http://www.champnews.com All the latest Southport news from Champion Newspapers en-uk Copyright 2007 Champion Media Group. All Rights Reserved http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8126 Calls to end “a magic circle of NHS insiders rotating from job to job” have been made, following last week's announcement that NHS Sefton's chief executive is moving to a new role. Leigh Griffin will move from the primary care trust to head up the newly established North West Centre for Transformation in Health and Wellbeing, based at the Department of Health North West in Manchester. Southport MP John Pugh has urged NHS Sefton to consult with the public when deciding on a replacement for Mr Griffin. He told The Champion: “They really must consult with the public in appointing a new chief executive and, if that is not possible, allow people that the public actually elect to play a part in the selection of the new boss. I would suggest elected members of the council's health scrutiny committee should be involved. ”Our health service is run by a magic circle of NHS insiders rotating from job to job. What we need is someone with NHS experience at the top but who is 'the people's choice' for this hugely powerful position. “We need to find someone who answers to us not the NHS hierarchy.” NHS Sefton chair, Paul Acres, said: “Leigh has worked very hard to develop NHS Sefton thus far. We are extremely grateful to him for the progress made and we wish him every success in his new regional role. ”We are working with NHS North West, the Strategic Health Authority, to ensure that the right successor to Leigh is appointed as soon as possible, to lead us in delivering our plans, and in meeting the ambitions we have set for NHS Sefton, and for the local people we serve in the crucial years ahead. “We intend to strengthen NHS Sefton to ensure we achieve even more in the future than we have done in the PCT's first three and a half years. Leigh's successor will be critical in leading this work to improve health and health services in Sefton. ”Before Leigh takes up his new post later this month, an interim chief executive will be appointed to lead the organisation until that right successor is found. “We will be seeking to involve local elected representation in selecting a successor and LINks, the independent organisation that represents patients' interests, will be directly involved.” By Natasha Young 11/03/2010 11:30:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8123 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust has blasted claims by the BBC that it “failed” on core standards when its self assessments were double-checked. A BBC Panorama investigation revealed on Monday (March 8) that spot checks by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had found 60% of hospitals in England were not accurately assessing their performance. A report on the BBC's website went on to claim that when just four of the 44 'core standards' in assessments from 28 hospitals in 2009 were double-checked, Southport and Ormskirk “failed in three of the four areas checked. The only other hospital to fail in three standards was Peterborough, meanwhile six were wrong in two out of the four standards and nine got their assessment wrong in one of the four standards. A spokesman for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust told The Champion: "The article on the BBC website entitled 'Spot-checks reveal mistakes when hospitals self-certify' is somewhat misleading. “In the annual Healthcheck in 2009 the CQC rated the trust as good. The only criticism we received from the CQC did not impact on direct patient care. "The BBC claims that Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 'failed' in 3 out of 4 core areas. This is not correct in two ways; first, there are 44 core standards, not four. Second, we did not 'fail'. The Care Quality Commission did not agree with our assessment and said we had not met the requirements. We did meet the requirements of the other 41 of the 44 core standards. "In all three of the core standards where the CQC did not agree with our assessment, the reasons were to do with our recording of what we had done and the processes in place to measure them. It was not a criticism of what we had actually achieved and was not connected to direct patient care. "The BBC list 17 hospitals where there were 'inspection failures' and it implies we are worse that 15 of these hospitals. In fact when the overall rating given by the CQC is looked at, we are better than 13 of the hospitals and equal with three."   By Natasha Young 10/03/2010 09:09:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8118 New controversial Hydropower Turbines could be placed in Banks as Government officials earmark the area as a potential future site. A report has been released this week by the Environment Agency which shows the sites where the new turbines could be placed to meet national renewable energy targets. The proposed turbines could provide enough electricity to power up to around 850,000 homes and produce 3% of the country's 2020 renewable electricity needs. The report shows six possible locations for Hydropower Turbines in the Southport region that have a high sensitivity to harming the areas environment. But the site in Banks was shown in the report to have a low environmental sensitivity rating meaning that this is the most likely site in Sefton where the turbines could be placed. The proposed locations have angered environmental activists who claim that the turbines carry huge risks to sensitive environments. Not to be confused with off-shore wind turbines, the hydropower turbines are built on rivers and are instead turned by trapped water. Plans have been unveiled to use similar tidal power in the Mersey Estuary and concerns have been raised for the safety of wildlife in the proposed areas. Peter Robertson, the RSPB's conservation manager for Northern England said: "The RSPB supports clean renewable energy schemes but only if they do not pose a significant threat to the environment. "Old-fashioned methods of generating tidal power carry huge risks to sensitive environments." But Environment Agency officials insist that the potential turbine sites will be chosen carefully and could even be beneficial for fish migration. "Some hydropower schemes have the potential to deliver low carbon electricity and improve the local environment for wildlife, for example by improving fish migration. But there will inevitably be some sites where the risk to the environment outweighs the benefits of power generation." The Environment Agency project have published a new map as part of the report which shows where hydropower could be deployed in England to help tap into the unused power potential of British rivers. Peter Robertson added: "Rather than waste taxpayers money on feasibility schemes based around old-fashioned tidal energy methods that wreck the environment, this money should be invested in emerging technologies that have a minimal impact on wildlife and precious habitats." By David Raven  10/03/2010 08:46:00 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=8113 The manager of Claire House Children's Hospice charity shop on Lord Street has hit back at the people who ran the Divine gift store after they blamed competition from charity shops for their demise. Paul Clapham ran Divine and left a notice to the town's residents in the