Copyright theft

 

For those that don’t know a photo can contain metadata hidden inside it. You can see in this picture that the highlighted picture has metadata which show the camera the exposure and other details including the copyright notice. A Facebook group  has in effect stolen over 30 of my pictures that I have taken and own the copyright for. The pictures were removed by Facebook after they viewed the meta data but the group then became a closed group and the next day reposted the pictures in the belief they wouldn’t be found out. Several of the groups members have reported this blatant theft to myself and Facebook.

All pictures on this site are copyright I have spent several thousand hour taking these over 5 years and at my own expense run the site I find it despicable that people can steal them and refuse to remove them when asked and then to blatantly put them back when Facebook removed them. They have allegedly put extracts from local book on the group depriving the author who may have spent year writing the book his income.

The Wistaston Village Fete

Reporter Jonathan White, Wistaston

The Wistaston Village Fete took place on the afternoon of Saturday 15th June 2013. This annual event is organised by the Wistaston Community Council and took place within the grounds of St Mary's Church Rectory, Church Lane, Wistaston.

The event began with a procession from Wistaston Memorial Hall led by Scottish Piper Reg Flower, followed by the 35th South West Cheshire Scout group with the Union Jack flag, with last year's Wistaston Rose Queen (Daisy Wybrow) and her Attendant (Emma Bishop) in an open-top sports car and this year’s Wistaston Rose Queen (Naomi Barker) and her Attendant (Poppy Bellingham) in a open-top vintage car.

Once the procession had arrived within the Arena at the Rectory last year's Rose Queen (Daisy Wybrow) thanked Wistonian's for their support and stated that £1,147.60 had been raised for Save the Children during her year of office. St. Mary's Wistaston Rector Mike Turnbull then passed the crown from Daisy to this year's Rose Queen (Naomi Barker). Naomi officially opened the Fete and stated that her chosen charity this year is Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool. Geoff Armitage from the Wistaston Community Council was Master of Ceremonies and introduced each event in the Arena. 2012 Wistonian of the year, Laurie Clough, presented prizes to the winners in the Laurie Twiss Award for Journalism. Past and present Wistonian's of the year were given rose lapels by Rose Queen Naomi as a thank you for their contributions to the village. Rector Mike Turnbull was given a thank you present from the Wistaston Community Council for allowing them to use his Rectory each year for the Fete and for his long-term support of the event. Fifteen children took part in the fancy dress competition and entries included Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, Bob the Builder, a knight in armour, a robot, and several princesses. The winner was 15 month old Jack Rhys Chadwick from Wistaston for his gnome on a toadstool with fishing rod costume and he received his prize from 2012 Wistonian of the year Laurie Clough.

The Arena included displays by Scottish Piper Reginald Flower, dancing from the Nantwich & District Scottish Society, Miss Caroline's School of Dance X-Cite (6-11yrs) & X-Cell (12-15yrs) street-dance crew's and gymnastics from The Cheshire Academy of Integrated Sports and Arts.

There were over 30 stalls representing local organisations and charities, plus Snugbury's Ice Cream and two bouncy castle's.

Across the road in St Mary's Church Hall there was a Cafe and displays by the Wistaston Church Lane Primary School choir, Fraser School of Irish Dancing and Zumba Crewe & Nantwich.

The Mayor of Cheshire East Council (Councillor Dorothy Flude) was a special guest and was shown around the Fete by Dane Chaplow from the Wistaston Community Council. Councillor Flude said, " I am thrilled that this year they had some good weather and the Fete is as popular as ever - it is a credit to all the people who organise the event. I'm sure all the young people who took part in the Arena and Hall were thrilled by the audience participation. I wish it well for the future as the village Fete is an important part of village life and one of our wonderful English traditions."

Dane Chaplow (Chairman, Wistaston Community Council) said, "It's been a complete change in the weather from last year and the turnout has been brilliant. We hope that lots of money is raised for local charities and the Wistaston Community Council. Once again the Reverend Mike Turnbull and his Church have been very supportive."

