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Roadworks and
Twitter help for Merseyside’s Wembley exodus
FOOTBALL fans heading out
of Merseyside for this weekend's big FA Cup semi-final in London are
being advised by the Highways Agency to plan their journeys; with a
little help from the Agency's road workers and dedicated Wembley
Twitter service.
Liverpool and Everton are heading down Wembley way on Saturday, 14
April 2012, for their semi-final derby with an early, 12.30pm
kick-off.
Motorway routes from Merseyside towards London, including the:- M62,
M56, M6, M40 and M1, are likely to be busy before and after the
match.
Highways Agency Traffic Officers at regional control centres in the
North West, the Midlands and Eastern region, all of which controls
the northern section of the M25; are all on standby to monitor
traffic, set electronic signs and dispatch patrols of Traffic
Officers to clear up any incidents as quickly as possible to keep
football fans and other motorway users on the move.
In addition to its usual regional feeds like @HAtraffic_nwest, the
Highways Agency will also be operating its dedicated Wembley Twitter
service at @HAwembley. Provided they can do so safely, fans can
check traffic conditions along the road to Wembley from Friday
morning until kick-off and then along the reverse route back home
after the final whistle until late into Sunday evening.
The service was a 'match winner' with supporters
during last year's big semi-final Wembley weekend featuring
Manchester United, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City.
Highways Agency contractors will be removing important overnight
roadworks at Junction 10 of the M62 around Croft Interchange early
at 4am on Saturday morning so drivers won’t need to take a diversion
to join the southbound M6. Restrictions will also be lifted on
Saturday night to help fans returning from London.
Elsewhere across the weekend, some minor delays are possible with
narrow lanes and a 50mph speed restriction around Junctions 7 and 8
of the M6 at Birmingham and between Junctions 10 and 13 of the M1
between Luton and Milton Keynes.
The regional control centres and the Highways Agency's National
Traffic Operations Centre near Birmingham will be keeping a close
eye on the potential for heavy traffic moving up and down the
country before and after the semi-final.
Football fans driving down to London and back are being advised
there is much they can do to help themselves by:-
► Planning and leaving plenty of time for
journeys
► Checking travel conditions before
setting out and, where it is safe to do so, during journeys
► Ensuring they and their cars are
fit for the 400 mile round trip to Wembley - including taking
regular breaks and topping up with fuel.
John McTaggart, Head of On Road Operations (North) for the Highways
Agency's Traffic Officer Service, said:- "Traffic along
certain routes like parts of the M6 is likely to be heavier than
normal for a Saturday and our Traffic Officers in the North West
will be working hard with colleagues in other regions to help get
Liverpool and Everton fans to the match and home again safely.
Drivers can take a few simple steps to help themselves by planning
their journeys, driving to conditions and heeding any advice they
come across in radio traffic alerts or on our electronic signs."
Unexplained
Death in Southport
MERSEYSIDE Police are
investigating the unexplained death of a man, after the discovery of
a body at an address in Shakespeare Street, Southport in the early
hours of Saturday, 7 April 2012. Officers were called to the scene
just before midnight after reports that a man had sustained gunshot
injuries. The man, thought to be a 24 year old resident in the area,
was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. 2 men aged 38 and 42,
both from Southport, were arrested in connection with the incident
in Shakespeare Street have since been questioned and released on
police bail pending further enquiries. A post mortem examination has
established that the man died as a result of a single gunshot wound
to the head. The death is being treated as unexplained at this time.
House to house enquiries are underway in the area. Anyone with
information that could help the investigation is asked to call:-
0151 777 3011 or Crimestoppers on:- 0800 555 111. |
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Second of
fugitive pair arrested in Amsterdam
MERSEYSIDE Police have
confirmed that Kirk Bradley, who was wanted for absconding from
custody, was arrested in Amsterdam by Dutch Police. Bradley, aged
26, who was from Formby had been wanted since July 2011, after
escaping from a prison van on his way to Liverpool Crown Court. He
has been facing trial for conspiracy to possess firearms with intent
to endanger life and conspiracy to cause damage with intent to
endanger life. His co-defendant Anthony Downes also escaped and was
arrested in the Zeeland province of the Netherlands on Friday, 9
March 2012. Both men had been convicted in their absence, and
Bradley was sentenced to life, with a minimum tariff of 22 years, at
Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, 16 March 2012. 3 other men were
convicted in relation to the same offences.
Supt. Richie Davies after the arrest said:- "This has been a
joint operation between ourselves, the Serious Organised Crime
Agency and the Dutch authorities which culminated in this excellent
arrest by Dutch Police. He was arrested at a residence in the
Bijlmer region of Amsterdam at 11.30pm local time, by a specialist
team from the Amsterdam Serious Crime Unit. The capture of Bradley,
and Downes before him, underlines Merseyside Police's commitment to
work with other authorities to ensure that serious criminals have no
place to hide. The sentence handed down to Bradley highlights the
real risk that he posed to the people of Merseyside and beyond. We
will act on all information provided to take dangerous criminals
from our streets, which we cannot do without the assistance of the
community."
Ian Milne, Head of European Operations for the Serious Organised
Crime Agency, added that:- "Like his partner in crime Anthony
Downes discovered only a few weeks ago, there is no such place as a
safe haven. Kirk Bradley was shocked when officers burst through the
door of his luxury apartment in Amsterdam. He had no idea we were on
to him. Joint working with Merseyside Police and the Amsterdam
Police has led to the capture of these two violent and dangerous
individuals. They are now back behind bars where they belong. This
shows that criminals who flee to other countries are not beyond our
reach."
Arno Julsing, Chief of Detectives for the Amsterdam Police, also
told the media that:- "What a successful arrest. The
collaboration with our British colleagues has so far been fantastic.
Together we have managed to apprehend many dozens of dangerous
criminals in the last couple of years. Our approach works and we
have found that the number of fugitives hiding in Amsterdam is
decreasing. Our message ‘Amsterdam is not the place to be' has
apparently been heard. Those who still don't get it will be traced,
arrested and handed over to the British authorities."
Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, Founder and Chair of Crimestoppers, said:-
"These men tried to evade capture by going on the run, believing
that they could seek refuge abroad. The premise of Operation Captura
means that the illusion of a ‘safe haven’ for criminals abroad
simply doesn’t exist. This arrest has brought the total number of
individuals located as part of Operation Captura to a staggering 49
out of 65 appeals, which can only serve as evidence of the
campaign’s success."
Crimestoppers,Deputy Chief Executive, Dave Cording, added:-
"Operation Captura has seen immense success due to the effective
partnership between Crimestoppers, the Spanish Police, SOCA and the
public and it is through this partnership that we continue to see
arrests made."
Kirk Bradley latest arrest brings the total number of those located
to 49 out of 65 appeals since the campaign launched in October 2006.
Following this operation a further arrest was made in the early
hours on 5 April 2012. Raymond Bradley, 45 from Woolton, who was
wanted on a European Arrest Warrant for possession of cocaine with
intent to supply was also arrested in Central Amsterdam at 1.12am
local time. He has been wanted in the UK since January 2010.
For those people calling from Spain there is a special Spanish:- 900
555 111 telephone number which will be answered in the UK by
Crimestoppers’ call agents and a translation service is available
upon request. People can also pass on information anonymously via
the Crimestoppers number:- 0800 555 111 or online at:-
crimestoppers-uk.org.
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