ONLY DOING THEIR JOB
Police are to look again at claims that officers planted a screwdriver on a schoolboy. Paul Keoghan, 13, was arrested in Bootle and charged with going equipped to burgle. However, a court was told that PC Victor O’Rourke got a red-handled screwdriver out of the boot of his police car and said the boy had it in his trouser pocket. Two other officers, Constables Adrian Smith and David Manning, backed up the allegation, a jury was told. The court heard how CCTV footage of the car park in Stuart Road, Bootle, which would have shown the officer get the screwdriver from the boot, had since vanished.

NO LAUGHING POLICEMAN
Police are investigating a rival internet website set up using the name merseysidepolice.com. The site, which has a similar domain name to the force’s official site, encourages people to send in complaints about the force and its officers, and allegations of corruption. Visitors to the unofficial site, which has been visited by more than 1,000 people, learn that it has been set up to “redress the uneven playing field and grossly unsatisfactory and inadequate procedures that exist where police wrongdoing occurs.” It continues: “For the first time, members of the public can tell the world of their bad experiences and so inform of Merseyside Police wrongdoing, Merseyside Police corruption and unsatisfied complaints filed against Merseyside Police.” Remember merseysidepolice.com.

CASH FOR HOT AIR
The cost of running Liverpool Vision, the city’s Government-backed urban regeneration company, has soared by 65pc. The city’s council taxpayers are being asked to stump up £330,000 to pay the salaries of three new executive directors. As well as the council, the other funding partners English Partnerships and the North West Development Agency are also being asked to contribute £330,000 per year. Overheads for Liverpool Vision are estimated at £219,000 per year but rent for its offices at the Observatory, Old Haymarket, amounts to £62,000. “The rest covers rates, electricity and other bills and the cost of setting up the offices,” explained Mr Rae, who added: “We do run a pretty tight ship.” So tight we wondered where our money went.

ASH FOR THE LOCALS
While Objective one money lines the pockets of companies and consultants, 50 community projects are in danger of collapse because funds have been withheld by government. Credit unions, food co-ops and house renovation projects have been referred to the ‘State Aid’ Policy Unit – a shadowy office in Whitehall which rules on so-called “unfair competition”. So a small local Food Co-op receiving some public subsidy could have its plug pulled, if it’s deemed to be a threat to the mighty Tesco.

DO IT YOURSELF IN BIRKENHEAD
A group of residents in Birkenhead have taken on themselves to set up the WGA Charity Shop, based on the principle of People Not Profit. They manage to maintain themselves, not through recieving money from state agencies but by generating it through fair trade products, recycled goods and arts and crafts made by local people, reflexology, meditation classes and coffee mornings. Lets show them our support the WGA are based at 49 -51 Christchurch Road, Birkenhead. Tel: 653 2269