http://www.champnews.com All the latest Maghull news from Champion Newspapers en-uk Copyright 2007 Champion Media Group. All Rights Reserved http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8116 Dreamboats and Petticoats, Liverpool Empire Theatre   The sixties were full of fun – remembered for the first man on the moon, England’s World Cup victory and Coronation Street’s first episode being broadcast – among many things. It was a decade of ‘first times’ and Dreamboats and Petticoats on stage at the Liverpool Empire brings back memories of music, youth and love through a fantastic, lively and electric show. It tells the story of young dreamer Bobby, who isn’t scared to strive for what he wants – to be a successful songwriter and own his own electric guitar (with amplifier). Opportunities open up for him to start the journey to his dream, although he is distracted along the way – yes you guessed it – there’s a girl involved (a Runaround Sue to be accurate). Through the youth club he attends, St Mungo’s, Bobby is entered into a competition to win a recording with a top agency – all he has to do is write a hit song. He enlists the help of young Laura, who is madly in love with him, although he’s to busy chasing the girl at the youth club with the biggest bust – Sexy Sue. Unfortunately for Bobby Sexy Sue is chasing cocky ‘real man’ Norman – are you keeping up? The show is packed with no less than 40 sixties songs, all performed in fantastic context with the tale of young love and big dreams With a live and kicking youth club in Essex, a day trip to South End (and the Tunnel of Love) there’s no shortage of action. Each cast member is great apart and sensational together, with the ladies in particular belting out fantastic tunes showing off their powerful voices, teamed with flawless dance moves and brilliant choreography. Featuring hit songs like Teenager in Love, Let’s dance and Let’s Twist Again, it’s no wonder the show partners a best-selling album. The live band, who are also part of the company are on stage throughout the production and are the icing on the cake, particularly Bethany Compson-Bradford on the saxophone. Filled with witty lines referring to today’s society, including the economic downturn and the perdition that the new TV programme Coronation Street ‘won’t last’ there are plenty of laughs. If you’ve ever been young and in love, or had a dream you were determined to follow, this is the show for you. Wear your dancing shoes though – I guarantee packed isles come final curtain.   Champ Verdict – 4.5/5 – Get ready to twist!   Dreamboats and Petticoats runs at the Liverpool Empire until March 13. Box office: 0844 847 2525 www.LiverpoolEmpire.org.uk.   Rebecca Keegan 09/03/2010 08:10:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8115 Review Stop Messing About, Liverpool Empire Theatre   My first impression was that I would find this play a bit dull – I’m a fan of bells and whistles, changing scenes and big shows, so when the set of a 60s BBC recording studio was clearly the full length backdrop, I was ready to start clock watching. That was until five minutes in, after an audience warm up and introduction to the show had me giggling in my seat and the metaphor-tastic sketches. I can’t say it brought back memories fir me – as I wasn’t yet in the world when the well-known radio series was broadcast, but the education into the ‘good old days’ was fantastic. You don’t have to be a Kenneth Williams fan to enjoy this show, it offers something for everyone – it’s fast paced and full of double entendres – constantly keeping the audience on their feet (or more precisely, on their seats). Some jokes of course, didn’t sink in right away, and during the interval I was surrounded by people explaining various lines to their friends, with further laughter erupting as the punch sunk in. Although there were no big changes to make, the cast of four were constantly running from mic to mic in the recording studio taking on the roll of different, often eccentric characters. Through an instant change in accent, dialect and facial expression, the cast did a fantastic job of completely transforming through characters. This play is cheeky, fun, fast – and sometimes a little close to the edge. Stop messing about and grab your tickets now to this Kenneth Williams extravaganza. Champ Verdict – 3/5   Stop Messing About runs at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday, March 6. Tickets range from £16. Box office: 0844 847 2525 www.LiverpoolEmpire.org.uk Rebecca Keegan 05/03/2010 05:33:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8112 A Lydiate youngster saved the life of his mother after resuscitating her using skills he learned at his local scout group, his proud father has said this week. Withens Road resident Martin Boylan told The Champion yesterday (March 2) that son Christopher performed CPR on his mother after she suffered cardiac arrest last month, and that thanks to learning the lifesaving skills at scout meetings she survived and is now making a strong recovery. “I'm very proud of him and what he's done - the doctors and paramedics who treated my wife said that without his intervention, she would not have survived,” he said. “Christopher is a very keen member of his local scout group and enjoys going along and taking part in all their activities. I cannot stress enough that if the local scout unit hadn't taught him CPR skills, it would without question have been a very different outcome.” Fourteen-year-old Christopher, a member of the village's 5th Sefton (East) scout group, had his lifesaving skills put to the test when his mother suffered a cardiac arrest at around 11.20pm on the evening of February 20, and performed