Police and Crime Commissioner tells "farcical" meeting that he won't stand for re-election

by Bill Tanner, Senior Reporter

WEST Mercia police and crime commissioner Bill Longmore has confirmed that he will not be standing for re-election in 2016.

The confirmation was one of the few answers Mr Longmore gave to a Q&A session with Worcestershire County Council  described by turns as “heated, farcical and bizarre.â€

The £75,000 a year figurehead appeared before a meeting of the council for the first time in 18 months to be grilled by politicians.

Amid the scenes that followed:

- Mr Longmore turned up late for the meeting, meaning his appearance had to be delayed by around an hour.

- He asked his unelected deputy Barrie Sheldon to answer questions for him, leading to furious exchanges in the chamber.

- Mr Longmore then got into a dispute with Labour councillors, where he accused them of "sniping at him" and suggested they were trying to smear the police as "racist".

- The chairman of the council, Councillor Pam Davey, apologised to him for "discourtesy" and said the rows in the chamber were "showing a bad example to children".

Cllr  Richard Udal got things started saying: "It's been about 18 months since you were last here, at the time you said there are 'no racist police officers' and that racism in the police 'didn't exist'.

"You also said, and I quote 'domestic abuse didn't exist in the 1970s'."

Cllr Udall called the comments "insensitive and inaccurate" and asked Mr Longmore for his views.

Mr Longmore  was also asked a list of questions on budget cuts, the paperwork faced by police officers and the impact turning off street lights could have on crime, before his deputy stood up to try and answer them instead.

Cllr Luke Mallett said: "Nobody in Worcestershire elected Mr Sheldon to any role - he is an unelected aide.

"We all know Mr Sheldon will be putting himself up for election in two years, but it is up to Mr Longmore to answer these questions."

During the row, Cllr Davey intervened and said Mr Longmore has "been invited as a guest" and could stay quiet if he wanted to.

Cllr  Peter McDonald said: "We cannot stand this farce, he didn't say when he was elected that he'd refuse to answer questions.

"We want to hear from the organ grinder, not his monkey."

Mr Sheldon then stood down and Mr Longmore got on his feet to say he had gone to County Hall to "listen, and not be sniped at in every way".

He said Cllr Udall's views on his comments were "completely misconstrued", insisting he meant domestic violence was not reported as widely in the 1970s.

He added: "And to think you've tried to insinuate that West Mercia Police is institutionally racist is just wrong."

Hereford Times

A sort of Parliament. 

It has the high profile stuff in the news like the plastic bag charge (Paper clip politics in my book.) And free prescriptions. But what real power has it really got? 

Will it be bailing out TATA steel tomorrow ? They make a lot of noise but if the wheel comes off the pressure seems to arrive in Westminster. 

All wheels within wheels I guess! 

The Royal Mint produce the new pound coin, I am not sure I like the abbrievation of the Integrated Secure Identification Systems being used though. (isis)

George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, revealed that HM Treasury believes there is a strong case for introducing a new £1 coin to help reduce counterfeiting and ensure the integrity of the United Kingdom’s currency.

Has anyone on here had an issue with this sort of thing ? I dropped my small petrol mower off at O.H. Mower Services on Plough Lane on 29th May 2015 for a service as it was 'spluttering'. I was quoted 'one to two weeks' as the timescale and left my number. 

No contact so had to ring twice today to get some sort of timescale. I was told next Tuesday at the latest (by the very friendly sounding lady) as the mower had just sat there for two weeks ~ in storage. Reason given was 'short staffed' at the workshop. The firm date was offered when I said I was coming around to collect the machine to go somewhere else!

Price quoted was £56 plus parts by the way .... 

The council have decided to install CCTV cameras at the Hereford Cemetery on a temporary basis.

See quote from the Hereford Times below:

CALLS for CCTV cameras to be installed at a Hereford cemetery where thieves damaged and stole personal items from graves have been answered.

 

Herefordshire Council announced this week that it would be installing the cameras in the children's section at Hereford's Crematorium and Cemetery in Westfaling Street on a temporary basis.

 

Security patrols in the area are also going to be increased following discussions between the council, police and the security firm.

 

It comes after a campaign and online petition calling for the measures to be introduced received 1,833 signatures.

