Ashton-in-Makerfield Community Forum

Useful Numbers

Crimestoppers
0800 555 111

Dog Fouling
703401

Drug Dealing
0800 328 1141

Firestoppers
0800 923 9999

Fly Tipping:
- Commercial
486597
- Household
404364

Leigh NHS Walk-in Centre
264002

NHS Direct
0845 4647

Noisy neighbours
827110

Off Road Biking

Police
0161 872 5050

Street Care Hotline
404364

Underage Alcohol Sales
827476

22/04/08. The Hindley Neighbourhood Policing Team has launched Operation Lynx to combat drug misuse in Ashton, Bryn and other parts of Ince-in-Makerfield. People can now phone a hotline on 0800 328 1141 to report drug dealing in their area.

17/04/08. According to WiganToday.net, Ashton and Bryn adults are supplying children as young as 13 with booze at the local off-licences. Police have found that in the majority of underage sales, adults are passing drink on to children, and intend to take action accordingly.

31/01/08. WiganToday.net, the website for Lancashire Publications, has launched an innovative idea. The site is displaying an Interactive Crime Map for Wigan, allowing users to view the location of serious crimes carried out in the Wigan area over the past 12 months. In addition, clicking on the location links to the original story in the newspaper archives.

13/09/07. The manager of CNK off-licence in Warrington Road has been fined £1,000 with £740 costs for selling alcohol to a 15-year old boy. The charge followed an undercover sting by Wigan Trading Standards.

09/09/07. Local residents are being encouraged to set up more Home Watch schemes to help fight crime. For further information, please contact Henry Wood, Watch Scheme Administrator.

20/09/07. After a tragic accident last week, new police and community support officers have been banned from using mountain bikes. PCSO Christopher Maclure from Priory Road was killed when his cycle was in collision with a refuse wagon in Hindley. Greater Manchester Police are now reviewing their policies and have banned the used of cycles by officers who have been using them for less than twelve months. More experienced officers are not affected, and it is expected that the ban will be removed after a couple of months.

04/09/07. Following the introduction of a police post in Shevington Library and plans for another in Hindley Town Hall, Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Police have agreed proposals to install a post at Ashton Library. Details are still being discussed and local residents will be involved before the plans are finalised.

12/08/07. Greater Manchester Police have named the Bay Horse as one of three Wigan pubs which are targetted by car thieves. Over the past two years more than 140 people using the car parks at The Greyhound on the East Lancs Road, the Bay Horse Hotel in Ashton-in-Makerfield and Kilhey Court at Standish have been victims. All had their vehicles broken into and property stolen. The police have decided to highlight these pubs as they have all failed to act on advice to increase security to prevent the thefts.

31/07/07. Police have arrested three Newton-le-Willows men after an ambulance crew were harassed while trying to treat a heart attack victim. Norman Bell from Newton had collapsed while playing bowls at Recreation Bowling Club on 19th July, and later died. The accused allegedly threatened the ambulance crew when they attempted to remove a motor bike which had been placed in front of it, resulting in a delay in removing Mr Bell to hospital.

15/01/07. Members of the public in Wigan have been asked to volunteer to join an Independent Advisory Group by Wigan and Leigh Police. The group is intended to challenge policies and practices within Greater Manchester Police's Wigan divisional area and thus ensure that services are provided fairly to all people and their communities. Details available from Abida Niaz on 016 1856 7184.

07/10/06. Philip Marczak, 21, has been named as Greater Manchester Police's Special Constable of the Year for his commitment to policing in Ashton-in-Makerfield and Wigan. Each week he gives 35 hours as a volunteer for town centre policing and special operations. Over the past 12 months he has worked 1,682 hours and made 20 arrests.

07/09/06. The initiative to tackle off-road motorcycling appears to be having success. A bike from Blenheim Road which has been frequently driven illegally off-road has finally been confiscated by the police.

