Sandwell Council Again….

A mother has been fined £75 for littering after a tissue she was blowing her nose which blew away in strong winds and flew over a busy road.

A tissue…?

Kerrie-Anne Hickin was dashing to catch a bus and as she took the tissue out of her pocket it blew away in a gust of wind.

She said the next thing she knew, a warden was at her side at the bus stop writing a ticket.

Mrs Hickin, 30, a customer services advisor, said: “I stood there dumbstruck when I was stopped and the warden started reciting legal acts.

"It was really windy. I did not do it intentionally. I would hold my hands up if I did it on purpose.

"I am totally disgusted by it all. It is absolutely ridiculous and petty."

It’ll come as no surprise to anyone that it’s Sandwell Council yet again:

The warden was representing Sandwell Council, which faced criticism earlier this month for fining a young mother for feeding the ducks with her son at a park.

Another young mother, eh..?

I’m sensing a bit of a pattern here…

Derek Rowley, a Sandwell Councillor, said: “Survey after survey tells us that litter is a major worry for the people of Sandwell. They tell us they don't want to see litter on the streets of Sandwell.

"We are responding to people's complaints about litter and we have a duty to respond to local people's concerns.”

Hmmm, I’d like to see the complaints about ‘dropped tissues’.

Because I suspect that most complaints about litter come from chavs discarding their KFC wrappers or empty drinks cans in the high street. Why don’t your brave shock troops ever tackle them, rather than young, harassed mothers with children?

Or, have I just answered my own question?

Why The BNP Don’t Need To Spend Money On Recruitment Officers

At least, not while the likes of Labour Councillor Yvonne Davies exist:

England's biggest St George's Day parade is facing the axe after councillors said many of those attending it were racist.

A claim they can’t substantiate, of course.

And a claim in stark contrast to the intentions of the organisers of the parade:

Children and parents from all over the country parade through the Black Country town waving St George flags and marching to rousing anthems such as Jerusalem.

Organisers say one of the aims is to reclaim the Saint George Cross from Right-wingers and make it a source of pride for all.

An admirable aim, you’d think. One that any genuine anti-racist campaigner could not help but support?

You’d be wrong:

But last night the local council, Labour-controlled Sandwell, voted to withdraw its support for the parade. Funds will go to support a Party in the Park instead.

How are they going to ensure that those who attend this event aren’t ‘racist’, then? Are they going to be subjected to an interrogation first?

In a letter to the organisers, one councillor, Yvonne Davies, said the parade created an 'unhealthy atmosphere' and inspired young boys to be racist.

She wrote: 'It is not only the parade which is the problem, but the tribal excitement it creates.'

Ah, yes, the ‘tribes’ of England, with their quaint customs, like candle making, and ceramics…

Councillor Davies wrote in her letter: 'I am sure most are very respectful and law-abiding, however some are distasteful in the extreme and wish to divide and separate people from each other.'

Bit difficult when it’s open to everyone, isn’t it? I mean, the only people who could feel ‘divided’ and ‘separated’ by a fully inclusive event are those who feel no pride in their country, or have a loyalty to another country.

Sandwell doesn't have any of those, does it? Other than the ones in the council, that is....

She said she had once been abused by youths who 'had been emboldened by the parade and thought racist chants were funny'.

'I have seen first hand how the parade (albeit unintentionally) creates an unhealthy atmosphere.'

I find it hard to see how she can possibly have been ‘racially abused by youths’, as she’s as lily white as I am.

And if she had been, the proper response would have been to summon a policeman and press a complaint, not pull the funding for the entire event, thus depriving thousands of council taxpayers of a much loved and well attended day out.

At a meeting of Sandwell council cabinet last night, her colleagues sided with her and decided against backing the parade. Instead there will be the Party in the Park, a concert in the Town Hall and St George Flags will be flown on all of the council's buildings.

Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised – it is Sandwell, after all, natural home of blowhard Labour councillors doing their very best to ensure their party goes down to a stunning defeat in the next election.