window of the gift store which read: “Due to the majority of visitors spending their days in charity shops and pound shops we have left Southport. The good news is you might get another charity shop to spend your days in.” But Karen Dohren, 45, the manager of Claire House Children's Hospice charity, fumed: “If the charity shops weren't on Lord Street, or any street, then many of the shops would be empty. We are a charitable organisation and are providing a service. "I don't know how we could have affected his business because we sell mainly ladies clothing while he was selling designer ornaments and jewellery. I think he was looking for someone to blame for his bad fortune. “The former owner should have done his research before he opened. Designer type shops tend to be more centrally based in the town.” The shop raises money for Claire House Children's Hospice in the Wirral. It is a 10 bedded hospice for children with life limiting, and life threatening conditions. “We are raising money for charity,” Karen added: “We are looking for support and not for people who put charities down. At the charity shop we also offer work experience and help people in society.” Karen concluded: “We are all struggling to stay open. It is the sign of the times, big superstores are affecting the small time businesses, that is my personal opinion.” The Champion has tried to contact the former proprietors of Divine to respond, but nobody was available to comment before going to press. By Henry James 04/03/2010 11:38:00 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=8105 Southport's economy will see an estimated £10 million plus boost over the next six years, thanks to a series of large conference deals. Following a joint collaboration between the Southport Conferences and Southport Theatre and Convention Centre (STCC), the International Dance Teachers Association will host its annual three-day congress in the resort until 2015. The event will bring an estimated 1,000 delegates to the town each summer. The Prison Officers Association has also confirmed it will hold its annual conference at the STCC every year from 2011 to 2016. Each year the event will bring an estimated 400 delegates to Southport. According to VisitBritain, each delegate staying for multi-day conferences in the UK generates an economic impact of £461 per day. Sefton Council's head of tourism, Tony Corfield, said: “These wins are a real testament to the work of the STCC, the Southport business tourism team and everyone else involved in the bid. The commitment for them to return year after year, really highlights particularly in an uncertain economic climate, the strength of the destination and its offering for delegates. "The wins are not only a welcome reward for us as a team, but through the spend that each delegate will bring to the local area whilst staying in hotels and using the local facilities etc, it also equates to a significant economic benefit to Southport." For further information visit www.southportconferences.com. By Natasha Young 03/03/2010 05:14:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8104 Stuart Cheevers was found not guilty of causing the death of 87-year-old Catherine Lennon by careless driving at Liverpool Crown Court. A jury took just an hour and a half to acquit 26-year-old Cheevers, of Shaws Road, Southport, and he was discharged from the dock. The court heard during the two day trial that the victim was struck by his Renault in Union Street on February 23 last year as he was reversing into a space and she died about three weeks later in hospital. Motorist Christopher Ganner saw Mrs Lennon, who used a stick, starting to cross the road and he came to a halt to let her pass in front of him. She stopped in the middle of the road as a silver Renault was coming the opposite way and after it passed she continued on her way. Mr Ganner told the court that the car stopped and he realised it was going to reverse park. "The lady proceeded to carry on walking to the other side of the road and the car started to reverse into the parking space. "I assumed she wasn't going to make it past the car in time and I came to almost a stop. I saw her disappear behind the vehicle, obviously hit by it. I ran over to see if she was okay as did the driver and passenger of the other car," he said. Anya Horwood, prosecuting, alleged that Cheevers had not used the requisite care when reversing. But Cheevers, denied the charge, and told the jury that he had checked his mirrors while reversing and had not seen the victim. He said he would have stopped to let her cross as the road was too narrow to have got past her. "I would not have been able to pass comfortably, I would have 100% stopped. "I am not going to stand here and lie about what I did," he said. Cheevers explained that where he used to live was near several schools and where he now lives was only two minutes away from a school. Whenever he backed into his drive he always checked carefully because there were "kids everywhere." He said that he had thought about the incident "millions and millions of times and the only thing I can think is that she was behind parked cars and that is why I did not see her." By Lynda Roughley 03/03/2010 05:05:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8103 A copy of The Champion has been stashed away for future generations in time capsule buried this week at a West Lancashire tourist site. Staff at Martin Mere chose to celebrate the wetlands reserve's 35th anniversary on Monday (March 1, 2010) by burying a selection of mementoes from 2010 - including last week's Champion - for West Lancashire residents to dig up in fifty years' time. “It's the third time capsule that we've buried, after the ones we buried when we 10 and 25 years old. Over the years the things we've put in the time capsules have changed, as the first one had mainly paper-based objects, the second had VHS tapes, and now we're putting in things like DVDs,” said Andy Woolridge, centre manager. “I think the highlight for us is having more than five million people come to visit us, as well as seeing tens of thousands of birds coming here to winter at the site. I think Martin Mere as a site is very important, particularly in the conservation work we do.” Among the items included for burial in the time capsule was a copy of last week's Champion, which included an article on Martin Mere's plans for its 35th birthday, including coverage of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's plans to bury the time capsule at the site. Mr Woolridge said that since its inception in 1975 Martin Mere had more than doubled in size and has further plans to expand its activities, including proposals to bring a restaurant and facilties for canoe tours to the Burscough site. For more information on Martin Mere's future activities contact 01704 895181 or visit the Martin Mere website at www.wwt.org.uk/visit/martinmere. By David Simister 03/03/2010 05:00:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8100 Investigation files into a mystery UFO spotted over Banks in Southport have been released for the first time as part of a national Ministry of Defence project. A number of eye witnesses came forward and claimed to have seen the triangular-shaped craft in the early hours of February 24 1996. The files detail how a mystery object hovered in the sky in Banks making a loud and intense noises and shaking the ground before