BMX Track

The BMX track now seems to be finished weeks after it was supposed to be completed. They had all the bad weather against them with snow, rain and ice. It now looks a big improvement with the tarmacked areas and the new grass. It received a lot of attention last week with the kids being off school. The skate park was equally busy but there was a nasty accident last week as young lad broke his arm. This could have been avoided if he had worn protective clothing

The Final Wall

As reported before they are knocking down part of the old Crewe Works in Dunnwoody Way. Work is almost complete and as the pictures shows only the final wall remains to be knocked down. This is Crewe's history being destroyed before our eyes in the name of progress. Soon there will be nothing left of our rail heritage.

Wulvern New roof but is it safe

Derby Docks and Wulvern Housing are installing a new roof on the flats but are they safe with their work practices?

We have had problems in the past with building sites and had the Health & Safety Executive out to sites. You can see in the photo that they have stacked lots of wood on top of the scaffolding not tied down. Given the area this is just right for kids to climb up the scaffolding and throw it off along with the wheel barrows left up there. A storm or strong wind could do the same thing and a plank of wood on someones head would be fatal.

We all so spotted workers on the roof none of them wearing hard hats and this was one thing the safety picked on at other local sites that workers should have hard hats working in these conditions

Ginger Monkey on the move

One business which seems to be doing well in the recession is the Ginger Monkey Tattoo parlor in West St. They are opening a bigger shop on the corner of Bright St with a posh new sign. It glad to see some companies having success in the West End

Rubbish

A lot of complaints about the rubbish outside the charity furniture warehouse in Samual St as you can see it blocks the pavement so no one can walk past. I took photos 3 days on the run so this isnt just a one off problem.

Often they had a van parked on the pavement as well so it was totally imposable to walk on the pavement and i doing so put lives at risk as people have to walk on the road

Grot Spot

I am constantly amazed at the grot spots around crewe and thought its time we highlighted as few. This one is a long standing one in Oxford St at the site of the old chapel which burnt down. There are 3 sides to the problem. Number one is people who dump the rubbish, number 2 is the Council number 3 is the land owner.

If you are on the dole or a low wage and buy a 3 piece suite for £30 and then need to get rid of the old one and ring the council they will charge you to remove it as much as £35. If you haven't got the money and no transport then the only option you have is to dump it around the corner. If you have access rubbish the council wont take it if it doesn't go in a bin so again your only option is to dump it.

The land owner is a piggy in the middle its not their fault if people dump rubbish on their land but they do have a responsibility to keep it clean.

The daft bit is the bin men come and leave excess rubbish so you ring the council who then send another man and lorry out to collect it costing a lot more than picking it up in the first place.

Of coarse in all that there are people out there who are just idle and dump the rubbish because they cant be bothered to take it to the tip.

If you know of any Grot spots let me know and I will take some pictures. In a lot of cases its a slow process because its private land the council have to get an order for the land to be tidied and this takes time

New fence for the Cemetery

The Cemetery is getting a new fence along Badger Ave. Some of the fence is very old and was part of the original Allotments that were down Badger. The new fence is a lot higher than the old one. Its a sad reflection on modern times in as much as it harder to get into the cemetery with gates being locked and closed

New Scam Warning

Please be aware of the following that was forwarded to me by a colleague regarding a possible BT phone scam. I am not aware of any occurring locally but it is something to bear in mind.

A man phones claiming to be calling from BT. He alleges that £20 - £30 is overdue for payment. When challenged by a statement that payment by standing order is in force, he replies that the standing order was not renewed properly. He goes on to state that, if the outstanding debt is not cleared immediately, the telephone line will be disconnected and that a reconnection charge of £75 will become payable. When challenged as to whether he really is calling from BT, he replies by asking that the telephone receiver be placed back in its cradle and picked up again after 10 seconds when the dialling tone will have disappeared. He states that removal of the dialling tone can only be performed by a BT centre.

In following this instruction the dialling tone certainly disappears - presumably because the person operating the scam has not disconnected at his end. On replacing the telephone receiver on its cradle, the man phones again to take debit card details to settle "the debt".

I have to confess that I fell for this scam - but, fortunately, my wife prompted me to phone BT who told me that there was nothing wrong with my account. I subsequently phoned the bank and had the transaction stopped and the debit card cancelled.

Gone For Ever

Its surprising the difference a week makes I took some photos for our sister site
http://crewetownphotos.blogspot.com/ of the field at the rear of Hulme St last week. Last week it was just a field but this week there is a new building going up at Bentley the field has been fenced off and bulldozers moved in to create a new car park for Bentley.