And if Yvonne really is such a diligent ‘anti-offense’ campaigner, she might want to take issue with Barmy Bobby Piper over his infamous ‘blackface’ posting.

Trevor Collins of the Stone Cross Saint George Association, which organises the parade, said: 'To suggest the parade is racist is ridiculous and offensive. When you see the kids, the dogs, everyone out having fun, it's really a beautiful sight. It doesn't matter if you're black, white, green, brown or whatever, everyone's welcome.

'The council's decision means we have to foot the bills for insurance and security. We've got to come up with £10,000 in two months which seems impossible.'

And money isn’t their only problem:

Another organiser Mark Cowles said the parades had raised £7,000 for charity. He added that, as well as losing out on council support, they had probably missed the deadline for applying for road closures.

I bet those charities wouldn’t have been government-funded fakecharities either…

'All we wanted to do was organise a fun, family-friendly day for everyone that celebrates being English,' he said. 'We have been approached by extreme Right-wing groups and we have turned them away.'

And as soon as they see this headline, they’ll be back.

And will they have a lot more people now willing to listen to them, as they tell the people of Sandwell how their councillors fail to promote and support traditional English culture? Will that translate into a greater vote for them in and around Sandwell, and in other areas?

If it does, take a bow, Labour Councillor Yvonne Davies. You will have helped to cause that…

"Didn't we have a luvverly time, the day we went to..."

"...Bangor Blackpool":

A group of Asian youths (Ed: No, not Chinese or Vietnamese…) taken on a day-trip to Blackpool to avoid becoming embroiled violence at an EDL march ended up knocking a man unconscious in a car park brawl.

Ahhh, yes. This is the story Edwin Greenwood linked to yesterday, and a reader (Paul) sent me via email. Now the 'Mail' has it.

The day-trip cost the public purse £2,113 and saw the group from the Tipton and Oldbury areas of the West Midands accompanied by a police officer and officials from the council.

And if you thought they were there to prevent trouble, think again:

The clash happened after the youths got off their coach and began chanting racist comments at Derek Brownhill, who had just got off a coach parked nearby.

The chants were heard by Mr Brownhill's pregnant partner and two young daughters, as well as a group of elderly people, the court was told.

In the ensuing confrontation Mr Brownhill was punched and hit with such force by Riad Hussain, 19, that both feet left the ground.

Wolverhampton Crown Court was told the blows left unconscious and with bruising and swelling to his face and head.

And while this was happening, where were their guardians? Off for a paddle?

The group then punched Hussain, from Oldbury, in the face to give him a bruise so they could try to claim that his actions were in self defence.

Smart little chaps, aren't they?

At the time of the violence, two of the gang were on bail for a hammer attack in Tipton, West Midlands, that took place three months before the Blackpool incident.

Just the sort of people to take to the seaside on the taxpayer's dime, I think you'll agree.

Judge Amjad Nawaz told them: 'There is nothing more disturbing than to have to sentence a dock full of young people just past their childhood years having engaged in offences of such severity that custodial sentences are inevitable.'

Yes, Amjad, I can see you're all broken up at the thought of it...

But what about these 'escorts'? Why are they not answering for this monumental clusterf**k?

The council said the trip to Blackpool had been organised with the support of police to help reduce tensions and deter teenagers who may have been at risk of getting involved in demonstrations in Dudley on the day.

The cost of the trip was met by the Government's Youth Justice Board.

It said although it had no plans to do anything similar in the future, it would have to consider removing young people from situations in an attempt to prevent them from getting into trouble.

And so once again, we see rewards given to those who threaten violence (and then carry it out regardless!), while those from really deprived areas who might benefit from it are ignored. What message does this send to them?

Derrick Campbell, boss of Race Equality Sandwell, told the Sun: 'I would not say the trip had failed. Its purpose was to keep them away from the march.

'If they got involved in something else in Blackpool, that's another matter.'

