Anti-Social Behaviour

[Robert]

As parts of London seem to have a knive crime problem and the recent spate of attacks in Bolton, it seems inevitable that such crime will soon spread to Burnley. What can we do as a community to ensure that this won't be the case.

There seems to be a huge problem with arson as well with homes in the Leyland Rd., Daneshouse/Stoneyholme and recently in the Cog Lane area being attacked.

The most recent attack since those in the Burnley Express last week can be found on this website Burnley & Padiham BNP, I know the person in question is a controversial figure in the town hall and it should be interesting to see how he's going to get a council tax rebate on his burnt house given he's banned from council buildings but I don't think anyone deserves to live in the sort of conditions he's had to endure even if he has a strange way of protesting.

[Alex7201]

The police are getting on top of the arson incidents on Leyland Road. We can't say that there won't be any more incidents but its looking better. I don't have any details on Cog Lane and Daneshouse/Stonyholme though.

Regarding knife crime, what you say is possible. Its unfortunate but London, Birminham, Liverpool and Manchester have all taken the brunt of it. The police and councils have learnt how deprived areas deteriate economically and socially. This is one of the reasons why community policing has been brought back in to force 1) to stem the increase in this type of crime and 2) to try and reduce it by education and intergration. A slow process indeed.

To put it into perspective this type of thing 'mainly' exists in larger cities.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by Robert

The most recent attack since those in the Burnley Express last week can be found on this website Burnley & Padiham BNP, I know the person in question is a controversial figure in the town hall and it should be interesting to see how he's going to get a council tax rebate on his burnt house given he's banned from council buildings but I don't think anyone deserves to live in the sort of conditions he's had to endure even if he has a strange way of protesting.

Why on earth did he stay there? Why didn't he rent something somewhere else?

Why is he banned from council buildings?

I obviously don't know the whole story but it sounds like he has been badly let down by 'the system' but if I'd been him I would have been wanting to get away from there. It's not as if he owned the house and was going to lose money by having to settle for a paltry sum in compensation for compulsory purchase.

[Alex7201]

From what he's said it does feel like we've let him down. I don't know his story personally but when it comes to the press I believe half of what I see and nothing of what I hear. No offence to any press persons present.

[Robert]

I'm not sure why he still lived there, I know he used to live in a property which the council wished to demolish but wouldn't move, I'm not sure what led him to move to Cowper Street but I get the impression he probably didn't move because he wanted to make a stand about the fact he's just moved into a street and weeks later by some co-incidence the council decide they want to demolish the street again.

He's banned from council buildings because at town hall meetings he's been deemed to have been disruptive when discussing the issues relating to elevate and the demolition of housing, this includes all burnley borough council buildings and not just the town hall.

Recently when he was denied access to a council meeting he set off a fire alarm... I'll post his letter in the Burnley Express recently which will give his side of the story and the council's response to his letter. I'm not justifying the action but why has it led to this?

I think he and Gordon Birtwistle should sit down and discuss these issues regarding John which have been going on long before he stood as a BNP candidate, in fact the issues surrounding him at the time and the council ignoring him probably led to him asking the BNP what he could do.

From what I'm starting to hear about Gordon, with the way John's been treated and comments like "I don't recall saying that" when reminded of his promises, I fear we may have another Stuart Caddy who could well replace that odious career MP we have now at the next general election. John may not be entirely innocent in all of this but this could have been sorted years ago if Gordon had chosen to. Little wonder that the no voters win every election in this country.

I'm sure the Lib Dems via Darren will put across their side of the story or be able to fill in the blanks as my information is a bit like a jigsaw with all the little bits I hear around from different contacts and I've put the pieces together here with a few blanks.

Talking about Anti-Social Behaviour, who had the silly idea of moving the Thompson Centre friage into Thomson Park as reported in today's Burnley Express, I wouldn't feel safe visiting that park, it's a shame really.

Anyway I think the Lib-Dem administration should put politics and past grievances behind them and sort out this issue with John Rowe before things get worse.

[Robert]

Why can I not the attend meetings?
IN Tuesday's Express, May 20th, there appeared a report of my arrest during the meeting of Burnley Council on May 15th.

In that report it is said I set off a fire alarm and it is implied I did so in protest at being refused entry to the meeting of the council.
That was not my reason.

My reason was that to prevent my entering the meeting, like any other member of the public, the council's chief executive had ordered a fire exit to be locked.

In the event of a real emergency, persons in the public gallery would have had difficulty leaving. It was to expose that situation that I hit the fire alarm.

Mr Rumbelow calls my action "completely irresponsible". I ask, how responsible was it to lock a fire exit to prevent a political dissident attending a meeting that was open to the public?

There are a great many questions which need answering surrounding this incident. You write saying: "I must write in advance if I wish to attend a Burnley Council meeting because of previous disruption."

Really? Who says so? I have never disrupted a council meeting although you carried a story some months back of my being ordered to leave a council meeting. On that occasion while leaving the council chamber, after having exercised my right to speak as a member of the public, I took the liberty of making a remark to the council leader as I passed behind his chair.

Coun. Birtwistle allowed it to be reported in your paper I had used an improper word – I recall it was described as "an epithet". I did not use any improper language and you published a letter from me saying so.

