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Work begins at
Edge Lane Retail Park
CHRISTMAS came early for
young people in Bootle after the Police and Council put on a week of
free activities. A climbing wall for budding mountaineers and an
inflatable football pitch were organised for youngsters, whose area
has suffered recent gun and gang crime problems. Local children and
their parents got to know local Police Officers and stroke the
visiting Police horses, and Santa even turned up to hand out
presents. One local resident said:- "This is amazing. Never in
my time did I think we would have street football and Santa in this
area!"
The week-long programme of activities centred on
Violet Road, Monfa Road, Hornby Road and Linacre Road where there
have been recent targeted firearms discharges and serious assaults
involving local gangs. A mobile Police station was set up in the
area for people to report any issues or concerns, licensed premises
were visited to ensure alcohol was not being sold to children,
motorists were stopped for traffic offences and schools Officers
ensured parents of children found out of school were visited and
offered advice. Members of the public also joined in a community
clear up of an area around a disused railway line where youths
involved in crime had been gathering.
Bootle Neighbourhood Inspector, Phil Ross, said:- "The week
has all been about respect. People being encouraged to respect where
they live and help the Police take positive action against a
minority of people whose criminality brings the whole area down.
Local people have an enormous amount of pride in where they live and
the Police will do everything we can to prevent incidents that cause
intimidation and fear. It was nice to show people that when the
Police and local services work together, we can make a real
difference. The children loved the climbing wall and football and it
was a real bonus when Santa paid us a surprise visit!"
Flight stewardess fined for
smuggling cigarettes
A Bootle flight stewardess based in Abu Dhabi was fined £680
plus costs on Friday for attempting to smuggle 1,200 cigarettes into
the UK through Manchester Airport. Leeanne McCourt (34) was arrested
on 9 December 2012 by Border Force Officers. She had attempted to
pass through the Customs Green Channel at the airport as a passenger
with the duty-free cigarettes after arriving on a flight from Abu
Dhabi. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigators interviewed her
and she was charged with duty evasion offences.
Mike O’Grady Assistant Director Criminal Investigation, HMRC said:-
"McCourt abused her position of trust as an airline employee
and admitted knowing the personal limit from the United Arab
Emirates was 200 cigarettes. There are no excuses for smuggling
whatever your status and McCourt now has a criminal record. Tobacco
fraud costs honest taxpayers more than £2bn a year, undercutting
honest businesses, and drawing people into wider criminality. Anyone
with information about illicit tobacco sales or smuggling should
contact the Customs’ Hotline on 0800 59 5000."
McCourt admitted that the cigarettes were not UK duty paid and that
she was attempting to evade £379 in excise duty. |
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Child sexual
abuse helpline at its busiest after 10 years
CALLS to the child sexual abuse Helpline, Stop
it Now! have reached record levels after 10 years of operation.
Child protection charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation reveals the
figures released on 19 December 2012, which show call numbers rise
year on year at an average rate of 21%. In the last 2 years alone
call numbers rose 43% from 3,513 in 2009/2010 to 5,034 in 2011/2012.
Over the decade experienced operators have dealt with more than
thirty thousand contacts (30,318 calls/emails) and helped over 14000
people protect a child/children (14,008 callers). 1,878 calls have
been taken from 873 residents in the North West.
The Helpline was set up in November 2002 by the child protection
charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation to give adults a safe and
confidential place to talk about child sexual abuse concerns. This
includes people with concerns about their own thoughts or behaviour
towards children.
Callers to the Helpline range from protective adults, including
mothers and fathers, calling with concerns about someone they know,
to men and women concerned that they themselves may be at risk of
harming a child, and parents and carers of children and young people
with worrying sexual behaviour. Other people contacting the Helpline
include parents worried about a child who may have been abused,
professionals looking for advice and adult survivors of sexual
abuse.
Director of Stop it Now! UK and Ireland Donald Findlater said:-
"The range of issues callers talk to us about is vast. But what
each caller has in common is the desire to protect a child from
harmful sexual behaviour. All callers are given advice and a number
of actions they can take immediately to protect a child. These can
range from reporting concerns to Police or social services to
implementing child protection measures within the home or workplace.
In all cases the agreed actions look to ensure that one or more
children are kept safe from abuse. Whilst we do not always know what
happened next, it is encouraging that 50% of people call back to
confirm the actions they took and what happened as a result, and
then to discuss the next steps they might take. In many cases this
is evidence of adults taking action to protect a child, whether
Police and children’s services are involved or not."
From callers in the North West:- 40% of callers to the Helpline over
the decade were from adult abusers and those at risk of abusing (347
callers). 26% of people who call were family and friends concerned
about an adult displaying concerning behaviour towards a child (233
callers) and 6% of callers were parents and carers concerned about a
child or young person with worrying sexual behaviour (55 callers).
Additional callers included adults concerned about a child being
abused (54 callers), professionals calling for case advice (101
callers) and adult survivors of sexual abuse (24 callers).
Donald Findlater added:- "This Helpline data, coupled with the
current unprecedented public debate about child sexual abuse reminds
us all that abused children do not typically report abuse. It is
surely for all adults to play their part in keeping children safe –
knowing the signs to look out for, talking through any concerns they
have and crucially, taking action to help protect a child. Most
callers to Stop it Now! are not in touch with Police or social
workers when they call but each and every one of them can take
action that protects a child. The Helpline’s job is to help and
support them to do just that."
Comments from Helpline callers:-
A man who had inappropriately touched 3 teenage girls:- "I
know I have to change, and I will."
A man arrested for downloading indecent images of children:-
"If I had had someone to talk to before, I don’t think it would have
come to this."
A woman concerned about her husband’s internet use:- "I can’t
think of anyone else I can trust to talk about this to? Only you!
You have helped me to be more determined to do something I knew I
should do."
A young man whose father had been arrested for internet offending:-
"So helpful to be able to speak to someone, I will get my
father to call you as well."
Youth worker calling for advice:- "You have been ridiculously
helpful."
* Figures taken from full financial years 2003/2004 to 2011/2012 as
Helpline started June 2002; not allowing for a full 2002/2003
comparison. Figures for June 2002 to March 31 2003 = 370. |