disappearing. Documents have been released that show letters from the Ministry of Defence investigating the issue as well as transcripts of interviews with the witnesses. One said in the interview: “I awoke to hear a very loud noise which was shaking the house and windows. I opened my blinds to see a UFO very close to my window. It was a large triangular craft that was stationary for about 10-15 minutes before disappearing extremely fast.” While another said: “There was a noise coming through the vent in my bedroom and the place was vibrating - I thought the house was going to blow up! I expected a large lorry to be outside but when I looked there was a large triangular stationary object in the sky with three lights over the fields.” The details have been released as part of a three year project between the Ministry of Defence and The National Archives. The officer investigating the case said that one explanation could be a British Aerospace Stealth Bomber as it was reported that the company was testing stealth technology at the time. A letter from the Ministry of Defence confirmed that there was a possibility that it could have been aircraft from the BAE plant in Warton undergoing routine tests. More than 6,000 pages of reports released describe thousands of UFOs that have been spotted in the UK in the last 20 years. By David Raven   26/02/2010 10:47:00 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=8093 Cash-strapped Sefton Council spent more than £3,500 on sending staff on a training trip, according to national reports. At the weekend a Mail on Sunday investigation revealed the local authority had spent a total of £3,679 on sending management staff to Success Factory, which has a Cheshire venue described as a place to “relax, unwind, learn and re-energise.” According to Success Factory's website, the company's purpose is to “make a difference in the world whilst living in a wonderful life”. The cost was revealed after the national newspaper used the Freedom of Information Act to request details for spending on “team-building trips, away days and 'brainstorming' sessions” from Britain's 57 local authorities. A spokesman for Sefton Council explained to The Champion: “The training day referred to in the Mail on Sunday actually took place in 2008 and involved 21 members of staff from the Environmental Protection Departments. The course involved managerial development and team training.” The Mail on Sunday described its Sefton Council findings as “perhaps the most bizarre junket” of the investigation.  Meanwhile the BBC could spending over £17,000 each year to chauffeur big-name Match of The Day pundits Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson back to Southport. The corporation has come under intense scrutiny over highly-paid salaries of late and the former footballers are driven back home after the show from West London to Hillside and Birkdale at the expense of the tax payer. The receipts, according to the Daily Mail, show that the trip for Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson totals around £470 one way from the BBC Television Centre in Shepherds Bush after Match of The Day. Alan Hansen who has appeared on the program since 1992, told The Champion: “Theres no way I'm going to give a comment on a story that was published in the Daily Mail!” A BBC spokesperson confirmed to the Champion that Alan does pay his own train fare and does often stay at his apartment down in London to save getting a taxi back home. But with a minimum of 38 Match of The Day programs being broadcast each year, if the pundits were driven back after the program each week the annual cost would total over £17,000. Although the BBC insists that the duo often share a cab, rather than saving money by getting the train or staying in a hotel, they are driven hundreds of miles back home each week when the show finishes. While Alan Shearer gets the same treatment at a cost of £580 one way from London to the North East. If all three pundits were driven there and back then the total cost to the licence fee payer for one weekend would be over £2000. A BBC spokesperson said: “By the time Match of The Day finishes, it is often after midnight so it is not possible for the men to get public transport home. "The cost of using the cars was roughly the same as paying for an overnight stay in the capital and using trains." Matthew Elliott Chief Executive of the Taxpayers Alliance told The Champion: ”It is about time that the BBC cut back these perks from multi-millionaires. “These stars are extremely wealthy individuals and they can afford to get to and from work at their own expense. "The BBC should remember that this money comes from ordinary hard-working people who have to pay their own way in the world." By Natasha Young and David Raven   24/02/2010 06:07:00 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=8090 The region's guiding leaders are urging aerial photographers to come to their aid to help pull off a spectacular centenary stunt on Ainsdale Beach this summer. Members of Sefton's guiding community told The Champion on Monday, January 15, 2010, that they are planning to create a giant “100” figure out of 1,000 of their own members as part of their centenary celebrations, but need the help of a skilled aerial photographer to help capture the event when it takes place later this year. “This will be a once in a lifetime event, which will give guides, brownies and leaders alike the chance to celebrate 100 years of guiding with an amazing one-off event,” said Natalie Simmons, leader of the 74th Brownies, based in Kew. “We're looking for an aerial photographer to take pictures of the event, which will see 1,000 brownies and guides arranged into the shape of a number '100' on the beach. It's part of as challenge they're taking part in to help celebrate 100 years of guiding, and doing this will help them gain the maximum number of points and help them complete that challenge.” The guiding movement was first established in 1910 by Scouts founder Robert Baden Powell, who believed that girls' activities should be different from the boys' activities in the Scouting movement, which led to the establishment of the first units. Sefton's branch of the girl guiding movement has decided to celebrate the centenary in a number of ways throughout 2010, and is proposing the beach display as a memorable stunt to help commemorate the anniversary and promote the region. If you think you can help, contact Natalie Simmons on 07590 114539 or go to the Sefton girlguiding website online at www.girlguidingsefton.org.uk. By David Simister 18/02/2010 11:37:00 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=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=8082 Mystery surrounds the person who won a National Lottery prize of over £100,000 after buying a ticket from a Southport newsagent. The shopper scooped the windfall after the ticket they bought at Smithies News on Hoghton Street, Southport, matched five numbers and the bonus ball in a National Lottery draw. Whoever owned the ticket has decided to remain anonymous, but it is believed that the ticket was bought for a Saturday draw in December. When asked if he knew who the winner was, John Manning, the manager of Smithies, said: "No we don't. Whoever it is they have not been into see is. "When you win a big prize on The National Lottery you have three choices about the amount of publicity you