23/08/06. Local residents are being asked to name and shame nuisance offroad bikers. A new website - www.stopoffroadnuisance.co.uk - has been setup up to allow reporting of problems, and the provision of pictures and the names and addresses of riders. The online reporting facility has been launched by Greater Manchester Police Authority in response to increased concerns about offroad biking, and will allow police officers to target offenders.

07/06/06. Greater Manchester Police are running a 'You be the Judge' event on Tuesday 11th July at Wigan Town Hall. The event is aimed at increasing awareness of sentencing by raising the public's awareness of sentencing procedure, rules and processes. At the event real judges and magistrates will talk through cases and allow the audience to vote for the appropriate sentence using the 'who wants to be a millionaire' keypads. The judges will then explain why they decided a particular sentence.
If you would be interested in attending this free event, then please call Rachel Dursley on 0161 856 2139 to book a place.

27/05/06. Police in Wigan are looking for local residents to become representatives of their area in order to enhance neighbourhood policing. The volunteers would be asked to carry out tasks such as providing support to crime victims and keeping people informed on the progress of criminal investigations. The initiative is part of the police strategy to have more officers on the streets. People interested in volunteering should call 016 1856 4101 and leave their name, address and phone number, or email PC Peter Harmer, Wigan community volunteer co-ordinator,

16/05/06. Concerns regarding large numbers of young people congregating in Jubilee Park, drinking alcohol and causing nuisance to local residents have led to calls for the park to be designated as an alcohol-free area. An alcohol ban to prevent on-street drinking is in force in the town centre, and local councillors want this extending to Jubilee Park.

15/05/06. The long-standing aim of having a police post in local premises is being frustrated by Community Action councillors. Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Police favour siting the GMP inquiry desk within Ashton Library, as a central location in regular use by the public. However, opposition councillors have blocked the Council's decision because they wish the post to be sited in the old town hall building in Bryn Street. The newly-elected Labour councillor is supporting the library location on additional grounds that it will help to control vandalism and anti-social behaviour that has occurred in the library in the past.

17/03/06. Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Police have written to local residents highlighting recent concern regarding youths playing football in the street in an aggressive manner and obstructing traffic. The problem is especially bad in the Monmouth Crescent and Heath Road areas. Residents are asked to report incidents in order that action can be taken against offenders. This does not include young people playing football in a non-aggressive manner.

10/03/06. Wigan's 500 CCTV cameras are going digital to allow instant access to recorded images and better crime detection. Coupled with this, the CCTV control room staff will increase from 4 to 13 to improve monitoring of crime and anti-social behaviour.

18/01/06. New Police Community Support Officer Andy Edwards is following up complaints from local residents regarding offroad motorcycling on Ashton Heath. Residents are determined to protect the heath from further damage and PCSO Edwards is enforcing the sanctions available against uninsured bikers.

09/01/06. Greater Manchester Police are planning to restructure the service to provide more police on foot and bike patrols. The plans are an extension of the 2003 Township focus by providing more police contact as part of neighbourhood teams.

02/01/06. Three community beat officers and four response police will be allocated to Ashton and Bryn from February, and discussions are taking place with Wigan MBC regarding providing an enquiry desk at the refurbished library.

09/11/05. Local beat bobbies Andy Smith and Martin West are to leave Ashton after proving to be popular police officers in the town. They are moving on to take up promotion in Wigan.

18/07/05. Emma Taylor, Town Centre Co-ordinator, has reported that a local shop has received a request to set up a donation box outside the shop asking for donations towards Christmas. The letter bore an apparent Council letterhead and also contained the Ashton-in-Makerfield Community Forum logo. It is recently dated and gives Emma as the contact.
The letter appears to be an attempt at deception and does not originate from Emma Taylor or the Ashton-in-Makerfield Community Forum website. Anyone else receiving similar correspondence is advised to contact Wigan Trading Standards Department.

