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Appleby Bridge
family paid tribute to her
 THE
family of a student who was found dead at her Halls of Residence in
south Liverpool at the weekend have paid tribute to her. Alisha
Bartolini, aged 18, from Appleby Bridge in Wigan was found dead at
Hope Place Campus, in Taggart Avenue, Childwall at 5.30pm, on
Saturday, 1 November 2014. A post mortem examination was carried
out, but a cause of death cannot be determined by the pathologist
until the results of further tests are known. Detectives from
Admiral Street CID are treating Alisha's death as unexplained until
the cause of her death is known. A family liaison officer is
providing support and information about the police investigation to
her family at this difficult time. Alisha's family released the
following statement about Alisha and have asked that they are left
alone to grieve in peace. Michaela and Sean, her parents,
said:- "We are absolutely devastated by the death of our
daughter Alisha and are struggling to come to terms with what has
happened. Alisha was an intelligent, bubbly, popular girl who was
much loved by everyone in her family and all her friends. She had
enjoyed her time at Abraham Guest High School and Saint John Rigby
College and had just started at Liverpool Hope University where she
was studying Marketing and Media which she hoped would lead to a
career in that field. No one can ever expect or prepare for losing a
child at such a young age. It is every parent's worst nightmare and
we are utterly devastated. We are proud to have spent the time with
her. We are however comforted by all the love and messages of
support we have received from family, friends and neighbours; they
are truly appreciated and show just what a beloved and treasured
person Alisha was to so many people."
10 things you need to know about
tax avoidance
HM
Revenue and Customs (HMRC) this week have issued a list of:-
"10 things a tax avoidance scheme promoter won't always tell
you." The list sets out the risks that people face when they
sign up to a tax avoidance scheme. These include not only the
possible monetary costs and reputational damage of tax avoidance,
but also a potential criminal conviction. This list is being
published as HMRC writes to the first promoters who will be caught
by new High Risk Promoters rules. If they don't change their
behaviour, HMRC could name them publically and fines might be
imposed of up to £1 million.
Speaking at an HMRC stakeholder
conference, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke,
said:- "The government has taken unprecedented steps to clamp
down on the selfish minority who practise tax avoidance, because we
are firmly on the side of the vast majority of taxpayers who play by
the rules. As a result, tax avoidance is now very high risk. On top
of a substantial fee to join a scheme that will almost certainly
fail a challenge by HMRC, tax avoiders will also have to pay the tax
they dodged, plus interest and penalties. To help protect taxpayers
from unscrupulous promoters we have put in place new High Risk
Promoters rules, but people need to be aware of the dangers. So I
would strongly advise anyone thinking of signing up to a scheme
which they have been told will legally reduce their tax bill to
carefully consider today's list of things a promoter may not tell
you."
The 10 things a promoter won't always tell you:-
1. Most schemes don't work. You may be told that avoidance is legal,
but if the scheme doesn't work you'll have made an incorrect tax
return, which is not in accordance with the law. You are legally
obliged to pay tax that is due and you may be charged penalties if
you try to avoid it.
2. It could cost you more than you bargained for. Avoidance schemes
are complex. They can give rise to unintended additional tax
consequences, and the fees you pay the promoter do not count as tax
paid. So you could end up paying much more than just the tax you're
trying to avoid.
3. You may have significant legal fees to pay. If the scheme is
taken to litigation, you're likely to have hefty legal fees to pay.
Your promoter may ask you to pay into a 'fighting fund' up front.
4. You could face criminal conviction. If you deliberately mislead
or conceal information from HMRC you could be prosecuted and
convicted.
5. You could face publiCity as a tax avoider. If you are named in
court papers when the case is litigated, or in public registers, you
could be reported in the media as a tax dodger.
6. Your scheme is never HMRC approved. Getting an avoidance Scheme
Reference Number from HMRC doesn't mean the department has cleared
the scheme. HMRC issues these numbers when a scheme has signs of
being designed to avoid tax.
7. You could be marked out as a high risk taxpayer. Use of a scheme
could mark you out as a high risk taxpayer, which means that all of
your tax affairs will be closely scrutinised in future, not just
your claim for relief.
8. HMRC is likely to beat your scheme in court. HMRC wins eight out
of ten cases where taxpayers and promoters take avoidance schemes to
court.
9. The risk is normally all your own. It's unlikely that a promoter
will give you a guarantee that a scheme will work. And they probably
won't be around to support you once HMRC starts investigating your
tax affairs. Some promoters set up simply to sell the scheme, and
then disband.
10. You'll have to pay the tax up front anyway. You won't get a cash
flow advantage while HMRC investigates a scheme. New legislation
means you'll have to pay the disputed tax up front.
Do you know these men who are on
CCTV footage at JD Sports in Aintree?
  MERSEYSIDE
Police have released CCTV images of 2 men who
officers believe may have vital information about a
robbery at a JD Sports branch, in Aintree, on
Thursday, 2 October 2014. Officers were called to the branch on
Aintree Retail Park, at around 7.55pm, the 2 October, following a
report that a group of men had walked into the shop and 1 had
threatened a member of staff with a spanner. The offenders are
believed to have taken a large quantity of Armani hooded tops and
some black North Face jackets before escaping from the shop on foot.
Patrols attended and immediately carried out enquiries in the area.