want. You can have no publicity whatsoever, you can have full publicity, or you can choose for the shop to have publicity while you remain anonymous. The winner here has gone for the last option." So will you have more luck in the National Lottery draw if you buy a ticket from Smithies? John answered: "About six years ago someone won £119,000 on The National Lottery Saturday draw after buying a ticket from us. They again matched five numbers and the bonus ball in the draw. That's the only two big winners I know of in Southport." The biggest lottery winners in Britain were confirmed this week as Nigel Page and his partner Justine Laycock from Gloucestershire. They won £56m on last Friday's EuroMillions game. In that draw a total jackpot of £112m had been on offer. The other winning ticket was bought in Spain. By Henry James     17/02/2010 06:23:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8078 After ten full house concerts, a record breaking sixth Jazz on a Winter's Weekend concluded very late on Sunday night with a gloriously informal session in The Royal Clifton's Chatsworth Lounge. The sad news of the passing of jazz legend Sir John Dankworth had come on Saturday evening through a phone call from vibraphonist Jim Hart who had rushed from his gig at our festival to appear at the 40th anniversary concert at Wavendon after which Dame Cleo Laine made the announcement of her husband’s death. Their son, the masterful double bass player Alec Dankworth was scheduled to play in our headline finale on Sunday evening in the Steve Waterman All Star Tentet. Always a delightfully unassuming and consummate professional, Alec followed his mum's example and surely his late father's wish that ‘the show must go on’ by turning in a great performance in the concert and the later jam session. The audience at both gave him a fantastic welcome and much deserved applause. The event was not without its dramas. These things were sent to try us and they surely did. Pianist David Gazarov's flight from Berlin was cancelled without notice and it proved impossible to reschedule in time. UK piano star Robin Aspland's last minute substitution in the piano trio concert created one the weekend's most impressive performances. Vocalist Cleveland Watkiss turned in a well received and virtually acoustic set after his complex electronic mixer failed ten minutes prior to the gig.  Despite all that we had a ball. Nobody complained. All eleven sets were hugely applauded. The event sold out. Promoters from no less than ten other jazz club/ festivals came along. The BBC recorded two gigs for Radio 3 Jazz Line Up. The workshops were packed and the Jazz Shop and exhibitions were busy. The hotel was filled to capacity and the specially ordered Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Black Sheep bitter didn't run out until Sunday evening.  Altogether something of a triumph, thanks to the hard work and planning of Southport Melodic Jazz Club's team of volunteers and a fantastic audience. By Geoff Matthews   12/02/2010 04:58:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8077 Two men were jailed on Monday over a planned arson attack in which a military hand grenade was left outside the home of football legend Kenny Dalglish. The Army bomb squad had to be called to the former Liverpool and Blackburn manager's house in July last year when undercover police thwarted an attack on one of his neighbours. Dalglish, 58, now Liverpool FC's academy director, and his wife Marina, 55, who runs a cancer charity, were not at the house in Birkdale, at the time. A gang of thugs were planning to launch the British military grenade - which explodes into 1,800 lethal fragments - through the living room window of businessman John Ball. He was at home with his children aged nine and 17 months at the time. Liverpool Crown Court heard that Mr Ball and his business partner Terry Riley were the victims of more than 20 attacks because of a venture involving a Liverpool garage. Three men were said to have arranged the intended bombing of Mr Ball's home on July last year in a bid to pressure him away from giving evidence in an impending court case against them. The trio allegedly used Mark Johnston, 21, to orchestrate the planned bombing from his Liverpool jail cell - where he was serving a nine-year sentence for robbery. Johnston, of MacQueen Street, Liverpool, sent a text to convicted drug dealer Carl Higgins, 29, to find another man to throw the grenade for “a monkey” - £500. When police traced the texts back to Johnston and searched his cell they discovered the mobile phoned hidden up his bottom. Higgins then recruited unemployed criminal Simon Ignacio, 28. When Ignacio and Higgins were rumbled outside their intended victim's house they fled but Ignacio - who has convictions for battery and harassment - left the grenade in a shrubbery outside Mr Dalglish's home. Defence barrister, Nigel Power, said he had no idea he was carrying a British military grenade and thought he was only carrying “an onion bomb” made from fireworks. Higgins, of Helston Green, Huyton, Liverpool, was jailed for five years and Ignacio sentenced to four-and-a-half years. Both men admitted conspiring to cause damage and being reckless to whether life would be endangered. The judge, Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart, said: ”Had there been anyone in the room and the grenade landed and exploded death would have been immediate. The explosion would have caused massive damage to the house. “It was an utterly reckless act,” he added. Johnston will be sentenced on February 26 . 11/02/2010 12:12:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8067 Sefton council employees could see scores of jobs saved if a deal to cut costs without compulsory redundancies is given the go ahead, it has been revealed. Both Sefton Council leader Tony Robertson and trade union UNISON, one of the trade unions which represents council employees, have confirmed that trade union members are being balloted on an agreement which could see compulsory redundancies being avoided altogether, and that any decision is likely to be reached this Friday (February 12). “What we've been discussing is a package which would mean not giving people compulsory redundancies over the next financial year, and at the moment the unions are currently balloting their members on it. We've been in talks with the unions for some time now, as we've anticipated that we will have to make cuts in order to balance the books,” Councillor Robertson told The Champion. “We accept that there is going to be pain for some people, as everybody feels the pain during the recession, but I do feel this is a very positive step, and I think the unions accept that times are very tough. Relations with the unions were poor a few years ago, but I think we've turned the corner when it comes to industrial relations. The more we can work with them, the better things will be for everyone involved.” Last year Sefton Council passed a series of resolutions designed to cut costs in order to save as much as £25m over the next three years, and last December compulsory redundancies were mooted after just 105 council workers offered to take voluntary redundancy packages. However it is understood that earlier this month Sefton Council reached an agreement with the three trade unions covering the council's workforce which would avoid compulsory redundancies, which was put