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Police
in Wem have discovered cannabis being cultivated in
the roof space of a house in the town.
The discovery was made yesterday after magistrates granted
police a search warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Detective Constable Glyn Teggin said officers went to
a home in Isherwoods Way where they found cannabis seedlings
and harvested plants.
“We found a growing environment set up in the
roof space with about 40 seedling plants in an incubator
together with harvested foliage from about 20 other
plants drying in various parts of the property.”
He said hydroponics equipment and a quantity of cash
were also seized.
Police investigations into the find are continuing.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis
with intent to supply. He has been interviewed and released
on police bail pending further inquiries.
The warrant is the latest is a series executed by the
police in Shropshire as part of the on-going campaign
targeting people involved in illegal drug activity.
Officers have warned they will not hesitate to prosecute
those involved in the cultivation and supply of drugs
and a number of offenders have been jailed in recent
months.
Three individuals
arrested on Saturday 3rd July in connection with the
death of Stephen Round yesterday appeared at Telford
Magistrates’ Court charged with his murder.
The body of Mr Round was found
at the site on Grange Lane near Granville Country Park
at just before 11.30am. Mr Round was killed at an address
in St Georges – Flat 1, Number 5 Church Street
– sometime on Sunday 27th June, the day of the
England versus Germany World Cup match.
27-year-old Zena Tinsley, of Barton
Grange, Randlay, Melissa Parkes, 21 and James Haigh,
30, both of Church Street, St Georges, Telford were
charged with murdering Mr Round between June 27 and
July 2.
The three were remanded in custody
and will appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday.
Dozens of drivers in Shrewsbury town centre have
found themselves summonsed to court as motorists continue
to ignore a right-turn only sign on an almost daily
basis.
Despite repeated warnings, improved signage, extensive
enforcement and a high-profile media campaign, drivers
are continuing to travel the wrong way up St Mary’s
Street from Church Street in order to take a short cut
along St Mary’s Place.
PC David Walton, Town Centre Local Policing Officer,
said he was “disappointed” that motorists
continued to flout the law and pledged that enforcement
would continue.
“We began by giving warnings at the scene, then
later issuing fixed penalty notices and summonsing people
to court,” he said.
“It is disappointing people continue to ignore
the right turn only and about 50 have been summonsed
to court, where many of them received fines and costs
in the region of £200.
“The signs are clear – there is no left
turn from Church Street at the junction with St Mary’s
Street, yet many motorists are continuing to use it
as a short cut as they think they can get away with
it.
“We will continue with enforcement as long as
drivers continue to ignore the signs and commit offences.”
PC Walton said the vast majority of offenders had been
local drivers who, when caught by the police, said it
was something they “had always done”.
“This junction has been right turn only for a
large number of years and the signage has recently been
improved to make this even clearer,” he added.
“My message to all drivers is, irrespective of
what they might have ‘always done’, they
should not be doing it and the police will take action
against them.”
A police inquiry into the poisoning of two peregrine
falcons in a disused quarry at Clee Hill has come to
an end.
Officers carried out an extensive investigation in conjunction
with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and
Natural England following the incident, which was reported
to police on 6th May.
A number of people were spoken to by police in connection
with the incident and one man was interviewed voluntarily.
No further action is to be taken against him.
PC Paul Sparrow, who led the investigation, said: “Despite
extensive enquiries by the police, with assistance from
the RSPB and Natural England, the investigation has
unfortunately come to an end at this time.
“However, although active investigations will
no longer take place, the case will remain open and
any further evidence that may come to light in the future
will be acted on.”
Tests by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs) revealed that the two birds, one male
and one female, had been poisoned using Diazinol. It’s
principle use is in sheep dip.
PC Sparrow added: “This chemical is primarily
for veterinary use and should be treated with extreme
caution.
“I would issue a plea to those responsible to
think about what they have done and the potential risk
they put both themselves in and any members of the public
who may have come across the dead birds or the poison
itself.”
Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity around the
nesting sites of any protected species of bird should
contact police immediately on 0300 333 3000 or the anonymous
Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111.
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CCTV images of the man wanted by police in connection
with the indecent exposure incident |
Police
in Albrighton today release CCTV images of a man
they wish to speak to in connection with an indecent
exposure incident in the town.
A man ran into Jane Eyre hairdressers in High
Street at about 6.30pm on Thursday 17th June.
He was naked and exposed himself to those inside
before fleeing when he was challenged by a member
of staff.
PC Vin Dahiya, who is investigating the incident,
said the offender was seen walking up and down
the pavement outside the shop shortly before the
incident, when he was wearing nothing but a pair
of grey or dark-coloured shorts.
After walking past the shop numerous times, he
is believed to have gone into a side road and
removed his clothing, before entering the shop
to expose himself.
CCTV images of a man police wish to speak to in
connection with the incident have been released
by officers in an attempt to identify him.
The offender is described as white, in his 50s,
about 5ft 5in in height and very fat in build.
“This man would have been very distinctive
due to his large build and the fact he was wearing
only shorts when he was walking around outside,”
said PC Dahiya.
“If anyone saw him or knows his identity,
please could they contact police on 0300 333 3000.
Information can also be passed on anonymously
via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.” |
Cuts in senior management posts over the last
20 months will save more than £1 million a year
from Telford & Wrekin Council’s budget.
The number of senior managers at the Council has been
cut by a third since September 2008 and the savings
this and further restructuring will generate, will play
a key part in helping the Council to make savings it
must find and protect frontline services.