The event took place in overcast but mainly dry weather and was enjoyed by several hundred people.

Admission to the Fete was by donation and proceeds from the gate receipts and Wistaston Community Council stalls will go to local fledgling organisations. Other Wistaston village events organised by Wistaston Community Council include the Flower and Produce Show, Spring and Christmas Concerts, and the November Fireworks Display. For information on joining the Wistaston Community Council please visit http://www.wistastoncommunity.co.uk .

Swan Injured at the Queens Park

If you enlarge this photo full screen you can see the fishing line in its mouth. The swans have 3 babies at the moment so lets hope they dont have to remove the swan as its the first time we have had young since 2006. We tried to report it today but the wardens refused to answer the door even though we knew they were in.

The people fishing were still there and its likely it was them that did it. This is highly dangerous as they are fishing next to public paths near Tipkinder last year a women got a hook in her coat as they dont care were they cast. If there is not swift and meaningful action by the Police and Council to stop this illegal fishing I am afraid it will end up with a child with a fish hook in its eye or similar.

They can then sue the council for failing its duty of care. Its an accident waiting to happen we must have a clamp down on this fishing or in summer we will be flooded with people fishing. It was reported on Sunday a loose dog attacking wildlife and the owner was shouted at but just issued abuse

Cheshire Constabulary media review

 

Cheshire Constabulary would like to know more about how you get information on low level crime such as burglaries and thefts, from your local officers. We would also be interested to hear how you would like to receive this information

To enable us, we would like you to fill in this questionnaire.

Please follow the link and fill in the survey as soon as possible.

http://cheshirepolice.polldaddy.com/s/rh-media-review-june-2013

Rap and snap reaches its final stages

 

Cheshire Police hosted the finals of a competition last week which has been running across four schools over several months. The participating schools - Blacon High, Bridgewater High, Penketh High and Kings Grove expressed a wish to get involved in this pilot launch of ‘Rap and Snap’. A project initiated by Cheshire Police - all young people from each of the schools were asked to think about their concerns and what affected them the most in their neighbourhood. Suggestions were offered so they could start to think about these concerns, with examples offered such as drugs or alcohol issues, bullying or anti-social behaviour.

The children who all participated were asked to be imaginative in submitting suitable pictures − or ‘Raps’ and writing songs − or ‘Snaps’. Therefore, originality was part of the criteria in the final voting process which took place on 3^rd June at Cheshire Police Headquarters in Winsford.

Ewa Labeda, Project Coordinator in the Communities Unit said, "This pilot provided us with a gateway to engage with young people and encouraged them to participate in a creative but fun way.

"We have restricted the ‘Rap & Snap’ competition to certain schools this year but because it has proved to be successful in the number and quality of entries received, we will be looking to extend this across Cheshire, and inviting other schools who want to take part for 2014.

"If you think your school would like to take part in next year’s event, please contact us on: communities@cheshire.pnn.police.uk"

The event was supported by the Police and Crime Commissioner and sponsored by Crime Beat, Brian Kennedy Trust and Red Shift Radio who were amongst those sitting on the voting panel to judge the Grand Finale. The winner of the ‘Rap’ was ’90 second problems’ by Jake Dean and Brandon Burrows and the winner of the ‘Snap’ was ‘dog poo problems’ by Jake Sconce whose prizes were tablet devices. Eleven runners up all received £50 vouchers.

The Police and Crime Commissioner, John Dwyer said, "This was the first ‘Rap & Snap’ event in Cheshire and I was delighted to be a member of the judging panel. I’m extremely impressed with the quality of all of the entries that were presented both to the panel and the audience. It was clear to see all of the young people worked really hard on their pieces.  I would like to say congratulations to the winners and also a big thank you to the Communities Unit, who organised this event".

For more information on young people’s issues, you can visit us on upbeat.uk.com, tweet us @upbeatcheshire or you can also visit cheshire.police.uk.

