Reading

It’s time to sign up to join one of the 20-plus clean-up teams out and about in Reading’s green spaces on the second weekend in March.

Now in its 23rd Reading year RESCUE – the Rivers and Environmental Spaces Clean up event – is also asking residents to identify litter hotspots for volunteers to clear up. Sponsored by Thames Water and supported by Reading Borough Council, the event gives people living and working in Reading the chance to get out in the fresh air and join together with friends and neighbours to clean up litter before the birds start nesting.

To sign up to a group or to identify an area which needs clearing go to: www.readingrescue.org.uk,

Email: rescue@reading.gov.uk, Text: RESCUE to 81722 or Tweet @ReadingRESCUE. Also, join the Facebook page ‘Reading Rescue 2012’ for regular updates.

Tracy Sacks, Reading Community Investment & Education Manager, at Thames Water said: “The river is a key element to our business and it’s really important, for the enjoyment of everyone in Reading, to keep it clean. That’s why we’re really pleased to be sponsoring RESCUE for the fifth year.

“Our staff are always eager to get involved and we’d encourage as many people as possible to take part.”

Paul Gittings, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Environment and Climate Change, said: “People volunteer for RESCUE year after year because they enjoy getting out in the open together and doing something useful for Reading. I encourage as many people as possible to sign up and join in the fun.”

Reading Borough Council

Over £183,000 of criminal cash has been seized from two drug dealers in Reading, after successful forfeiture orders were obtained by Thames Valley Police’s Economic Crime Unit (ECU).

Operation Endurance, an intelligence led drugs surveillance and test purchase operation was carried out by officers in Reading in the early months of 2011. The operation was centred around the area known as Mandela Court or Arthur Place on Orts Road.

Police intelligence suggested Mandela Court, Reading was the centre for drug dealing which ran across Greater London and the Home Counties. Operation Endurance identified various members of the criminal network, some of whom worked as dealers or spotters to alert the rest of the group to any police presence. The operation also identified the key ringleaders, who worked as supervisors or managers.

On 10 and 11 May 2011, a series of warrants were executed at a number of Reading locations. These resulted in the arrest and charge of 20 people in connection with conspiracy to supply class B drugs. Key evidence was obtained as a result of the warrants and in addition to the drugs recovered, which had an estimated street value of £63,000, quantities of cash were seized from various properties.

Following a trial at Reading Crown Court, the four organisers of the drug gang, Paul Jump, aged 47, from Arthur Place; Paul Sterling, aged 56, from Mandela Court; Warren Parkes, aged 45, from Arthur Place; and Nicholas Walker, aged 38, from Avon Place, were all convicted and sentenced on 15 December 2011 to prison sentences between seven years, nine months and nine years imprisonment. Confiscation proceedings have commenced.

Separate proceedings were carried out at Reading Magistrates’ Court in respect of the seizures of cash, with cash forfeiture orders made today (23/2), against Paul Sterling for £173,166.90 and Paul Jump for £9,950. In the case of Paul Sterling, the cash was found in separate hauls at two different addresses he was using.

Phillip Croxson, Financial Investigator, from the ECU, said: “This case shows that Thames Valley Police will use Proceeds of Crime legislation to have a powerful impact upon criminals operating within the community. By removing cash earned from drug dealing activity, and pursuing convicted criminals for other assets through the confiscation process, the message is that crime does not pay in Thames Valley.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

A Reading supermarket fined for selling cigarettes to a 15-year-old has had its appeal dismissed by the High Court last week.

WM Morrisons PLC was originally fined £2,000, and ordered to pay £6,000 in costs, by Reading Magistrates in December 2010 following a sale of cigarettes to a 15-year-old test purchaser at its Rose Kiln Lane branch in Reading in September 2009.

However they appealed to the High Court on a point of law and the hearing took place in London last week, on Thursday February 9th.

Morrison’s argued no offence arises where a test purchase takes place as the money used belongs to the Council and the underage young person, acting as an agent, gives the cigarettes straight to the Trading Standards Officers supervising the exercise. Therefore, they argued, an underage volunteer never owns the cigarettes as the property in the cigarettes passes to the Council.

However, Lord Justice Hooper and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones disagreed. Mr Justice Lloyd Jones said that such an approach would “drive a coach and horses” through the legislation designed to protect young people from the dangers of smoking. Lord Justice Hooper added that to follow one particular line of Morrison’s argument, regarding a situation where cigarettes are bought by a child on behalf of a parent, was from “Alice in Wonderland” and would mean the end to effective enforcement of the law.

Paul Gittings, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Environment and Climate Change, said: “I am delighted that Morrison’s lost their legal challenge in this case. It was ill-advised and if successful would have undermined the whole basis of test purchasing which is used by councils to protect young people from underage smoking and drinking. They would have been better off directing their efforts towards training their staff to make sure these underage sales did not happen again and ensuring that other effective systems are in place to avoid such offences in the future.”

Over 300,000 under age young people try smoking each year and most smokers are addicted by the time they are 18. This can lead to lifelong health problems. More than 80,000 people die each year from tobacco related illnesses and it has been estimated that £14 billion is lost in the economy due to smoking related issues.

Reading Borough Council

Thames Valley Police has charged three people with hare coursing at Mortimer in Reading yesterday (20/2).

At around 1pm Reading Thames Valley Police was called to Perrins Farm, Beech Hill Road, Mortimer after reports that a group were hare coursing with dogs.

