The Liverpool Times

British soldiers helping the Americans to torture people

“The use of British Territory and airspace pales into insignificance in light of the fact that it has been British soldiers detaining the victims of Extraordinary Rendition in the first place. Since the invasion of Afghanistan in the autumn of 2001 UKSF has operated within a joint US/UK Task Force. This Task Force has been responsible for the detention of hundreds if not thousands of individuals in Afghanistan and Iraq. Individuals detained by British soldiers within this Task force have ended up in Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, Bagram Theatre Internment Facility, Balad Special Forces Base, Camp Nama BIAP and Abu Ghraib Prison.”

Ben Griffin, ex-SAS soldier, at a press conference on Monday 25 February 2008.

(more…)

It’s been reported, that the 74 years old leader of the political rotten borough of
Knowsley is to lead the crackdown on the unemployed in Merseyside.

Redefining the horrors of unemployment as worklessness is typical of new labour.

Not having a job is being unemployed, being diagnosed sick or with a disability is being incapacitated. Yes some may swing the lead, but the idiotic Ron Round should know manual labour over many years can take its toll. New labour MPs would know nothing about this as most are from privileged backgrounds, and totally ignorant of working class conditions in construction, mines, heavy goods, and factory work

(more…)

Many readers will be familiar with the antics of the new labourites who control Mersey travel, the quango that oversees the running of public transport across Merseyside.

At a meeting on the 4 February six new labour Councillors voted to increase the Mersey tunnel tolls to £1.40 for a one way trip from April 2008.

Despite pleas from Commerce and Trades Unions, the increases went ahead.

The New Labour MP for Wirral South, Ben Chapman, voiced his opposition to the rise, his pleas fell on the deaf ears of his new labour colleagues.

He ought to be worried. Sitting on a slim majority, he might be ousted at the next general election on the backlash of voters sick of new labours desire to tax us to all to bankruptcy.

Chapman is a queer old MP. He holds the unique distinction of being parachuted into a winnable seat for new labour, before he became a member of the party!

Winning a by -election in 1996, whilst the Tories were in office; he famously said of them in his election victory speech “enough is enough”

We suggest he should now say the same about Mersey travel after they put up the cost of commuting for business and large numbers of people on Merseyside. Hammering people already crippled by new labours punishing tax levels on fuel, diesel and petrol.

(more…)

Child abuse left unchecked – political correctness is a killer.

Just before the Kirkby Times got banned, we had an article up which pointed to female genital mutilation in the UK. The ban itself was nothing to do with this article.

This article dates from 2005, and is worth running again as the local media reports that ‘African tribal elders’ arrive in Liverpool to mutilate local girls born to immigrant families.’

The Echo reports on the 5th of February 2008 stating “Health officials today revealed girls aged between four and 11 are also being taken abroad during school holidays to be illegally circumcised.”

There will also be arranged marriages and probably ‘honour’ killings, such as the horrific murder of Shafilea Ahmed neatly covered up by a wicked family and a community from the dark ages. I see no protest marches - that’s for sure. This mutilation is part of a tribal tradition, sexual slavery by any other name.

(more…)

The wages of sin

Two deaths happened last weekend which spell out all too clearly the downside of a criminal lifestyle here in Liverpool.

In one incident, Mark John Corkhill, 38, bled to death from gunshot wounds to the legs. He was shot several times before collapsing in Dam Wood, Croxteth. Mark was ‘known to the police’ and was described as ‘a petty criminal’. For that reason alone, it is unlikely that his murder will be taken up as a cause. The police will investigate it, but they have a lot of gun crime to investigate.

(more…)

More memories of Kirkby for your reading pleasure.

The recent post about the beginnings of St Marks Church in Northwood was a delightful insight of Kirkby from an age long forgotten.

The comments by Roland Meredith are a reminder of the decent people who helped to build Kirkby and respect its past through affection, rather than antipathy.