CPR, short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in the minutes before paramedics from North West Ambulance arrived to take her to hospital. Ian Anderson, group leader of 5th Sefton (East) Scouts, described him as a “great example of what scouting is all about.” Christopher's mother is now being treated at Aintree University Hospital, where his family said she is making a strong recovery after suffering from cardiac arrest. Pic shows: Chris and his sister Francesca at their Lydiate home By David Simister   04/03/2010 11:26:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8109 Maghull toy maker Frank Hornby's dream looks set to take Hollywood by storm as Meccano is turned into a 3D film. Meccano, the system where strips of metal are fastened together with nuts and bolts to create engineering in miniature was invented by Hornby in 1901 and inspired generations of children. Now an American company, Helix Films, are to turn it into an adventure film. And the news has been greeted with great pleasure by the Frank Hornby Trust, set up in Maghull to raise cash to provide a permanent heritage centre not only for Meccano but the famous Dinky Toys and Hornby trains in the town's new Meadows Centre, adjacent to Maghull Town Hall. Self-confessed model railway buff Councillor Tony Robertson (who has already donated his Meccano collection to the Trust), told The Champion: “This sounds like a marvellous idea - interest in Meccano is on the up at the moment, particularly since the James May TV programme where he built a bridge made of Meccano over the Leeds-Liverpool canal last year. "It's all part of the nostalgia thing - many people now aged 45 or over are keen to recreate their childhood and the creations of Frank Hornby played a big part in many of them. Frank Hornby lived in Maghull and is buried at St Andrew's church which makes the Hornby museum particularly appropriate - so anything like this film which keeps him in the public eye must be a good thing." Meccano is known as Erector Sets in the US and was featured in a major Toy fair in New York. Steve-Charles Jaffe, who produced Ghost and Star Trek VI, is backing the deal and reckons it will be an adventure film for kids. "We believe this iconic brand offers generational appeal with global reach, providing a tremendous platform to create a thrilling film franchise that boys, girls and adults will all adore," he said. Back in Maghull, Les French, chairman of the Frank Hornby Trust, said: "This is brilliant news - anything that raises the profile of Meccano is good news for us. I've no idea how or what they are going to do, but I imagine it could well turn into a computer-generated film similar to Transformers." The trust is also still on the look out for any Hornby memorabilia, or examples of the models themselves. Les said anything, from boxes to payslips - even machinery from the former Binns Road factory in Liverpool will help secure Lottery funding. If you can help, phone John Keogh on 0151 285 1885. By Jim Sharpe    03/03/2010 05:47:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8107 Sefton Council will have to cut its workforce in the next three to five years, it has been claimed. Speaking ahead of tomorrow's (Thursday, March 4, 2010) full council meeting, during which the council tax in Sefton will be set for the next financial year, council leader Tony Robertson told the Champion: “Probably the most significant thing we were facing was the redundancies of 60 staff but we've managed to resolve that. "At the moment that agreement is for the next financial year. There is going to have to be a reduction of Sefton Council's workforce in the next three to five years. "Until we get a new government and and budget we don't know how bad the future is going to be." The claims follow a BBC investigation earlier this week, in which a survey was carried out across the countries local authorities to reveal their plans for budgets and cuts over the next three to five years. In the survey, Sefton Council estimated it would see a 10-15% reduction in spending in real terms over the next three to five year, excluding schools. However, when asked how many employees (full time equivalent) the council has now, and how expects the total to changed in the next therr to five years, the council did not give any figures, answering “N/A” to both sections. Meanwhile Liberal Democrat Cllr Robertson said he was fairly confident there will be an all-party agreement for the next year's council tax budget at tomorrow's Southport Town Hall meeting. He added: “We've been trying to keep the tax rise down as much as possible but if you cut it too much it will rise again in the next few years.” Sefton Tory leader, Cllr Paula Parry, said: “The last few years it's gone up by 3% and we're working on a lower level this year.” However, Cllr Parry added that requests for help in areas such as community care have been higher this year, which will have an affect on council tax. By Natasha Young         03/03/2010 05:25:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8098 Moves to reinstate a railway linking Southport with Ormskirk and Preston have been snubbed by Network Rail in its vision for the region's train travel. A study looking into how to improve rail links between the North West cities, released last week as part of a £530m investment from Network Rail to improve travel across the North of England, makes reccomendations of several projects across the North West but omits any mention of the campaign to bring back the Buscough Curves, which would connect both towns with each other and the Lancashire city. “Network Rail have missed out on something that would greatly benefit this part of the North West, as it would have joined