The accusation I make is that excuse is being used to prevent my attending meetings because of my political stance in relation to much that the council is doing. If I cannot attend meetings I may not get to find out what is going on and may not, therefore, be able to publicise matters the council may prefer kept under wraps.

I would like to know whose decision it was to prohibit my attendance at meetings – it appears to have been of Mr Rumbelow alone. Did Coun. Birtwistle know about it and, if he did, did he approve?

It is not true I have been fined. I have been issued with a fixed penalty notice. This I shall not be paying. As a result the Crown Prosecution Service is going to have to make a decision on whether or not to prosecute me. As the only "crime" with which I could be charged is breaking a small piece of glass over the fire alarm switch (costing a matter of pence) a trial at a cost to the public purse of several thousands of pounds seems pointless.

I suggest the leader and chief executive of the council each see sense and invite the CPS not to pursue the matter. As to my future attendance at council meetings, if it is wished to prevent this let the full council decide.

If Coun. Birtwistle wishes to prohibit my attendance let him use his Liberal Democrat majority to ensure I do not. Although this would not be very liberal or very democratic, at least it would show some leadership and backbone and be better than hiding behind an official.

However, while Coun. Birtwistle and I have very different ideas for the future of this town and have several times exchanged harsh words, I do not think either of us questions the other's sincerity.

I hope he will have the commonsense to over-rule his chief executive so as not to have a political opponent prosecuted and to permit my re-admission to the public gallery of the council chamber without restriction.

JOHN ROWE

In a joint statement, Burnley Council, Burnley police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "There was no risk to public safety as the public gallery was not open. Through calling out the emergency services to highlight an issue that was not there, Mr Rowe wasted taxpayers' money and risked lives in other parts of Burnley, as the police and fire services could have been needed elsewhere."

[cheeky monkey]

Nice to see the BNP website being updated again in the last week, I wonder what's changed.
I happen to know John Rowe personaly and I think his main reason for making a stand is John refuses to be bullied by the Council, John is a small man who Burnley Council thought they could walk all over, As they have done right across Burnley to many folk.
He not only has the LibDem party against him but the Chief Executive Officer Steve Rumbelow, A man who is supposed to be non political but never misses a chance against the BNP, Who never misses a photo oppertunity to have his picture taken with Gordon Birtwistle, I will leave it up to your good selves to judge where you think his loyalties lie.
John has rung the police numerous times and had a very poor response from them, Unlike the council it would seem who only have to mention John Rowe and suprise suprise they find time to go and arrest him, Hmmm makes you think does'nt it, Maybe the police were in no hurry to help john as they knew the council wanted him out.
I was informed of the fire at his house at 9.30 from a Council employee who works within Elevate, Sombody must have informed him, not strange? It was a saterday, You try getting hold of sombody from the council on a Saterday. Not that I am suggesting my friend had anything to do with it as he is a BNP supporter.
Knife crime? In May the LibDems unvieled their "Yob czar" one Charlie Briggs, He was given a seat on the executive commitee along with a generous allowence of council taxpayers money, I have met Charlie, He never speaks in full council meetings being a bit shy, So maybe he would come on here where he can hide behind a keyboard and tell us his plans, Because I have seen no evidence of him doing anything, He ca'nt keep leaving it to Darren reynolds to speak for him.
The LibDems have got what they wanted and control the town, Now we have to make sure they deliver on their election promises.

[Robert]

Cheeky Monkey - why not try and get involved to solve the issue, from what I've heard John isn't the sort of character who will back down and Birtwistle seems to be as stubborn and so I can't see an end to the issue.

On the matter of knife crime: Police get cash to fight knife crime in Blackburn and Burnley (From Lancashire Telegraph)

[cheeky monkey]

What would you suggest?

[Robert]

I don't know, you say you know John could you act as a mediator between him and the council?

[cheeky monkey]

Well now that would be a job and a half, Burnley council have offered John money, Not that money has ever been a factor, 99.9% of people would have taken money at the first chance, But once in a while comes along a man like John and I must admit I have said to John why do'nt you take whats on offer and move.
He holds down 2 part time jobs and pays his way, Refusing to take anything off the state when it would be a lot easier for him to do so.
The council know how to deal with people who will sell their souls for a couple of grand but do not know how to deal with John so have turned to intimidation.
Steve Rumbelow, Voted into his 100,000+ job by the Lib/Con is hardly going to do anything to help a BNP candidate.
Gordon Birtwistle, Leader of the council with a vision to turn Burnley into an overspill from Manchester doing away with terraced housing, Forcing Burnley people to move away as they can not afford the housing that is built to replace the terraces.
I would join John in the BNP but I would lose my job if my council bosses found out as we are allowed to belong to any other political party but them.
So you see my hands are tied all I can do is pass on the truth.

[Robert]

Unless someone backs down then I can only see John continuing to crusade on what he sees as right.

As a councillor and leader of the council, you would think that Cllr Birtwistle will have the people skills that are essential for anyone who is a councillor to be able to come to some arrangement with John and alleviate the concerns he has regarding elevate and terraced housing demolition.

Look where Stuart Caddy's poor people skills led him.

[cheeky monkey]

Quiet agree about Mr Caddy, That is what happens when you take the voters for granted, They get away with it for so long then the voters wake up and realize they have been used to further the political ambitions of the said Councillors.