Weekly news from Bedford, UK

Beds. on Sunday leads with a report that llives are being put at risk after overtime for paramedics was stopped.

An email sent on behalf of Oskan Edwardson, the director of performance for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic Service, stated that: 'In response to the Trust's financial position we are reviewing our use of overtime to cover rota shifts within operations and A&E dispatch.'

The email goes on to confirm that:

'With immediate effect we will carefully manage the use of overtime for daytime shifts Monday to Friday until further notice.

'Furthermore, no additional resources should be rostered without general manger authorisation.'

Paramedics and staff feel that the measures will jeopardise what is, in their eyes, an already failing service.

Information gained by Bedfordshire on Sunday has revealed that the service is already running desperately low on crews.

On three separate dates in July the section of the service which attends incidents in north Bedfordshire was reduced to 50 per cent, meaning that only two out of the four ambulances were on duty.

One worried paramedic said:

"It's absolutely ridiculous at the moment.

"On some nights there are just two crews and if there was a road traffic accident with three injuries then we would be in real trouble.

"On others there is only one ambulance covering the whole of the area. Despite the amount of emergency calls rising by five to seven per cent each year, no more crews have been added to cope.

"The service has just been awarded three stars, but there are many ways that they can reach their targets.

"There can be two identical incidents such as a man collapsing and short of breath. If this happens in Bedford High Street then it will be a category A incident and an ambulance will be there within eight minutes.

"However, if the same incident occurs in a village such as Wootton, then it will be classed as a category B so the ambulance has more time to get there. It really is putting people's lives at risk."

An ambulance service spokesman said:

"The new national pay system inevitably has an impact on the financial position of the Trust. We have recruited additional staff in anticipation of the reduction in hours from 41 to 37 and a half per week.

"This means that for a limited period we have sufficient staff over our normal establishment to mean we can reduce overtime and offset the cost of the additional staff. This position will change as Agenda for Change is implemented and working hours reduced.

"Trainee technicians are always crewed up with a qualified paramedic or qualified emergency medical technician.

"They never work on their own and the current over establishment does not cause us a problem.

"We cannot comment on the low numbers of evening staff unless we know the specific dates in question.

"If you can provide us these dates we will look into it."

BoS reports that police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal motorcycle accident.

At 4.35am yesterday morning a 17-year-old was killed after he lost control of his 50cc moped on his way from Bedford to Kempston. The accident happened at the railway bridge on Kempston Road just past Bedford Hospital.

Officers are yet to establish why he lost control of his bike and are keen to speak to anybody who may have witnessed the incident. As yet it is not thought any other vehicles were involved.

This and the above report may or may not be connected. Some weeks ago I commented upon the noise created by anti-social youths riding scooters which must surely have been tampered with, because the noise was quite deafening. Now BoS reports that action is being taken:

BoS asks "Are you regularly infuriated by those incredibly noisy little scooters usually driven by groups of youths with L-plates? Fear not - help is at hand."

Under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002, the police can now seize and remove any motor vehicle that causes, or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public.

Initially, once a bike or the responsible rider is identified, a warning is given covering the rider and vehicle or bike.

On any future occasion in the following year that the rider is found using a vehicle that causes distress to members of the public police are empowered to confiscate the vehicle and fine the owner or dispose of it.

Two riders in Queens Park have already had their scooters taken away.

A police spokesman said:

"When we told the mother of one of them, she said, 'good, and you can destroy it if he doesn't pay up' and this was a machine which had cost her nearly £1,000."

Cllr Margaret Davey, community safety portfolio holder in Bedford Mayor Frank Branston's cabinet, said:

"I applaud this initiative. Not only do these riders delight in the ear-splitting noise they make but I have often seen them riding on the wrong side of keep left bollards.

Confiscating the lawbreakers' scooters will make the roads safer for everybody."

Cllr Myrtle Stewardson added:

"Too often it is being reported that these bikes are being ridden with no concern for other people.