 

 

The Hereford Times has previously reported how families were left devastated after discovering sentimental ornaments and items had been smashed and stolen early last month.

 

In October 2014, vandals targeted nine Jewish headstones in a secluded, separate part of the cemetery in an attack.

 

A police investigation failed to identify the culprits, and at that time Herefordshire Council indicated no increased security measures would be put in place to deter the perpetrators from returning.

 

But in its statement this week, the council said additional security measures would be introduced over the coming weeks.

 

It said: "Herefordshire Council would like to extend its sympathy to the families concerned at this difficult time.

 

"Following ongoing discussions and a meeting with council staff, the police and the security company about the best way of securing the cemetery area, it has been agreed to increase security patrols in the graveyard and to introduce temporary CCTV in the coming weeks, which will hopefully help prevent this type of unacceptable behaviour again."

 

BREAKING NEWS FROM LONDON.

Labour Leadership Results:

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn   - 251,000 votes - 59.5%.

Deputy Leader  Tom Watson - after third round votes - 50.7%.

Thursday 23 April 2015 / Letters

 

WITH reference to Sue Duncalf’s letter on proposed car parking charges at Queenswood (Queenswood cafe threat, Letters, March 12), may I correct a couple of issues?

 

My late wife and I ran the cafe from 1985 until 2002 and the first charge was introduced in 1999 and lasted for nearly two years.

 

While it did make a big difference to the turnover, we did not go out of business. Luckily trade returned to previous levels by the time we left, but this, I think, would not have been the case had the charge remained. So I support the current owners 100% in their protest.

 

Also the charge was very difficult to police given the location.

 

What the council never appreciate is that the cafe leaseholders are the only people with a large personal investment at Queenswood.

 

RICHARD SPENCER Weobley

 

HT

Comments were never 'open' on that archive letter. But first hand evidence is being given which seems pretty believable .... 

Just wondering as there appears to be a 'push' in that direction with publicity for the Polish night at 'The Victory' and also publicity for the new 'Polish' eatery on St. Owen Street. ..... ?

I'd like to know! I'd like somebody to explain to me why I'm fat and they ain't. It seems to me that it's entirely unfair.

It's high times for them ain't it. Tall, slim, muscular, chiselled features, ready and available to run a mile if required to do so and able to wear a garment picked off the peg that fits.

I mean, my wife's a nurse. During the course of a working week she treats probably a hundred migrant people and none of them ever come in needing their cholesterol checking or begging, 'give me a gastric band'. It simply doesn't happen because they ain't fat.

God knows why. They've escaped the grinding fist of communism and poverty decades ago and they should be getting fatter. But they ain't! If anything, they're getting slimmer and fitter.

And don't tell me they don't drink ale or eat huge meals. They do! I've seen them. None of it makes sense to me. They should be getting fatter but they ain't!

I've never met Colin's girl who I know is Polish. I bet she ain't fat. I'll bet my right testical that she's a slim lady who can eat and drink and never put on any weight and so I'd like to know why I'm clinically obese and she ain't. If you ask me it's unfair and my conclusion is that the migrants are getting or not getting something which I'm getting a lot of or none at all of. I mean, are the mandarins of Brussels secretly feeding our indigenous population something that's making us fat?

I've seen them through the window down at the Commercial and I'm seeing no obvious signs that they are putting on weight. I'll tell the lads, 'lads, why ain't they as fat as us' and not one of my brethren can come up with an answer that explains why we are fat bastards and they ain't.

If the East European migrants really want to integrate into the British way of life I say lets see a few of them making an effort and pile on a few more pounds and begin to have concerns about their cholesterol levels instead of staying slim and fit.

Thinking about it some more, this is yet another reason why I want to get out of this unholy European Union. In fact, until such times as a migrant can come up to me in the Commercial moaning that their cholesterol levels have become sky high and they can easily be medically diagnosed as more swine than human, I'm for getting out of the EU.

Is anyone else water taste not right this morning.Have made 4 cups of coffee and they taste funny.

Anyone going out twice to pick up litter? The state of the city and rural highways has deteriorated badly. Travelled today to Ross on Wye along the A49 and what a state the verges are in - a disgrace. So will the Highways Agency and Herefordshire Housing be doing their bit along with Balfour Beatty or will it only be the plebs doffing their caps and waving their black plastic bin bags as Her Majesty glides past? I think she needs to come down to Herefordshire to see the variety of detritus we have on offer.