Why is a 'public servant' who comments to this effect still in a job?

I mean, I realise that coming from Sandwell, he can't be expected to know what 'success' even looks like, but even so...

But I keep coming back to those escorts. What the hell were they doing while all this was going on?

In addition, there were five youth workers and one police officer, who went on a voluntary basis.

So it's not as if there wasn't enough of them.

Chief Superintendent Mark Robinson, commander for Sandwell Police, said: 'A decision was taken by Safer Sandwell Partnership to take a number of youths away from the area, who had been identified as having the potential to get involved in any disorder that could occur as a result of the demonstrations.

'Whilst we feel that the decision to try and prevent any potential violence among local youths was the right one, clearly the events that followed were hugely disappointing.'

Clearly, the gift for understatement is common throughout Sandwell's public 'services'.

People Of Sandwell, You Get What You Vote For…

A "diversity" panel at Sandwell Council in the West Midlands want to introduce a gipsy awareness month, which would be combined with a leaflet drop of "myth busting" facts about traveller communities.

Sandwell, eh..?

Stamping ground of Barmy Bobby Piper and home to cranks like this, and employees who spend public money like water. So we shouldn’t be surprised, really, should we?

From September 2010 all youngsters will have a month of classes to teach them about how gipsy's and travellers are misunderstood.

Great! It’s not like they are lagging behind in things like reading, writing and adding up, is it? Plenty of time to spend on the latest politically correct fad.

And I’m sure the teachers will appreciate the added burden…

Officials have compiled a 40-page report on why gipsies feel stigmatised and how they could combat that problem in a 23-point programme.

It also suggests the introduction of a specialist liaison officer to stay in touch with the nomadic community and for all school children to celebrate the history of the communities.

"Such celebrations can help 'myth bust', make individual communities feel part of the wider community and over all have a very real impact on community cohesion," it said.

"Therefore the panel believes that in 2010 and subsequent years the council through its Communities Unit should run events in each of the six towns on Gipsy and Traveller History Month.

"Furthermore, these should be organised through consultation with members of the gipsy and traveller communities and if a Gipsy and Traveller liaison officer has been appointed, with their assistance."

Wow, sounds complicated. And expensive. Still, taxpayers money, eh?

Plenty of room still left in that pension trough for another council snout…

Fiona McEvoy, from the Taxpayers' Alliance, said that gipsy awareness should not be taught to schoolchildren.

"It's not for local councils to manipulate the school curriculum based on their latest politically correct whims, especially when educational standards are flagging," she said.

"It is more vital than ever that our children receive a solid grounding in key subjects like maths, English, history and science.

Can’t argue with that. If parents agree, they know what to do at the next election, don’t they?

Chairman of the panel, councillor Bawa Singh Dhallu, said:
"Celebrating the event would help pupils and the community as a whole to better understand the gipsies and travellers they are often unknowingly living alongside.

"It would help those gipsy and traveller pupils feel proud of who they are."

Like the oft-mentioned ‘self esteem problem’ with regards to children today, I wasn’t aware that ‘feeling proud’ was a problem for gypsies.

If it suddenly is, might I suggest that not breaking the law would help with that? Just a thought…

He added that if the proposals were accepted by the council it would still be up to schools to decide if they would mark the history month, which is celebrated nationally.

Well, of course. That’s the proverbial ‘offer they daren’t refuse’, though, isn’t it?

Who’s going to be the first head to stand up and say ‘No thanks?’ to the progressive orthodoxy…?

Public Purse = Personal Piggybank

Especially for Dr Allison Fraser, Sandwell Council:

A council chief executive is attending a £5,000 self-awareness training course in Germany and Florida to learn to become “more likeable and able to like herself”.

I'm not sure she needed it, frankly. Anyone who can dip into taxpayer's money and lash it out on a course like this is probably already so far up herself she's as self aware as she's ever going to get...

Dr Fraser has already taken a £2,400 course in Germany and is due to fly out to Florida in October for the remaining £2,500 worth of training.

