Wirral News letters: December 15

Dec 29 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

Dogs should be on leads

I AM writing in reply to Lorraine Williams’ letter (Wirral News, December 22).

We were woken at 6.30am on Wednesday, December 22 by dogs barking. We discovered two Rottweiler dogs in the garden trying to get into our two rabbit hutches. We tried to frighten them off by shouting and banging on the windows to no avail. Fearing for our own safety, my husband decided not to venture into the garden as the dogs were extremely agitated. The police were called. However, during the following two hours the dogs destroyed the runs of the hutches and gained access, although did not get to the rabbits.

The consequences of this are that I am now extremely concerned that these dogs have been allowed out in such an irresponsible manner and my children are fearful of playing out in the garden. My two young children were distraught as they feared for the lives of their beloved rabbits and also for their own safety. This has left my young daughter quite traumatised.

The police were extremely understanding and resolved the situation by bringing the owner himself round to our home to retrieve the dogs. However, they informed us that no prosecution could be taken against the owner as the dogs were found on private land.

I would like to encourage local residents to report any sightings of these dogs to the police immediately as if they are found in the public domain, the owner can be prosecuted. Owners of dogs such as these must be made aware of their responsibilities to both the dogs and the general public.

Sally Gaskell

Noctorum

Stop fighting

ONCE again we’re confronted by the tiresome spectacle of our local politicians squabbling over impending budget cuts.

Why aren’t they rolling up their sleeves Churchill-like, heading down to Whitehall and lobbying ministers for a better government settlement in Wirral?

Why aren’t they chaining themselves to Parliament railings, and demanding of national Conservative politicians (to whom the deficit has gifted an opportunity to impose every ideological whim their little hearts desire) that the public of Wirral and the employees of the council be saved from a fate they most certainly didn’t bring upon themselves?

Why, instead of joining forces and battling together for more resources, are they barking their impotent fury at each other along party lines; while those primarily responsible for this national disaster – New Labour politicians, and fat cats in the City – walk away from the mess they’ve created with their jobs, bonuses and pensions largely intact?

Why, for once, can’t our local councillors direct their fighting spirit at the bosses of the faceless government bean counters – instead of at each other?

David Elsam,

Wallasey

Don’t gloat

CLLR Walter Smith and I read the letter sent to your paper by Cllr Sheila Clarke and a Conservative election candidate for Bebington with increasing astonishment to say the least!

Wirral Council, which contains some of the poorest wards in the country, is bearing the brunt of some of the most savage Con-Dem government cuts in the country, along with other authorities in Merseyside. The result is over a thousand jobs going in Wirral Council, including 50 librarians and library staff.

So now we are in exactly the situation we warned about two years ago.

The £20m we were going to invest in new library and neighbourhood centres is no longer available. The government has slashed capital funds for schools and other council buildings. With no money, the Conservatives are talking about moving “other services” into current library buildings, many of them unsuitable, and with far fewer qualified staff to run them efficiently. And it doesn’t stop there.

The knock on could be the closure and potential destruction of other buildings like Pennant House in the old Civic Area, despite a large response from the public who wanted to see their One Stop Shop stay there because of its nearness to bus routes and ease of access for those with mobility problems. This in turn may well affect the viability of Mayer Hall and the Clock Tower. (Don’t forget in the past Conservatives and Liberal Democrats voted against a full refurbishment for Pennant House).

Bebington Highcroft Social Services Centre is facing closure. Playbuilder funding for children’s play areas has been cut across Wirral, although in a last minute U-turn funding for the Conservative marginal seats of Bebington and Liscard has been miraculously been found. There is a review of car parking charges with a view to “standardisation”. Watch out Bebington! And there is no way a council can lose over a sixth of its local workforce without affecting front line services.

Believe me, Cllr Clarke, this is no time for gloating.

Cllr Jerry Williams & Cllr Walter Smith

Bebington Labour Action Team