Internet Scam

Cheshire Police have issued a warning to computer users following reports of Malware (malicious software) scams circulating the internet purporting to be from law enforcement agencies.

This specific type of malware locks screens and requests members of the public to pay a fine to get their computers unlocked. The malware infects personal computers after users have accessed certain websites. *(It should be noted that there are several similar designs currently in circulation).

Officers from the MET Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) are working with international law enforcement agencies to investigate this offence. (There are similar scams involving Microsoft and performing rights bodies). PCeU have liaised with all other UK forces to make them aware of the malware and steps to take. Action Fraud are also aware and have issued advice to the public.

This is a fraud and users are advised NOT to pay out any monies or hand out any bank details.

Cheshire Police would never contact members of the public via email and demand funds in this way.

We would advise anyone who has been deceived by such a message and parted with any money to report the offence to their local police by dialing 101. Virus/Malware infections where no money has been lost can be logged at www.actionfraud.org.uk/report_fraud.

In order to reduce the chances of being infected by this or similar malware, police strongly recommend that anti-virus software is both used and (importantly) routinely updated to keep pace with new threats as they are discovered. In addition, operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS routinely issue updates that patch potential vulnerabilities. Advice can be found at www.getsafeonline.org.

How to report a cyber-crime

• PayPal or eBay related issues should be sent to spoof@paypal.co.uk or spoof@ebay.co.uk respectively
• Send all banking related "phishing" emails to: reports@banksafeonline.org.uk
• For issues relating to Social Networking Sites: The law regarding social network site accounts.

Coronation Street drama comes to Tegg’s Nose

One of Cheshire East’s crowning jewels was the backdrop for a dramatic upcoming episode of popular soap Coronation Street.

ITV shot some gripping scenes at picturesque Tegg’s Nose Country Park, near Macclesfield, in which character David Platt threatens to jump to his death after discovering his unborn baby may not be his.

In the episode, to be screened on Wednesday, June 19, at 7.30pm, David (played by Jack P Shepherd) considers jumping off a cliff after discovering his wife Kylie (Paula Lane) had a one-night stand with his brother Nick Tilsley (Ben Price).

The hill at Tegg’s Nose proved to be the ideal spot for the film crew, who spent the day with Cheshire East Council’s ranger service to ensure filming went smoothly.

Councillor David Topping, Cabinet member in charge of the environment, said: “Coronation Street is a national institution, so to have them filming here in Cheshire East is an absolute pleasure.

“They picked a very good location in Tegg’s Nose, which offers breathtaking views and great opportunities to enjoy a good stroll through the countryside.

“Our rangers do a fantastic job and I am pleased to see they are again getting recognition for their work in preserving Tegg’s Nose as a real gem in the Cheshire East countryside.”

Tegg’s Nose is a popular choice for all manner of different events. Recently it was featured in the national media for hosting a miniature library, where walkers can relax and read books while sitting at the top of the hill at the country park.

It also hosts regular ‘public star parties’ in which amateur astronomers of all ages meet to discuss the wonders of the galaxy. These are organised by the Macclesfield Astronomical Society (www.maccastro.com).

For more information, visit www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/teggsnose

Get on your bike with Crewe town centre events

 

A summer of fun packed events continue in Crewe town centre on Saturday 15 June, as Bike Week, the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event, is launched.

This event, will take place between 11am-2pm in Municipal Square on Saturday.

It will bring together various cycling-related organisations; offering information and practical advice on elements such as purchasing a cycle, cycle repairs and tuition, local safe routes and cycle safety.

Exhibitors on the day include:

Active Travel Crewe

A group of local volunteers will be on hand to offer advice and guidance to anyone considering cycling.

Connect2 Crewe to Nantwich Greenway Team

Following the launch of this cycle route in March, find out about local riding, walking and cycle events along the route throughout the year.

Cheshire East Council Leisure Development Team and Velo Management

Come along and have a go at the mountain bike skills course.  Can you beat the lights challenge? Speak to trained instructors about courses and activities.

