Post Burglary Blues as '8 in 10' say they don't trust Police to recover stolen valuables

A British security firm has discovered that nearly 80% of people fear their belongings will never be recovered following a break in. The majority of UK residents are concerned that Police will not be able to recover stolen property in the event their house is burgled; and they are right to be worried. In a survey of 1,200 members of the British public, respondents were asked if they trusted Police to recover their stolen possessions.

The data revealed that:-

► 78% of British people don't believe the Police are capable of recovering stolen property.

► Despite nearly 8 in 10 people placing a lack of confidence in their Police Force to recover stolen goods, reports suggest many are actually overestimating the ability of law enforcement to solve cases.

► New figures for 2018 show that upwards of 95% of burglaries go unsolved.

► This statistic has risen since 2017, when the figure was 90%.

Conducted by security brand All About Safes, this latest survey was designed to highlight public concerns about personal property security. "Figures show that we do not, and cannot, expect Police to recover all goods in the event of a burglary. You have to keep your belongings safe yourself. Nobody is going to do it for you." commented Dean Ryan, Director of All About Safes.

Around 500,000 residential burglaries take place every year, and the data exposes common anxieties around stolen possession recovery. With budget cuts continuing to plague British law enforcement and damning reports emerging in 2017 of crime rates rising by 10% across the country, the consensus of opinion among the British public clearly matches up with current Policing results.

Mr Ryan added that:- "If you don't have confidence in local law enforcement, it comes down to personal responsibility to secure property. Shoring up possession safety by investing in security features, such as cameras, high grade locks and safes, is paramount to ensuring your belongings remain where they should. With a lack of resources and little evidence to pursue cases, it is little wonder that Police are unable to reclaim stolen valuables. By putting barriers in place to prevent criminal activity, you can not only keep your personal property safe, but also help Police do their jobs and catch perpetrators."

New partnership between Southport FC and Arriva kicks off in style

ARRIVA staff enjoyed a fun day out at this weekend's football match to celebrate the launch of an exciting new partnership with Southport FC. 36 bus drivers and other members of staff from Arriva's Southport depot travelled to Haig Avenue with their family and friends for Southport FC's clash with York City, on Saturday, 13 October 2018. The day, officially dubbed by the club as:- 'Arriva Day,' saw Arriva staff and their families enjoy Hospitality treatment at the club, after travelling to the stadium on board the 1 Port Bus, which was draped in Southport yellow and black and featured pictures of star players. Attendees were taken to meet the players and for a tour of the stadium before settling down to watch the game. Despite the 2-1 defeat for the Sandgrounders, the result certainly didn't dampen the Southport spirit with the 1 Port Arriva Bus being the subject of much attention from supporters outside the stadium.

Michael Brown, Southport FC media manager, said:- "The rain and the result may not have worked in our favour but what a fantastic way to get the ball rolling with our new Arriva partnership. Our supporters and the people of Southport in general are at the forefront of everything we do and we're always looking at ways to adapt what we do to benefit them. The current 44 Arriva Bus Service, which runs from Eastbank Street in the town centre straight to the ground, is definitely 1 that we want to get more people using on a matchday. We're particularly excited to continue working with Arriva and we've got a number of ideas for how we can move forward from Saturday's launch."

Loyal Southport supporters and members of the wider local community are being actively encouraged to start using public transport more frequently to travel to and from matches as part of this new partnership between the football club and Arriva.

Gerry O'Leary, Southport depot general manager, said:- "Despite the result on Saturday it was a great day for everybody involved and we're especially excited to see how the relationship between the club and Arriva can grow. All of our staff had a great day and we were delighted with how well received the new bus was. This is just the start of some really exciting things to come and I think everyone who came on Saturday would agree. We hope that our partnership with Southport FC will create even stronger links between us, the football club, and the local Southport community."

Next on the agenda is an on going public Spot the SFC Bus Campaign whereby supporters can send pictures or videos of the bus in public directly to Southport FC to win a selection of prizes. Arriva and Southport FC are also liaising over the possibility of introducing a shuttle service to future matches and even working to fit bus timetables in the area around kick off times.  For updates on all plans, please visit:- SouthportFC.Net.

