Research has discovered that many train journeys take longer now than they did ten years ago, despite millions of pounds being spent on modern trains and track improvements.  Some off-peak journeys take on average nearly 15 minutes longer than they did in 1999.

Critics have accused rail companies of making journey times longer so that they can make it easier to meet their targets for punctuality.

In some cases, journies take longer because extra stops have been included on the routes, but on many routes the trains are slower even where the number of stops has not changed.

The figures, based on average off-peak fast journey times, were compiled by researchers for Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat transport spokesman.

Mr Baker said:

“The rail companies had a problem with punctuality five years ago and now they are claiming punctuality rates of over 90%, but the price that passengers have to pay is longer journeys because the train companies are padding out their timetables to ensure they meet the Government’s targets and avoid paying financial penalties.

“It’s time the train operators sorted this out and met punctuality targets while getting passengers to their destinations faster than they did 10 years ago.”

Mr Baker said that an increase in the number of trains, leading to more crowded tracks, has forced many services to slow down.

Anthony Smith, the chief executive of Passenger Focus, the consumer watchdog, said:

“Passengers will accept that journey times could be influenced by more trains running on the network, additional stops and greater numbers of people travelling by train.

“What passengers will find unacceptable is if train companies are increasing journey times to improve their performance record.”

A spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies admitted that some journey times had increased over the past 10 years.

He added:

“Train operators are focused on delivering realistic, reliable journey times day in, day out. It certainly does not mean ‘padding’ timetables.”

A major clean-up has begun in five Grimsby grot spots which were nominated by members of the public. Three tonnes of rubbish have already been removed from five sites across the town, which are being transformed by offenders on the Community Payback scheme.

Earlier this year, thousands of North East Lincs residents voted for which area of the five they wanted to be cleaned up first, with disused land behind the Boyes car park, off Wellington Street, topping the vote. Work in this area has temporarily stopped, so cleaning up the next most popular choice, the Newmarket Street railway Bridge, has been completed first instead.

Just a few months ago, the bridge was covered in graffiti and strewn with litter, but now, after 47 hours of work, it has been painted and polished, and a quarter of a tonne of rubbish has been removed.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s neighbourhood crime and justice co-ordinator, Marcus Czarnecki, said:

“The scheme is all about getting criminals to pay back into their communities. So far, the project is going really, really well.”

Our region is one of 54 areas in the country chosen to pilot the project, which is part of the Home Office’s Justice Seen, Justice Done campaign.

The scheme lets residents have a say in which areas criminals will clean up as part of the punishment that has been given to them by the courts.

Offenders doing the work are forced to wear high-visibility vests which show they are taking part in Community Payback, and if they remove them, they will be re-sentenced by the courts.

Progress to date in the first five projects is:

• Land behind Boyes car park – 21 hours of work has been completed, and the clean-up is ongoing.
• Railway Street Bridge – 47 hours of work has been done on the bridge.
• Patrick Street Underpass – 49 hours has been done, and work is ongoing.
• Wingate Parade – 35 hours has been completed, and work is ongoing.
• Cleveland Bridge– 21 hours has been completed, and work is ongoing.

A major piece of work in the Yarborough Ward will take place next month with a clean up of large sections of the Freshney Park.

 If any resident of the Yarborough Ward has any suggestions for Community Payback projects within the ward please contact me with details and I will apply to have it added to the list.

Cold callers and scam artists are being targeted by North East Lincolnshire Council in a bid to protect your money.

This week NELC’s Trading Standards Team has put up three new cold-calling zone signs in the Convamore Road area of Grimsby.

The No Cold Calling Zone scheme is part of a larger nationwide initiative where a zone will be marked by signs on street lamps and local residents will be informed about how to deal with cold callers.

The zones are set up in partnership with Neighbourhood Watch and the council’s Community Safety Wardens, who are erecting the signs free of charge.

There are currently 24 Cold Calling Control Zones operating in North East Lincolnshire, covering approximately 2,600 homes, and N E Lincs Council is creating another five zones in the sweekext few weeks.

The scheme is aimed at rogue traders, con men, and distraction burglars, but will also deter legitimate companies who employ cold calling and pressure selling tactics.