2 years suspended sentence. Meanwhile Johnson gets 6 years.

A BOY held back tears yesterday as he told how he was groomed at 15 by a teaching assistant twice his age — and made her pregnant.

 

He said two months of abuse “scarred him for life†and added: “I’ll never forget it.â€

 

The boy, who we are calling Jack to protect his identity, told his story after Berriman, 30, walked free from court, despite admitting three charges of sexual activity with a child.

 

Jack, now 17, said the pair did not have sex until five months into their relationship.

 

But from then on it was regular and “always unprotectedâ€.

 

He said: “The first time it happened I was sat on the couch and she put her arm over me and started kissing me.

 

“I started kissing her back and it just went on from there.

 

“It must have happened over 50 times in the space of those few months.â€

 

Jack believed he was in love but his world started to unravel when Berriman told him he had got her pregnant.

 

He said: “Stuff like that has scarred me for life.â€

 

The stress of the relationship led him to confide in his older brother. Jack’s mum then got wind of it and ordered him to end it or she would call cops.

 

But when Jack told Berriman his mum knew he said she “flipped†and attacked him.

 

He said Berriman, who gave him one-to-one tuition in maths and English, began grooming him in January last year after he saw her using Facebook on her phone in class.

 

That night Jack, who had a huge crush on Berriman, found her profile and made contact.

 

She was quick to reply and asked him for his mobile number so they could flirt by text.

 

Soon they were going on long drives into the hills around Manchester and going to her house to talk and watch TV.

 

He said: “We would call and text each other all the time and it got more and more into a sort of relationship.

 

“Then she started ringing me on weekends, asking if I was going round to hers. It slowly got more serious.â€

 

Berriman introduced Jack to her two-year-old girl.

 

He said: “It got to a point where her daughter was calling me ‘Dad’. I used to say to her ‘I’m not, I’m your mum’s friend’.â€

 

Recalling when Berriman realised their relationship was exposed, Jack said: “Caroline started flipping out, she started hitting me because I had told my mum.

 

“She was screaming and shouting saying ‘Why have you put me in this position? I’m going to lose my daughter.’ Blaming everything on me like I was in the wrong.â€

 

Jack tried to distance himself from her but Berriman kept texting and calling him. She then rang saying she had borrowed £20,000 from her parents so they could run away together — before turning up on Jack’s estate.

 

He said: “She just started crying and punching things in her car, smashing her glasses and just saying ‘please please’.â€

 

She drove the teenager back to her house where she carried on pleading with him.

 

Jack said: “She was like ‘if you don’t come it’s going to break my daughter’s heart, it’s going to break my heart, everything that I’ve risked for you’.

 

 

“I said I’ve been through enough pain and abuse. I want this to end.â€

 

He went home and reported the abuse to Childline. She was suspended by her bosses at Abraham Moss Community School in Crumpsall, Gtr Manchester, as soon as they became aware of the allegations and is no longer employed there.

 

Jack has now left school and is looking for a job but is still reeling from the effects of his first real “relationshipâ€.

 

Last week Berriman, of Oldham, got a two-year suspended sentence and 250 hours of community work at Manchester Minshull Street crown court.

 

She had pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child, and a further charge of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.

 

Holding back tears, Jack said: “The sentence was atrocious. If it was a man and a 15-year-old girl I’m sure the prosecution would have been harsher.â€

 

Berriman was unavailable for comment last night. Her dad Keith said the charges against her were “a load of b******sâ€.

This is just a summary of the survey results. The report is much more detailed and contains many comments from the residents which provide more insight into the results.

