NORTH WEST GETS IN GEAR FOR NATIONAL CONSUMER WEEK USED CAR CAMPAIGN!

A new campaign in partnership between Trading Standards North West and the Citizens Advice Bureau is driving people not to take a gamble on used cars for National Consumer Week. It's asking people in the North West to:- 'Check it Don't Regret it' by assessing whether the used car they are buying is safe, legal and what it seems. The regional campaign launched on Monday, at the start of National Consumer Week (NCW) and runs for a fortnight with shopping advice via Facebook and Twitter and support from Citizens Advice.  It follows the national campaign which is being run by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI).   Derek Payet the Strategic leader of the Trading Standards North West Fair Trading Group said:- "Buying a used car is one of the biggest financial decisions a consumer makes. If you are buying on finance, it can be easy to get carried away. Read the agreement carefully and make sure you are happy with the total cost you will have to pay and make absolutely sure you can afford the repayments. Don't feel pressured into making a snap decision and be sure to do some basic checks yourself before you buy. Remember, if things do go wrong with the car after purchase you have got rights and help is available."  Paul Nicholls the Chief Executive of Cheshire West Citizens Advice said:- "It's really important that people know what they're looking for. The average person loses about £425 on a used car sale simply from not knowing the basics. We're urging people to follow our social media pages or go to:- adviceguide.org.uk/usedcars for more details." For further details you can also contact the Citizen Advice Consumer Service on:- 08454040506.

Fire Service and partners helped Keep People Safe Over Bonfire Period
Photographs by Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.

CALL-OUTS to nuisance fires across Merseyside over the bonfire period halved following a campaign run by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and its partners.   This year the other partners where, Sefton Council’s Parks and Green Spaces, One Vision Housing, Riverside, Sefton Council’s Leisure Services and Councillor Trish Hardy, Cabinet Member Communities and Environment.

This year saw the lowest number of incidents ever that were attended by firefighters on 5 November 2013, with 55 fires from anti-social behaviour, compared to 72 last year, which was a 23.6% drop.  Over the bonfire period, the incidents halved. Between 19 October 2013 and the end of 5 November 2013, there were 176 fires from anti-social behaviour, classed as deliberate secondary fires, compared to 381 last year, which was a drop of 53.8%. In Liverpool, 21 deliberate secondary fires were attended by firefighters on 5 November 2013, down from 36 for the same day in 2012, a drop of 41.7%.

More than 137 tonnes of bonfire materials and rubbish have been removed by MF&RS and partners from streets across Merseyside since 19 October 2013.  There have also been a range of popular engagement activities held by MF&RS and partners including horror-themed Hub Horrors events at the Toxteth Fire Fit Hub, free cage football sessions run by the charity Fire Support Network across Merseyside, a "Carn’Evil" youth event at St Helens Community Fire Station and a free family fun evening at Spaceport in Wirral.

MF&RS also organised a fireworks display in Kirkby together with Safer Knowsley Partnership, which attracted 5,000 people and was attended by Merseyside’s Police Crime Commissioner Jane Kennedy. It was 1 of 2 displays organised by MF&RS and partners in Knowsley this year.   Around 400 streets in Liverpool were also adopted as part of the Adopt A Street campaign launched by MF&RS, which encouraged people to prevent wheelie bin fires by ensuring bins are taken to a secure place, if possible, and stored away from windows and doors after rubbish has been collected.

Firefighters also attended the Sefton Council event in Coronation Park on 30 October 2013. Activities at the youth evening event included face painting, Kayaking, Zorbing and football and tennis coaching.  Watch Manager Dave Shanahan, who attended the event with Green Watch, who are base at Crosby Community Fire Station, said:- "We spoke with and met around 500 people at the event and highlighted fire safety advice as well as showing young people the equipment we use. We also highlighted the importance of keeping wheelie bins in a secure location and only putting them out on the day collection. The atmosphere was great and there were lots of activities going on."

Fire crews have also been out across Merseyside carrying out Home Fire Safety Checks and carried out visits to schools to teach young people about the dangers of fire setting and misuse of fireworks.   Watch Manager Ian Mullen, who lead the bonfire strategy for Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service this year, said:- "The bonfire campaign this year has been a huge success this year and the partnership work has been phenomenal, which has seen the number of incidents halved this year. Our teams and partners have been out in communities using tipper trucks and skips to remove tonnes of bonfire rubbish, which could have been used to set fires. We have also been working hard to encourage people to prevent wheelie bin fires by asking people to bring bins in immediately after collection and residents have also helped us to keep their communities safe this year. We will still have teams out on the streets of Merseyside removing bonfire materials this week. To report the storage of bonfire materials call Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service on:- 0800 731 5958."

Councillor Trish Hardy, Sefton’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Environment said:- "We have been very successful over recent years and it comes down to great partnership work. I hope people will enjoy the bonfire period and stay safe like it has been this year, for years to come."

Fireworks are only allowed to be sold by retailers with a registration from the Fire Service. This is also only during the period of 15 October 2013 to 10 November 2013.

CLOSURE OF ST HELENS FLOAT GLASS LINE WITH LOSS OF 140 JOBS DUE TO LACK OF DEMAND

LAST week steel jobs were lost to lack of demand in construction, then it was shipbuilding jobs, so people are entitled to ask:- "what sort of recovery are we seeing?" says GMB.  GMB, the union for glass workers, commented on the announcement by Pilkington that it is to close a float glass production line at the Cowley Hill plant in St Helens with the loss of 140 jobs. The reason given by the company is the lack of demand for flat glass is due to the continuing downturn in the construction sector.

Charlie Leonard, GMB Regional Officer said:- "This is a shock. It is a devastating blow to the economy of St Helens and to the workers and families of the 140 who will lose their jobs. GMB will meet with the company to fully understand the position and to assess what can be done to mitigate he extent of job losses. The closure of this high tech continuous production plant and the highly skilled well paid jobs is yet another major blow to the core of UK manufacturing. It represents a rolling back of national capability as float glass production is a UK invention."