Well, of course it's Florida. I mean, Sandwell in October...? Simply ghastly, my dears!

Still, I look forward to Barmy Bobby Piper doing his best on numerous blogs to defend this... ;)

The Poorest In Our Society...

Parents at a Black Country school "can't be bothered" to collect their children's free meals, a councillor has claimed.

Yes, really. The school staff have been contacting them, apparently, to be told "no, leave it, we are alright"...  

Dudley councillor Anne Millward said the unidentified school, which she says is over the Sandwell border, is "virtually the most deprived one in western Europe".

But she claims not one parent of the Year 6 group, which had been sent home due to coronavirus, came to collect meals on their child's behalf.

She made the revelation during a debate on free school meals at a Dudley Council health meeting.

That must have been a welcome addition to the expected wringing of hands and virtue signalling and lambasting of the cruel heartless Tory monsters, eh, Reader? 

"It makes me wonder who is complaining about free school means. Is it the parents themselves? I am not being political here."

Maybe not, but I predict you're in for a bumpy few weeks. Because the ones complaining most definitely are being political...  

H/T: Ted Treen via email

A Brave Man…

A businessman has stepped in to save a St George's Day parade in the West Midlands after a local council pulled its funding over racism fears.

Yup, that’ll be this parade.

Last month Sandwell Council said it would not pay for the event on 23 April through West Bromwich.

It said it had seen footage of last year's event which showed it had been "infiltrated" by the far right.

Local truck company director Chris Kelly has now pledged £10,000 to allow the parade to go ahead.

Oh, dear. I really hope his site licenses and H&S procedures are all up to date. The Righteous aren’t going to take this lying down, I’ll bet…

Mr Kelly, of the Keltruck company, said he came forward after seeing the issue highlighted on the BBC's Politics Show.

He said: "If people want to unite behind the English flag then so be it, as far as I'm concerned.

"It's not for a council to decide that."

Bravo, Mr Kelly!

The council had funded the parade for the past five years.

Leaders at the authority said they had made the decision based on advice from a watchdog.

Which watchdog?

The council's scrutiny committee is meeting later to finalise health and safety details for the parade.

Thousands of people are expected to turn up for the event.

I’ll be keeping an eye on this one…

Gosh, Who Could Possibly Disagree?

...so screams the headline in the 'This Is Staffordshire' online newspaper. Let's see, shall we?

Feckless mother? Check!

...a serious case review into Ashley's death on January 27 last year has been published by Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Board.

It has revealed how Ms Knox had fled from Sandwell back to her native Stoke-on-Trent to escape an abusive relationship.

Ashley had been 'born into a household where 'escalating domestic abuse' had taken place and he witnessed some of the violence firsthand.

Complacent authorities? Check!

But Jackie Carnell, independent chairman of the safeguarding board, said: "After moving back to Stoke-on-Trent, everyone assumed that the risk was removed.

"The father had a court order not to contact the family."

Casual partner? Check!

Months later, Ms Knox started another relationship after getting in touch with Hepburn, of Fenpark Road, Fenton, who she knew from school, through Facebook.

With a criminal record? Check!

Hepburn, who was jailed for 30 months in 2002 for an arson attack...

Use of casual partner as free babysitting service? Check!

Scott Hepburn had been left alone with little Ashley Johnson when he 'flipped' because the 18-month-old youngster would not stop crying.

Yeah. No-one could have predicted this.

'Big Society' Finally Working...

...albeit perhaps not in the way iDave expected:

Anna Raccoon takes the fight to Sandwell over their hi-vis Staazi

Fuel Injected Moose feeds the loons of 'Ciggy Busting' infamy to an ever hungry local press

Obo The Clown has a hi-larious excerpt from some epic eco-warrior bothering

Captain Ranty and MummyLongLegs ensure some unwanted public attention is paid to the ever-useless PCSO force farce

Leg-Iron has some ideas on strategy

The autumn's starting to look interesting...