Cheshire Constabulary

Bike marking and safety advice.

Christian Concern Cycles Workshop

Crewe boasted the second highest proportion of cyclists in the country until the mid 1980’s. To commemorate this and their opening, Christian Concern Cycles workshop is holding an amnesty for all rusting, neglected and broken bikes in the town. You can bring them to the event, or they will collect for free. Cycles will then be repaired and sold where possible.

Councillor Les Gilbert, Communities and Regulatory Services Portfolio Holder said: “As part of national Bike Week, Cheshire East Council would like to highlight the fun and freedom that residents can enjoy by getting on their bike.

“This event is open to the whole family and will hopefully encourage some people to take up cycling for fitness, a hobby, or even as an alternative to running a car.”

For more information on Bike Week please visit www.bikeweek.org.uk

For further information on the Crewe Summer Events programme, please visit www.cheshireeast.gov.uk and search ‘summer events’.

Wybunbury Fig Pie Wakes

Reporter Jonathan White, Crewe

Wybunbury Fig Pie Wakes - http://www.wybunbury.org.uk – took place on the afternoon of Saturday 8th June 2013 in Wybunbury, near Nantwich. The event is organised by the Wybunbury Tower Preservation Trust. It dates back to at least 200 years though stopped in 1920. The event was reprised in 1993 and all proceeds are split between local organisations - the Wybunbury Tower Preservation Trust, Wybunbury Village Hall, Wybunbury Delves Primary School, Wybunbury Women's Institute, St Chad's Church, Wybunbury Scout group and Wybunbury Old Churchyard Society. The fig pies, made from a special recipe, were rolled from the Swan Inn pub down the Main Road to see how far would travel. There were separate race categories for 10 & Under, 16 & Under and Adults. Crewe and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson rolled the first fig pie. The famous leaning church tower was open to the public, and there were also various stalls, a Grand Raffle, refreshments, tug-of-war competition, Cheshire Police crime prevention advice, the Shavington High School Band and the Nantwich Voices Choir. The Swan Inn and the Red Lion pub both sold refreshments, had steam traction engines on display and had live music. The event started at 1pm with the first pie rolled at 3pm. The 10 & Under race was won by James Coney (aged 7) with 32.1 metres, 16 & Under was won by George Shepherd (aged 15) with 102.8 metres (the longest distance of the day) and the Adult race was won by Peter Wenzl with 100.7 metres. The event was enjoyed by hundreds of people in gloriously warm weather. I've uploaded all my photographs and a video featuring Peter Wenzl rolling his winning pie to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanawhite/sets/72157634033572868/ . 

Wistaston Village Fete

Wistaston Village Fete takes place this Saturday 15th June. A procession will leave Wistaston Memorial Hall at 1:15pm. The procession will head to the grounds of St Mary's Church Rectory (Church Lane, Wistaston, CW2 8HA) where the opening and crowning of the Rose Queen will take place at 1:45pm. Visitors can watch the crowning ceremony, enjoy a number of performances, and browse numerous stalls. There will also be more entertainment and a restaurant in the Church Hall. Admission to the Fete is by donation and proceeds go towards other Wistaston village events.

Council not taking dog fouling and littering seriously.

 

Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor Brian Silvester is calling on the Cheshire East Council to hand out more 'on the spot' fines for dog fouling and littering.

He said," The number of fines that have been handed out in the first three years of the Council are derisory. (See figures below) With a population of 360,000, to hand out just 47 fines for dog fouling over 3 years is pathetic. Dog fouling and littering are two of the biggest concerns of local residents and the Council should be taking the problem seriously. Also dog fouling is a potential health hazard, especially to the young. The Council has a wide range of wardens across the Borough and they should be using their powers to issue fines far more frequently. Also more staff should be enpowered to issue fines as they go about their everyday duties. There should be more of a real deterrent to those small minority of residents who drop litter and allow their dogs to foul without cleaning it up.Also more needs to be done to educate the public about the need to keep our lovely Borough clean, tidy and safe."