Southport and Ormskirk by rail, as well as joining both up with cities beyond that. It's a shame it hasn't been considered in this study,” said Sefton council and Merseytravel committee member David Sumner. “We will continue to campaign for the Burscough Curves through the Local Transport Plan, and hopefully we will still see this important rail link reinstated in the near future.” The Network Rail Northern Hub Study, released last week, makes a number of reccomendations for the North West region, including direct links between Liverpool and Bradford for the first time, but the majority of the proposals are concentrated in the Greater Manchester area to improve links to and from that city. “Most of the railway in the North was built in the 19th Century by a number of competing companies. Unlike today, there was no single company like Network Rail responsible for planning the rail network,” said Network Rail in the study. “In the 1960s and 1970s, with fewer people travelling by rail, many lines in the North were axed. However, more people now choose to travel by rail than at any time since 1945, and increasing amounts of freight are transported across the North. This growth is expected to continue over the next 20 to 30 years and beyond.” Campaigns to bring back the Burscough Curves, a half mile stretch of abandoned track which would link the Southport to Manchester and Ormskirk to Preston lines together, have already attracted the support of West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper and Southport MP John Pugh, as well as members of both Sefton Council and West Lancashire Borough Council. Along with linking the two towns to Preston, any Burscough Curves work would also raise the possibility of bringing towns on Merseyrail's Ormskirk branch line, including Maghull and Aintree, into a direct rail link with Preston. Councillor Sumner has also launched a petition on the Downing Street website to garner regional support for the Burscough Curves. To sign it visit the petitions website at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/BurscoughCurves. By David Simister       24/02/2010 06:27:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8097 An Aintree police officer who played a part in a £77,000 drugs plot is now behind bars. PC Andrew Bird, 34, is set to serve four years with two other Merseyside policemen after a plot to sell seized cannabis was intercepted. Father-of-three Bird, of Whitewood Park, was assigned to Operation Hawk, a crackdown on drug dealing, along with his co-defendants Sgt Darren Burns, 32, and PC Clive French, 33, Liverpool Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Kevin Donnelly told how police raided a house in Wavertree and found two cannabis farms, the drugs were set to be bagged up and taken to St Anne Street police station, the court heard, to be dumped in a skip and disposed of. But instead, the court heard that PC Colin White, whose involvement in the conspiracy was cleared by a jury - took five stuffed bin-bags from the house in a white Transit van meeting Bird, French and Burns. Mr Donnelly said the foursome then drove to Birds home where the heads of the plants were harvested. Bird and Burns, of Ash Street, Southport, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply Class B drugs. French, of Lexton Drive, Southport, and Brennan were convicted. They denied the charges against them. By David Raven     24/02/2010 06:23:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8091 The chap leaning out of his milk float said it all. Normally, if someone shouts a couple of words at you which can't be repeated in a family newspaper, you'd be within your rights to feel a bit offended, but for a change I could see where he was coming from. This was Lord Street on a bright weekday morning, and I was walking down it wearing pyjamas. I have felt less conspicuous. It seemed like such a good idea in The Champion office last Friday. There's been a lot of talk lately about whether it's right to wander into your favourite shop wearing nothing more than your nightwear, and as the only one of us who actually admitted to having done it before, I took on the challenge of trying it out for an entire day. It is, after all, only nightwear! But lots of you don't agree, and reckon people putting on PJs for the trip to the shop is about as sensible as going to bed in your best suit. “They aren't setting a good example to their children, as now their children are doing the same thing. When I see these young women they are making us know they are on the dole, lazy and unkempt, why can't they get dressed and look smart, as visitors to Litherland think this is terrible,” said Litherland resident Marie Williams, after complaining of female residents wearing pyjamas during the daytime. “You don't see men walking around in their pyjamas, so have have a bit of respect.” Actually, you do now, although I suspect this is only because no woman in our office is foolish enough to try walking through Southport town centre wearing long jimjams, slippers and a dressing gown. I'll happily admit that at 3am, I have been to branches of Tesco before, usually to pick up essentials on a five minute dash because nothing else is open. I'd like to say strolling into a supermarket at 10:30am in the morning is a completely different kettle of fish, but I can't. The staff wouldn't let me in. What's worse is that our Champion photographer insisted on heading off in front so he could turn around and catch me walking past stunned shoppers, but this meant lots of loitering around looking very suspicious. This wasn't shopping made easier. This was looking like I'd escaped from somewhere and had arrived in an alien world, completely confused and out of place. The point I was trying to prove is that it's a free country and if you want to go shopping in your pyjamas, there's nothing stopping you. I'll carry on nipping timidly into late night stores in my nightwear if the emergency calls for it. But I can only conclude one thing from doing it for an entire day, when you've got an entire wardrobe's worth of gear to wear. Why would you? It's a stupid thing way to spend the day wandering around, but if you're proud to parade around in pyjamas, I'm not going to stop you. I suspect I may get some abuse for this... By David Simister   24/02/2010 05:49:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8089 Health bosses are promoting awareness of their bowel screening programme as part of national bowel cancer awareness week. Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK and over the next two years all men and women aged 60 to 69 who are registered with a GP will receive a screening test kit through the post. Dr. Mark Hendrickse, Clinical Director of the Lancashire Screening Programme believes that the kits can save lives. He said: “Screening through the use of the test kit is extremely important and potentially life-saving. ”It is estimated that around 90% of bowel cancer cases could be treated successfully if caught early enough. “Therefore, I would urge people to use their test kit when they receive it it could save your life. ”Research has proven that regular bowel cancer screening can reduce deaths by as much as 16%.“ For further information on the campaign dubbed be loud be clear call 020 8973 0019.   17/02/2010 07:22:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8085 Maghull Police this week are warning people - particularly the elderly - to be on the look out for two con artists who may be praying on vulnerable people. Neighbourhood Inspector Kevin Booth said their had been two separate incidents recently in the Meadow Lane/Rutherford Avenue area of Maghull. In both cases the targets were older people. Two smartly dressed white people, a man and a woman both described as being about 30 years old, rang the door bell and presented what appeared to be an ID of some sort. They told the householder that they should have received a letter informing them that they were entitled to free phone calls, and asked to be admitted so they could check the phone installation was suitable. “Thankfully, in both cases, the intended victim was suspicious and refused to let them in,” said Insp Booth. “Often what happens is that one of them will distract the householder in some way while the other ransacks the premises. Often this type of criminal tends to move around but it would pay to be on guard in case they try again in or around Maghull. "If in doubt, always check the validity of any ID by phone before you let anybody into your home." By Jim Sharpe 17/02/2010 06:35:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8083 Merseyside Police have been forced to ground their latest high-tech gadget after it was revealed it was against the law to use it without a licence. The flying CCTV drone, which recently triumphed the force with their first UK arrest in Litherland, will now be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Since January 1, 2010, new rules were introduced stating that the CAA needs to be consulted over any use of the drones that can fly up to 400ft and reach speeds of 30mph. A CAA spokesperson said any breach in regulations would be “treated seriously”. The drone was used recently in Litherland to assist police in thick fog to trace a man who had run from a stolen car and headed towards the Leeds to Liverpool Canal. The man, along with another man, was the first to be arrested by Merseyside Police using the new device. A Merseyside Police spokesperson said: "Over the past year Merseyside Police has engaged with the CAA, as part of the unmanned aerial systems working group, to ensure that the Force's use of its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) complies with current and anticipated CAA regulations. "The CAA introduced new statutory regulations on 1 January 2010 which requires all UAVs to be licensed by the CAA before use. Since the Force has known of the change in regulations all UAV flights have been suspended and will remain so until the appropriate license has been granted. "The Force has written to the CAA to invite them to visit the Force and inspect the UAV and operating procedures with a view to securing the required license at the earliest opportunity. "The UAV is used to support existing search resources such as the helicopter and dog patrols. Its temporary unavailability will not affect the Force's ability to deal with any situations that may arise." The military-designed equipment is directed through a remote control, which is used by an officer on the ground. The police force has had the drone since November and has said it could be used for a range of uses, from hostage situations to monitoring large public events. By Rebecca Keegan   17/02/2010 06:29:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8069 A Maghull man has claimed victory this week after being given permission to display signs advertising his business again - a year after Sefton Council banned them. Richard O'Grady, who runs Neptune Aquatics, on the Sefton Lane Industrial Estate, told The Champion on Monday (January 8) that he is now bringing signs advertising his business back to the estate, following an appeal against the council's ruling which he successfully won last month. “We're absolutely over the the moon about the decision, particularly because as a business we were really suffering after the original decision by the council,” he said. “It's a definite victory over the