Greasby - showing signs of old age

THE origins of a Wirral village have been found to be around 6,000 years older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids. A series of new boundary signs are to be unveiled next week that proclaim that the township of Greasby contains the earliest dated settlement in Western Britain; and 1 of the oldest in the country.  Acknowledging the historical significance of Greasby with these signs has long since been an aspiration of former Liverpool City Centre planning team leader, Rod Hutchinson.  His ambition has been made possible now thanks to community funding through the Western Link project, the ₤1 billion venture between National Grid and Scottish Power Transmission that will being renewable energy from Scotland to homes and businesses in England and Wales and which runs through parts of Wirral. Rod said:- "After 12 years of endeavour, I'm delighted that these place-name signs have at last been realised. Greasby's amazing history is worth celebrating both locally and nationally."

The new signs have been designed by Rod and have been manufactured by the leading sign makers, Leander Architectural of Buxton. Their installation was supervised by Wirral Council's Senior Assistant Engineer, Ian White. The work that led to the latest 'dating' of Greasby began with excavations near Greasby Copse, between 1987 and 1990, by archaeologists from Liverpool Museum. They uncovered a substantial settlement with stone floor, pits, large working hollows and a fireplace together with over 12,000 early stone tools. At that time, the site was dated at 7000 BC or earlier and ascribed to the Mesolithic period.  However, as a result of the proposals for the signs to celebrate Greasby's significant historical status, Ron Cowell, Curator of Prehistoric Archaeology at the Museum of Liverpool, raised further funds for carbon dating of hazelnut shells found in the stone hearth. Astonishingly, this revealed that the remains were even earlier than previously estimated and dated from around 8,500BC. This adds weight to James Dyer's belief, as stated in his book 'Ancient Britain' that the structure discovered at Greasby:- "seems almost certainly to be the earliest dwelling found in Britain."  Regarding the origins of the name Greasby, the Survey of English Place Names concludes that:- "no certainty of the meaning of the name is possible".  Over the centuries it has been written:- Greavesberi, Grausberi, Grauesbyri, Grausby, Grauesbi, Greseby, Greisbie and Gresbie. However it seems the name is of Anglo Saxon origin as it occurs in the Domesday Book as Gravesberie, possibly deriving from the Old English, Graefes burh, 'the Castle of Graef' or "stronghold at a wood or grove." Greasby was on the postulated important Roman road from Chester to Meols, where Roman remains such as coins, jewellery and weapons, have been found. Excavations in Greasby village in 1965 established that Barker Lane was of Roman origin although official confirmation of that was not possible until around 1980. In addition to Western Link's support for the signs, ₤750 was donated from the Wirral West Community Fund and ₤750 from Greasby Community Association to cover the costs of installation. Chair of the Wirral West Constituency Committee, Cllr Jeff Green, said:- "We are proud to have one of the oldest confirmed settlements in the country on our doorstep and delighted to have been able to support the signage project with funding. Now everyone who visits or passes through Greasby will know the significance of the village." The unveiling of one of the 5 signs will be at 11am, on Thursday, 28 September 2017, outside the Premier Inn, on Greasby Road, Greasby, Wirral, CH49 2PP.

Regional survey shows worryingly low awareness of fire door safety in Merseyside

A survey of 2,000 adults in support of Fire Door Safety Week that runs from 25 September 2017 to 1 October 2017, has shown an alarming lack of general public awareness of the essential role of fire doors, which are a legal requirement in all commercial, public and multi occupancy buildings. The research, carried out by Iron Mongery Direct, revealed that 53% of people in Merseyside have seen a fire door being illegally wedged open. This compares to the UK wide statistic which stood at almost 1 in 2 people (49%). Another troubling outcome was that 24% of respondents in North West were unaware that fire doors must be kept shut at all times compared to the national average of 1 in 4 people (25%).

Hannah Mansell, spokesperson for the Fire Door Safety Week campaign, said:- "The survey results indicate that the public need to be more aware of the critical role of fire doors. Often the 1st line of defence in a fire, their correct specification, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants. Of course, a wedged open fire door provides no protection. We urge everyone to immediately contact the person responsible for fire safety in their building if they are unsure of the condition or inappropriate use of a fire door. Report major concerns to the local fire brigade, who can carry out audits of the premises. Cutting corners with badly fitted fire doors or those with incompatible, non fire rated or certificated components costs lives."

The survey also highlighted that 38% of people in Merseyside did not know the difference between a fire door and an ordinary door. In addition, 32% of people across the county said they would prop a fire door open to let in fresh air among other reasons. According to the British Woodworking Federation, the organisation behind Fire Door Safety Week, 3 million fire doors are installed each year. However, they remain a significant area of neglect and should be regularly checked and maintained by those responsible for the upkeep of the building.

Managing director of IronmongeryDirect, Wayne Lysaght Mason, commented:- "Although our survey was carried out just a month after the Grenfell Tower fire in June, it is disturbing that a significant proportion of the general public seem to lack basic fire door knowledge. We urge the public to contact the person in charge of fire safety in their building if they are unsure about the condition or use of the fire doors. We also encourage trades people to use our online fire door checklist to help assess whether fire doors in buildings they occupy, or are responsible for, are legally compliant."

The safety campaign says that fire doors are often the 1st line of defence in a fire and their correct specification, maintenance and management can be the difference between life and death for building occupants.

Warrington kebab man takes away jail term

A Warrington fast food takeaway boss, who lied about his shop's takings as part of a ₤179,000 tax fraud, has been jailed. Mehmet Tekagac, 43, of Viscount Road, Padgate, claimed he made around ₤9,000 a year from the 'Top Grill Kebab and Pizza House' on Warrington Road, Penketh, between January 2012 and October 2015. But HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigators found he earned far more after examining bank records, his personal income and records of sales made through a website. Tekagac hid his takings to evade paying ₤31,244 in Corporation Tax. He also pocketed more than ₤98,000 VAT he charged customers and claimed ₤49,528 in Child Tax Credits as a low income family of 6 during the fraud. On 20 September 2017, Tekagac was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to 3 counts of tax fraud totalling ₤179,154.  Confiscation proceedings have begun to recover the stolen Tax.  Sandra Smith, Assistant Director, HMRC Fraud Investigation Service said:- "Tekagac is paying the price for thinking it was acceptable to steal from the public purse. He took his fraudulent income at the expense of honest taxpayers and businesses who play by the rules.  If you know of anyone who is committing tax fraud you can report them by calling the HMRC Fraud Hotline on Hotline on:- 0800 788 887."