04/03/05. Wigan and Leigh Community Safety Partnership has written to householders in the Ashton Heath area warning them of incidents of anti-social behaviour to local residents. Youths have been throwing stones at windows, damaging property and gardens, and intimidating residents. People are asked to report incidents to the Police, Local Authority or Crimestoppers, and police officers are monitoring the area.

14/12/04. A purpose-built police deployment centre has opened in Bryn Gates Lane, Bamfurlong. Housing community beat and response officers together with administrative staff, the centre will serve the Hindley Police Township area, comprising Hindley, Abram, Bryn and Ashton. The new building replaces the Old Road police station as an operational base, although a public contact point will be retained at the old station until a new one can be identified in Ashton town centre.
The team is headed by Inspector Jeff Crank, supported by Sgt Barry Short together with nine community beat constables and seven police community support officers. Ashton Town Centre and Ashton Heath are patrolled by PCs Martin West and Paul Rollinson together with PCSOs Jane Boulton and Jean Smith.

10/11/04. Local police are finding that sending warning letters to parents of misbehaving youths is having a dramatic effect. In only a handful of cases has follow-up action had to be taken.

26/08/04. Red Rose Forest team are conducting a survey to estimate the degree of off-road motorcycling within Manchester. It will take place on Saturday, 4th September between 12.00 and 16.00 and incidents should be reported to team@redroseforest.co.uk. Members of the public observing off-road activity should report the number of vehicles/motorcycles/scooters, registration numbers (if any), age of the miscreants, location, and any other relevant information.

24/02/04. Notices have now been erected on lamposts around the town centre marking out the area where the drinking of alcohol in the street is prohibited.

03/02/04. The first of the sixty additional police officers being recruited to expand the current force serving Wigan have begun work in the borough. They have been joined by several new police community support officers whose work will complement theirs.

Community Forum Reports

03/11/03. Wigan Council are currently consulting local community groups on the proposed introduction of an alcohol ban in the town centre. Aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour, the powers would enable the police to stop adults consuming alcohol when requested to do so.

01/08/03. Eight community wardens and 16 police officers are taking part in a trial to crack down on litter louts in the Borough. Litterbugs face a fine of £50 for dropping litter and up to £150 plus costs if the case goes to court. A survey by Encams (formerly the Tidy Britain Group) shows a general improvement in cleanliness of the streets of the Borough, particularly in Ashton, and the increase in resources to catch litterbugs is intended to maintain this trend.

June 2003. I Winstanley reported on his discussion with PC Martin West regarding illegal parking in Gerard Street, and a report would be put in highlighting the problem.

May 2003. Ian Harrison, Chief Superintendent of Greater Manchester Police, had written to confirm that extra police resources were being allocated to the Wigan and Leigh areas during the 2003/2004 financial year. He said their deployment would be dictated by demand and local policing problems rather than geographic placement, in order to provide a mobile, intelligence-led approach to combatting crime.

March 2003. Problems were noted with large groups of youths congregating in the town centre and causing problems at the library, and motorists parking illegally in Gerard Street. Members were concerned that the CCTV was not being used effectively in combatting such behaviour. It was noted that Wigan is due to receive an extra 60 police officers. The Secretary was asked to write to the Chief Constable enquiring about allocation of police to Ashton, and expressing the concerns of the Forum on the other matters raised.

February 2003. H Jones gave information on recent developments regarding the licensing for a new wine bar on the Poolthorpe's site, and A Root gave an update on the Pub Watch scheme.

29/5/02 From June 30th, local police officers will be holding a regular surgery at Ashton Town Hall, attended by a councillor and housing officials.

29/04/02 Planning permission has been applied for to build a new police base on the site of Jolly Jack's at Bamfurlong.

February 2002. Harry Jones reported that the next meeting of the Public Voice on Policing would be held on 7th March.

January 2002. Annette Root reported that the installation of CCTV cameras is expected to commence on 4th February and should be completed within a few weeks, depending on the weather.

