Queens Park Cafe damaged again

 

Above the Cafe window smashed again this week. The grebes nest and eggs have gone we cant say its kids but its sad anyway. Man hole covers have been removed and its believed one was used to smash the cafe.

REMOVAL OF WARDENS LEADS TO SURGE IN MINDLESS VANDALISM AT QUEENS PARK

Willaston and Rope Ward UKIP Councillor Brian Silvester is calling for more warden patrols at Queens Park, Crewe to curtail the surge in mindless vandalism. He said," I understand that since the park wardens were removed by the Council that  vandalism in the park has escalated. The cost of vandalism in the last few weeks has averaged a £1000 per week. I am calling on the Council to take action to stop this gross and unnecessary loss of public money. Millions have been invested in the park to return it to its former Victorian glory. It is a great shame that the Council short-sightedly withdrew the wardens and left the park to the mercy of mindless yobs."

Please see  e-mails below
Cllr Brian Silvester

UKIP Councillor

Willaston and Rope Ward Councillor

Cheshire East Council

Tel/fax 01270 567757

From: HARTWELL, Peter
Sent: 02 June 2013 13:03
To: SILVESTER, Brian (Councillor)
Subject: Re: Queens Park

Dear Brian
There have been a number of incidents of vandalism and theft from QP recently and we have held a coordination meeting with local police. The incidents tend to happen in the late evenings when the park is empty.
We based the community wardens here some months ago to provide a uniformed presence as they come and go and police have increased their presence through pcso's.
However, the behaviour continues, so I have recently tasked our cctv engineers to put together a scheme for the park, particularly in those areas which seem to be the targets around the pavilion.
They are developing this scheme now, including looking at lighting, to see what can be done to deter this behaviour or gather evidence. We do not have a specific capital fund for this and we will need to look at virement options when we have the estimated costs available.
Hopefully we can make the case for invest to save on this given the costs of damage so far. It is unfortunate that additional security measures were not introduced as part of the major project works inherited from C&NBC in order to protect the investment into the park. We will seek to get new funding once we have designed an effective scheme based on recent incidents.
Kind regards
Peter

Baby Swans in Danger from Illegal Fishing

 

The three baby swans are growing nicely but they are in danger form illegal fishing last week the swan ad a hook in its mouth. This week kids fish under Burma Island bridge and as people throw bread for the duck the swans come and it was frightening to see them just missing the fishing line. The kids dont care about the wildlife so dont bother to pull the line in when lots of ducks geese and swans come to get food. Its a tragedy waiting to happen. We must get the Police to catch these kids and take them back to their parents as they just give verbal abuse if anyone else says anything to them

The poor old grebe has at last made a nest with three eggs in it but once again its close to the bank and its frightened off the nest due to the illegal fishing again and people looking at it so it will be a miracle if the eggs survive

Swan Injured by Fishing Line

If you enlarge this photo full screen you can see the fishing line in its mouth We tried to report it today but the wardens refused to answer the door even though we knew they were in. The people fishing were still there and its likely it was them that did it. This is highly dangerous as they are fishing next to public paths near Tipkinder last year a women got a hook in her coat as they dont care were they cast. If there is not swift and meaningful action by the Police and Council to stop this illegal fishing I am afraid it will end up with a child with a fish hook in its eye or similar. They can then sue the council for failing its duty of care. Its an accident waiting to happen we must have a clamp down on this fishing or in summer we will be flooded with people fishing. It was reported on Sunday a loose dog attacking wildlife and the owner was shouted at but just issued abuse.

The heron was back on site the first time this year and it was funny as all the geese stopped and looked at him as if he was their god. I did hear him say ok lads you get the bread I will bring the fish.

Dangerous  Dog yet again

An eye witness account of the dog

A few weeks ago I saw the Idiot and his dog in Queens Park, the dog was off the lead, jumping in and out of the lake, barking, trying to get at the Canadian Geese. The Idiot carried on walking around the lake as if nothing was untoward. This went on for about 25 minutes, and all the time the dog was chasing the Geese. 

On Tuesday 11th June 2013 at around 12.15, I entered the Park from the South entrance as I do every day. Walking around the lake clockwise, I noticed the same Idiot and his tan and white boxer dog on the west side of the lake. I witnessed the dog barking and trying to get at the two swans and three signets that were also at the west end of the lake.