The sad part is the old trees are being cut down and I captured the moment as this old tree fell. The new building is a new part Dept for Bentley which is to cut cost. At present the part go to somewhere else in town and then to the factory so they are handled twice. They say the build cost will pay for its self in 3 years. In the mean time 220 people are loosing their jobs. As you can see the building is going up very quickly

Credit Card Scam Home Watch Warning

Please be aware of the below that has been raised by several Coordinators. Having done a bit of research into the below scam it is one that appears to have been doing the rounds for quite some time via email. The various sites that I have looked at all suggest that this is indeed a plausible scam. They do however warn that although it is plausible that the message may exaggerate the actual frequency of such scams. I can confirm that this has only ever been brought to my attention via a circular warning email and I am unaware of anyone who has been directly contacted over the phone in this manner.

Therefore as a general warning please be aware of the below email.

I have looked at the Visa website and they remind customers that 'Visa will never e-mail or telephone cardholders to ask for their account number or other card, personal or security details. You should never give your account, security or personal details in response to unsolicited communications claiming to be from any financial institution'.

Finally, the Visa website asks that if anyone is contacted directly that you refrain from giving any details and contact your card issuing bank to determine the validity of the call/email. Emails trying to gain your details can also be forwarded to phishing@visa.com for further investigation (please however don't forward them this circular warning email - only contact them if you are specifically targeted).




Please be aware of the latest credit card scam :-

This one is pretty slick since they provide Y O U with all the information, except the one piece they want.
Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.

One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard".

The scam works like this: Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank) did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketing company based in London ?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from £297 to £497, just under the £500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of your card (0800-VISA) and ask for Security.

You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works the caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card." He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers." There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say, "No," the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of £497.99 was charged to our card.

Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening .

Snow Snow and More Snow

The town is still griped by snow and there is more on the way. Its been snowing off and on all day today Sunday. It did seem milder today but a walk down the Crewe Business Park shows the lake is frozen over and still loads of snow about. I hadn't been up there for a long time and was surprised that there was a nice nature walk around the lake towards the Uni, I bet this will be nice in the summer its an area people dont think of walking as its not what you would expect.



In town there is still snow about and the sign post are back by the market showing the pay to Poland and Macon they haven't been there for a long time so I dont know whyt hey have reappeared

Crewe & Nantwich Home Watch News Jan 2009

Crewe & Nantwich News - Jan 2009


Thirteen Years for Crewe Murder A 46 years old woman from Crewe was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of thirteen years, after being convicted of murder. The jury at Chester Crown Court heard that after a day of heavy drinking she had stabbed a man in the chest and neck a dozen times and then called the Police. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Bailey described it as, “A tragic case involving two people whose lives followed a downward spiral due to alcohol abuse.” He added thanks to people who came forward as witnesses and expressed his sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of the murdered man.

Cannabis Factory Closed More than a thousand cannabis plants were seized and destroyed after police closed a cannabis factory in Crewe town centre. A former restaurant was equipped with irrigation systems and heaters on two floors. Detective Inspector Iain Goodwin said, ““This type of production has increased dramatically over the past few years. The ‘factories’ provide income for organized criminal gangs.” The plants would have produced drugs with a street value of about £150,000. A man was arrested and charged with being concerned in the production of illegal drugs. The investigation is continuing.

Pub Ban ASBO A man is banned from all pubs in Crewe as part of an Anti Social Behaviour Order. The man, aged 45, has a long history of causing problems in pubs. Magistrates imposed the ASBO after convicting him of being drunk and disorderly. Laura Woodrow, the Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator said, “Licensees filled in incident report forms and those forms were vital evidence for the magistrates.” Inspector Paul Broadhurst, from Crewe Neighbourhood Policing Unit said, “People are entitled to enjoy their leisure time in a pub without having to worry about violence and abuse”.

First Trafficking Case A 44 years old woman who ran premises in Crewe and elsewhere has been convicted of Cheshire’s first case of human trafficking. She was sentenced to a total of one and a half years in prison after admitting an offence of trafficking a human being for sexual exploitation, four offences of managing a brothel, one offence of controlling prostitution for gain, and benefit fraud. Detective Sergeant Mark Fletcher said, “The sentence reflects the very serious nature of these offences and the tireless work that officers have undertaken over the past two years. This clearly shows our determination to deal with those who exploit others.”

Crime Profit Funds Policing Cheshire Constabulary is sending a clear message to criminals; by seizing their cash and assets and using the proceeds to fight crime. The Home Office has announced that £65,000 of £390,000 seized in Cheshire in the quarter between July and September last year is to be handed back to the Force. It will be ploughed back into local policing and local communities. Detective Inspector Giles Orton, who heads the Cheshire Police Asset Recovery Team said, “Taking the criminals’ ill-gained profit makes it plain to anyone embarking on a life of crime that it really doesn’t pay.”

Hoax Calls- Man Charged A man has been charged in connection with three hoax emergency calls in Crewe. He is accused of wasting police time by making three calls which tended to show an offence had been committed and with setting fire to a wheelie bin. The man, who is 23, has been bailed to appear at South Cheshire Magistrates Court in February.

Burglar Behind Bars A burglar who broke into a Nantwich house; stole credit cards and cash and then took the family’s car off the drive was sent to prison for 16 months. At Chester Crown Court the man, aged 21 and from Bradford, admitted burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and driving without insurance.