17/01/02. As a result of an approach from the Forum JD Wetherspoons have installed floodlighting on the car park at the rear of the Sir Thomas Gerard.

11/9/01 Local police are organising a disco at the NUPRO on 26th October. Discussions continue on providing a 'pod' as a meeting place for young people, but no action is likely this year.

11/09/01 Representatives of local organisations have been invited to visit Wigan Central Watch to view the work of the centre.

August 2001. The Ashton CCTV bid had been approved and £240,000 allocated. It was agreed that Terry Bolton from Wigan MBC be asked to a meeting to outline the proposals for the scheme.
Discussion took place on the need for a Community Warden to tackle issues of vandalism and litter within the town.

02/08/01 An announcement today reveals that the bid for CCTV discussed at the Forum has been successful. As part of a package of CCTV installations in the borough Ashton is to have £240,000 allocated for a system.

June 2001. PC Phil Atherton who has recently joined the Ashton team attended the meeting. Previously he served in Worsley Mesnes and Platt Bridge, and looked forward to helping Ashton residents deal with local problems.

21/02/01 The Government is setting up a new internet initiative to link local Neighbourhood Watch groups. Further details at the Neighbourhood Watch website.

June 2000. Chief Superintendent Peter Owen from Greater Manchester Police addressed the meeting. He gave an overview of the work of the police in the Borough, and said that Wigan would be having a new Divisional HQ, with purpose-built stations in Atherton and Bamfurlong to replace old buildings in the Borough which were in poor condition. Bamfurlong would be the base for the traffic police, and Ashton would have a new police office.

He said that areas of concern for the police were monitoring of CCTV, on-street and under-age drinking, liaison with security patrols, upgrading of speed cameras, and improving response times.

03/05/00 Local areas will be made more secure by the introduction of security patrols to combat crime and vandalism. The patrols will operate on a rota throughout the borough commencing this month.

May 2000. Councillor Nigel Ash reported on the recent activity of the new security patrols which had been set up in the borough. He also agreed to correlate information on local graffiti and potholes.

January 2000. A meeting on Community Crime Issues is taking place on 17/18 April at Lowton Civic Hall. Attendance is open to all.

November 1999. Peter Harmer said that once again the police would be adopting a high profile in the town in the run-up to Christmas.

13/05/99. Manchester police have provided a hotline on 0161 856 7097 for residents to call to report dangerous or nuisance motorcycling, particularly illegal off-road use.

April 1999. Steve O'Brien reported that traffic wardens were being phased out and private personnel being employed to enforce traffic regulations within the Borough. This should result in a more effective control of illegal parking and release resources for the police to fight crime.

The police continued to monitor under-age drinking within the town, and planned to deal severely with those serving alcohol to children. Concern was expressed about young people drinking in Jubilee Park and littering the ground with broken glass. The Forum deplored those few licencees who put personal profit above the welfare of young people and condition of the town.

September 1998. The Group discussed CCTV in the town. PC Harmer said that in recent discussions one local business had agreed to funding of £500 if an initiative proceeded.

August 1998. PC Harmer reported on the siting of a Mobile Police Unit at Whitledge Green.

June 1998. The Group heard of the success of the local Pub Watch scheme.

April 1998. Plans had been outlined to close several police stations in the area. PC Harmer said that a new Police Deployment Centre is to be built in the Bamfurlong area, which will serve Ashton, and a police post will be established within Ashton.

April 1998. Alan Whitely of Wigan MBC Security and Risk Management Department addressed the meeting on the subjects of Security and CCTV. He pointed out the success of such schemes in neighbouring areas, and said that a bid from Ashton for Home Office Funding had been prepared for submission in the past. However, the Ashton business community had been unwilling to co-operate in a matched funding initiative, and a later bid foundered for the same reason. Current opportunities existed to bid for a Mobile CCTV Unit.

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