Cllr Brian Silvester
Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Cheshire East Council

Tel/fax 01270 567757

St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice Partners with Zumu UK

Cheshire-based media recycling website brand Zumu UK, has teamed up with St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice, to allow people to trade in their unwanted CDs, DVDs and video games and donate the proceeds towards invaluable care for the Cheshire community.

The Winsford-based adult hospice, currently commemorating its 25th anniversary, cares for people from Mid and South Cheshire suffering from cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.

St Luke’s, funded by voluntary contributions and the local Primary Care Trust, offering treatment, care, advice and support to many seriously ill people and their families every year.

Over £6500 a day is needed for the non-profit making organisation to open its doors.

The partnership allows St Luke’s supporters to declutter their homes of the CDs you no longer listen to, DVDs you no longer watch or video games you no longer play, and support the invaluable work of the hospice at the same time.

The announcement follows the recent launch of Zumu.co.uk in the UK, by Congleton entrepreneur Neil Ouzman with investment in a 55,000 sq ft processing facility in Leyland, Lancashire, a head office base in Congleton, Cheshire and the creation of 30 new jobs.

Zumu UK is a CD, DVD and video game recycling business, and based on the launch experience of its US sister website last Summer; the business is expected to see significant early growth, using its transatlantic expertise to directly challenge the few current players in the UK market.

Neil set up the US operation 9 months ago, and already the Detroit-based warehouse is seeing in excess of 50,000 items a day being processed and almost 40,000 downloads of the Zumu trading app.

Neil previously held the position of CEO at Mozo Media Ltd, an entertainment distribution business.

Using the simple and easy to use website, customers first determine the value of their used item, by entering the unique barcode number from each CD, DVD or video game into the site or scan the bar code on the phone app.  They will then receive an estimate of the item's value.

On confirming that they want to proceed, the customer decides whether they would like Zumu to send them a cheque, or donate the value to charity. Then all they have to do is print their free postage label, pop the items in a cardboard box, and post to Zumu’s UK handling centre in Lancashire.

Zumu then recycles pre-loved DVDs, CDs and video games by finding a new home for them, or what can’t be re-homed, are then recycled into something else. Zumu pledges to recycle 100% of the items they receive.

Neil Ouzman, Zumu’s Co-Founder, commented: “In its 25 years, St Luke’s has touched the lives of so many thousands of families across Mid and South Cheshire and we’re delighted to be able to offer supporters a new and easy way to continue to give to such an inspirational cause.

“We are now very much looking forward to working with the highly passionate team at St Luke’s to raise as much funds as possible on an on-going basis to help them continue to provide their invaluable care.”

Diane Eeley, St Luke’s Head of Corporate and Community Development, commented: “We look forward to working closely with the great team at Zumu UK.

“We all have old CDs and DVDs lying around at home and this exciting new partnership offers a fun and easy way for our supporters to help us continue to provide care for the people from Mid and South Cheshire, and declutter their homes at the same time.”

For more information on Zumu UK visit http://www.zumu.co.uk.

For more information about St Luke’s (Cheshire) H

MP’s 136 bulletin

Friday 7, June 2013

Welcome

Welcome to this, my 136th news bulletin.

From the letters I receive from constituents, I realise that immigration is a major concern.  People in Crewe and Nantwich want to know the Government is putting a stop to letting in foreigners who think the UK is an easy option for them.

The latest migration statistics have just been published by the Office for National Statistics, so I thought I’d give you a picture of where we’re up to with the issue.  The figures show the Government is continuing to make good progress on bringing immigration back under control.