Winter Warning Police said some drivers in Crewe and Nantwich failed to take sensible precautions to cope with ice and snow. Cars and vans were being driven in the morning rush hour with windscreens covered in frost except for a small patch in front of the drivers’ eyes. “This is illegal and dangerous,” said Tony Hall, a Traffic Management Officer for Cheshire Police Eastern Area. “The chances are that you will not see a vehicle coming out of a side road or a pedestrian stepping off the pavement. The result could be that someone is seriously injured, or even killed.”

New Year Arrest A man was arrested after three people were injured in an incident in a pub in Crewe town centre on New Year’s Eve. The man, aged 22, was later charged with wounding with intent.

Second Anniversary Appeal On the second anniversary of the disappearance of a man from Nantwich, Cheshire Police repeated their appeal for any information on his welfare and whereabouts. John Iveson, then aged 36, has not been seen by his family or friends since January 30th 2007. A £30,000 reward for information, offered by Cheshire Police a year ago, has so far not brought any response. Officers say the search will continue until the mystery is resolved. Anyone with information can contact the Operation Pisces Team through the Cheshire Police Information line 0845 458 0000 or email operationpisces@cheshire.pnn.police.uk or leave information on the Crimestoppers line 0800 555 111.

Drumming Up Interest The Corps of Drums of the Cheshire Police Band are giving help and advice to Haslington Boys Brigade about setting up a drum corps of their own. The Police drummers called in to give a display after the boys spotted an article about them in a local newspaper. Drum Sergeant Tony Jackson said, “Getting involved like this is what we are all about”. Years ago Haslington Boys Brigade had a marching band but in recent times the instruments have been gathering dust. Information about Cheshire Constabulary Band is on their website, www.cheshirepoliceband.co.uk .

Did I read the sign right

Just to brighten your day up a bit

TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW

In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT


In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN

In an office:

AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD

Outside a secondhand shop:

WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR

Seen during a conference:

FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR

Notice in a farmer's field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD, FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.

Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS

On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN'T WORK)

Derby Docks New Roof

Derby Docks has been getting a new roof this week and lets hope they get it done before the snow gets in. Its part of the refit of the flats with lots of new improvements. In the same part of town there is to be a new Zebra crossing outside Casterways in West St as part of the West St update. This will make 3 in a few hundred yards and local traders are up in arms over it as it will slow the traffic and make it harder for people to park outside the shops. God forbid that people should have to park around the corner and WALK a few feet



The other end of town and the BMX track is still being improved and they builders are battling the elements and were working in the snow the other day. More of the track has been tarmacked and the contractors have left a secret message in it click on the picture to see an enlarged version and the message

Anyone seen the Bus?

I think you may have noticed by now the Arriva bus rotas and times have been changed as from this saturday (31st jan 09)

Now the 6's are every 20 minutes, but no-one knew this (not even the drivers) and so there was chaos this morning.
A lot of kids from Coppenhall and Shavington were late for school, as were a lot of commuters most probably.

There were 5! buses queueing to get into Leighton Hospital this morning.
The Arriva boss in Winsford (who is responsible for this bodge up) has gone on holiday for a few weeks. (How very convenient)

The councils has again agreed to the changes so they are partially responsible for this mess. I do believe they're all trying to run our local bus service aground. They should be endorsing it not destroying it!

Oh and you would love to know that a lot of the D and G drivers who are Polish alegedly DON'T hold PCV licences, just HGV ones! So what happens if there is an accident? How is this legal?

Are the drivers of School buses CRB Checked to ensure they are passed to work with children?

Do we want to be driven to school and work by an incompetent unlicensed drivers every day? Another thing, I would LOVE to know HOW MUCH fuel is wasted every day ferrying the empty buses to and from Winsford 'depot' morning and night. This will be why the ticket prices have shot up again no doubt?

More Snow

Crewe is once again gripped by snow and its still coming down the picture of Dunwoody Way was taken at 10:30 tonight and it was till coming down thick and fast. Main roads are clear but side roads are a nightmare and the forecast is for it to freeze tonight down to -3 depending which tv channel you watch. Its strange you can watch BBC1 and turn over to ITV and the weather has changed.

My question in taking the above picture is do I us Snow setting or Night settings on the camera?


The Queens Park this afternoon with clear paths but snow everywhere else over at the BMX track they were still trying to complete the track

The Vine

Walking to the Crewe retails park I noticed that there was a planning permission notice in The Vine in Earl St, They are seeking to change it into a multiple occupancy dwelling which to me is gobdy gook for Flats. It seems the pub has been for sale for 18 months with no takers so now a local developer want to make it into flats. Next to the notice is a letter from the developer explaining what he is going to do. The pub looks as if it should actually be in Nantwich as it has the dabbers look about it. I have no doubt they will get their permission and another old building will be lost before long there will be no pubs left as people by cheap beer from the supermarkets.