"Many people don't realise that they are subject to the same regulations as other vehicles and should be fully taxed and insured to use our roads.

"I hope people have heard the warnings and we will now see these bikes used legally and that Bedford will become a much quieter and safer area again."

PC Glyn Milbourne said:

"To date, over 15 such warnings have already been given to youths in the Bedford and Kempston area.

"The count of seizures currently stands at three, though this is likely to increase rapidly now that officers have received their briefing on Section 59 powers."

That will be good news to many who have found the noise unbrearable, or who have felt intimiated by the way the scooters have been driven.

The next step must be that of taking action on owners of cars whose music is unbearably noisy. One wonders what on earth this is doing to the ears of the occupants, given the fact that the noise is often ear-splitting to passers-by.

For some people, Friday and Saturday nights are binge nights. It sounds odd, I know, but there are some I have met whose sole desire on these evenings is to become drunk. What a waste of lives - and what are they storing up for themselves in the future...

Now BoS reports that noisy neighbours could be a thing of the past with a new council initiative.

Bedford Borough Council has agreed to open an out-of-hours noise patrol service to act as a third party if noise levels become unacceptable and residents find it difficult to deal with the problem.

The council had previously been criticised for failing to address the problem.

The night time service will begin on September 2 and run on a Friday and Saturday night from 9pm until 2.30am. It will deal with noise complaints throughout the borough on a trial period for 12 months and can be reached on 01234 267422.

Cllr Andrew McConnell said:

"Statistics show that in England 78 per cent of local authorities have some form of night time noise service. Conservatives believe residents of the borough deserve the same and this is why we called for its introduction back in September 2002.

"It has certainly taken some time and we hope that residents will be sufficiently informed of its availability."

Letters to the editor:

SIR - I write in reference to the article (August 7) about swimming pool price increases.

Recently I took four teenagers to Robinson Pool. On arrival we were offered special reduced price tickets for the Oasis pool.

These were £1.55 each for the teenagers. As an adult I would pay full price.

We went to the Oasis pool straight away but there the advantages ended; after entry we had to wait for available changing cubicles.

The changing village is far too small for the number of swimmers at peak times.

After swimming we went to the cafeteria.

This is staffed with inexperienced people and we waited for 30 minutes for just two portions of fries and a drink.

The carpet in the cafeteria is unsuitable and filthy.

Although we were pleased with the reduced prices we obtained, the whole experience at the Oasis was unpleasant.

We were told by the cashier that they were not operating at full capacity.

Who would pay the full price of £5.10 and £4.10 for children? Not me. I will not be going again.

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SIR - I read the article, 'Cops keep the faith', and the people's reaction on this.

I also read the comments made by local MP Patrick Hall and the chairman of the local Mosque.

I strongly support the stand taken about policing by Mr Hall and Asif Nadim.

I have discussed this issue with many in the Muslim community and we are united in our view that we seek and need no special favours from police or anyone else.

We are proud British Muslims who are fully dedicated to this country.

We support the police and will help them tackle crime and terrorism.

I would like to welcome our new chief constable Gillian Parker to Bedfordshire.

I am pleased to say that she is aware of all the support needed among different local communities.

However, speaking as a Muslim, I would like to assure you that my family, friends and Muslims from my local community do not want to be treated differently to anyone else.

I would be grateful if you will respect my views and hope that all individuals will get equal treatment regardless of their race or religion.

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SIR - At a time when it is particularly important for the press to report in a responsible and balanced way, your lead article 'Cops keep the faith' (July 31) was, in our opinion, unnecessarily provocative and unhelpful.

Even though the police statement at the end of the article made it clear that all faiths would be treated appropriately you chose to report in detail only the part of the guidelines issued by Bedfordshire Police pertaining to Muslim households and not those of other faiths too.

As a result our Muslim community now feels more concerned and vulnerable than ever before.

