UPDATE: Appeal to trace missing Ulverston man

We posted an appeal for help in tracing Mark Westall yesterday.  Since then, a witness has come forward with a potential sighting of Mark yesterday afternoon in Barrow.

It is believed that he got on a bus from Barrow Town Hall which took him to Barrow Railway Station, this was some time between 2 pm and 4 pm.

The police are appealing for anyone who may have sighted Mark around this time to come forward.

It is a couple of days now since Mark should have taken his medication and his family are very concerned that his condition will quickly deteriorate without this medication, and again anyone with any information is urgently requested to get in touch with Ulverston police by telephoning 101.

To give infomation without saying who you are, please ring the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111

Barrow CDRP latest Strategic Assessment

Every year Barrow Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership must carry out a review (strategic assessment) of crime and disorder across the Borough of Barrow.

This year it has been done by Cumbria County Council alongside the Joint Needs Assessment and the other Strategic Assessments for the other districts in Cumbria.  Lots of the information collated as part of our assessment is also collected as part of other assessments so it is logical for all of them to be done by the same team of people.

The Barrow-in-Furness Summary is a summary of all the information for the Borough of Barrow. 
The Technical Report contains all the statistics for the county - these are also broken down to district level and include figures for Barrow.

On the same page that all these links take you to, you will see Cumbria Community Safety Atlas which are maps of Cumbria with various crime related information on.  There are also instructions which are worth reading before you have a look at the maps!

We will use this assessment in the setting of our Plan for the coming year 2012-13.  Once we have the plan, as in previous years, we will be asking for your feedback and thoughts.

If you have any questions in the meantime then please feel free to get in touch as always.

Kind regards, Rebecca
01229 876475
242-244 Dalton Road
Barrow.  LA14 2JQ
E-mail: rrawlings@barrrowbc.gov.uk

Cumbria Police Authority Wants Your Views on the Police Budget Setting Process

Every year Cumbria Police Authority sets its annual budget and the budget for policing services across the county. In total we spend around £100m every year, which mainly comes from government grants and council tax.

The Police Authority has the task of setting the annual budget in advance, and must make sure that the cost of providing police services sits within the income we expect to receive.

This year, we have to decide whether to take an extra grant from the Government in exchange for freezing the amount of council tax that each household in Cumbria pays.

On the face of it, this seems like a great idea, but the grant will only be paid to us for one year and the Police Authority would then need to try and recoup that money in following years by raising council tax more than usual.

This would create problems, as there is a limit to how much council tax can be raised every year, so if we accept the grant now, we may not be able to recoup that money in future years, which would mean that policing might have to be cut by up to £1million on top of the £18m we already have to save.

Police Authority members have a difficult choice to make, but they think that it is most important to make sure police services are protected. This would mean increasing Council Tax.

What does this mean for you?

If we don’t accept the government grant next year we will need to increase council tax in 2012/13 and we will need to decide how much the increase should be.
The amount of increase would depend on what band of council tax your property is in.

If we do accept the government grant next year, the police authority element of the council tax will be frozen for a year, meaning your council tax will remain the same in 2012/13. However, council tax would then potentially need to increase by a larger amount in 2013/14.

We want to hear your views on the proposals

Please feedback by 31st January 2012 all feedback will then be submitted to the Police Authority for their consideration in making their final decision on the Police Budget.

• Email us at policeauthority@cumbria.police.uk

• Write to us at Budget Feedback, Cumbria Police Authority, Carleton Hall, Penrith, CA10 2AU

We're giving you the chance to have your say on the difficult budget decisions facing Cumbria Police Authority using a new online tool called 'Your Police Budget'. Your Police Budget puts you in charge of deciding how much to spend on different policing activities. To have a go please visit our website http://www.cumbriapoliceauthority.org.uk/community-engagement-activity/budget-consultation

Appeal to trace missing Ulverston man

Police are appealing from help from the public to trace a missing man from Ulverston.

44 year old Mark Westall, of North Lonsdale Road, Ulverston was last seen at 9.30pm on Monday 23rd January 2012 on North Lonsdale Road in the town.

He is described as white, 5' 6'' tall, of a stocky build with dark brown, collar length wavy hair. He was last seen wearing an orange jacket and blue trousers, with a light coloured sweatshirt worn under his jacket.