The Kirkby of the 1960s was the major re-housing of tens of thousands of Liverpool people to an area that provided new housing, top class sporting facilities, and some of the finest schools in Britain. Kirkby was also renowned for its air quality and green open space’s. Liverpool retained the management of the Housing stock until 1974.

Anyone under the age of 40 in unlikely to recall the Kirkby Town Centre of the 1960s which boasted major household names, like Woolworth’s, Boots, and Littlewood’s; as well as an outdoor market. This latter prize was always resented by the Huyton group as Liverpool Council refused to give them an outside market having legally held market rights 10 miles from their Town Hall since the days of King John.

(more…)

Snide burglary technique on the increase.

Anyone who has been burgled will usually find that the thieves or thief gained access through a door or window. At least if you see a smashed window or door – you’ll know that nobody has duplicate keys. You also have visible evidence of a crime, which covers insurance, if you have any.

Not securing a home might invalidate the insurance. If you leave a door or window open – that might be enough to see the insurance company knock you back. If you have an alarm, which you left off, that might see you not being fully covered.

The worse unoccupied home burglary goes like this…

You arrive home, perhaps after work or a night out. You open up your door, using your keys, but soon notice that everything of value is gone. Your doors are secure, locks are secure, windows all closed and none smashed. You run from room to room, adrenalin pumping, fight or flight syndrome neatly directing you to perhaps pick up a heavy object and phone the police. You see no visible sign of an entry – and the police will see no visible sign of an entry. The police will be suspicious – but that’s their job.

(more…)

“Other kids were scared of him, but he came across as well mannered.”

Tucked away on page 26 of the Daily Mirror is a small article which shows a photo of Rhys Jones with the words KILLED: Rhys Jones. The headline below the photo states ‘Rhys Jones suspect a polite lad’.

The quote is taken from the former landlord of the pub which gave the killer of Rhys Jones a drink to quench his thirst, aged 15. The Fir Tree pub has been closed by Liverpool Councillors who visited the pub AFTER the murder.

Perhaps the council ought to be reprimanded also for allowing local pubs to serve up drinks to unaccompanied kids.

The landlord and his wife were recently nicked when 9 ounces of cannabis was discovered in the pub safe. The landlord stated that he found it, under a wheely bin, and kept it in the safe as he was due to go away on a holiday. Given the position he is in, landlord of a pub where Rhys Jones was shot, you would think that he’d phone the police up asap if he found drugs.

(more…)

Its been announced that the MP for Knowsley, G Howarth, is to join the great and the good in the fight against crime.

He will sit with leading luminaries from the legal world – judges and lawyers – to seek answers to the break down in law and order that has taken place under new labour.

Grassroots communities and strong coalitions appear to be the only answer to the demons on our streets. Families must do more and have confidence we are all in this together. Councils for example, should work with , not against the community, to retain public confidence and respect.

In his own backyard Howarth’s new labour party has its own share of criminality who have operated at the highest levels of the Council.

(more…)

And we’re just supposed to believe it?

The Liverpool Echo ran an article (here)which looked into the asbestos risks in local schools under the Knowsley Council education authority. Ben Turner ran the exclusive which exposed Knowsley councils cover up with respects to informing the parents and pupils, staff and workers who go to schools which used asbestos for various parts of the structure.

Bear in mind that a history of corruption in local building contracts might well have seen various council officials dismiss the asbestos risk and brush it under the carpet. The use of asbestos when the risks were clearly defined was wickedness given that the poor workers who worked around this substance would suffer terribly. Many workers today will be working with asbestos without knowing what it is.

Legally speaking Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002, “requires employers and some landlords to be aware of any asbestos in their properties and to manage it in such a way as not to put anyone at risk.” The regulation came into force in May 2004.

Any worker or pupil in local schools ought to have been told so that they would not be at risk. We ask, were they told? Was the caretaker or teachers aware than brushing away a bit of dust after a burglary (they have had hundreds over the years) might be extremely dangerous? Were contractors told that work might release asbestos dust?