Bedford Council of Faiths is working hard to promote religious harmony and understanding.

We are fortunate to experience good religious tolerance in our town, but sadly, your report is more likely to hinder than assist our efforts.

We concur with the reported remarks made by Zafar Khan, the chairman of our sister organisation the Luton Council of Faiths that guidelines on how to deal and interact with all faiths in the community are welcomed.

Local papers are very influential and should be part of the solution, not the problem.

They can contribute to community cohesion by giving the reader a complete perspective of the issues and emphasising the many good examples of interfaith harmony practised in Bedford.

Chairman, officers and committee of Bedford Council of Faiths

Victoria Road, Bedford

USA not OK

SIR - I was amazed to see a letter from the USA telling us how we are going soft on Muslims.

These are the same people who went to war and bullied the UN and used pretty impressive Hollywood type presentations to tell a huge big whooping lie and yet still remain unaccountable for the untruths of Iraq, where many Arabs and Muslims have been killed.

I remember the Americans were upset when the British people were concerned about Bush being re-elected.

We were told in no uncertain terms to keep out of US internal affairs.

I will not mention the abuse of Abu Ghraib, the execution carried out in the mosque by US soldiers, the abuse of the Quran in Guantanamo Bay, USA supplying arms to Saddam, and the massacre on the road back to Basra by the US pilots who laughed and called it a turkey shoot.

What happened at the Twin Towers was all wrong, but our memories should not have half amnesia that only suits us in the West.

Muslims want equality from every angle as is a right for all faiths.

Please do not just look at the mosque issue.

Have those leaders forgotten the injustice handed to us by the US Government for the sake of Israel?

I fear if Germany had dropped two atomic bombs killing 240,000 people we would still be holding them to account in Nuremburg.

It is double standards by the US Government and recently Mr Blair (and not the British public) that is causing terrorist anger and segregation.

The only solution is that USA and Israel sign up to the International Criminal Court, so no-one is above any international law and justice can be served on all criminals not just the non-Christian/non-Jews/non-Whites.

Let us all look within before we throw stones at others.

I am sure Muslims were not accusing all Christian and Jews, when we were being bombed from 40,000 feet, or is that not relevant?

Once again it is the police and the British people of all faiths who must be proud of our standards and democracy so let it not be soiled by terror or lying politicians.

Let us neither accept bombs nor the high-jacking of the national media to influence the masses against Muslims. Accountability is for all especially politicians.

(See also below)

DID you end up eating a greasy kebab last night after your night out on the town?

If so you may be interested to know what health and safety inspectors have discovered at some of the town's fast food outlets.

Minor breaches of health regulations were noted at Chicken & Spice on Midland Road, Kentucky Fried Chicken, on Tavistock Street, Burger King, on Harpur Street and Chicken Cottage, McDonalds, Millennium Kebab, Nandos and Pizza Hut - all situated on Bedford's High Street.

Bedfordshire on Sunday obtained this confidential information under the Freedom of Information Act.

Chicken & Spice is often full on Friday and Saturday nights when hundreds of clubbers from Oxygen nightclub go along the road for a late night kebab.

But only two months ago, environmental health officers carried out their sixth inspection in two years. On the last examination food hygiene experts ordered owner Mr Taj to contact environmental health immediately.

The report Mr Taj received from Bedford Borough Council's environmental health officer said: 'Standards of cleaning etc seem to have slipped badly and I need to speak to Mr Taj urgently to arrange to meet him.

'Deep cleaning of the entire premises is required urgently.'

However, Chicken & Spice is soon to change hands. Prospective owner Shabbs Raj said: "These reports are not an indication of how I will run this business.

"As soon as I take over the kitchen will be spotless."

At Chicken Cottage - a takeaway which attracts late-night drinkers from the bars and clubs on Bedford's High Street - in a report from September 2004 the owner, was told to 'clean the fridge inside and out' and that 'it is good practice to keep all food off the floor (of the walk-in freezer)'. Both matters were said to be in hand.