to its members in a ballot last Friday (February 5). Union members have until 5pm this Friday (February 12) to pass their votes on the proposed measures. Unison were unable to send an official statement to The Champion before going to press, but did confirm that a ballot was in the process of taking place, and that members had until the Friday deadline to respond. However in an earlier statement posted on their website, branch secretary Glen Williams wrote: “The talks concluded with a possible 1 year strategy to deal with the budget deficit and to allow further time to achieve savings without recourse to compulsory redundancies over the next 12 months."The posting will need to be returned by 12th February. Sefton UNISON will be urging all affected members to use their vote." Local authorities across the country are currently proposing similar cuts, in anticipation of a reduction of the amount of funding they receive from the Government later this year. 10/02/2010 11:14:00 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=8063 Southport residents share just two standby doctors for out of hours care with 280,000 other people in Sefton. The alarming statistics also show that last month Sefton's doctors agreed to only 17% of home visits, The Champion can reveal. The out of hours services are available to patients that need to see their GP urgently at night, on bank holidays or at weekends. GPs are based at Formby overnight but they will travel to either Litherland Town Hall Health Centre or to Southport Out-of-Hours Centre to meet a patient for a consultation, if necessary. The statistics are revealed for the first time as Health Secretary Andy Burnham admitted that the out of hours care is 'unacceptable' in many areas. A new contract came into force in 2004 which allowed GPs to opt out of organising out of hours care passing on the responsibility to their Primary Care Trust (PCT). But now a new report by the PCT has lifted the lid on the problematic out of hours situation, showing enormous variations across the country. The study shows that many PCTs are failing to act quickly enough to urgent cases. While Government targets say a GP should visit or at least ring up within 20 minutes all patients whose cases are designated urgent, out of 84 PCTs in the survey, just two met this target. In terms of the minimum number of out of hours GPs on duty, NHS Sefton fares slightly better than the national average of 142,000 with 140,000 people for each GP outside office hours. Nationally, the number of patients receiving home visits varies from 25 per cent in one PCT to 2 per cent in another, compared to 17% for Sefton last January. Liz Melia, Assistant Director of Primary and Urgent Carefor NHS Sefton Community Health Services, said: “Call levels vary but usually number between five and 10, which includes telephone advice calls or requests for home visits. "We have two out-of-hours GPs on duty each night as well as a paid stand-by. The provision is based on requirements to meet high quality standards and the needs of the local population. "The service is reviewed regularly to ensure it is working well. "Sometimes the GP asks the patient to come to the health centre if it is felt it would be better to have access to equipment within the consultation room, providing the patient can travel to the site. “If the patient cannot travel and needs to be seen then the GP will make a home visit. "Using January 2010 as a basis, approximately 17% of calls overnight resulted in a home visit. This increased to 32% when including visits by the patients to see a GP at one of our three bases." By David Raven   03/02/2010 07:11:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8057 Sefton Council have this week rebuked claims that Southport's Indoor Market is closing - despite saying so in a letter to one of their own employees. A letter leaked to The Champion on Monday (February 1) gives a council employee 90 days notices of his work at the market, but explains the reason is because the building, on King Street, is to close later this year. “Due to the closure of Southport Indoor Market it is with sincere regret and in accordance with Sefton Council's policies and proceedures I issue with 90 days notice,” it reads. The letter, which was written by a member of the council's Environmental Protection Services department, also has the words “Closure of building” as its main subject line. “I thought the whole point of the way the market's refurbishment has been agreed is that the building was not going to be closed,” said the council employee, who asked not be named. “I find it very strange, then, that I've been sent a letter which explicitly says the reason for my contract being ended is that the building is going to be closed. Both my supervisor and I will be talking to the council in the next few days to ask exactly what they mean.” The Indoor Market has been earmarked for a refurbishment project later this year which the council hopes will make the site more attractive to traders wishing to open stalls at the site, as well as bringing the building up to date for visitors shopping there. There had also been speculation that the building could be used as a temporary site for the town centre's library, but councillors voted against this idea in favour of the market's refurbishment. Members of Sefton Council's cabinet agreed earlier this year, but have decided that it will be carried out in a series of stages specifically designed to keep the building open. “I can categorically say that Southport Market is not closing, which backs up the decisions taken by Sefton Council at its last cabinet meeting on the subject,” said Councillor Brenda Porter, Sefton Council's cabinet member for communities. “I'm not entirely sure where this letter's come from, but the way the market will be refurbished is by making it smaller while the work is being done, rather than closing it altogether. It's the best option for the traders, even if it's going to take slightly longer.” Sefton Council declined to comment officially on the subject but a council spokesman told The Champion that the letter was written in error, and did not in any way reflect the proposed direction for the Indoor Market Building. By David Simister    03/02/2010 06:23:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8056 Pleasureland's owner has vowed this week to make the sire better than ever, despite one of its attractions being destroyed in a suspected arson attack. The haunted house at the New Pleasureland site, on Marine Drive, was damaged beyond repair during a fire in the early hours of last Saturday (January 30, 2010) but Norman Wallace, the fairground's owner, told The Champion that work was still ongoing to make the site a top attraction for tourists when reopens to visitors in March. “This is about the sixth or seventh time that we've had an arson attack, so obviously someone doesn't want us to stay open. It's very sad when we're doing everything we can to make Pleasureland better than ever, so it's a shame when people come and do things like this,” he said. “However, it's very much a case of the show must go on, and will be reopening in March as usual, and we will better than ever before. We have a lot of new attractions coming to the site, so I'm confident that we will still go on and have a great year. The fire at the haunted house costs me time and money, but it does not mean that the