Reading Neighbourhood officers and the TVP helicopter were used to arrest two men and a teenage boy at the scene.

Thomas Small, 21, Michael Connors, 23, and a 17-year-old boy all from the Paices Hill Traveller site were all charged with hunting a wild mammal with dogs and participating in a hare coursing event.

All three are bailed to appear at Slough Magistrates’ Court on 5 March 2012.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

Nearly 230 new energy efficient Reading street lights will be installed along the busy A33 and Kennetside next month as part of the Council’s successful Local Sustainable Transport Fund bid.

Work begins on March 12 to replace 184 lights along the busy A33, running between Imperial Way and the Reading IDR. Works will take place through the night – from 8pm to 5am – to minimise disruption and will last for 7 nights. The new lights shine white light directly onto the road providing a safer environment and at the same time reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.

The upgrading of 42 Reading street lights along Kennetside begins the following week – on March 19 – between Sidmouth Street and Kennet mouth, on the shared pedestrian and cycleway. This work will be done during the day and will continue for a period of two weeks. The new Kennetside lights are LED lighting which shines white light directly onto the shared pedestrian and cycle path, again providing a safer environment and reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.

Tony Page, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “The installation of the new lighting is part of the Council’s successful £4.9 million Local Sustainable Transport Fund bid which was secured from the Department for Transport last year to deliver lasting benefits to Reading residents. It will provide a boost to the local economy, reduce energy consumption and help tackle climate change.”

Reading Borough Council

Thames Valley Police is appealing for information after a 30-year-old woman was robbed of her purse in Reading on Tuesday (14/2).

At around 7.15pm, the woman was walking down Milford Road, off Cardiff Road, Reading when she was approached from behind by a man and threatened with a knife.

The man took her purse containing £30 from her handbag and then ran off along Milford Road, away from the Cardiff Road.

The Reading offender is described as being generally scruffy and dirty in appearance, in his thirties, 5ft 11ins, and of average build. He had a local accent with a hint of Scottish and was wearing dark clothing with a black woollen beanie-style hat and a black scarf covering the bottom half of his face.

The knife was the size of a pen knife with a rusty blade.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the offence, which left the victim shaken and upset. They would also like to hear from anyone who saw the offender running away or found the Reading victim’s burgundy coloured Dune purse discarded anywhere.

Anyone with any information should contact Det Sgt Andy Beeney via the 24-hour Thames Valley Police Enquiry Line on 101.

If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

The success of the first phase of Reading Borough Council’s ‘We Need To Talk’ public engagement programme is outlined in a report going to a Cabinet meeting later this month, along with the next steps in the process.

Last summer year Reading Council launched a new way of working with local people, aimed at building long-lasting relationships with local residents and providing new opportunities to influence Council decisions and services. The ’We Need to Talk’ public engagement initiative focused on the difficult decisions facing the council in the current economic climate and gave local people the chance to have their say on the issues that matter most to them and their communities.

With 780 online responses, 30 community engagement events spread across the borough and a successful community event at the Reading Town Hall attended by 150 people, Reading residents have provided a rich source of information on their priorities. A separate Resident’s Survey confirmed the feedback received in the ‘We Need to Talk’ consultation.

Crime, clean streets, road and pavements repairs, levels of Reading traffic congestion, good schools and public transport were all identified as important areas for Reading residents. Crime and clean streets were identified as the highest priorities. This information is consistent with the Council’s 2008 and 2009 Residents Surveys, although affordable housing has moved up significantly in importance since they took place.

Strengths for Reading were highlighted as parks and open spaces, good neighbours, health services, public transport and good schools.

Young people highlighted youth centres, activities and places to meet, buses and transport, educational and employment as the most important areas for them.

The Reading Residents Survey showed that many people have a real appetite for being part of an on-going programme of engagement, either on specific topics of interest or more broadly.

People’s views and priorities are being used by Reading Borough Council to inform budget decisions going forward, including in responding to people’s concerns about protecting key frontline services.

The report – which goes to meeting of Reading Borough Council’s Cabinet on February 13th – includes detailed information on the results of the public consultation as well as describing the next steps in the process in an appendix which includes detail on how priorities are being taken forward with further resident involvement.

Some of the Reading next steps include:

• On-going follow through with ideas and suggestions from phase 1 of the ‘We Need To Talk’ consultation

• Further development of a database of residents who wish to be consulted or involved further, on specific subjects or generally

• Further development the link between the engagement programme and the budget setting process, including ongoing dialogue about the hard decisions the Council must make in the face of a reducing budget

• The delivery of a ‘Let’s Talk Health’ initiative to inform and shape local priorities when national reforms are implemented

Jan Gavin, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Service Delivery and Improvement, said: “This administration promised residents that we would listen to them, so we have started a conversation with residents about what is most important to them. Even though there is less money, we want to work with residents to find new and better ways to deliver improved services. Residents will be able to see in the budget for next year that we have listened and taken action on what they have told us matters to them. This is not a one-off, we will continue to listen and talk to residents.”

Bet Tickner, Lead Councillor for Reading Public Engagement and Health, added: “The Council has now launched ‘Let’s Talk Health.’ We are asking Reading residents to tell us what are their priorities for their own health and for healthcare in Reading, via a survey and public meetings. It’s important to ask residents this now because, under the NHS Bill now going through Parliament, the Council will in future have a role in co-ordinating healthcare in Reading. We are determined that the public must have a voice in setting these priorities for health, after all it’s our NHS.”

Reading Borough Council