Mrs Kiany, who owns Chicken Cottage, said: "The inspector noticed one bag of flour on the floor in our storage. White flour is something we do not usually even use but she suggested shelving.

"Later the inspector said this was the cleanest chicken shop she had come across and she wished they were all like it as she would be out of a job."

Ralph Meyer, her partner in the franchise, said: "All our paperwork from the environmental health officer (EHO) has been first class and the EHO told us that it is nice to visit a restaurant that is so clean even behind the machinery.

The report did confirm that the premises were generally very clean, tidy and well-organised.

The only fast-food outlet, investigated by BoS, to escape criticism was the sandwich shop Subway, on High Street, Bedford.

On July 31 Bedfordshire on Sunday reported on guidelines 'reissued' to the county's police on how to enter and search a Muslim household.

The report was followed up by national and international media and elicited a massive response.

Here Bedfordshire's new Chief Constable Gillian Parker responds in an open letter to BoS readers.

SIR - I write with reference your recent story, 'Cops keep the faith', and the numerous letters in your paper and inaccurate articles in other media on Bedfordshire Police's policy on entering Muslim or Islamic households. I feel it is time to put the record straight.

The policy was sent by the National Community Tension Team to advise all forces in England and Wales and there are similar guidance notes in place for entering the homes of Sikhs, Hindus, Jews and Christians. Additionally police will, from time to time, need to carry out operations or make inquiries in or near religious premises.

Such operations have the potential to develop into major incidents so these guidelines are intended to assist all officers to take necessary steps to prevent police activity causing unnecessary tension.

Having said that, the documents are for guidance only and generally relate to routine inquiries. Anyone who thinks Bedfordshire Police would allow these guidelines to get in the way of arresting anyone wanted for a criminal offence is naÃ¯ve.

The security of the people of this county has always been a priority and if the intelligence is there to carry out a raid on a any household, or anywhere else, then of course police will do so swiftly to ensure no one escapes custody and no evidence is lost.

To achieve this, Bedfordshire Police do:

• Treat everyone fairly and according to their needs.

• Use every resource available to enable an arrest and gathering of evidence, such as specially trained police dogs, firearms etc, depending on the intelligence relating to that individual.

If a suspect needs to be arrested, officers do not:

• Remove their shoes when carrying out a raid at a house.

• Allow anything to prevent arrest of a known suspect, including prayer.

• Avoid entering certain rooms in order to locate the offender or evidence to secure their arrest.

Bedfordshire Police have already had cause to arrest a number of people under the Terrorism Act and have done so quickly and with what we hope is minimum disruption to everyone.

The reason for re-circulating the advice about entering Muslim households at this time is self-evident and it was thought helpful if Bedfordshire Police staff were briefed appropriately regarding some of the sensitivities within that community and nothing more.

Anyone who is arrested would expect to be treated fairly and with respect but be under no illusion, Bedfordshire Police will not hesitate to use all force necessary to prevent and detect crime, particularly in the current climate.

Gillian Parker

Chief Constable

BoS reportrs that drivers across the county are paying up to 97.9p for a litre of petrol - six pence above the national average.

This price is being charged by the Q8 petrol station in High Street, Clapham, but elsewhere in the county a Bedfordshire on Sunday investigation found prices varying from 93.9p to 96.9 p - all above the national average.

The findings come as the crude oil price has soared to a record high, bringing the threat of a national average of £1 a litre.

Our figures also show how some drivers are forced to pay up to 97.9p a litre for diesel.

In a random survey we also discovered that at least ten other stations are charging drivers above the national average of 90p a litre for unleaded fuel, sparking fears that some are trying to cash in on the rise in oil prices.

Taxi drivers across the county are one part of our local economy suffering as a result on the increase.

One hackney cab driver, who asked not to be named, said: "I know the prices are extortionate - but I have no option. I need petrol to be able to work.