council. The sign isn't exactly an ugly one, with pictures of fishes on it, but we're glad that we're finally able to display it again now.” Neptune Aquatics was one of several businesses on the estate affected by a decision taken by Sefton Council in January 2009 which forced business owners on the industrial estate to take down their advertising signs, instead making business owners apply for individual permission for signs. Traders who flouted the ban faced being fined up to £2,500, as well as having their signs forcibly removed by the council. At the time Sefton Council said it was simply following nationwide legislation on advertising signs when it asked traders to take their displays down. “Its there to stop these sorts of signs appearing everywhere. Its like fly-posting in that respect,” a council spokesperson said at the time. “There are avenues for people to go down in order to apply for signs.” Mr O'Grady chose to appeal against the council's original decision and was last month granted new permission to display signs advertising his business. He told The Champion that going through the appeal process has cost him well over £1,000, but that he hoped that the signs would help reinvigorate interest in the business lost after the original signs were taken down. A spokesman for Sefton Council responded by saying: “This is all about keeping the borough looking as pleasant and attractive as possible.  ”We have worked very successfully in removing obtrusive and unauthorised signs in many parts of Sefton. In this particular case the inspector did not agree with us, but we will still strive to ensure streets do not become strewn with unauthorised adverts in the future.“     10/02/2010 11:20:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8065 Imagine walking past Sefton Park or Botanic Gardens and instead of seeing fields of lush greenery, birds and butterflies, you came across a car park, a supermarket and more plain houses. Or if you drove through the farms in Burscough and Ormskirk and instead of passing cows, trees and fields of corn, you stumbled upon ASBO teens, a power plant and an industrial estate. Well these are the kinds of scenarios that are being presented if it wasn't for the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) who have fought to protect the countryside for the last 84 years. The Champion can reveal for the first time the Green Belt areas in which we cover. The CPRE work behind the scenes to put a halt to any planning application that tries to build in an area's designated Green Belts. So what is a green belt? A Green Belt is an area that is created to protect countryside or undeveloped land from urban exploration. The North West contains more Green Belt areas than any other area in England and makes up 10% of all the country's parks. And the first major survey into the benefits of Green Belts was published this week alongside a diagram that shows their breakdown outside urban areas. The secretary for the newly-formed Sefton District Group of the CPRE, Nick Thompson of Waterloo said: “Around 30 years ago the Government passed a legislation to protect Green Belt land around Merseyside and to restrict the expansion of homes and businesses into the areas. ”A Green Belt is basically just a restriction in planning law and our aim is to make sure that every building that gets approved doesn't damage the environment in any way, shape or form. “For example we would oppose plans to build a block of flats in an open field to make sure that we protect the environment and the countryside in every way possible. ”We have also made constructive comments on a number of essential developments inside the Green Belt in the Sefton area. “They are essential to protecting parts of the environment which we care for and enjoy.” Survey results When asked what Green Belt activities they would like to undertake in the next year, people in the North West most commonly chose visiting the land on a day out or to get peace and quiet and were keen to see more nature reserves, more woodland walks and more new parks. By containing urban sprawl, the Green Belt has been a success story of post-war planning and if managed effectively it can also help tackle climate change, support wildlife and provide health and leisure opportunities for local residents to enjoy. Numbers facts 28,038 hectares of grade 1 land in the North West (highest in England) 79% of people in the North West would rather buy food produced in a Green Belt than produced elsewhere 6,251 is the number of square miles of Green Belt in England. 30 million people live in or next to Green Belts 13% of England's land surface is covered by Green Belts 100 acres of US farmland is lost to developers per hour 03/02/2010 10:09:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8055 Thoughtless motorists passing through Maghull are making life rubbish for the town's residents, despite years of campaigning to get them to clean up their act. Coniston Road resident Brian Morton contacted The Champion nearly a decade ago to complain about drivers tossing litter out of their cars onto the A59 as they pass through the town, but this week he said that the problem is worse than ever, and called on Sefton Council and Maghull Town Council to take on the litter louts. “There's bottles, cans and all sorts of other rubbish that get thrown out onto the road, and it's the main route that runs right through Maghull. I've spoken to Sefton Council about it, who are meant to have it cleaned every six weeks, but even after years of doing it the problem seems to be getting worse,” he said. “I'm disgused that nothing ever seems to get done, particularly as the problem is continually being highlighted to them. What would be