They continued around the lake and I observed the dog squatting several times in different areas. No attempt to clean up was made, as the Idiot was several hundred feet away. I stopped and sat down to feed the Ducks as I always do near where the woodland walk used to be. By this time the Idiot and the dog had reached the other half of the lake, and the dog was again barking at, and chasing Geese. The Idiot was completely ignoring the mayhem his dog was causing, and I saw several people crossing the main lake bridge stop to look towards the dog, to see what all the noise and fuss was about.

It then occurred to me that I had my phone with me (I don't usually). I rang the local Police and reported what was happening. It was 12.38. At around 13.00, the Idiot left the Park at the South entrance, and headed east. As the Police had not arrived by 13.20 or so, I also left the park.

About an hour later I received a call from the Police stating that they (obviously) had missed the Idiot, but that several people in the park had witnessed the dog's behaviour. I make no apologies for describing the owner of the dog as an Idiot. He is medium height and build, 35-45 years old, and it is quite obvious from my observations that the entire world revolves around him. He is an Idiot.

Copyright theft

For those that don’t know a photo can contain metadata hidden inside it. You can see in this picture that the highlighted picture has metadata which show the camera the exposure and other details including the copyright notice. A Facebook group  has in effect stolen over 30 of my pictures that I have taken and own the copyright for. The pictures were removed by Facebook after they viewed the meta data but the group then became a closed group and the next day reposted the pictures in the belief they wouldn’t be found out. Several of the groups members have reported this blatant theft to myself and Facebook.

All pictures on this site are copyright I have spent several thousand hour taking these over 5 years and at my own expense run the site I find it despicable that people can steal them and refuse to remove them when asked and then to blatantly put them back when Facebook removed them. They have allegedly put extracts from local book on the group depriving the author who may have spent year writing the book his income.

The Yobs have now put  a bench in the lake to join the dustbins they have thrown in.  

The Queens Park is like the Wild West

Lots of complaints this week and people are saying the park is now like the Wild West as things get out of control and the council do nothing about it. Its illegal to fish in the lake and there are signs everywhere but people sit under the signs and fish. Some describe it as being like a fishing match as you can see above its not just the fact they are fishing but they block the path so people cant walk around and more importantly they cast the line with out a thought for anyone walking by.We have had people nearly hooked up by people casting the line as they walk past. Fishing near Tipkinder is the area were all the wildlife swim and they are in danger from fishing lines as well.

Dogs have been high on the agenda as complaints pour in ne man counted 15 off the lead in one short afternoon with one chasing all the wildlife and when the  owner was approached he only responded with verbal abuse. Under new laws the chasing of wildlife makes it a dangerous dog and it can be shot. Even old people come with dogs off the lead and they get as abusive as others often when the park is packed with young children. Loose dogs and children dont mix they may be friendly but they  can chase in fun of knock children over. Nothing will be done until a child is hurt then we will see some action. We often have school children come to use the park as young as 7 and now they have insisted that wardens patrol as loose dogs were around last time they visited and they cant take the chance of a child being hurt.

It was discussed at the friends meeting about obtaining a dog control order the suggestion being that no dogs would be allowed around the childs play area as you often see loose German Shepherds in that area and this is clearly unsafe. other suggestion are for zoning dogs  were they must be on leads etc and a fine would be introduced for those failing to comply.

Vandalism in the park has now cost more than £25,000 a lot of which could be saved if we had wardens the council are failing in their duty of care and not compiling with Health and Safety to make the are safe.s that parks in other Cheshire  towns  are looked after a lot better than our park and all the money seems to be going to there.

First baby Swans in over 10 years

Thursday and two new baby swans appeared  the first time we have had any baby swans in over 10 years

They were out with Dad while mum remained on the nest and dad was getting stroppy with anything coming close to his babies

Then on Friday another baby arrived so then there were three with mum still on the nest so are there more to come?

Dad out with his babies

Also this week baby Moorhens have been seen as well they are looking very scraggy and keeping under cover away from the gulls and the parents are chasing away any coots coming close.

FRIENDS MEETING come along and support the Dog Control in the park

Monday, 3rd June, 2013 5.30pm

At the GAMES PAVILION (adj Bowling Green), Queens Park, Crewe

Agenda

1. Apologies

2. Minutes of Last Meeting

3. Matters Arising

4. Benches – Draft Proposals

5. Dog Control Proposed Order

6. Market Research

7. Eventing Volunteers

8. Any Other Business

Date of Next Meeting - Mon, 5^th August, 2013