Dissatisfied at police response to flag ‘theft’

On Sunday, March 25, I was travelling on a bus on North Street. Keighley when I saw someone in a “hoodie”, on a hot day, taking down the brand new Union Flag from outside the Civic Centre. I contacted the police on my mobile as I suspected a crime was taking place.

My frustration started immediately. Instead of arranging for a patrol to attend, and then continuing to get my personal details I had to give them first. Then the operator was unable to find North Street, never mind the Civic Centre.

I had to explain the building was the former police station and North Street a main road through the centre of town. The details were eventually passed to Keighley Police Station.

About 20 minutes after I arrived home I received a call from a sergeant at Keighley Police Station advising me CCTV had been checked and nothing seen. Yet he was unable to tell me whether the flag had gone.

About 2pm next day (20 hours later), I phoned the town hall whose staff knew nothing about the incident, they checked and confirmed the flag had been stolen. Today I phoned the police to enquire about the outcome and was advised the area had been checked and no flag was found to be missing!

It appears to have been written off as a “no crime”, and will no doubt be statistically non-existent unless my report has been logged as a nuisance call. Although not one of the greatest crimes in the world, I am disappointed the police did not share my suspicions something was amiss, and their apathetic response. I also feel utter contempt for the lout who stole this flag which was flying at half mast out of respect for our six soldiers who recently fell in Afghanistan.

MICHAEL HAZARD

Cherry Tree Rise Keighley

A police spokesman said, Police received a call at 6pm on Sunday afternoon that someone was trying to steal a flag from the new Civic Centre. Within minutes CCTV operators were viewing the area and surrounding streets. No suspects were seen at the time. Officers later attended but no suspects were located. A crime report has been recorded and is been investigated by Neighbourhood Policing Officers. We are grateful for the caller for ringing the Police and apologise if there has been some subsequent mis-communication from the officer he spoke to at the time. Anyone with any further information should contact PC Lee Hargreaves at Keighley Police Station on the non-emergency number 101.

Healthcare system has been ‘hi-jacked’

The NHS Bill is now to become law despite overwhelming opposition from public and health professionals alike.

Our local MP Mr Hopkins has aided and abetted this process. He has voted with the Government at all stages most recently in voting against the motion to delay the Bill to allow Parliament to properly scrutinise the Risk Register on the disastrous implications of this Bill, despite being ordered by the Information Commissioner to release this in the public interest.

I would remind Mr Hopkins that: 1. The Bill did not feature in either governing party manifesto, or in the Coalition Agreement.

2. The government’s ‘Listening Exercise’ was a sham, and the legitimate concerns of the majority of the public, and the vast majority of health experts, were blatantly ignored.

3. The minor amendments accepted by the Government have done nothing to alter the nature of the Bill, which can only damage the quality of healthcare for ordinary people around the UK.

As local users of the NHS we should ensure Mr Hopkins and the Tories pay an enormous political price for this. As far as I am concerned they will bear primary and ultimate responsibility for the inefficiencies chaos and inequality that lies ahead. They have engineered this hi-jacking of an efficient and much-admired healthcare system to reward private healthcare interests. They should be held accountable as each squalid stage of the privatisation unfolds.

FRANCIS O’NEILL

Utley

Confused by letter on issue of shisha bars

I am having little success in unravelling Ms Spencer-Cairns’ confused letter of last week, but the writer seems to be suggesting a licence is required for a shisha bar.

This is not the case. For planning purposes, provided the building complies with the relevant health act, the planning department treats it in the same way as any other business. Bradford’s licensing department confirm no special licence is required. Thus Bradford Met could not in any way have been able to prevent the opening of “yet another” shisha bar. It is not illegal to smoke in the work place, it is illegal to smoke in an enclosed ‘public place’ or workplace. As planning permission has been granted one may be sure the shisha bars conform to law. Ms Spencer-Cairns refers to “through draughts”, although the 2006 Health Act has nothing to say on these. The writer should also be aware that the Health Act sought to reduce exposure to "environmental tobacco smoke" (ETS), and has no legal business in curbing, in itself, the activity of consuming smoke.

GEORGE SPELLER

Delph Barn Hill Top Road Keighley

Call for naming and shaming

Nice to see the picture of Councillor Dorothy Clamp admiring the new double yellow lines at Bar Lane, Riddlesden, in last week’s issue of the Keighley News.

However, I drove past the said junction at half past 12 and one o’clock today and there was a taxi parked on the yellow lines. I can only assume it had been there the whole time as it is not a taxi rank!

So what is the point of double yellow lines if there is going to be no enforcement? They might as well be triple or even quadruple yellow lines for all the good they do.

Maybe if someone was to take pictures of the cars that park there throughout the day, then the yellow lines law might be enforced before a serious accident occurs. Perhaps in future editions of the Keighley News, these persistent offenders will be named and shamed.

STUART HOWARD

Riddlesden

Well done to all BigK10K runners

Congratulations and well done to all the runners in the BigK10k event, from the baby carried on the front of dad to the oldest, you were all great. I wish I had half your energy.

S MACKLEY Fell Lane Keighley