Councillor Steve Beasant, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Public Protection, said:

“This scheme protects residents from cold callers. In these trying economic times, there may be a temptation for businesses to employ tougher methods of salesmanship. While these aren’t necessarily illegal, our duty of care is to residents and ensuring they receive value for money and a good level of service.”

Trading Standards officers have also issued a warning to residents after a number of new door-to-door and mail scams were attempted in North East Lincolnshire.

If somebody does approach your home you are advised to ask for identification, references and, preferably, membership of the Home Services Directory – a database featuring trading standards-vetted trades-people.

Councillor Beasant added:

“Regrettably, with the warmer weather, there is an increased risk that brazen bluffers will start to crawl out from under their stones. The key message is to be wary of people who call at your home or phone unannounced – and to never do business on your doorstep for jobs on your home.”

Andy Foster, the council’s trading standards manager, said:

“If you’ve already been approached and are worried – seek advice.

“If you find that you have succumbed to the offer of a cheap job once, do not allow the trader to offer to do more work for you and call us instead.

“It is never too late, even if you have committed to what you understand is a contract.”

There have also been a number of mail scams reported in North East Lincolnshire in recent weeks.

Mr Foster added “Every year an estimated three-million people fall victim to mass-marketed scams such as bogus lotteries, deceptive prize draws and sweepstakes, fake psychics, get-rich-quick schemes, miracle health cures and bogus money transfers.

“Many of these scams are sent through the post, as well as by email or over the phone, and target the elderly and vulnerable.
“We advise residents not to respond to the scams and always keep your bank details secure and never disclose them in response to e mails, letters or telephone calls that come out of the blue. Residents should remember if it sounds too good to be true it usually is”

The Home Services Directory is available by clicking onto the website http://www.wyjs.org.uk/hsd/homepage.asp or you can call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 for any other trading standards advice. If you would like to report a scam to trading standards then text the word ’scam’ followed by your message to 82055. Alternatively, if you are a Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator and would like to create a Cold Calling Control Zone in your area then call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06

Ahead of Armed Forces Day tomorrow (27th June 2009), Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats has set out five priorities the Government must meet to better support Britain’s service men and women. Nick Clegg said:

“We must never forget the enormous sacrifices which our service men and women make on our behalf every day. I know from visiting them in Afghanistan that their selfless dedication is truly humbling.

Armed Forces Day is a chance to show our gratitude, but also to reflect on how we can best support our troops. This Government has failed them too often. That is why I am setting out five priorities Gordon Brown must meet if he wants this day to be more than just a gesture.

First, our forces in Afghanistan need a strategy they can believe in. If military commanders need more troops for this operation, they should have them. We must not ask them to do this difficult job without committing the resources they need to do it properly.

Second, we need our front line troops to have the helicopters and armoured vehicles they so desperately need. Progress on replacing the poorly armoured Snatch Land Rovers has been painfully slow, and British forces are still desperately short of the helicopters that fighting in Afghanistan requires.

Third, the Government must provide decent housing for forces families. For too long families whose loved ones are risking their lives abroad have been rewarded with disgracefully substandard housing.

Fourth, there needs to be a much greater emphasis on providing the best physical and mental healthcare for both serving personnel and veterans. Our troops are under greater strain now than they have been for decades, yet too often they don’t get the help they need.

Fifth, we urgently need a Strategic Security and Defence Review to ensure our forces can fight the wars we face today and tomorrow, not the Cold War conflicts of the past. The way we treat our service personnel must be at the heart of this review.”

New Government figures show that 85% of lorries break 50mph speed limits while more than 75% exceed 40 mph limits.

On motorways, 49% of cars go faster than the 70mph limit, with 15% exceeding 80mph, according to Department for Transport statistics for 2008.

The figures also showed that while 69% of cars exceeded 30mph limits in 1998, fewer than 50% did so in 2008.

It appears that after years of advertising the basic message “speed kills” is still not getting home, and it must be remembered that a child as greater chance of living when a car is travelling at a speed much below 30 – in other words “twenty’s plenty”.

