York crime and policing update

Vital witnesses to York pasty shop burglary urged to come forward

Detectives investigating a burglary at a shop in York city centre are appealing for some potentially vital witnesses to come forward.

Sometime between 5.50am and 6am on Tuesday 18 February 2014, thieves broke into the Cornish Pasty Bakery on Colliergate and stole a safe containing a quantity of cash.

Following extensive enquiries officers have established that the suspects were loitering outside the shop prior to the incident.

Continue reading →

Police hunt tyre slasher in York

slashed tyreYork police are investigating a spate of tyre slashing in the city and are appealing for help from the public to trace the suspect.

Between 14 and 17 February 2014, the tyres on eight vehicles were slashed at various locations.

The vehicles include a Ford Fiesta parked on Clifford Street, a Volkswagen Bora parked on Victor Street, a Nissan Micra and Ford Focus both parked in All Saints Comprehensive School car park, a Volkswagen Passat parked in Buckingham Street, a Toyota Avensis parked in East Mount Road, and a Ford Ka and Toyota Yaris both parked in Lower Friargate.

Continue reading →

Anger grows over 20 mph speed limits

Dringhouses Labour Councillor opposes consultation with residents.

A Labour Councillor has claimed in the media that residents should not be consulted over wide area 20 mph speed limits. She says that most residents are in favour of the scheme.

Dijon Avenue Green Lane junction small 3

The claim comes at a time when some residents are reacting angrily to having expensive sign erected on short cul de sacs where it is impossible to reach even 15 mph.

In some areas signs have already been vandalised.

The Councillors comment can only inflame public opinion and fail to acknowledge that in much area where the new limits have been imposed the number of accidents recorded has actually increased.

The new Council, which will be elected in 2015, will have the unenviable job of deciding whether to throw good money after bad and have the signs removed.

Common sense says that the programme should be suspended. This would potentially save around £200,000 – only which could be spent on targeted accident prevention work.

The results of the new limits already rolled out in west York could then be assessed before the policy is thoroughly reviewed.

NB. In a poll of all residents living in the Westfield and Dringhouses wards, only 5% of respondents said that they favoured a “wide area” 20 mph speed limit.

Local Assistance Scheme for poor underspent in York

Local Assistance Scheme only half forecast

It looks like the York Council will underspend its budget for welfare payments during the current financial year.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

The budget was delegated to the Council by the government replacing – in part – the Social Welfare fund.

It is intended to make emergency payments to less well off people who encounter unexpected expenses.

The York scheme is called the York Financial Assistance Scheme (YFAS). Its explanatory booklet says that the YFAS can be used to help with, for example:

• Expenses and household items to help you move out of residential care or stay in your home

• Rent or council tax payments

• Financial assistance in an emergency.

By the end of January nearly half of the Council’s £315,000 YFAS budget had not been committed.

A total of 1062 payments had been authorised with the authority saying that 176 of them were made to people aged under 25.

Given that the budget is not being fully spent this year, it is surprising that the Council announced last week that it will to add another £100,000 to the payments that it intends to make next year

———————-

Meanwhile many fears about Council Tax income are proving to be unfounded.

The York Council had collected 85% of monies due by the end of December. The same percentage as in 2012.

However the number in arrears with their Council Tax payments had increased from 5556 in 2012 to 7040 in 2013.

Of these 2601 were receiving Council Tax support (formerly known as “benefit”)

Perhaps surprisingly the numbers who had been referred to bailiffs had fallen from 3996 to 2902

The Council is budgeting next year to collect an additional £1/4 million through “further improvement of collection performance”.

Road damage claims up 67%

Call for Lendal Bridge fine income to be used to repair roads

The number of claims for compensation following damage to vehicles caused by poorly maintained roads in York dramatically increased last year.

Damaged speed humps. Already dangerous for cyclists.

Damaged speed humps. Already dangerous for cyclists.

The change followed a decision by the Labour controlled Council to reduce expenditure on highways maintenance by over £2 million.

The number of claims received, for incidents over recent years, has been

  • 2011 – 75
  • 2012 – 52
  • 2013 – 87

There are now calls for the Council to agree, at its budget meeting next week, to increase the amount it spends on maintenance back to the £5.5 million figure which was being invested each year by the previous, LibDem controlled authority.

Pressure is also growing for the £1.3 million – taken in fines from motorists on Lendal Bridge and in Coppergate – to be used to address the backlog in resurfacing works.

Genetically modified food tops mis-selling list in York

“Home made” foods that weren’t

The York Council, has published a list of the cons some food retailers attempted during last year.

red strawberry

The Council says, “During food standards inspections and sampling exercises carried out between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013 the following incidents of mis-description have been found:

  • Use of undeclared genetically modified foods (vegetable oil) 9
  • Homemade/home cooked foods that weren’t 7
  • Parmesan & Feta cheese 6
  • Scampi/Crab containing white fish/Surimi 5
  • Meat products containing additional types of undeclared meat 5
  • Cheaper brands of food/drink being used 4
  • Cheese analogue/substitute used instead of cheese 4
  • Spring water used instead “mineral water” 3
  • Incorrect origin or other claim 3
  • Turkey ham being used instead of ham (ie pork) 2
  • Margarine used instead of butter 2
  • Cod substituted with haddock/Pangasius 2
  • Substitution of dairy cream with non-dairy product 1
  • Frozen food described as “fresh” 1

There were also 18 incidences of under strength spirits found during inspections/sampling. However these may not be “deliberate” as they appeared to be due to the use of open top pourers on bottles, which led to evaporation of the alcohol rather than eg “watering” of spirits”.