fairground itself will be affected.” Crews from Merseyside Fire and Rescue were called to the site at around 5.30am on Saturday, and found flames tearing through the two-storey building, which has been a staple feature of New Pleasureland since its opening in 2007 and was the last attraction which remained from the original Pleasureland site, which closed in 2006. If the fire is confirmed as arson it will be the latest in a string of arson attacks directed at the site, including one last year which destroyed the derelict River Caves ride, another remainder of the original fairground. A joint investigation into the blaze, being conducted by Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire and Rescue, has not officially confirmed the incident as arson but believes the attraction could have been destroyed deliberately if no electrical faults are found. “The investigation cannot confirm that it was deliberate. But after checking the equipment there are no electrical faults at all. So its possible that the fire was started deliberately,” said a spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue. “We believe it could be arson but it hasn't been proven conclusively at this stage.” If you have any information about the fire, call Merseyside Police on 0151 709 6010 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. By David Simister   03/02/2010 06:20:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8054 Southport has its very own singing sensation, if the reception given to Gypsy last weekend by the town's residents at her debut concert is anything to go by. Gypsy In Concert, shown at Southport Theatre last Saturday (January 30, 2010) felt more like a coronation of a local legend than a concert, given the rapturous reception she got from the hundreds of residents who'd managed to fill the theatre's entire capacity by coming to see her. She might have gone from busker to breakthru overnight, but it isn't hard to see why. You might know Gypsy as an opera singer bringing a hint of the Renaissance to Southport town centre but anyone expecting a night of classical was in for a shock, because the 23-year-old was keen to prove her prowess as a pop performer too, and showed fans an unlikely line up far from her usual stomping ground. Whether covering Bon Jovi and Status Quo worked is something I'm still trying to work out but the night's softer songs proved a sweet success, with the likes of Doris Day and Dusty Springfield proving a natural departure for the singer. Yet what proved most impressive of all was her ability to deal with a series of technical glitches throughout the show; it'd be entirely forgiveable for a debutante to wilt under that sort of pressure, but she just carried on in her entirely approachable and down-to-Earth way. It seems incredible that someone so immediately friendly on stage can go on to sing some of classical opera's best known pieces so commandingly and note-perfect, but she manages it. Some of the pop numbers could use a little extra polish, but her staple sound is overpoweringly brilliant. I almost don't want Gypsy to go on to be a huge star, because Southport's streets would be a poorer place without her. By David Simister   03/02/2010 05:52:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8052 The row over a letter showing infighting within the local Tory group has led to the removal of Jackie Glover as chairman of the Southport Conservative Association. Last week The Champion reported on a leaked letter from Ken Porter, the husband of the Tory Parliamentary hopeful, Mrs Porter, to councillor Tom Glover and his wife Mrs Glover. In the letter Mr Porter claimed that Mrs Glover was trying to damage Cllr Porter's bid to become MP by letting people join the party who do not support his wife. This week the row continued when a Conservative Party spokesman confirmed Jackie Glover had been removed as chairman of Southport Conservative Association by the Board of the Conservative Party for "failing to properly support the general election campaign". Carl Cross, the Merseyside Area chairman of the Conservative Party, has been appointed as acting chairman of the Southport Association with immediate effect. Jackie Glover refused to comment adding: "This is association business, therefore it should be kept within the association." Carl Cross commented: "Southport Conservative Association is united in supporting Brenda Porter, our excellent local candidate and is working to ensure she becomes our next MP whenever Gordon Brown has the courage to call a general election." 28/01/2010 11:54:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8049 A 31-year-old Southport man appeared at North Sefton Magistrates Court yesterday (Tuesday, January 26, 2010), charged with murdering his wife Kate Mott. Police arrested Brent Mott, of Everard Road, after the mother-of-two's body was discovered in a Ford Focus on Pool Hey Lane, Scarisbrick, at around 8.30am last Thursday (January 21, 2010). Mott was charged on Monday (January 26, 2010) after Merseyside Police detectives were granted an extension to continue with their questioning over the weekend. Police initially believed a fatal car accident had taken place, but after further investigation a murder inquiry was launched and post mortem results showed the 35-year-old Southport Hospital nurse had been strangled. Jonathan Parry, chief executive of Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, has paid tribute to Mrs Mott. He said: "I am sure I speak for the whole trust when I say that our thoughts are with Kate's family at this enormously difficult time." "She was a staff nurse in the intensive care unit at Southport and Formby District General Hospital and a popular and respected colleague. "Kate was a knowledgeable, gentle professional who personified excellence in nursing. "Her death is not only a loss to her family and the trust but to the communities of Southport and Ormskirk which she served so well. She will be sadly missed. "We have made support and counselling available to colleagues in the trust who may have been affected by this tragic event." Mott remains in custody and is due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on February 9. By Champion Reporter 27/01/2010 05:32:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8045 Ordinary objects like bouncy balls and bananas become art in the Recent Relics exhibition at Southport’s R Gallery. The show, which features art and installations from four local artists, makes you think twice about some things many of us would discard of as waste.   Whether it’s the colourful Pop Art potential or the thought-provoking installation you’re after, Recent Relics has it all. The centre-piece of this show is a horse’s skull mounted on metal, which rocks back and forth. Although I as a horse lover personally find the installation a little morbid, the rocking motion of the metal does make you think of the horse still cantering on.   A little closer to home for most locals will be the Sea Shell installation, which contains painted common cockle in a variety of bright colours, mounted on the frame of a stained-glass window. Bouncy balls brought back all the way from India almost create the effect as if they could be the glowing light bulbs surrounding a dressing room mirror.   