Inspector Alun Oldfield is not pleased

Some time ago I made a complaint against North Wales Police with regards the traffic that speeds passed my house everyday. The Police Complaints people I seem to remember saying the complaint was not found to stand. I replied saying the complaint was with North Wales Police not an individual. Since then their has been no communication.
The complaint of course needs to go to Richard which it will shortly.

Inspector Oldfield takes exception about being on my email list as my complaint is ongoing so he says. He has also asked me to take a photo of CBM Chris Pullen off my blog.
A second request to NOT email him.
I suppose it looks like North Wales Police support my blog which they do not.
So I have removed Chris' photo with his phone number on. It was there nice and handy if someone wanted it quickly.
So much for Community Policing as long as you don't continue to point out the 2000 cars that speed passed your house every day.
Perhaps no one wants to go to Neighbourhood Forums because they can see they offer little of substance.
We have a Neighbourhood Forum tomorrow night at 7 pm. Lisa is going I will not as a protest.
North Wales Police have washed their hands of the speeding in Chester Rd.
Arrive Alive do not have the commitment or the resources
Policing by smoke and mirrors and public relations through the newspapers

A blog I read says "Liberty if it means anything is the right to tell people something they do not want to hear".

Further on the Chief Constable visiting Penyffordd

The above item covered by The Evening Leader. Cllr Colin Bithell photographed for the article. No mention of the speeding traffic through Chester Rd in the article. I suppose Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom and Colin Bithell can't be seen to have anything to do with a so called vigilante.

You only normally get vigilante type action when the people in charge ignore what's going on ( a commentator at the bottom thinks otherwise). I have well over a 1000 speeding cars passed my house every day which is in the centre of the village. Both Colin and Cllr David Williams have shown little interest. A look around at councils around me shows better run villages. Rossett being a shining example. Compulsory 20 mph and traffic calming measures that make it near impossible to do more than 20 mph.

I noticed the other morning when out on the speed gun with PC Chris Pullen that there were quite a few children cycling to school. It's criminal that this traffic is allowed to fly through the village. Quite a few are fellow villagers, out of their little cul de sacs, foot to the floor. It was a culture shock for the rat run that morning. More speed training this week.

We are having trouble in the village with youths at the moment. The Chief Constable was shown a 20 minute video by a villager showing the antics of the youths. At one point one of the youths was seen "mooning" in front of the others. To the uninitiated showing his bum.

The Traffic Calming Initiative by North Wales Police nearly half way through. A difference of behaviour ie. less speed, can be seen by some drivers.

The Chief Constable on the telly

A BBC Wales production called The Chief. I thought a good programme. He has grabbed the headlines with zero tolerance towards motorists then we are given modern community policing in the television program. A complete reversal of his previous stance.

Wasn't listening too closely so the references to Ned Ludd and parachuting went over my head until I read the link. I suppose if politicians are going to take pot shots at him they can expect a little ribbing return. The motorcycle incident is particularly bizarre. We apparently have a motorcyclist doing inappropriate speed with no tax, mot or insurance who crashed into a family car trapping a young family for ninety minutes inside their own car with his body and its then all the Chief Constable's fault. I haven't seen much about the family in the criticisms. An experience that would scar a person mentally and emotionally for life.

Links: Ned Ludd

The Chief Constable tours Penyffordd

We get the boss instead. Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom did a two hour tour of Penyffordd with Inspector Alun Oldfield, PC Chris Pullen, Cllr Colin Bithell, Linda Vidamour and other community councillors.

A Blog's view of Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom's call for Legalizing of Drugs

Please read the comments as well

Click here

This comment tickles

"What we could actually do with is a better set of narcotics. Something like a cross between alcohol, pot and MDMA without any of the side effects."

Further Comments from Harry's Place

"Legalise drugs, no thrill in taking, makes a legitimate profit and you can charge Vat and Tax etc."

"I think legalising drugs would probably have three effects: 1. A relatively small impact on usage (a few more people might use them) 2. An absolutely massive impact on organised crime, especially international crime (probably the situation in Afghanistan would be improved as well), and 3. drug taking would become safer (no hesitation about taking someone whose OD'd into casualty, less chance of buying dodgy products)."

"Finally, it gives the Afganistan government a legal market for opium, which then lets them buy in raw opium from their farmers instead of letting this feed into the illegal channels. Such a move would have a very adverse effect on the assorted criminal and terrorist gangs who use this trade as a fundraiser."

An Email to Raytheon and Airbus about their workers speeding in Chester Rd, Penyffordd

Penyffordd District
Chester Rd

Raytheon and Airbus.
Broughton, Chester.

An email to Raytheon Corporation, London, -
Paul McKinley - Head of HR at Airbus,
Mark Stewart - Head of HR, Airbus UK.

cc. Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom of North Wales Police. PC Chris Pullen, Penyffordd.