(more…)

It is just over a year since Les Roche died, who was a regular contributor to Liverpool and previously Kirkby Times. Among his regular writings was on the role of Merseytravel. He could not understand why the Audit Commission had not reported earlier on the spending for the Merseytram Project. What he called the “gravy tram”.

Les was vindicated by the Audit Commission’s Report. This showed that £70million was spent without anything to show for it. This was the figure Les Roche had reported in many articles but ridiculed by Merseytravel. Others have reported on the findings of the Audit Commission and Neil Scales attempt to have it suppressed. Les Roche sadly passed away without the satisfaction of knowing that his criticism over Merseytravel’s overspending was confirmed. There are still questions he raised about Merseytravel, which have yet to be answered.

(more…)

Back in the mid 90s in Huyton a ten year old boy was killed by a diagnosed schizophrenic.

Lee Kinch was the victim of the attack by Leo Gavin, who was later convicted and sectioned.

He was being treated by the disastrous Tory policy of Care in the Community, that followed the closure of long stay hospitals treating people with mental health problems.

This policy was ill-conceived, and dangerously under funded. Sadly the continuation of Tory policies from 1997 under the guise of new labour, as done nothing to reverse the folly of not providing proper and secure support for the severely mentally ill.

No incoming Government was so well briefed on the issue, yet it squandered any opportunity to redress the errors of the Tories.

The Family of Lee Kinch were naturally devastated, and wanted answers on what community nursing was in place to treat Gavin.

A joint NHS / Knowsley Council inquiry was set up.

(more…)

The Building of St Marks Church.

I lived in Northwood in Kirkby from 1960 until the end of 1963. For the first 18 months we lived in Jarrett Road, until we had built Saint Mark’s house in Brook Hey Drive. Soon we had built the hall at Saint Mark’s which we used as a church until the new church was built.

For the first year we used a converted chicken hut on the site of the present Vicarage garden.

(more…)

Majority say No to Stadium

Whilst the Knowsley/ Tesco/ and Everton spin doctors locked horns with the Kirkby Community, something refreshingly honest has taken place.

The Prescot/ Huyton Lib Dem’s have leafleted every household in Kirkby over a three month period, Oct 2007 – January 2008.

They posed a simple uncomplicated question. Do you want a stadium as part of any regeneration of the Kirkby town centre.

Despite having to fill in your ballot form, and provide a name and address, and contact details; 1,600 households returned their forms. 86% of respondents said no.

Any claims the stadium plan had plenty of support was proved to be hot air and not backed up by any reliable evidence.

(more…)

In a recent BBC news report, a BBC crew asked some of the lads in Croxteth and Norris Green, whether they knew the name of the killer. The lads, dressed in the uniform of dark clothing and hoods, stated that they had heard a few names. One also stated that anyone who named Rhys Jones killer would be blown away. You could probably bottle the cloud of negativity surrounding the lads. Not one had the guts to say “child killers are scum’.

Perhaps the lads who said this were genuinely scared. After all, the killer of Rhys Jones has killed once, been nicked on suspicion of gun related charges and bailed again. He is out there and some of his peer groups, the lads who went to school with him and so on – might well be frightened to come forward.

That’s understandable, but it does not hold up. Fear is not a great excuse sometimes.

Keeping silent over child murder is not understandable. Those who do keep quiet are cowards, and worse, accomplices before, during or/and after the murder.

(more…)

Leslie was our correspondent on The Kirkby Times and The Liverpool Times up until a year ago today when he passed away.

It was a sad occasion, and it’s been a great loss for the website as Les would gather some real good information with respects to local goings-on. Like me he also looked to global matters, and was opposed to the insane wars which were manipulated and have led to deaths of over a million people, and untold broken lives.

His writings reflected this – with opposition to the insanity of Bush/Bliar and the Cabal of Evil intent on murdering the Iraqis en masse.

To mark Leslie’s contribution to the website, there will an ongoing effort to catalogue his articles and put his name to them. This easy for this website as we can make up a category and put the articles under it. With the Kirkby Times, which is coded in ‘ye olde days’ website code, its not as easy, but we can put his name to them eventually.

(more…)