Net migration is DOWN by a third since June 2010 and is now at its lowest level for a decade.  Our reforms are creating an immigration system that is more selective and which works in our national interest. We are cutting out abuse while encouraging the brightest and best migrants to come to the UK.  Here are some key facts:

• Net migration was 153,000 for the year ending September 2012 – down from 242,000 in September 2011, and a fall of 89,000.  Once again, this shows we are on the right track to bring net migration down to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament.
• While changes in net migration over the period 2008-10 were mainly driven by changes in people leaving the country, since 2011, declining immigration has been the main cause of changes in net migration.
• Of total immigration, 55% was from nationals outside the European Economic Area (EEA), 30% was from EEA nationals and 15% was returning British citizens.
• While continuing to bring net migration down, we are also supporting economic growth by welcoming the brightest and best to the UK.  There was a 5% increase in work visas issued for skilled individuals last year.
• There was a 5% increase in sponsored student visa applications for the university sector – demonstrating that Government reforms have deliberately favoured proper universities, and that we have a great offer for international students.

Once again, these are encouraging figures – but we recognise that there is still lots more to do.

It is still too easy for illegal immigrants to access public services to which they are not entitled, and too hard for immigration officials to remove them from the UK.  This is why we have announced there will be an Immigration Bill in this parliamentary year.  This Bill will stop migrants abusing public services to which they are not entitled, reduce the advantages which draw illegal immigrants to the UK, and make it easier to remove the people who should not be here.

I know from the many conversations I have had with people across Crewe and Nantwich on this issue that that’s what they want to see happen too.

Please remember, you can always contact me directly if you have any questions for me, or if there is anything I can do to assist you.

You can forward this bulletin on to your friends and family, who can sign up themselves by clicking here for my website.

Best wishes, 

Edward Timpson
Member of Parliament for Crewe & Nantwich

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Crewe and Nantwich Jobs Fair, 27 June 2013

In Crewe and Nantwich, unemployment is falling. Recently I have been visiting thriving local businesses including Storage Boost, OSL Rail and CNG Services, to name but a few.  But we still have more that 2,000 people here, actively seeking work.

The Job Centre is advertising over 3,000 jobs within 10 miles of Crewe, which increases to over 12,000 within 20 miles.  So the jobs are out there. We just have to match people and their skills to the right jobs.

My second annual Jobs Fair aims to help with that process.

The Jobs Fair is also there to help people identify gaps in skills, potential training, and opportunities to boost their CV through volunteering and getting involved in community activities.

I look forward to welcoming jobseekers to Crewe Alexandra FC's stadium, on Thursday 27th June from 10:30am until 18:30pm.  If you're looking for work, please come along: there's no registration required, or fee to pay: just turn up on the day.  And if you know someone else who is loking for a new job, please pass on this invitation.

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Locally I have...

• Opened the Annual Village Fun Day, in Haslington.
• Met with school sports coordinator Niall McGregor, to discuss how local primary schools can get maximum value out of the School Sport Premium: a national fund of £150m that the Government is giving directly to schools to spend on sport and PE provision, over the next two school years.
• Held another busy advice surgery in my Crewe office - if you would like to make an appointment to speak to me about any issue or problem that I might be able to help with, please give my office a call, on 01270 501 725.
• Completed the Nantwich Triathlon - a welcome (and local) change from the London Marathon, which I took a break from running this year. I was also delighted to donate my entry fee to CLIMB.

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Westminster Report

Read my most recent Crewe & Nantwich Talk

Click here or on the image.

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Photo News

I met with actress Lynda Bellingham recently, to support the launch of Carers Week.  This national campaign is this coming week, running from June 10-16 and I hope it will raise awareness of the impact caring has on people’s lives.  For more information, visit the website, at http://www.carersweek.org/.

You can see all of my photos by visiting my website.

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Community News

Wybunbury gears up for annual Fig Pie Wakes event

Nantwich News

Thousands of people are expected to flood the Nantwich village of Wybunbury this weekend for the annual Fig Pie Wakes.  The event, which starts at 1pm on Saturday (June 8), will feature dozens of entrants trying to roll their fig pies the furthest down the village’s main road.

Organisers are also putting on a host of other entertainment to make the day go with a bang.

