|
LOAN SHARKS BEWARE
Report by Southport Crime
Prevention
LOAN Sharks
operating in Sefton are about to have the tables turned, thanks to a
new team who are determined to bite back.
A team made up of Trading Standards officers from Sefton and other
authorities in Merseyside and Cheshire will join together to fight
back against illegal money, lending by rooting out loan sharks and
bringing them to justice.
They will work in partnership with Birmingham City Council's
pioneering iIlegal Money Lending Team which was set up in 2004 and
has already seen over £2 million illegal debt written off, helped
1,300 victims and taken 27 people to court.
The new Government funded team will be responsible for gathering
evidence about loan shark activities, raiding premises to seize
evidence, carrying out arrests and then using the Proceeds of Crime
Act to confiscate any assets.
The team will also consist of officers who will liaise closely with
victims, introducing them to groups such as credit unions and debt
support agencies.
Sefton Council Trading Standards manager, Andrew Naisbitt, said:-
"Loan sharks are unlicensed lenders who operate illegally and are
more than likely to be involved in other criminal activities.
It is important we send a clear message to loan sharks that their
actions will not be tolerated in Sefton and the rest of the region.
We will do everything in our power
to bring them to justice.
This powerful new team gives us a fantastic opportunity to get rid
of these people from our society.
Loan sharks are the lowest of the low, preying on vulnerable people
when they are desperate.
They then use threats, and in some
cases, violence to make sure the loans and the huge interest charges
are paid.
Working closely with other councils around Merseyside and Cheshire
means that we can put together a team of experts with the resources
to investigate loan sharks and put them where they belong, before
the courts and hopefully sentenced to a long period in prison."
Telephone and email hotlines will also be set up where people will
be able to ring or email in and 'shop a shark'.
Residents will be
able to call 0151 282 1122 or
email to report any
illegal money lending, 24 hours a day.
|
WANTED: Liverpool’s most handsome, charming, athletic young men to
become Butlers in the Buff...
LOCAL male
order company “Butlers in the Buff”, is recruiting on
the streets of Liverpool on 20 Wednesday 2008 and Thursday 21
February 2008 and are looking for Liverpool’s best to join their
hunky team of scantily clad male butlers!
Could you charm, serve and smile whilst wearing little more that a
small black apron? Butlers in the Buff are looking for attractive,
smart and charismatic men between 21 to 35 years old, to join them
on their quest to provide exceptional service with their unique
twist on the traditional butler’s role.
The team will be scouting the streets, bars, gyms and sports clubs
of Liverpool from Wednesday, 20 February 2008, so if you think you
have got what it takes then get out their and make yourself known!
The job is incredibly social, fun and very well paid at £20 per
hour! The Butlers have even appeared on numerous TV programmes
including ITV’s ‘Going to Work Naked’ and most
recently ‘Britain’s Next Top Model.’ The work is
mainly evenings and weekends so makes a great part-time job, on top
of day jobs. Current butlers come from all sorts of backgrounds and
day jobs, from students and personal trainers to marine biologists
and city bankers.
Company founder and the original Butler in the Buff, Jason Didcott,
started the company five years ago after a 15 year career in Her
Majesty Royal Navy. Jason states:- “The concept of
having a polite, good looking, young gentlemen greeting guests and
serving champagne wearing only a tiny apron has proved very
successful and the demand from the North is overwhelming so we
really need more guys to join our team of 150 butler’s nation wide.”
Liverpool based butler Mark McKeon says:- “This is the best
job I’ve ever had, I get paid to chat and socialise and it’s not at
all tacky. We receive such positive feedback from everyone involved;
they all love the twist that we provide to their events. It seems
crazy that we should be paid £20 an hour to have such a good time!”
So if you think that your son, friend or boyfriend would make the
perfect Butler in the Buff then put him forward to join Mark and the
rest of the butlers across the UK.
Applying is easy,
anyone interested should visit
www.butlersinthebuff.co.uk and
click on ‘Become a butler’ section. Complete the
downloadable form and send it in with a couple of clear, recent
photos of the upper body and face to
work@butlersinthebuff.co.uk.
|