This reduction in the Council’s most senior management
posts of directors and heads of service from 28 in September
2008 to 19 now will see the Council make on-going savings
of over £1 million a year.
The most recent change has seen the corporate director
with responsibility for Children & Young People
retire from the authority. This post will not be replaced
and the responsibilities will be shared among existing
members of the Council’s senior managers, while
the statutory functions for the role will be taken up
by chief executive Victor Brownlees.
This follows the retirement earlier this summer of another
corporate director who has not been replaced, building
on a reduction in the number of other senior manager
positions as part of the Council’s ongoing restructure.
Council leader Andrew Eade said: “This Council
is going through a major restructure, designed to drive
out efficiencies, change the culture and the way we
operate and, at the end of this process, will be a smaller
more focussed organisation than it was when it began.
“Recent Government announcements will for this
year cut grants to current services by around £2.2
million, with a further £0.6 million taken from
the investment programme funding.
“Councillors will consider this funding shortfall
in early August. Our priority is to protect frontline
services and to continue to deliver on our residents’
priorities.
“Reducing senior management costs will help significantly
towards this. At a time when we are asking the Council
to make significant savings in staff costs, it is only
right that this should start at the top.
“A review of allowances to councillors will also
come forward later this summer which will look to reduce
these costs and I hope that we will follow the same
direction that the rest of the Council is taking.”
The ‘Keep Our Town Special: Love Oswestry!’
campaign has won national recognition for their fight
against four simultaneous large retail applications
which would turn the high street into a ghost town.
The Marsh Award for the Benefit of Rural England and
a cheque for £1000 will be presented by famous
author Bill Bryson in his capacity of President of the
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) at the CPRE
national AGM in London on today.
Bill Bryson, CPRE President, commented on the Award
winners: “In my work with CPRE I have often been
struck by the amazing dedication and commitment shown
by our volunteers. These extraordinary people finish
their working week only to sit down and do another week’s
worth in their spare time. Some people retire only to
start new unpaid careers as rural campaigners.
“When I came to this country I fell in love
with the unique character and eccentricities of England’s
towns and countryside. It’s through the work of
many volunteers and people like those receiving awards
today that these endearing qualities will be preserved.”
The Marsh Awards are designed to recognise the unsung
heroes who volunteer their time to do extraordinary
things – yet go unnoticed by most of us. In this
case, a small group of volunteers have managed to form
a coalition of local people and businesses to fight
off the invasion of four corporate giants.
The campaign has so far managed to organise a protest
march of over 350 people and get 250 people to a local
planning meeting, all this in a town of only 18,000
inhabitants. They are also compiling a photographic
record of local shops with their staff and owners who
are under threat from the developments.
The competition judges said they where particularly
impressed by how the ‘Keep Oswestry Special’
campaign had brought together a broad spectrum of people
and organisations from the town, as well as its innovative
use of social media technology like Twitter alongside
traditional publicity tools like posters and press work.
Mike Bullen, Chairman of CPRE Oswestry said: “The
award is both a surprise and a delight. We have a great
team of people campaigning in Oswestry. I’d particularly
like to mention Charles Green, whose detailed technical
analysis has shown that there is no case for a new superstore
in a town already well served by supermarkets. We have
always tried to be positive during the Keep Oswestry
Special campaign, the main aim of which is to protect
the local shops and markets. The campaign has been successful
so far because we work so closely with local groups
who are full of energy and ideas.
“The big test is coming up at the end of July
when Shropshire Council will again consider the four
planning applications. Our message is clear. None of
these proposals will be good for Oswestry. We will be
calling on county planners to support the Fifth Option,
no more large scale retail development in Oswestry.”
Police are investigating the theft of two rose bushes
from the front of a Shropshire church.
Thieves dug up the roses worth £10 from
outside St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church
in High Street, Wem.
They were stolen between 3pm on Saturday and 9am Sunday.
A police spokesperson said: “We would welcome
any information concerning this theft. The number to
call is Wem police station on 0300-333-3000. Information
can also be given to the anonymous Crimestoppers number,
0800-555-111.”
Telford & Wrekin Council has announced that its vision
to transform the borough’s educational estate is
still on course after it was announced that the programme
would be unaffected by cutbacks in a national scheme.
It means that a planned £240m creation of 15
Sports and Learning Communities serving the needs of
the residents of Telford and Wrekin will go ahead over
the next five years.
Education secretary Michael Gove announced significant
cuts to the Building Schools for the Future programme
as part of an ongoing package of government austerity
measures to beat severe budget deficits.
But Telford and Wrekin’s plans remain intact
after it was revealed that its wide-ranging schemes
to create Sports and Learning Communities to feature
sports, health, leisure and community facilities as
well as providing top quality education could still
go ahead.
Councillor Stephen Burrell, cabinet member for children
and young people, hailed the decision as a complete
recognition of the council’s vision to make the
best use of the available funding for all residents
of the borough by providing facilities that everyone
could use.
The first school to be rebuilt will be the Abraham
Darby Academy, which will be rebuilt as the Abraham
Darby Sports and Learning Community. Woodlands Primary
School will also be co-located on the same site.
The Phoenix School will be rebuilt on a different site
at Paddock Mount in Dawley and Lord Silkin School in
Stirchley will be rebuilt as the Lakeside Sports and
Learning Community. Two primary schools will be co-located
there.
The Wrockwardine Wood Arts College will be re-located
and rebuilt on a new site in Priorslee and the Sutherland
Business and Enterprise College in Trench will be rebuilt
on a new site at Oakengates Leisure Centre.
All other secondary and special schools in the borough
will be remodelled and upgraded.
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