Police and Mr Westall’s family are growing increasingly concerned for his welfare due to his sudden disappearance and because it is believed he has no money with him. However, he is believed to have a Stagecoach bus pass.

Police are appealing to Mark to contact them or his family to let them know he is safe. Any members of the public who believe they see a man matching this description are urged to contact Ulverston police on 101.

The Police new non-emergency number is 101

Police want to speak to Jimmy France

Detectives in Barrow are wanting to speak to Albert James William France, commonly known as Jimmy France, aged 37 from Barrow, in connection with criminal investigations and in breach of his police bail.

It is believe he is in the Barrow area and anyone who knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact the police.



If you recognise him from his picture and know where he is currently located, please contact Barrow CID on 101.

You can also give information without saying who you are by ringing the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111

Police reappeal for info that will help them locate Barrow man who has been recalled to prison

Police have again appealed for information to help them find Kevin Anthony Wyatt, 27, from Barrow, as he has been recalled to prison.

Wyatt failed to return to the Carlisle hostel he was living in while he was on license from prison.

Police believe he may be in the Furness area.


Anybody who knows of Wyatt's whereabouts, or who has seen a man fitting his description, should call Barrow CID on 101.

You can also give information without saying who you are....please ring the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111

3 men charged with drug offences

Three men have been charged with drugs offences as a result of arrests in Cumbria and Lancashire on Wednesday 18th January 2012.


Jamie Michael Cato, 40, of Harrowside, Blackpool, was arrested on the afternoon of Wednesday 18th January after his car was stopped by uniformed officers on the outskirts of Kirby Stephen. A quantity of Class B controlled drugs, including approximately 2kg of Amphetamine Sulphate, was recovered from the vehicle. Cato was subsequently charged with being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

Robert Jackson, 38, of Hampton Road, Blackpool was arrested at Harrowside, Blackpool along with Philip Joseph Eltman, 48, of Seaview Way, Fleetwood. Both men were subsequently charged with being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

All three men will appear before Carlisle Magistrates on 16th March 2012 for committal proceedings.

Media appeal from West Mercia police: Escaped prisoner - assistance required

Police Appeal For Information About Dangerous Prisoner

Police have issued an urgent appeal after a dangerous prisoner escaped from a prison escort van in North Worcestershire on the morning of Monday, 23 January 2012.

It happened at about 8.20am in Hewell Lane, Tardebigge, near Bromsgrove, close to HMP Hewell Grange.

The prisoner, John Anslow, was charged with murder by Staffordshire Police last week.

Anslow, aged 31, who is from the Tipton area, is one of five men charged with the murder of Richard Deakin, who was shot dead in Chasetown, Staffordshire, in 2010. He was charged on Wednesday, 18 January, and was on his way to Stafford Crown Court.

Anslow is described as white, 5ft 10ins tall, of medium build, with short straight dark brown hair.

Detective Inspector Jon Marsden of West Mercia Police said: “Three men wearing balaclavas, two of whom were carrying sledgehammers, got out of a silver Volkswagen Scirocco, and smashed the windscreen and driver’s window of the GEO Amey prison escort van.
“The van driver was punched but no serious injuries were sustained by escort staff. There were two other prisoners in the van at the time, neither of whom were released.”

The Scirroco drove off at speed. The group are believed to have switched to a silver Mercedes car in Stoney Lane, Bromsgrove, soon after.

Det Insp Marsden added: “Anslow has recently been charged with murder and is considered dangerous. We are working closely with our colleagues from West Midlands and Staffordshire Police forces and a large number of officers from all three forces are involved in the search for him. However we would urge any members of the public who sees him not to approach him directly, but to contact police immediately on 999.”

Information can also be passed on to West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000 quoting incident 87-s-230112, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 1111.

Family pay tribute to heroic father who died in A5087 collision

The family of 61 year old George Tyson who sadly died in a road traffic collision on the A5087 at Conishead, Bardsea on Sunday have paid tribute to a caring and heroic father who ‘died doing the thing he loved most.’