an ideal solution is for Maghull Town Council to employ someone to go through Maghull and Lydiate to tackle the litter, particularly at the hotspots which Sefton seems to miss out.” The Champion reported on the issue as long ago as August 2002 that litter was being dumped along the route, particularly between Maghull Town Hall and the town's central square, and said he had been in touch with Cllr Debi Jones, Sefton Council's cabinet member for environment matters, to try and sort out the matter. “The litter is an ongoing problem, and the people who are ultimately to blame are the ones who are chucking rubbish out of their car windows. They have absolutely no social conscience when they do this,” she said. “The council do clear this route every six weeks, but the last one has been missed because of the big freeze, and it would have been too dangerous to expect council workers to go out there in the icy conditions. But it is unacceptable that this road, which is a main road into Maghull, should look so untidy.” Councillor Tony Robertson, who is the leader of both Maghull Town Council and Sefton Council, said he had noticed the litter himself and referred the issue to Sefton Council, and said the town council are considering employing a worker to clear up litter. “As soon as the litter is cleared away people start throwing it out of their cars, and it's very difficult to stop people throwing it out as they pass through the town, so it's a continuous cycle. I would love to see someone being made an example of for this ridiculous activity, and hopefully get others to stop doing it,” he said. “It's a significant problem affecting the A59 and Switch Island, and it isn't necessarily people from around here, but just people passing through who throw litter out of their cars. Over the last few years it's become a real problem.” By David Simister 03/02/2010 06:07:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8050 Nearly 200 angry Melling residents joined forces this week to find a solution to the recent 'mini crimewave' that has been plaguing their estate. A spate of burglaries and vandalism over the last three months has caused concerned residents of Satinwood Crescent and the surrounding areas to take matters into their own hands by meeting local councillors and police to solve the problem. It has been alleged that youths have been travelling into the Satinwood estate - easily accessible from the M57 via an 'A-gate' - on mini motorbikes and quadbikes, targeting cars and expensive TVs since the estate was built 12 years ago. However in the last two weeks there have been up to nine burglaries in the area alone with an estimated 184 residents turning up on Sunday to the meeting. Julie Rumsey, 48, of Cypress Close said: “Over the years it's been a nice area to live in and we have had a good strong community here. "It used to be a sleepy little village but now we have had a number of break-ins we have decided to do something about it. “A number of youths are coming down from the Knowsley area on motorbikes through an A-gate and terrorising the place.” The residents are campaigning to get the 'A-gate' closed off, sealing access to the Satinwood estate from the motorway and a nearby public footpath to Kirkby. Al Collins, 74, a former teacher, is the former Chairman of Melling's Home Watch scheme. He said: “The footpath is rarely used by residents and it is a haven for people causing mischief. "People are too scared to leave their own homes at night because there are youths parading around outside in their dark clothing. “It is a nice area but the estate has been embedded with these type of problems for years now so it is about time something is done.” Councillors Debi Jones and Tony Robertson have both added their support to the campaign and the council have set a deadline of March 31st for the work preventing vehicle access to the area to be completed. By David Raven 27/01/2010 05:37:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8043 An Aintree Village teenager has reached the final of a national modelling competition. Aged 14, Eve Nicole Webb is the youngest entrant to reach the final 26 of the Top Model UK competition's Runway and Editorial category. Having already battled her way through earlier rounds in Leeds, London and Ireland, the Maghull High School student hopes to be crowned the winner of a top modelling prize during the final at London's Hilton Metropole on March 13, 2010. Eve Nicole entered the contest, which attracted around 3,000 applicants, after posing as a model to help her fashion photography student sister Faye. It was then suggested she should enter the competition. As well as the winners title and award, the top prize for the category includes year-long modelling contracts in London and Milan, beauty treatments, professional photo shoots, a trip to Milan and VIP guest slots at events. There are also awards for the first and second runners up. Her mother Lynne Webb, who has been shaperoning Eve throughout the competition, told The Champion: “We're all excited. Even if she doesn't win, I think the fact she has got this far is really good.” Eve could also win a seperate award in Top Model UK 2010's public text vote, which is raising money for the Children with Leukaemia charity. For more details on the competition and text vote, log on to www.topmodeluk.com.   22/01/2010 06:10:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8041 It's been a “challenging” first year in office for Sefton Council's chief executive, Margaret Carney. Despite a year of dealing with the affects of the global recession, which has triggered talk of redundancies and the need to save money at the council, Ms Carney remains positive about her experience so far and her hopes for the future. Talking to The Champion, she explained the first year had been about “getting to know things inside better and building relationships, giving me the grounding to move forward”. She added: “I've enjoyed it very much and the warmth I've received has been tremendous.” Born in Merseyside with 30 years of experience in local government at Knowsley, Warrington and Rochdale councils, Ms Carney said she had been particularly enjoying getting to know the borough again and described her tour of all the wards as the “single most important thing” she had done in the past year.  “I got to know Sefton and understand how its elected members work. I got an insight into the council at grassroots level,” she told The Champion. “There was also a number of issues raised that we resolved after the visits.” One particular issue that sprung to mind was the amount of litter at Switch Island. Ms Carney explained the problem wasn't actually Sefton Council's responsibility, however after enquiries were made the Highways Agency resolved the problem within a few days. The chief executive insisted 2009 “had been challenging rather than difficult,” but inevitably the recession had had an impact on the running of the council. She claimed the authority is going into 2010 in a similar financial position and said: “We've made no secret of the need to save and we have made progress over the past three to four months. "We still view compulsory redundancy to be a last resort and we still have a lot of work to do." However, saving hasn't put a stop to the council's plans to move the borough forward with investment and regeneration. "There's investment everywhere across the borough with the Water Centre in Crosby and Southport Arts Centre. "I want to stress that it's not a crisis and we are not shutting up shop. We still have services to provide but we need to prioritise." Ms Carney explained that Southport's Cultural Centre development will be “fantastic” for the region as well as the town, and added: "We should invest where the outcome will be bigger, it's just got to be affordable." With the future of the borough in mind, Ms Carney hopes to focus 2010 on making sure major projects like the Water Centre, the Cultural Centre and the Building Schools for the Future plans "really deliver", while ensuring the council is prepared for a possible change of government as we approach the general election.  By Natasha Young   22/01/2010 05:47:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8031 A fund has been set up in memory of a young woman from Maghull who died in a car crash on her way to Creamfields last August. The Dominique Williams Memorial Trust Fund had been established in remembrance of the 20-year-old who was studying Performing Arts at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk. Dominique's mother, Lesley, has been doing charity events since the death of her daughter with the money raised going to local charities. Edge Hill University and Dominique's family decided to set up the fund with the money going to Edge Hill to enable them to hold dance workshops for sick children in hospitals. One of Dominique's best friends, Sarah Fairley, 20, from Maghull, said: “Dominique loved Performing Arts and always wanted to do that. She was the most amazing girl to be a friend with and is very sadly missed by all her knew her. "Dominique always had a smile on her face. She would make you laugh the first time you met her. Dominique was a very bubbly outward-going girl." The Trust Fund held a walk this Sunday (January 17) starting at the Mogul Pub in Maghull to the Blue Anchor Inn in Aintree and then back again. Sarah added: "It was a brilliant day and about 50 people turned up." The friends of Dominique, who is a former Deyes High Pupil, are organising an event in February in her memory, Joe Power is holding a psychic night the same month, with Edge Hill University putting on a tribute event in March. By Henry James   20/01/2010 11:50:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8022 Tory leader David Cameron faced a grilling from the residents of Sefton Central during a question and answer session in Aintree. The Conservative, who is favourite to become Prime Minister at this year's General Election, was asked questions on a range of subjects including policing, teaching, prisons and the war in Afghanistan during the Cameron Direct event on Thursday, January 7, 2010. Mr Cameron also gave his backing to the prospective Parliamentary candidate for Sefton Central, Debi Jones, and said she had a good chance of winning the seat from Labour. He added: “Debi is a fantastic woman and a brilliant candidate. She knows this community, lives here and is a mother. Debi wants to become an MP for all the right reasons and to sit in Parliament and stand up for this area and for the people who live here. "Sefton Central is going to be a marginal seat and will be one of the ones that will determine the outcome of the election. I think Debi would be a brilliant MP. I will give her every support I can." Constituents of Sefton Central had been invited to take part in the event, which was held at the Holy Rosary Parish Centre in Aintree. David Cameron commented: ”It is lovely to be back in Aintree. The first time I came here was in 1977 to watch the Grand National when Red Rum won the race for a third time. I was only 11 at the time, but it was something that I still remember very clearly.