In addition, the department’s statistics revealed that the distance travelled by motor vehicles in 2008 fell around 0.8 per cent compared with 2007 – the first fall since 1979 but still 11 per cent more distance than that travelled in 1998.

The distance travelled by cars fell 0.6% last year, while light van traffic, which was down 0.4%, fell for first time since 1992.

The statistics also showed:

• Heavy goods vehicle traffic was down 2.2% last year;
• In 2008, the south-east of England was responsible for 17% of all motor vehicle traffic in Britain;
• In 2008, motorways accounted for just 0.9% of the total road length but carried 20% of the traffic;

The average vehicle delay on the slowest 10% of journeys fell from 3.90 minutes per 10 miles for the 12 months ending March 2008 to 3.42 minutes per 10 miles for the 12 months ending March 2009 – a decrease of 12.3%.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: “It seems the police and the Government are now prepared to accept lawbreaking on a massive scale.

“If they believe higher speeds are appropriate, they should have the courage of their convictions and propose raising the limits.

“If not, they need to enforce the present limits. Any increase in speed limits will endanger lives and will increase carbon emissions

The public are being asked how they think £4million raised from the sale of assets seized from criminals should be spent.
The initiative comes under the Home Office’s new Community Cashback scheme, where people from 42 areas in England and Wales can vote online for their say in where the money should go.

According to the government, £148million in assets was seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act last year. The money for the Community Cashback scheme has been raised from the sale of such assets, which include yachts and cars.

The Local Criminal Justice Boards in each of the 42 areas will be invited to bid for up to £95,000 each. People can then use a website to suggest projects in their areas they want to see money spent on, or support projects put forward by others.

Liberal Democrat shadow home secretary Chris Huhne said: “Dirty money should go into preventing crime.

“A good candidate would be youth projects in deprived areas to ensure that young people are diverted away from a life of crime.”

Crime figures to date for 2008 show that domestic burglaries have reduced by almost 20%  in the Humberside Police area.

Humberside Police remains committed to tackling household burglary as one of its priorities and aims to reduce that number further still.

Home Office crime statistics indicate that one in five domestic burglaries are committed by an opportunist thief.

Humberside Police’s message centres around offering practical advice on how simple preventive measures can effectively help to protect your home and possessions.

Most burglars are not master criminals, they are opportunists.  A significant number of burglaries occur as a result of residents leaving a door or widow open.

The campaign is being run with the support of the region’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

In specific neighbourhoods across the force area, identified through police intelligence, local police officers and police community support officers will distribute crime prevention information packs.

The 10,000 packs will include burglary prevention leaflets, a personal letter from the local Neighbourhood Chief Inspector and a fridge magnet displaying the campaign message and Humberside Police contact telephone number.

Householders reporting a burglary can expect a prompt response from Humberside Police as part of its Safer Homes initiative with services of specialised officers using advanced forensic techniques to help identify and arrest offenders.

Humberside Police have the following crime prevention advice:

• Always lock your doors and windows, even when just popping to the shops or in the back garden.
• Fit deadlocks to all outside doors – burglars hate them because you need a key to open them from the inside as well as the outside.
• Put key operated locks on all downstairs or accessible windows – burglars don’t like having to smash windows because of the noise and the danger of cutting themselves
• Try to make sure your TV and other valuables can’t be seen from your window. Also don’t leave empty boxes of new purchases outside for burglars to see
• Use a timer switch to turn lights and radios on when you are out or away to give the impression that your house is occupied
• Install a visible burglar alarm – and turn it on. If you do not have one consider investing a few pounds in a dummy alarm box.
• Prevent letterbox burglaries by storing keys away from the front door.
• Restrict access to your back garden by having a solid fence and lockable gate

Can you be sure who’s coming through your door? That is the question being posed by Humberside Police in a new campaign to raise awareness about bogus callers.

Radio advertising, billboards and buses are being used to remind the public of the activity of bogus callers and posters and leaflets are also being distributed within the local community at libraries, community centres and post offices.