Bottles and cans are used and thrown away by most of us every day. However, keep the bottoms, paint the cans and fill the bottles with beads, buttons and candy, and you could end up with the simple yet brilliant ideas for two Art installations in the Recent Relics show.   My favourite exhibit is the banana emergency box though. Instead of breaking the glass in case of a fire to turn on the alarm, you are advised to eat the banana inside the box in case your blood sugar levels are low.   Recent Relics is on show at the R Gallery, 157 Eastbank Street, until February 10 and some of the work exhibited has been shortlisted by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce for the Environmental Art Awards. The gallery is open every day from 10am to 5pm.   By Cornelia Kaufmann 27/01/2010 04:58:00 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=8040 A 35-year-old woman found dead in a car in Scarisbrick has now been named. Kate Mott from Southport was discovered in a blue Ford Focus on Pool Hey Lane at around 8.30am yesterday (Thursday January 21, 2010). Lancashire Police officers were called to the scene by the ambulance service to a report of a road traffic collision, and the car was found in a field 30 metres from the road. The incident was initially believed to have been the scene of a fatal accident, however a murder investigation was launched after further inquiries into the death. A 31-year-old Southport man was arrested on suspicion of murder yesterday and remains in police custody. A post mortem examination was due to be carried out last night to establish the exact cause of death. Det Supt Andy Webster, of Lancashire Constabulary's Force Major Investigation Team, said: "We are appealing for anyone who may have seen this particular car in the 24 hours before its discovery, or who has seen anything suspicious to come forward and speak to us. "We have a large number of officers working on this investigation. We have established an incident room at Skelmersdale Police Station and we are following up a number of lines of inquiry." Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the Pool Hey Lane and Wyke Lane area is asked to contact police with information on 08451 25 35 45.    22/01/2010 05:32:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8035 Suspected cases of the winter vomiting bug, norovirus, are causing disruption at Southport hospital and have caused the closure of one ward and forced restrictions on three others. One ward at Southport hospital is closed to new admissions and discharges and three others have been affected. Last weekend more than 140 wards at hospitals across the country were closed in an attempt to contain norovirus that was reported to have claimed up to 500,000 victims. Norovirus brings on nausea and projectile vomiting. A spokesman for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust said: "The Trust has one ward closed at Southport hospital to new admissions and discharges, while three other wards at the same hospital have bays with restrictions on as precautionary measures following suspected norovirus cases. "None of these cases have been confirmed as the virus at the present time. "When a ward is closed we don't take new patients or discharge patients from the ward until the last person has been clear of diarrhoea and vomiting for 48 hours." There was an increase in norovirus cases last November and there is now believed to be a second stage. Throughout January last year there were 46 ward closures in the country for norovirus, although last weekend at least 141 were shut in England. The norovirus bug is another problem for NHS trusts who faced disruption during the Big Freeze. But the Department of Health has said: "Norovirus is not new, it is not a 'superbug' and the vast majority of people recover with no long-term effects. "The NHS deals effectively with norovirus outbreaks all year round and this year is no different." 21/01/2010 10:37:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8032 A Southport nightclub boss has attacked the binge drinking culture, supporting new laws to curb careless cheap drink offers. 'Irresponsible' drinks promotions such as all-you-can-drink offers and cheap drinks will be banned as of April, it was announced this week. Owners of licensed premises that do not comply with the new rules could face a hefty fine of up to £20,000 and/or six months imprisonment. But Craig Carlos, the owner of reputable nightclubs Alpine, Rockin Asia and Starskys has said that Southport's alcohol prices are too competitive. “I'm supportive of the new laws as some of the cheap drink offers are just ridiculous,” he said. “But that's only because the market is too competitive, drinks are just too cheap in Southport and it is encouraging binge drinking.” There were 376 violent offences in Southport town centre last year and Craig believes that this could be blamed on the drinks promotions. “It is a widely-known fact that cheap drinks offers only attract trouble,” he said. “But I believe that the 24 hour licensing didnt help matters either. "We shut our places at three but I think even that is too late." Conditions that will be applied to all alcohol retailers are; a ban covering irresponsible promotions, a ban of pouring alcohol in the customer's mouth and the obligation to ensure free tap water is available. The conditions will come into effect on 6 April 2010. ”I will definitely be supporting these new laws,“ Craig added. By David Raven   20/01/2010 11:56:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8028 A movie created by a Southport film buff and filmed entirely in the North West enjoyed its first showing on Merseyside this week. Car Park, created by Churchtown resident Bill McCoid over a period of seven years, was shown to movie fans from across the region at the city's FACT cinema, on Wood Street, following its debut last year. “Everyone who came up to me after the showing said very positive things about the film. It was a really good night, and I think everyone who came enjoyed watching it,” said Mr McCoid, who wrote and directed the film. “The nice thing with these showings is that people in the audience come up to us and suggest their own locations with the film, such as someone in Preston who suggested we take it to Kendal. It's like the film equivalent of punk rock,” he said. Mr McCoid, who works as a lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, created the film entirely within the North West, setting the majority of the scenes in a single car park in Salford, with scenes from the Greater Manchester area featuring prominently throughout. The film's own website describes Car Park as: “A killer docu-soap. This feature film starts as a fast moving, almost surreal, docu-soap set in a Salford car park. One dreams of a distant future, another tries to recapture the certainties of a lost past, the third simply pretends he is not there at all, as they try and entertain themselves in the mundane present. "This is their life until one day they discover a secret so terrible, so dangerous that they may never park a car again, as long as they live." For more information about Car Park and to find details of future showings visit www.carparkthemovie.com. By David Simister Read Champ reporter David Simister's review of Car Park on our website here 20/01/2010 11:31:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8027 I drove into Car Park with an open mind but I’ve left with it firmly closed. Churchtown resident William McCoid’s debut feature film, set entirely