Melanie Tyson, George’s daughter said on behalf of her family: “George was my dad and he died on Sunday doing the thing he loved the most. He was walking, as he does most Sundays, with my brother Garry, down the Coast Road towards Ulverston. My dad’s life was cruelly taken away from him, although through various witness statements, the story is blessed with his selfless act of saving the life of my brother. We, as a family, are still in shock of this news but realise that my dad’s quick action saved it from being an even bigger tragedy.
“My dad was a loyal Ulverstonian who cared for a great deal of people over his life in the wonderful town he loved. He was for a long time heavily involved in the community and had a large part to play in various projects to bring us all together – and, more importantly, help the kids get the most out of living in this beautiful town of ours. He was a naturally gifted carpenter who loved varnishing everything he could find. He was immensely talented.
“He practically built our family home from scratch and will be forever remembered carrying his tools around the house and drilling holes in - in my mum’s opinion - too many walls. He loved making a mess and I’ll always remember the great times we had, along with my brother and sometimes at the expense of my mum’s patience, having too many laughs.

“Most people of Ulverston will know him through the long term care and help he has shown my brother and most people with have at some point seen them pacing through town on their many missions. Garry, who was left disabled following his own tragic accident, was inseparable from his dad and the huge amount of time, care and patience my dad showed will be hugely missed.

“Myself and my own family are soon to be returning to live in Ulverston and with the help of Will, my Mum and Garry, will help me bring my son up in this big hearted town that his Granddad loved and cared for so much.”

The collision occurred at about 3.50pm on Sunday 22nd January 2012 and involved Mr Tyson of Alexander Gardens, Ulverston, his son Garry, and a white coloured Vauxhall Corsa driven by a 17 year old male from Barrow. He was arrested on suspicion of Causing Death by Dangerous Driving and was subsequently released on bail until 4 April 2012 pending further enquiries.

Mr Tyson’s son was conveyed to Furness General Hospital by ambulance and he was released after treatment.

The police are appealing for witnesses to the collision and they are asked to contact PC Simon Tunstall at Ulverston Roads Policing Unit on the non emergency number of 101.
You can also give information anonymously by ringing the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

First day in post for Cumbria’s new Chief Constable

Cumbria Constabulary’s new Chief Constable began his new role today after the Police Authority appointed him as the county’s top cop.

The Police Authority appointed Stuart Hyde as Chief Constable last week after Craig Mackey announced his move to become Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Speaking about his new role, Chief Constable Hyde said: “Today I begin my role as the Chief Constable of Cumbria and I feel privileged to be leading such a dedicated team of officers and staff.
“My focus for the next 18 months will be to ensure Cumbria remains a safe place to live, work and visit, and to deliver the best policing service we can afford.
“Our main challenge will be to continue delivering such high performance with fewer people and a smaller budget, so my priority will be to identify further efficiencies that enable us to maintain a visible, front-line policing service to the people of Cumbria.
“I also want to work more closely with partner agencies, both at a county and district level, so that we can maximise any back office efficiencies and tackle community priorities more effectively by dealing with issues together.
“Tackling serious and organised crime will remain a priority, and I want to ensure that we develop our tactics to ensure we stay ahead, and remain in a strong position to tackle the changing face of criminality.”

Ray Cole, Chair of Cumbria Police Authority, said: "We are fortunate to have a strong Chief Officer Group whose leadership has driven down Cumbria’s crime and anti-social behaviour levels year on year.
“I’m confident that the team, led by Stuart, will continue this hard work and I look forward to working alongside the new Chief Constable to build upon Cumbria Constabulary’s successes.”

Assistant Chief Constables Michelle Skeer and Jerry Graham will split the temporary Deputy Chief Constable post between them, taking it in turns to fill the position until August 2013. Deputy Chief Constable Jerry Graham has taken up the role today and will remain in post until the end of October 2012.

The Police Authority has decided to leave the remaining Assistant Chief Constable post vacant at this time due to the organisation’s reduced budget and internal staffing reviews that are ongoing.

Have you seen missing Barrow teen, Reece Tarr?

Reece was found on Friday teatime (20th January 2012).  Thanks to all who helped.
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Police in Barrow are trying to trace a local boy, who has been missing since the 18th January.

Reece Tarr, 15, was last seen by his family at his home in Barrow at around 7pm on Wednesday.

Officers believe he is still in the Barrow area, and are appealing for anyone who knows of Reece’s whereabouts, or has seen a boy fitting his description, to call Barrow Police on 101.

Reece is described as a white male, 5ft 3ins tall, medium build, with short, blonde hair. He was last seen wearing a brown hooded top, grey track suit bottoms and white trainers.

You can also give information anonymously by ringing the Crimestoppers charity on 080 555 111