If you would like a copy of the full report please send an email to Meadowparkresidents@outlook.com

RESULTS OF A RECENT RESIDENTS-ONLY SURVEY, CONDUCTED BY THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AT:
MEADOW PARK,
HOLMER,
HEREFORD,
HEREFORDSHIRE,
HR1 1RD

Circulation
This report has been sent to the following people/organisations:
Andrew Doyle – Deputy Editor, Hereford Times

Colin James - Admin at Hereford Voice
Jesse Norman MP –Hereford and South Herefordshire
Bill Wiggin MP – North Herefordshire
Andrew Round – Ward Councillor – Holmer
Mark Millmore – Chairman – Holmer and Shelwick Parish Council
Councillor A W Johnson - Leader - Herefordshire Council
Marc Willimont –Head of Development Management & Environmental Health - Herefordshire Council
Colin Cole - Chief Executive - Lioncourt Homes
Denis Thompson –Chairman - Fortis Living
Guy Weston – Group Chief Executive –Fortis Living
Housing Ombudsman Service

Background
Meadow Park is a new housing development in Holmer, Hereford built by Lioncourt Homes.
It comprises 34 properties.
32 are occupied, 1 is still to be sold and 1 is still being built.
The site was originally planned to have only 33 properties, the 34th property was added to the site plans later on, hence it is still being built.
On the site there are 12 Housing Association Properties (Fortis Living/Festival Housing).
6 of these are Shared Ownership and 6 are rented.

Survey
Now that the majority of the residents have been living on the site for between 6 months and 18months it was decided amongst us to conduct a survey of the residents.
This would allow us to provide group feedback to all of the parties responsible for or involved in the planning and development of Meadow Park; and future developments planned for Herefordshire.
Residents were asked 20 questions and the results can be found in this report.
They were also asked to elaborate on their answers and their comments can also be found in this report.
The hope was that if any problems/issue were identified the relevant organisations could help us to resolve them.
Also any good feedback could be passed onto those involved.
If nothing else, we thought that the results would be useful to those involved with the Strategy and development and Implementation of the Housing Strategy for Herefordshire.
If mistakes had been made, we didn’t want them repeated elsewhere on future developments.
 

Key Findings
32 surveys were distributed to the 32 occupied properties.
21 completed surveys were returned (66% survey response rate)

• 86% of respondents want streetlights installed on the estate
• 71% of respondents think there is insufficient car parking for residents
• 100% of respondents think there is insufficient car parking for visitors
• 76% of respondents think there is insufficient space to allow for vehicles to turn, access or exit parking spaces
• Roughly Half of respondents like the new junction as it is, the other half would like it changed
• 57% of respondents would like planning restrictions on the site to be relaxed for external changes
• 62% of respondents were satisfied with the completion on time of their home
• 81% of respondents were satisfied with the handover process on moving in day
• 67% of respondents were satisfied with the condition of their home on moving in day
• 100% of respondents reported snags/defects
• 81% of respondents reported 6 or more defects, 43% reported 11 or more defects
• Roughly half of respondents are satisfied with the service provided by the developer/housing association since moving in, the other are not
• 76% of respondents are satisfied with internal design and layout of their new home.
• 72% of respondents are satisfied with the external design and layout of their new home
• 62% were satisfied with the finish/quality of their new home
• 76% would still buy/rent this property now they have lived there
• 67% would recommend the developer/housing association to a friend
• 33% said they were given enough information about the house/estate before moving in
• Roughly half of respondents thought that the plans and marketing packs provided before moving in were representative of the estate, the other half said they were not.
• 90% of respondents had to wait over 3 months for phone line/broadband. 81% had to wait over 6 months. 38% had to wait over a year.

Fancy a little bit of Polish food and culture? Come and join us Saturday April 2nd at the Victory Pub Hereford.

Michelle Retweeted Éoin

Michelle added,

I cannot believe what I have seen this morning.

Photograph courtesy of Scott-Hayley Alderson, who left his house in Clehonger at 0720 and is now sat in traffic coming into the city on the A49 Ross Road.

(Left Clehonger at 7:20 still sat on Ross Road. Over an hour and a half on the Road. Pain in the backside!)

Traffic gridlock, traffic coming into Hereford is queuing out past the Clehonger turning yet again and why?

They are digging a hole near to the Debenhams roundabout in the left hand lane more or less in front of Steels by the doctors surgery, so why the hell have the reduced the traffic to 1 lane at the end of Victoria street and put about 100 traffic cones in every possible location leading up to this whole? I am sure it is essential work that needs to be carried out but why so many cones?

Why didn't they start a few cones AFTER the Whitecross Road turning? This stupidity and lack of common sense has caused gridlock for ALL THE TRAFFIC coming into Hereford from the south, A49/A465 and ALL OF THE TRAFFIC coming onto town from Whitecross Road along the A438.