on the streets of Salford, isn’t so much a movie as a seven year labour of love, and he’s called on all his skills as a Film Studies lecturer to create it. Think of it as Factory Records going into films and you’ll be on the right lines. Central to this very Northern adventure are the cheese on toast loving Frank, Steve, who has ambitions of making it into the glamorous world of managing multi-storey car parks, and their wonderfully-weird security officer, who seems haunted by a mysterious military past and refuses to be called anything other than SAS. As a triple act they do a sterling job of working their way through a series of increasingly bizarre area managers, all brought in to revive the fortunes of their flagging Salford workplace, and you can’t help but smile at the warm, friendly and thoroughly British humour their escapades bring. But after a while the jokes fizzle out, and when you begin to wonder when the change in storyline will come it arrives in one ridiculous, out-of-proportion leap. What was a cosy comedy has suddenly transformed into a murder mystery with the car park’s company doctor – a creepy Harold Shipman type – at its centre, and from there the movie goes from being a safe car park to leaving your vehicle in a dark alleyway with the doors unlocked. The scene where Frank, the loveable underdog, escapes the cruel world of attending car parks by blasting into space on a rocket with a loose parody of Charlie Dimmock on board is one of the strangest I’ve ever seen. It’s also the point where – and I hate to admit this – I lost interest completely. Don’t get me wrong. I thoroughly admire the efforts of a small crew on a shoestring budget to take on the film industry’s big boys, and I’m glad they’ve managed it. Nor is it the worst film I’ve ever seen – that honour goes to You, Me, and Dupree – but as much I wanted to like it, I just can’t recommend it. Car Park is undoubtedly a film buff’s film but I still didn’t like it.   By David Simister    20/01/2010 11:07:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8026 Oneof Southport's railways ground to a halt earlier this morning (January 15, 2010) following reports that a woman in the Ainsdale area jumped off a bridge onto the track. British Transport Police told The Champion that services between Southport and Hunts Cross on Merseyrail's Northern Line were disrupted at around 8.15am after a woman jumped onto the track, prompting Merseyrail officials to switch the electrified line off. “Early enquiries have revealed that the person, believed to be a local woman, landed on the line having fallen from a nearby bridge. Paramedics attended the scene and treated the woman for injuries before taking her to Southport and Formby District General Hospital,” said a British Transport Police spokesperson. “An investigation is now under way to determine how she came to fall from the bridge although at this stage the incident is not being treated as suspicious. The line was handed back to Network Rail at 9.11am.” Merseyrail confirmed that for a short period its services in both directions were disrupted after the incident, due to the rail provider deciding to switch off power to the electrified lines for safety reasons. “We can confirm that a person was found trespassing on the track, so we immediately turned the power off to the electrified lines. However, this created the obvious problem that none of the trains could run during this period,” said a Merseytravel spokesperson. “However, the woman was taken to hospital by the ambulance service and all services were running normally again shortly afterwards.” The woman's condition is not currently known, although Merseyrail also confirmed that none of its trains came into contact with her. By David Simister Photo by Stephen Craven 15/01/2010 04:54:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8023 American singer and songwriter Tom Russell will perform in Southport on January 19, 2010. Following last year's release of the album Blood and Candle Smoke, Russell, who has appeared on the David Letterman show several times in recent years, will play at the Fleetwood Hesketh Sports and Social Club on Fylde Road. Tickets are £12. For booking details, please call Ian Ashcroft on 01704 534711. By Champion Reporter   13/01/2010 12:19:00 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8020 Southport could end up with an indoor market looking like a Harrods Food Hall. That's according to the town's Liberal Democrat councillors, who have called in the decision to go ahead with a £3.2 million revamp of Southport's Indoor Market Hall, claiming it is “more like a 'Harrods Food Hall' than a traditional indoor market”. The challenge by Cllr Simon Shaw, Cllr Richard Hands and Cllr David Sumner means the approval for the project, which was agreed by Sefton's Cabinet on December 17, 2009, will now be reviewed at the council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. Plans for the King Street site include opening up the King Street and Market Street elevations with “frameless glazing”, four “take-away” units as well as the demolition of the old public toilets with new facilities integrated into the new scheme. Cllr Shaw told The Champion: “What is being suggested is more like a 'Harrods Food Hall' than a traditional indoor market. That may be fine for Knightsbridge in London, but most of the people I have spoken to think it is excessive. ”We have identified a number of very serious concerns - for example, it is reported that rents will rise by a minimum of over 40%. Such increases are likely to be unaffordable for some of the remaining or prospective market traders.  “Despite these large increases in rents, the council tax payer will still have to subsidise this risky project. Even in good times that would be suspect, but for the Labour and Conservatives parties to be contemplating this in the midst of the worst recession in 50 years is, to say the least, worrying.” The councillors suggested a modest refurbishment of the site, costing under £1 million, would be more appropriate. The town's Conservative parliamentary candidate Brenda Porter, who previously helped traders with their campaign to secure the future of the indoor market and have it refurbished, defended the existing plans. She said: “For any Southport councillor to oppose the planned redevelopment of the indoor market at this time is unbelievable. "Prior to the decision to keep the market hall, it is part of our heritage and was supported by a huge petition. It was recognised after many surveys that it was a viable project. “The later decision to upgrade it to a high standard was to support Southport and its future as we struggle through a recession that will have consequences long after it has ended. It is essential that responsible and constructive decisions are taken that will save jobs, create new jobs and protect our town and its future.” By Natasha Young       13/01/2010 08:53:00 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 http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=8015 All outpatient clinics at Southport and Ormskirk hospitals have been cancelled this afternoon (Tuesday January 5), due to bad weather conditions. A spokesman for the hospitals said: "We will contact those patients who we need to see urgently to arrange a new appointment as soon as possible.  All other patients will be contacted in due course." 05/01/2010 07:36:00