There will be a brass band and choir performing, tower tours of the church’s famous leaning tower, steam engine and vintage car display, tug of war.  There will also be an art exhibition, crafts, bouncy castle, hog roast, market stalls, refreshments and live bands.

Fig pie recipes and race application forms are available from The Swan, The Red Lion, and the village post office.

More details visit Wybunbury Parish Council website.

Do you have community news to share? Are you involved in any projects that could be of help or interest to local people in Crewe and Nantwich? Email me and your news could be here too!

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Tidy your town with Crewe Clean Team

Crewe Guardian

CREWE Clean Team will hold a joint litter pick with the 17th South West Cheshire Scouts at their hut on Queen Street Crewe, on Saturday June 8 at 10am.

All equipment supplied. Children welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. Refreshments provided by the scouts afterwards.

For further details ring Dave McDonald, chairman, on 01270 669268 or email enquiries@crewecleanteam.co.uk

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Edward Timson MP to host jobs fair at Crewe Alex stadium

Crewe Chronicle

THOUSANDS of people are expected to turn out to Crewe Alex FC’s Gresty Road Stadium on Thursday, June 27, as MP Edward Timpson’s second jobs fair takes place.

[Click here for the full story]

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5 ways to contact Edward Timpson

• By email: timpsone@parliament.uk
• On the web: edwardtimpsonmp.com
• By phone: 01270 501 725
• By post: 30 Victoria Street, Crewe CW1 2JE
• In person: Click here to see surgery times

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Results from 5th June 2013 day of action from the North West Motorway Police Group

 

On Wednesday 5^th June the North West Motorway Police Group launched Operation Coalition, a clampdown on criminal activity on the regions motorway network.

The Operation involved four North West Police Forces, the Vehicle Operating and Services Agency (VOSA), Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC, RSPCA, Trading Standards, Court Bailiffs, BT, Warrington Borough Council, Cheshire East Council and Lancashire County Council.

The complex network of motorways in the North West are used by thousands of people every day and officers from the North West Motorway Police Group are responsible for keeping the network safe for law abiding road users.

The nerve centre of the North West Motorway Police Group is the control room based in the Highway Agency′s Regional Control Centre just off the M6 at Newton-le-Willows. Staffed by a combination of officers from, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire Police operators at the control centre monitor a video wall which shows feeds from cameras positioned along the length of the network in the North West.

It was here that Operation Coalition was co-ordinated, with staff in the control centre organising response and deployment of officers to incidents and staff representing all the agencies involved in the day of action to identified check points on the network.

The day of action resulted in 7 people being arrested on the day for a variety of offences including possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply, assault and theft of three motor vehicles.

In total, 312 vehicles were stopped and 192 motorists were breathalysed. 111 road traffic offences were identified and 97 motorists received an on the spot penalty. In addition, 5 vehicles were stopped and searched by officers.

20 vehicles were also seized for being driven either without insurance or a licence or because they were being driven in an anti-social manner.

Superintendent Craig Thompson from the North West Motorway Police Group said:

"The day of action was the accumulation of many months of work. Coordinating a joint operation and involving a variety of agencies, we have really been able to bring the full strength of the law to bear on the network. The aim of the day was to highlight to everyone who uses the network the work undertaken by all the agencies involved to keep them safe and disrupt any criminal′s intent on using motorway network to conduct their illegal activity."

"The law abiding citizen′s that had their journeys interrupted or were spoken to at service areas understood why they had been stopped and supported what we were doing."

"The Operation delivered the right message to the right people which can clearly be seen by the number of arrests made on the day. Drivers have the right to use the motorway network without being concerned about their safety whether that relates to the illegal activity or organised crime gangs or illegal and unsafe drivers putting other people′s lives at risk."

"Anyone who drives on the regions motorways can be assured if they break the law officers from the North West Motorway Police Group will not tolerate their excuses."

