London Bridge hero Wayne calls for Southport brave to be honoured

THE hero of London Bridge, who was stabbed 9 times as he fought off 3 terrorists armed with just a Police Baton, has called on Southport people to nominate an unsung hero of their own in the the Amplifon Brave Britons Awards 2018.

And British Transport Police Officer Wayne Marques said bravery and courage should be recognised because it is inspiring and encouraging to others. He said:- "Every tragedy has a silver lining and it is up to us to make sure that silver shines."

Wayne, 39, who won the Against All Odds category in 2017's global hearing specialists Amplifon's Brave Britons Awards, was on patrol in the area of London Bridge Station when he heard screams on the evening of 3 June 2017 and then he saw people being stabbed in Borough High Street near the junction with London Bridge Street.

He charged at 1 of the terrorists lashing out with his Police Baton. But soon he was being attacked by all 3 terrorists 1 stabbing him above his right eye which cause him to go temporarily blind in the eye.

More than 12 months on and Wayne still travels from his South London home to Harrogate, Yorkshire, where he receives rehabilitation treatment.

7 people died in the attack and many more were badly injured.

Now Wayne is calling on people who know of acts of courage or bravery to nominate them.  There are 6 categories in the Amplifon Brave Britons awards:- Against All Odds, Young Hero, Service To Their Country, Active Agers, Hero Pet, and Charity Champion.  To find out how enter someone and for all the rules visit:- Amplifon.Com. or call into the groups store on Lord Street, Southport.

Wayne said:- "I 1st felt surprised and then humble when I was nominated by a person I didn't even know. The fact they had taken their time to fill in a form and nominate me made me feel very honoured. It would have been wrong for me to respond in any other way. We need more people honoured in the way I was because there are a lot of people out there who go beyond what is expected of them for the sake of others. Even uniformed services personnel who do a job where they are expected to sometimes face danger go beyond that expectation and react to the highest magnitude. To nominate others and put them in the limelight is so inspiring and encouraging to others in their communities and around the country. Through adversity, we as a nation tend to pull together. How we rally together makes this country great."

Finalists will be invited to an awards ceremony to be held at the:- Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, London, on Tuesday, 16 October 2018. A panel of judges including the Falklands hero Simon Weston, who will also choose an overall Hero from the category winners who will win a trip to Italy.

Phil Redmond set to be awarded Freedom of Liverpool

The proposal to bestow the City's highest civic honour will be considered at an extraordinary meeting of Liverpool City Council, on Wednesday, 18 July 2018, and, if approved, a ceremony will be held at a future date.

Born in Huyton, Phil Redmond set up Mersey Television in the early 1980's and created 3 of Britain's longest running drama programmes:- Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks. He was Deputy Chair and Creative Director of the City's Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008, and latterly served as Chair of National Museums Liverpool. He devised, and is Chair of, the UK City of Culture programme which was set up to capitalise on Liverpool's success as European Capital of Culture, and is also Chair of the Liverpool City Region Cultural Partnership; charged with developing a 30 year cultural strategy. Most recently he has been a key player in the City's bid to become the new headquarters of Channel 4.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said:- "Phil Redmond is a cultural giant who has spent almost 4 decades at the top of his game, and has been a passionate and powerful voice for Liverpool in national media circles. He has played a key role in putting the City on the film and TV map, helped make Liverpool's European Capital of Culture year the most successful ever and has also contributed hugely to the City's cultural scene. As we celebrate 10 years since Capital of Culture, it is right and proper that Liverpool gives him the thanks he truly deserves by rewarding his incredible contribution to the City."

Lord Mayor, Councillor Christine Banks, said:- "You have to make an outstanding contribution to life in Liverpool to be considered for Freedom of the City and there is no doubt in my mind that Phil Redmond has done exactly that. He has used his influence to shine a spotlight on Liverpool and has consistently been a huge advocate for the City during good times and bad.  His dedication to public service, together with his charity work, is simply remarkable."

Alongside his personal career, he and his wife Alexis have supported many charitable and public sector causes becoming major benefactors across Merseyside, including:- Liverpool John Moores University, National Museums Liverpool and Alder Hey Hospital. Since selling Mersey Television in 2005, they have devoted almost all of their time to public service.

Phil Redmond said:- "Like most from the City, there are few things that can render me speechless, but I can honestly say this 1 did.  I've been fortunate to have led the life I have so far. I never forget that. To have met, worked with and built friendships with so many people on my journey has been reward in itself, but I never expected this. To be honoured in this way, by my home City is, well, beyond words. But emotionally, I am delighted, grateful and proud."

He has recently turned to writing novels.

Drivers raise motorway safety fears as lorry traffic hits record high

THE amount of freight being transported on our Motorways is making drivers fear for their safety, a new survey of over 1,000 drivers for Brake has found. The findings come as the Government publishes figures which show that lorry traffic on Motorways has increased more than 15% in 5 years, reaching a record high of 7.9 billion vehicle miles in 2017.

More than ¾ of drivers stated that too much freight is being transported on our Motorways and have called for further investment in railways to alleviate the pressure on the network. Shockingly, more than a ¼ of drivers thought it highly likely or likely that they would be involved in a fatal or serious crash on a Motorway or dual carriageway at some point in the future. These findings come as the Government is introducing truck platooning trials and all lane running on our motorways, leading road safety campaigners to decry the prioritisation of capacity over safety.

The Brake survey found that a significant majority of drivers, 77%, believe that truck platooning "sounds frightening," even after having the nature of the technology explained to them, and that:- "if it went wrong the casualties could be very high." Drivers also expressed doubt over all lane running, as when asked if using the hard shoulder as a driving lane would improve safety, only a 3rd agreed.

The Government's "Road Traffic Estimates - Great Britain 2017," published on 5 July 2018, shows that lorry traffic on Motorways reached a new peak of 7.9 billion vehicle miles in 2017. The size and weight of lorries is also increasing; traffic of lorries with 4 or more axles was 44% higher in 2017 than in 1997, whereas for lorries with less than four axles it had fallen by 27%.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, said:- "At a time when the traffic on our Motorways is sharply increasing, these findings show that drivers have a deep seated and genuine concern over their safety on these roads. Drivers are particularly wary over the increase in freight traffic and it's clear that trials of truck platooning will only exacerbate this concern. We urge the Government to prioritise safety overcapacity and to ensure that any change to our road environment, such as all lane running, is robustly tested, and the public properly informed, before the rollout on our roads."

Phillipa Edmunds, freight on rail manager, Campaign for Better Transport, said:- "Drivers' fear of freight on our Motorways is well founded, with the latest Government figures showing that HGVs are almost three times more likely than cars to be involved in fatal crashes on these roads. Transferring more freight to the railways is a key part of making our roads safer, cleaner and less congested so we urge the Government to take note of this report's important findings."

Full survey data available in Brake report:- "Our Strategic Road Network - PT. 2: Smart roads: put safety 1st."   Road Traffic Estimates, Great Britain 2017, Department for Transport, 5 July 2018.