|
Christmas
blitz on counterfeit goods
TRADING Standards officers in Warrington have been involved in a clampdown on counterfeit merchandise and the seizure of more than 40,000 items in the North West.
The Trading Standards North West (TSNW) Intellectual Property Group, which is made up of representatives of the 22 Trading Standards services in the North West including Warrington, carried out the initiative in the run-up to Christmas.
Markets, car boot sales and private properties were all targeted and a wide range of goods were seized including DVD's, CD's, clothing, bags and purses, perfume, jewellery and watches, mobile phone covers, cigarettes and tobacco, football merchandise, vodka and washing powder!
In addition, a large number of computers and copying equipment was confiscated.
Several arrests have already been made and others are likely to follow. Some dealers have already appeared in court while several have been given police bail.
Peter Astley, Trading Standards North West Executive Member and said:- "The message is clear - anyone dealing in these illegal goods is liable to be arrested and prosecuted. These people are not the 'Robin Hood' characters they seem. Very often they are engaged in other criminal activities and are claiming a variety of state benefits. This clampdown will continue."
Cllr Mike Hannon, Executive Board Member for Community and Wellbeing, said:- "People must realise that jobs are being lost through this type of crime, which benefits no one but the criminals involved. We will continue to tackle issue because as well as the goods being cheap, shoddy imitations our honest, local retailers and manufacturers need protection."
|
Park set to scoop jackpot
LIVERPOOL'S very own 'Hyde Park' is in line for a £5 million makeover. Sefton Park has taken the first step towards receiving Heritage Lottery Funding to re-vamp the area. The Grade II listed park has already received more than £200k from the fund to set up a specialist team to look at ways of improving Sefton Park. The team will be made up architects, tree surgeons and water feature designers. They will take around 12 months to draw up new plans for the park. It is hoped that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will then approve the overall project and provide funding for the improvements.
Councillor Warren Bradley, executive member for leisure, said:- "Sefton Park is one of the most beautiful green spaces in our city and certainly deserves the title of being Liverpool's Hyde Park. Receiving the initial funding from the heritage fund means that the city council has overcome a major hurdle, and hopefully we're well on the way to receiving the full grant. The park is in need of some essential restoration and refurbishment work and many of the facilities need to be improved. We want to make the most of the park and ensure it's an even more inviting venue for the thousands of residents and visitors who enjoy it every year."
The project will look at reinstating original watercourses that have dried up, planting trees, putting up fencing and restoring statues and information boards that are featured throughout the park. There will also be a focus on improving facilities such as the café and toilets and a brand new children's play area will also be designed.
Explaining the importance of the award, HLF's regional manager Tony Jones said:-
"By restoring the park we can ensure that it really reaches its full potential as a haven and place of enjoyment for many Liverpudlians. We've recently finished the painstaking restoration of the beautiful Palm House and we're delighted to be able to extend our support to the rest of the park."
|