An investigation into the full circumstances surrounding the
incident is continuing. Officers believe the 2 men shown in the CCTV
stills could have important information which may help them with
their investigation into the incident. Either of the men, or anyone
who recognises them, is asked to call detectives in Sefton CID on:-
0151 777 3833, or via the:- 101 number, or Crimestoppers,
anonymously, on:- 0800 555 111. |
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Warning to
Sefton Residents be vigilant after a series of distraction
burglaries
RESIDENTS in Sefton are
being advised to be vigilant after a series of distraction
burglaries targeting the elderly. Detectives at Sefton CID are
investigating all the incidents, which have generally involved a
bogus repair man tricking people into handing over cash after
falsely claiming roof tiles were loose or damaged. Officers are now
reminding all residents across the borough to take basic, simple
steps to ensure that they don't fall victim to this kind of
burglary. The latest incident happened in Litherland, on 29 October
2014. A 90 year old woman was at home when a man knocked at her door
at around 7.30pm, that night. When she answered he claimed he had
carried out some repairs to her roof and needed paying. He is then
reported to have tricked his way inside the house and then
distracted the lady by asking for a glass of water before stealing
her purse. Just 2 days earlier a 78 year old woman was at home
watching TV, at around lunchtime, when a man knocked at her door
claiming to be from a social housing provider. The man told the
woman that he was there to repair several loose slates on her roof
and needed paying. When she went back inside to get her purse he
followed her and pressured her into handing over all her cash before
leaving in a hurry. A week before that, on 17 October 2014,
Merseyside Police say that a 77 year old woman was at home, in
Formby, when a man claiming to be from the Council called to advise
some roof tiles were loose and needed repairing. He then talked his
way into the woman's house and managed to steal her purse containing
cash and a diamond eternity ring. Detectives believe that either
same offender or a small number of different offenders are
responsible for these crimes and others and are carrying out
extensive enquiries to try and catch them. Detective Constable Sue Demomme from Sefton CID's burglary unit, said residents should
always err on the side of caution and keep people who call
unannounced waiting outside until they can be checked out. She said
that:- "The offender or offenders target mainly elderly people
who live alone and keep cash in their house. By posing as an
official from the Council or social landlord they are trying to gain
the resident's trust or dissuade them from asking too many searching
questions. However in these cases it has clearly been a con and the
caller is not a genuine Council repairman at all and there has not
been any work necessary on the victim's property. These criminals
are extremely callous individuals who will think nothing of stealing
someone's weekly pension, someone's life savings, or treasured
family jewellery, leaving their victim heartbroken at both the
intrusion into their home and the loss of their belongings. I would
urge everyone in Sefton to be mindful of this issue and to not only
be vigilant when answering their own doors to cold callers but also
to look out for their neighbours, particularly if they are elderly
or vulnerable in some other way. People should never feel
uncomfortable or awkward about using their door chain first and then
asking the caller to wait outside while they ether call the company
they say they are from or verify their identity in some other way.
Our advice will always be that if you have any doubts at all that
someone is not who they say they are, do not open the door to them,
ask them to wait outside or even leave and call a friend or relative
or the Police for advice." The offender in the 3 incidents
above is described as a white man, aged in his 40s or 50s, with
greying hair and an unshaven face. He was wearing a dark coloured
jacket and dark coloured trousers. Anyone with information that
could help detectives trace the offender is asked to call Sefton CID
on:- 0151 777 3014 or Crimestoppers on:- 0800 555 111. To report a
crime in progress always call:- 999. In a non-emergency call:- 101.
Devastated mum appeals to thieves
to return jewellery
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A devastated mum is
appealing to thieves who burgled her Wirral home last weekend to
return precious items of jewellery given to her by her dead son.
Adele Hardman arrived at her home on Fieldway in Wallasey, on
Saturday, 1 November 2014, to find that she had been burgled. The
worst devastation was in her bedroom, where thieves had emptied the
whole dressing table of jewellery boxes. Among the items taken were
2 of her most precious pieces of jewellery; a 9ct custom made gold
necklace with a pendant depicting 4 playing cards.
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On the back it reads:- "To Chris, you are my
shining star, Love Forever, Kayl x", and was given to Adele's son,
Christopher, by his girlfriend. The 2nd is a pendant that contains a
picture of Christopher. Christopher died, aged 15, on 25 October
2004, after suffering Oseteosarcoma, which is a form of bone cancer.
Adele said:- "It makes me feel sick that someone has been in my
house and gone through all my things. But if that's not bad enough,
they've taken such precious items that give me such fond memories of
my son, and on the 10th anniversary of his death and his birthday
this Sunday. It brings it all back to me. As well as the items of
jewellery there are other personal items from my son, such as
letters and notes. Whoever took these things will know exactly what
they are, and I just want them all back. I used to get them out and
read them to remember Christopher and I can't now because they're
gone." Detective Paul Parry from Wirral CID said:-
"The thieves will probably not have been aware of what they stole as
they took all the jewellery boxes. But they will now have had time
to go through everything and realise that they've taken some items
of huge sentimentality. I'd like to appeal to their conscience and
put themselves in Adele's position and think about how they'd feel
if this happened to them. All we're asking is for them to do the
right thing and find a way to get them back to their rightful
owner." Police believe the burglary occurred sometime
during the evening of Friday, 31 October 2014, and into the early
hours of Saturday morning. A laptop computer and cash were taken
along with the jewellery. Anyone who has any information is asked to
call:- 0151 777 2262 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on:- 0800 555
111.
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