"The motorway network in the North West plays a very important role in the region′s economy and it is vital that we keep the network safe for ordinary people to use and for those people in commerce and industry to be able to go about their day to day business without fear and in safety."

Story of ‘Those Amazing Anfielders and their Cycling Machines’ to be told thanks to Lottery support

Work will begin in June at Cheshire Archives and Local Studies with a team of volunteers from the Anfield Bicycle Club to make the treasures of its 134-year history accessible to new audiences.

The Club has received £16,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for their ‘Your Heritage’ project: ‘Those Amazing Anfielders and their Cycling Machines in Peace and War’.

The Anfield Bicycle Club, formed in March 1879, spans the history of cycling itself. Early members, like prolific record breaker George Pilkington Mills, pioneered the new sport of long distance cycling. The ‘Anfield 100’, first run in 1889, is the oldest surviving cycling event in the world. This year’s took place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 27.

Like a diary kept by many, the club’s circulars, year books, photographs, minute books and race cards tell remarkable stories of record-breaking racing and distinguished service in two World Wars. The First World War Roll of Honour records that 41 members – a third of the membership – served and four were killed. The family who suffered most were the Rowatts. Of founder member DC Rowatt’s five sons, one was wounded, two were killed within a month at the Somme, another died in the 1918 flu pandemic and polio claimed one more in the 1920s.

Anfield BC volunteers, trained and hosted by Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, will carry out scanning of documents and images before the collection is deposited at the Record Office in Chester for permanent preservation. The new digital collection will be accessible on the club’s website.

Anfield Bicycle Club project leader and past president David Birchall said: “I am delighted that the richness of the archive will now be conserved, and made available for all to share. I am very grateful to Cheshire Archives and Local Studies for their help in supporting the successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid.”

Councillor Les Gilbert, Cheshire East Council Cabinet member in charge of communities and regulatory services, said: “Cheshire Archives and Local Studies service plays a key role in supporting communities wishing to explore their heritage. The Anfield Bicycle Club community archive project allows the service to share their expertise in digitising and preserving Cheshire’s historic records.”

South Cheshire Ramblers.

Reporter Jonathan White, Crewe

South Cheshire Ramblers - http://www.ramblerssouthcheshire.org.uk/ - enjoyed an evening walk in Nantwich on Thursday 6th June 2013. The walk was around the 3 mile 'Nantwich Riverside Loop' - http://www.discovercheshire.co.uk/ - and was led by Paul Boniface, who is also their Publicity Officer. The walk was attended by twenty-two people and took just over an hour to complete. The Loop starts/finishes in Welsh Row and takes in sections of the River Weaver, Nantwich Lake and the Shropshire Union Canal. After the walk everyone was invited to The Black Lion pub on Welsh Row for a general knowledge quiz organised by Paul. Paul said, "I was very pleased with this evenings turn out. It was good to see some new faces joining us for a lovely summer evenings walk. All new walkers are welcome." For details of future South Cheshire Ramblers walks please visit: http://www.ramblerssouthcheshire.org.uk/walks/index.htm

Strategic review of defibrillators could lead to more lives being saved.

 

Following a call by Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor Brian Silvester for more defibrillators  in major public buildings in the Borough  a key piece  of work has been commissioned to undertake a strategic review of the current placement of defibrillators across the public, voluntary and private sectors. (See below) He said, " Following that we will know where the gaps in the coverage are. Then we can work with the private and voluntary sectors, like Mr. Greatorex suggests below, to improve the coverage and save lives. More defibrillators are needed because we have some of the  highest numbers of people aged 55 and over, per head of population, in the country. Also the ambulance response times for some parts of Borough are not good. We know that with defibrillation the survival chances increase from 10% to 75%. They are simple to use, computerised, tell you what to do and it analyses the heart rhythm for you, shocking the patient out of an abnormal rhythm. They are a very cost effective way of saving lives. I am pleased that we are making progress on this."

Cllr Brian Silvester
Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Cheshire East Council

Tel/fax 01270 567757