Neighbourhood policing officers including PCSOs will assist in the distribution of advice leaflets and window stickers among local areas to hammer home the messages.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Leaver said: “Bogus callers often target the most vulnerable members of our communities and it is the aim of this campaign to increase awareness among these groups and make everyone think a little more carefully about who they are opening their door to.”

The key messages being driven by the campaign are:

• Appearances can be deceptive – bogus callers often look respectful but are deceitful.
• Together we can shut the door on these criminals
• If in doubt keep them out

Mr Leaver said:

“Most people who call at your home will be genuine. But sometimes, people turn up unannounced with the intention of tricking their way into your home to steal valuables and money.

“They may pose as an official caller from a local authority or a utility company, gas, electricity or water, with a plausible explanation for needing to enter the home.

“Bogus callers sometimes work in pairs or even teams. They are often well organised. One will distract the person while the other searches the house for money or other valuables. They can be men, women or children, or often a combination. Watch out for anyone who says they are in a hurry. Don’t let them pressure or confuse you.”

Humberside Police is urging people to pay heed to the following advice:

LOCK, STOP, CHAIN and CHECK

When someone calls at your door and offers to do repairs to your home or to ask for urgent help, or when someone official knocks on your door, follow these simple steps to help protect yourself and your home from bogus callers. 

• LOCK:  Keep your front and back doors locked, even when at home.

Before you answer, stop and think if you are expecting anyone. Check that you have locked any back doors and taken the key out. Look through the spy hole or the window to see who it is.

If you decide to open the door, put the door chain or bar on first. Keep the bar or chain on while you are talking to the person on the doorstep. (Normally, when the door is shut and locked, leave the bar or chain off in case you need to get out in an emergency.) Some bogus callers call on older and vulnerable people saying they need help urgently. They may ask you to help them outside the house or ask to come in to make a phone call or have a glass of water. Only go to help them if you have someone else with you. Don’t worry if you choose not to help – it is not rude or unfriendly.

• CHECK:

If someone who looks official calls at your door, always do the following. Ask for and carefully check their identity card, even if they have a prearranged appointment (all genuine callers will carry one). Do they look like the person on the card? Is the name the same one as that on your letter? Close the door while you do this. If you are not expecting them and they have not shown you an identity card, do not let them in until you have checked and double-checked that the caller is genuine.

• ONLY LET THEM IN WHEN YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THEY ARE GENUINE.

Genuine callers will always be happy to make an appointment to call and will carry an identity card with a photograph. They won’t mind waiting if you want to phone and confirm their identity or want to rearrange the appointment.

REPORT BOGUS CALLERS: 0845 60 60 222

Gordon Brown was last night forced to change his plans to make taxpayers pay millions of pounds to bail out the MP’s pension scheme.

Downing Street sources said the Government would abandon the proposal, which was due to be approved by the House of Commons today. 

The Liberal Democrats had planned to table a motion to force a vote on the issue and the Conservatives also withdrew their support for the change.

Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman Steve Webb said:

“With millions of people facing economic hardship and worries about their own pensions, it is quite wrong to ask them to do more to contribute to MPs’ already very generous pensions.”

Taxpayers currently pay 26.8% of an MPs’ pensionable salary into their pension pot, but the Government had planned that the contribution must be increased to 28.7%, meaning that taxpayers would be forced to pay an extra £800,000 a year into the scheme.

Like many pension schemes, the MPs’ fund faces a £51million deficit, largely because its members are living longer. Commons Leader Harriet Harman had made plans for taxpayers to pay an extra £800,000 a year to the Parliamentary pension fund, which is one of the most generous in the country.  MPs themselves were to find only £60 a month extra.

Critics said that the change would only cause more public anger over pay and perks at Westminster.

Conservative Mp’s will pay back another £125,000 in  claims for expenses as a result of the party’s internal discplinary committee, which published its findings earlier today.

This brings the total amount that is being repaid into the public purse by Conservative MP’s to over £250,000.

Forty-one Conservative MPs agreed to repayments today, in addition to over £130,000 that has already been repaid by 60 Conservative MPs.

Nine Conservative MPs have also already agreed to give up all or part of their second homes allowance in future, which is estimated to be worth a total of over £100,000.