Town at centre of the
“journeys from hell”
by John Hendon
WARRINGTON ? once dubbed the ?cross-over? town because of its excellent motorway links ? now suffers some of the worst traffic jams in Britain, a new study has revealed.
The M6 from Warrington to West Bromwich is now rated the most heavily congested motorway in the country, according to the Department of Transport.
And things are almost as bad travelling north, with the M6 between Warrington and Preston also heavily congested.
The survey ? said to be the most detail congestion study ever carried out in the UK ? lists the 10 ?worst journeys?.
It compares peak period flows with those when traffic is flowing freely – and shows that Warrington’s much vaunted position on the motorway network has put it right in the middle of the “journeys from hell.”.
On the Warrington-West Bromwich stretch of the M6, during the morning rush period, drivers face the misery of a 6.7 minute delay for every 10 miles travelled.
The Warrington-Preston stretch of motorway is little better with a 5.3 minute delay for every 10-mile stretch between 7-10am.
In the evening rush hour, the situation is even worse with traffic heading north from Warrington suffering a 5.8 minute delay for every 10 miles.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said the study underlined the need to press ahead with proposals for variable charges for every journey made.
He said: ?I believe road-pricing has an essential part to play. Simply building more roads is not the answer.?
Road pricing, to replace vehicle tax, is to be trialled in one part of the country by 2011 to test the technology.
Councillors’ “litter
blitz” in the park
by staff reporter
A ?LITTER blitz? organised by two councillors in Bruche Park, Warrington, resulted in eight bags of rubbish being collected ? and a submerged bike in the brook being reported to the council.
Coun Yvonne Fovargue and Coun Brian Maher organised the initiative and described it as a great success.
Further litter picks are now being planned.
Coun Fovargue said: ?In a little over an hour we collected over eight bin bags of rubbish most of which was empty bottles and takeaway cartons. We made a real difference to the area and it shows what can be achieved when people come together.?
Coun Maher added: ?Litter looks unsightly and can damage the local environment. We found plastic bags and bottles around the park and brook and what appeared to be a new bike submerged under the water. This is not only a cost to the local environment but ultimately costs the council tax payer who foots the bill for clearance.?
Stolen card used
within half-an-hour
by David Skentelbery
POLICE have renewed their appeal for witnesses following a raid on a Warrington pub by two masked men brandishing what may have been a gun.
They have revealed that within half-an-hour of the robbery at the Ring ?o? Bells pub in Chester Road, Daresbury, the raiders used a credit card stolen from the bar to obtain money from a cash machine in Runcorn ? four or five miles away.
The card was in a handbag snatched after the men burst into the pub through an insecure side door and threatened staff with what they believed to be a gun concealed in a bag.
Both men were wearing stocking masks and they demanded cash. Staff were terrified, but unhurt.
One man was described as in his early 20s, between 5ft 4 inches and 5ft 11 inches tall of slight to medium build. He was wearing a dark coloured track suit. The other was in his mid-20s, between 5ft 7 inches and 5ft 10 inches tall. He was wearing dark track suit bottoms with a white stripe on and a dark top.
Police are appealing for witnesses, or anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area of the pub or near the Late Shop in Halton Road, Runcorn, where the card was used, to come forward.
Anyone who can help should call DC Chris Jones on 01244 613952.
Students with commitment
rewarded for attendance
STUDENTS who have shown a superb commitment to their classes at Warrington?s Priestley College in the first part of the academic year were rewarded at a celebration event.
Some 551 students had attendance figures of more than 95 per cent and were entered into a prize draw to win one of 21 prizes including DVD players and digital cameras, with Kyle Walker landing the top award of ?200 in Argos gift vouchers.
The college is keen to highlight the importance of high attendance to students as this usually links in with sustained achievement and high grades.
However the statistics from this year’s first term were remarkable, beating all known records at the college and included 107 students who notched up 100 per cent attendance figures and in the process were rewarded with ?20 each in WH Smith gift vouchers.
Senior tutor Jan Costello said: “The college prides itself on creating a vibrant atmosphere where young people are eager to study.
“From the results it is clear our students are revelling in their education and at a time of year when illness is common place our results are staggering. We regard good attendance as the number one priority for success and this bodes well to hopefully surpass the 99 per cent A-Level pass rate we achieved in 2005.”
Body-builder Paul puts
on beefcake show
by staff reporter
A BODY-builder will be flexing his muscles at Warrington’s Birchwood Library on Friday (February 24).
Reigning Mr Britain and Mr Europe and former Mr World, NABBA judge, Paul Sutton, will be putting on a display that library users might find a little different.
His visit is contributing to the BBC’s RaW campaign – a three-year programme in partnership with libraries to improve the reading and writing skills of adults.
There are three phases to the campaign and from next month until February next year the focus is on ‘RaW Passions’ – building on people’s interests especially if they are sport related. Paul’s visit is to demonstrate his ‘RaW’ passion for body-building.
As a personal trainer, he will be talking about his training programme, nutrition and showing off his toned physique in a display between 7pm and 8pm at the library in Brock Road.
To reserve a free ticket for the event, call the library on 01925 827491.
Police name biker
in death crash
by staff reporter
POLICE have named the motor cyclist killed when his machine was in collision with a car on the A57 near Warrington on Thursday last week (February 16). He was Michael Pendlebury, aged 37, of Burscough, near Ormskirk.
The accident happened near to the junction of Manchester Road, Rixton with Warburton Bridge Road.
Mr Pendlebury was rushed to hospital by ambulance but was found to be dead on arrival.