“ The top Tory also told The Champion how important the North West constituencies would be at this year's General election. David Cameron said: ”The North West will be vital at this year's election. We can't win an election without winning in the North West. In 2009 we were able to win Lancashire County Council, which was a real highlight for me last year. “This area can feel under represented by the Conservatives. But if we could win seats like Sefton Central and Southport it would be really exciting and would put the Conservative party back on the map in the North West.” There were a mix of professions represented at the Cameron Direct event and they included teachers, businessmen and a probation worker. When asked by a retired police officer what a Conservative government would do to cut red tape in the police force, Mr Cameron answered: “Generally police officers spend about 20 per cent of their time on the beat, we want to change that by getting rid of a lot of the form filling.” Debi Jones said: “I was delighted with the evening I expected a lot of people to call off because of the weather, but the majority of people managed to get to the meeting. ”The majority of the people there were not traditional Conservative voters. “People were able to ask him questions about issues which effect them and this kind of interaction is good for democracy and great for the people of Sefton Central.” By Henry James     13/01/2010 09:06:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8018 Refuse and recycling services have been suspended across Sefton due to the poor weather. Only a few Green Bee recycling collections were made on Tuesday, January 5 2010, as most of the wagons were unable to leave the depot in Kirkby. Some collections took place in Bootle and Litherland. Unfortunately this service has now been temporarily suspended.   Grey bin collections have also been severely disrupted with many areas missed on January 5, due to the weather conditions and the early closure of tipping facilities.   The disposal sites at Foul Lane and Gilmoss were also closed on that day, as they were full due to problems with transporting waste to landfill sites.   In conjunction with our contractors, it has been decided that no catch up refuse or recycling collections will take place. Residents are asked to be patient and understanding and if they do not receive a collection this week to put out their grey wheelie bins and Green Bee recycling boxes on their normal day next week.   If weather conditions improve, grey wheelie bin collections will take place as per the normal scheduled day.   At their next collection, residents will be able to place out one additional bag of non-recyclable waste alongside their grey wheelie bin for collection. Any excess recyclable materials should be presented in carrier bags alongside the green box.   Assistant Environmental Protection director, Jim Black, said: "Due to the severe weather and the related health and safety issues for collection and waste disposal, refuse and recycling collections have been severely disrupted.   "We are very sorry about this and would ask residents to be patient and understanding.   "Conditions will continually be assessed, and where it is deemed safe to send crews out, they will concentrate on the scheduled collections for that day, subject to the availability of tipping sites.   "Any missed collections will not be picked up until the next scheduled collection day which will now be next week. We would like to reassure residents that we will get back to normal service as soon as we can." 06/01/2010 09:42:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8016 A return of heavy snowfall brought chaos to Sefton today (Tuesday, January 5 2010), causing closures and travel problems across the borough. Many schools and colleges were regularly monitoring the weather conditions, with some taking the decision to close for the day. Southport's KGV College has closed to avoid travel problems for students on their way home, and Southport College also sent students home for the day. A spokesman for the Southport College said students and staff are advised to keep checking the website for updates, and evening classes are suspended for the week. Tarleton High Schools headteacher Tony Hardiker said the weather had deteriorated once the children had arrived at the school, so pupils remained in lessons during the morning. “We're reviewing the situation on an hourly basis. We're in contact with parents and we will make the right decision for the health and safety of the pupils,” he added. Aintree Davenhill Primary School remained closed yesterday due to plumbing problems with a burst pipe that first occured on Monday (January 4). Meanwhile, some outpatient clinics at Southport and Formby District General Hospital were cancelled yesterday morning, and all were closed throughout the afternoon. A spokesman for the hospital could not give any details of plans for the rest of the week, however residents wanting to checkany clinic details can call the hospital on 01704 547471. Sefton Council reassured residents across the borough that there was enough grit to cope with the conditions. A spokesperson told The Champion: “We have enough grit and we are constantly monitoring the situation at the moment. The gritters went out across the borough three times last night (Monday) and once this morning (Tuesday).” Despite gritters being operated, Merseytravel has still reported some bus cancellations in the area as decisions were being made on a route by route basis, but trains were running as normal. Motorists are being advised by Merseyside Police to drive with extreme caution and avoid making unnecessary journeys through the snow and icy weather. North West Ambulance Service has also urged residents with minor injuries or symptoms to contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 as 999 calls are being stringently prioritised to use resources in life-threatening cases only. By Natasha Young     05/01/2010 08:58:00