not injured, and there were no other casualties.

Police are appealing for witnesses, and are keen to hear from anybody who may have seen anything of relevance, or have any information, which may assist the collision investigator in determining what has caused the crash. If you can assist, please contact the North West Police Motorway Group on the police non emergency number - 101 - quoting incident 669 of 9/01/2012.

Forces form innovative partnership

 

Two police forces have come together in an innovative partnership to deliver essential business functions.

Cheshire and Northamptonshire Police Forces have taken a further step towards the launch of their Multi Force Shared Service having signed the Post Implementation Support Services contract with the technology provider Capgemini UK plc.

The Multi Force Shared Service will launch on 1^st April 2012 and is the first such shared service centre to be set up in the policing sector. Initially the centre will provide finance and purchasing services to both Forces supported by new technology. The technology will also be accessible by each Force for the management of logistics and estates & assets. Human resources, payroll and duty management services will follow in October.

The collaboration agreement between Cheshire and Northamptonshire will see the two Forces working in partnership to deliver the shared service primarily from one location in Winsford, Cheshire (within the Cheshire Constabulary Headquarters building), providing core back office functions to each Force. Payroll provision will initially be provided from Northampton.

The Multi Force Shared Service will deliver efficiencies and financial savings for both Forces using technology provided by Capgemini. The integrated business service solution will not only replace existing, old back office systems within each Force but also align core processes between Forces, reducing duplication and bureaucracy. The new IT system will also enable a significantly greater level of self service for officers and staff and allows for quicker decision making, flexibility and autonomy for officers in their daily business

Officers and staff will be encouraged to self serve wherever possible but if they need help to access any of the systems they will be able to contact a ‘one stop shop′ service desk. Teams within the service will manage the transactional elements required to resolve the issue.

Margaret Ollerenshaw Chair of Cheshire Police Authority said: "Cheshire Constabulary have been developing the concept around shared services for some time. The benefit of working with both the private sector and a partner Force in Northamptonshire means that we have now developed a way of delivering quality shared services in a sustainable, cost effective manner."

The Contract

Cheshire Police Authority have signed a ten year contract with Capgemini UK plc, part of the Capgemini Group, the contracts are in two parts, part one for build and implementation and the second, signed recently, for post implementation support services. Cheshire Constabulary and Northamptonshire Police have signed a collaboration agreement which will see the two Forces working in partnership to deliver the Multi Force Shared Service.

There is a framework agreement supporting the contract which is open to all Forces throughout the United Kingdom and enables any Force to achieve either a comprehensive transformation of their IT services that support back-office policing activities or the purchase of applications, modules and solutions that meet their specific requirements and deliver business benefits, without having to re-tender.

Background

Under the comprehensive spending review, Cheshire Constabulary has to achieve savings of £36m and Northamptonshire Police £19m. Both Forces have already made significant savings, however the scale of the financial challenge is such that more innovative ways of working have had to be sought in order to achieve the full amount.

Cheshire Constabulary has been working towards a shared service capability for some time and they have been developing the system and processes alongside Capgemini for two years. The decision was taken that it was not financially viable for the Force to proceed alone and therefore discussions were had with other Forces.

Northamptonshire Police entered into discussion in the latter part of 2010, the similar aims and shared values of the two Forces enabled discussions to develop swiftly to business case which was then signed off by the respective Police Authorities in July 2011.

http://www.cheshire.police.uk/

http://www.northants.police.uk/

About Capgemini

With 115,000 people in 40 countries, Capgemini is one of the world′s foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services.The Group reported 2010 global revenues of EUR 8.7 billion. Together with its clients, Capgemini creates and delivers business and technology solutions that fit their needs and drive the results they want. A deeply multicultural organisation, Capgemini has developed its own way of working, the Collaborative Business ExperienceTM, and draws on Rightshore ®, its worldwide delivery model.

More information is available at http://www.uk.capgemini.com/

Rightshore® is a trademark belonging to Capgemini

Support for Action Against Metal Thieves

 

Continuing action to combat metal thefts in Cheshire has been welcomed by Cheshire Police Authority.

The chairman, Margaret Ollerenshaw said, "Stealing metal, including power cable and pipes carrying gas or water, sometimes results in danger, as well as inconvenience, to other people. It is an issue of real concern."

Cheshire Police officers carry out regular checks on scrap metal dealers, patrol vulnerable areas and encourage owners of industrial sites to step up their security.

They also work closely with British Transport Police, who investigate thefts of cable and other metal from railway property.

The two police forces exchange information about stolen items they discover at scrap yards and in other locations. During a day of action against metal theft earlier in December, Cheshire officers stopped vehicles which they knew where used by metal thieves and recovered some stolen property.

Peter Nurse, a member of Cheshire Police Authority, who raised the issue at a recent Authority meeting, said the joint approach was very important, especially as the theft of metal items from the railways sometimes created serious threats to public safety.

Cheshire′s Chief Constable, Dave Whatton said the danger resulting from this type of crime on the railways was matched by the theft of metal components in other locations.

"For instance, if someone steals a grid or manhole cover from the road there could be serious consequences for drivers who may not spot the hole in time to avoid it. Public safety is one of the reasons we take this type of crime very seriously indeed.

"Many of these thefts are equally dangerous for the criminals themselves. Stealing power cable obviously presents a hazard and pipes which carry gas or water under high pressure can also cause injury or death when they are interfered with."

Peter Nurse also wanted to know whether most of the thefts were opportunist crimes or the work of organised criminal gangs.

Chief Constable Dave Whatton said, "In many cases thieves see a metal item and believe they can make some easy money. The recent case when a man was sent to prison after stealing a metal plaque from the war memorial at Willaston was one example. Other spontaneous thefts are not as high profile, but the missing items can cause real issues for other people.

"At the other end of the scale we see criminals mount planned, military- style operations to steal large quantities of heavy-duty piping and miles of copper cable.

"Both types of crime can be extremely dangerous for the criminal. Stealing high voltage cable, for instance, can obviously result in death or serious injury for the thieves. On occasions, the theft may also disable vital safety devices on equipment or bring a production line to a standstill and put jobs in jeopardy.

"Since the price of metals rose steeply we have seen an increase in this type of crime across Britain. We will continue to make every effort to put that trend into reverse."