Plying for hire penalised

A Liverpool Private Hire driver who picked up passengers illegally has been ordered to pay more than ₤1,000 in fines and Court costs. Driver Alpha Diakite took 2 passengers from Hanover Street in the City Centre to Speke on an early morning journey in January of this year.  Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard that the pair had approached Diakite's parked Toyota car and asked to be taken to Speke. Diakite agreed saying that the journey would cost ₤30. What Diakite didn't realise was his 2 passengers were actually Merseyside Police special constables who were taking part in a joint Police and Liverpool City Council operation to crackdown on Private Hire drivers who flaunt the rules. The law says that Private Hire drivers are not allowed to pick people up off the street. All Private Hire journeys must be booked in advance, any that are not would not be covered by insurance. Diakite, 33, of Deane Road, Kensington, denied the charges of plying for hire and driving without insurance. He denied picking anyone up on Hanover Street claiming that the officers must have been mistaken. But magistrates rejected Diakite's version of events and fined him a total of ₤945 with ₤300 costs. He also received 8 penalty points on his licence.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr James Noakes, said:- "The City Council and its partners are committed to making all forms of transport in our City as safe as possible. Plying for hire is an offence we take extremely seriously. Passengers who take a journey that has not been booked in an advance won't be covered by insurance if there is an accident. There will also be no record of the journey making it more difficult for the Council and Police to trace the details should anything go wrong. We conduct these undercover operations to identify the small minority of Private Hire drivers who do not play be the rules and as this case shows, we will take strong action against anyone we catch."

· For more information about licensing issues in Liverpool, visit the Council's website and search for 'licensing.'

Southport solicitors join forces to raise more than ₤14,000 for Queens Court Hospice through Make A Will month

LEADING North West law firms joined forces to help a local Hospice by raising a staggering ₤14,667 during their Wills Month. Queens Court Hospice is a local charity that provides support for the people of West Lancs, Southport and Formby when they need it the most. By caring for patients with serious illnesses, they enable them to achieve the best possible quality of life at each new stage.

This vital service is carried out both in the Hospice and in the patient's own home through a comprehensive and integrated programme of support including the In-Patient Unit, OueensCourt Connect and Queens Court at Home services. With less than a 5th of the funding needed to run Queens Court coming from the NHS, it is crucial that campaigns like Make a Will month continue to raise essential funds.

Birchall Blackburn Law along with 12 other local firms came together to offer the preparation and writing of a Will free of charge. Those benefiting from the scheme were encouraged to donate the cost of making the Will to Queens Court Hospice.

The solicitors taking part included:- Birchall Blackburn Law, Autumn Years Law Limited, Hodge Halsall Solicitors, Kirwans Solicitors, Breens Solicitors, Mooney Everett Solicitors, Brighouse Wolff Solicitors, Napthens Solicitors, Maxwell Hodge Solicitors, Brighouses Solicitors, Steve Davies Solicitors, Cockshott Peck Lewis Solicitors and Whitfields Solicitors.

Leanne Malseed of Birchall Blackburn Law based at 180 Cambridge Road said:- "By taking part in Queens Court's campaign, we are able to support an extremely worthy cause that provides care and support for hundreds of people. We are delighted to have taken part again this year and to work alongside our colleagues at other local law firms. There is a staggering amount of people who aren't aware of the security a valid Will offers, with many putting it off until later in life when often it is too late, so bringing it to the forefront of people's minds whilst supporting Queens Court is an added bonus."

Kate Thomas, Head of Income Generation and Communications from Queens Court Hospice added:- "We were overwhelmed by the response from so many local Solicitors who took the time to support Queens Court in this way. As well as providing an important Will writing service, the Solicitors were able to make a huge collective contribution towards our Hospice, which makes all the difference to the vital level of care that we are able to provide."

Queens Court's "Will Month" takes place in Spring every year. From the suggested donations of ₤90 for a basic single Will, ₤135 for a joint Will, and ₤40 to amend an existing Will Birchall Blackburn Law independently raised ₤1,735 from their client's contributions alone.