"It won't be long before stations are charging £1 a litre. But even with them charging 90p a litre I am still having to fork out a minimum of £80 a week just on petrol. A lot of drivers are really suffering - but what can we do about it?"

Superstores provide the cheapest petrol in the area, with Tesco and Sainsbury's offering unleaded at 88.9p per litre.

A spokesman for the AA said it is shocked at the figures. "A lot of people seem to be unaware of the prices they are paying. They are paying the bill without a second thought.

"In the short-term, prices are going to go up. There is no question of that. Until the price of a barrel of oil drops there will be no relief on the forecourts."

Owner of the Q8 Garage, Gary Henman said: "Actually your figures are slightly out of date as there is now a garage in Brickhill selling diesel at 98.9p. But as of Monday morning I will have to raise my price and I guess I will be the most expensive station again.

"There is a reason for this high price. I am an independent garage and I can't purchase fuel on the same scale as the big chains.

"Sainsbury's, for example, can run its forecourts for little, even no, profit as it can cover this loss from other departments."

Card skimmers got a little more than they bargained for last Saturday when they picked on the wrong victim - an off duty police officer.

Detective Constable Gary Maxey was shopping in Bedford town centre when his wife began struggling to retrieve her bank card from the Natwest cashpoint in Allhallows.

He noticed that the machine had a new design but was also aware of four people hanging around suspiciously nearby. On closer examination, the 'new design' turned out to be a false cover which DC Maxey pulled out and it fell to the ground revealing a card-skimming device and covert camera inside.

As the officer went to pick it up, two of the men he had noticed ran into him, snatched the device and ran off with it into the multi-storey car park.

DC Maxey gave chase while his wife dialled 999 on her mobile phone.

Running through the multi-storey he spotted one of the offenders getting into a car at the back of Iceland.

He managed to get as far as grabbing the door but it was locked and the man drove away.

Walking back to find his wife, he was stopped by a member of the public who told him another man had run into the toilets in the car park.

Meanwhile uniformed colleagues had arrived and together they searched the toilets and discovered another man hiding with a bag and the pin-hole camera in it.

Ion Levinte, aged 18, from Overslade House, Northampton was arrested and on Monday pleaded guilty to going equipped for theft at Bedford Magistrates' Court.

He was bailed pending pre-sentence reports.

Detective Sergeant Dennis Simpson, of the economic crime unit, said: "Anyone who used that particular cashpoint between about 4pm and 5pm should check with their bank immediately and advise staff that their card may have been compromised.

"If you saw this gang, three men and a woman of Eastern European appearance, hanging around or any of the ensuing chase, please call us at the unit on 01582 401212."

THE floodgate for late licences could be opened due to the definition of the word 'vicinity'.

Bedford Lounge and The Rose (pictured), both on High Street, have been granted extended opening hours under new licensing laws.

There had been strong opposition to the applications from residents of Castle Lane, but these were dismissed as the law states objection can only come from the vicinity of the bars.

In Government terms this means buildings immediately next to or opposite the applicant.

Therefore the panel had no choice but to dismiss the objections presented by Dan Lavene.

Mr Lavene said: "This is the most ludicrous decision I have ever heard. Ian Hislop once said 'if this is justice then I am a banana.'

"Well I must be a kiwi fruit then. We definitely plan to appeal."

Cllr Apu Bagchi who was also present to object said: "I thought the decision was perverse."

As a result of the applications being granted Bedford Lounge will be able to open at 8am in the morning and serve through until 3am. The Rose has altered its opening hours to offer an extra 30 minutes of drinking up time.

The first sign that the days are becoming shorter is when one visits the disposal tip, where the closing time changes from 8pm to 5pm on 1st September.

There are signs - very small ones - that autumn is setting in, from the small number of leaves that fall down at the Embankment. Nothing like the glorious fall later on, but still there.

Wishing you a good week ahead

Week ending 27 August 2005