Re: Your workers daily abuse of our village environment

Dear Raytheon and Airbus

Your companies produce some of the finest technological products in the world. World Leaders in many areas of which our local people play a part.

We currently have a problem in Penyffordd with regards many of your workers. Flintshire County Council Highways are currently somewhat lagging in Traffic Calming rollout measures so each day many many 100's of your workers plough through Penyffordd at fast speeds far in excess of our 30 mph speed limit.
We have 2000 speeders a day.
We are a village with horses, children, cyclists,residents with many OAP's.
Chester Road is also a route to school. We also have a by-pass.

Your workers invade our village from 5. 30 am onwards, lunchtime between 12 and 2.00pm the later on when afternoon shift ends in the evening.

Our beat manager PC Chris Pullen will be using his personal radar speed gun from October 1st. I will be petitioning The Chief Constable for a plan of action to stop all your workers speeding through Chester Rd, Penyffordd.

Our excellent PC Chris Pullen is keen on community policing and wishes to educate rather than hand out 100's of speed tickets.
I personally would prefer them all to be prosecuted.
If a change in the current speeding law materialises many will be nursing 6 points for a 1st offence as many do well over 40 mph.

I see two ways forward.
Large Corporations help a local community
or
Village blogger defends elderly residents and children against uncaring large corporations.
Classic David and Goliath stuff.
I would very much prefer the former.

It would be very good if you both as part of your corporate responsibility could ban non Penyffordd workers from using our village as a short cut. With modern technology it is very easy to send a letter to all workers who live the outside our village informing them that our village is "out of bounds". From Gwersyllt to Pontblyddyn and beyond.
Or to advise them to do the speed limit through our village on threat of a warning if caught by PC Chris Pullen.
I'm sure your PR people could turn this into a positive event that shows that you both care for you local communities. I do not speak for The Evening Leader but I am sure they would be keen to run "large corporations helps local community" stuff.

Your help would raise the awareness that Penyffordd is a village environment and not a high speed short cut to all the other speeders.

Yours sincerely

Colin Hughes
for Chester Road Residents

Links.
Raytheon

North Wales Motorcycle Race Track

This morning we were out at 7. 00am. Between Hope and Penyffordd we encountered 10 or 12 bikes racing in the direction towards us. They were travelling at 80 - 100 mph toward us.

My speed was near 60 mph, the limit. So a full head on with one of the bikes would have been a terminal speed of say 140 - 160 mph. This on a trunk road not a by-pass.
This afternoon you can hear motorcycles thundering down the by pass at 100mph plus.

How long do North Wales Communities have to suffer this weekly insult?

The Chief Constable has already targeted the road tax and insurance dodgers. How about a crusade against the speeding motorcyclists with no insurance because they have modified their exhausts which are illegally loud.

You pick an area where it is known they race through. You set up a trap and have a squad of officers to book them.

Meanwhile North Wales Police and Arrive Alive play Amateur Half Hour in Penyffordd.......

Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom gets Zapped

There are a quite few people out there who do not like Richard. I'm pretty pleased with him at the moment because he has given PC Chris Pullen his very own laser speed gun. I have given Chris details of what times the "out of towner's" hurl through our village.

Click here to see the zapping.

Warning BBC doesn't like Mozilla so it may close it down.
Best looked at with Internet Explorer.

It's Microsoft and The BBC conspiring.

A Letter to The Chief Constable about Speeding through Chester Rd, Penyffordd.

Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom
North Wales Police

Dear Chief Constable,
As you are aware we have 2000 car, lorries and buses that speed through Chester Rd, Penyffordd daily. Arrive Alive seem to be a very scarce resource and continue to ignore Chester Rd.
I wonder if you have run the Corporate Responsibility implications past the Force's Lawyers?

Flintshire County Council though on the case are uncommunicative and dragging their collective corporate heels. My anger with them boiled over last week. You will be receiving a complaint from Flintshire County Council about my comments regarding Flintshire Highways. I hope for a change of attitude or a regime change that is currently happening in Chester City Council.

I have found a website called http://betterdrivingplease.com/index3.asp
This site allows small communities to report anti social behaviour by speeding noisy dangerous drivers.

I intend to report every speeder past my house. There are 2000 of them. It will take a month or two and will require starting at 5.30 am and continuing untill 10.00 pm.

I have a very good hidden camera, video and a dictaphone. Although all that is needed to report is the registration and type of bad behaviour which is then past on to you the Police.

I expect all valid reports will be investigated by your officers (or perhaps not read later post). You may be needing extra resources. I am quite happy to pay for a peaceful village as laid down in the Welsh Assembly Government's Manual for Streets

Name and Address Supplied

ps. Loud illegal exhausts are also an issue for many of us out here.

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Links Manual for Streets

Sunday Afternoon at Oulton Park or sounds like it.

The motorbikes are out its Sunny, Sunday and its the North Wales Motorbike race track that's the whole of North Wales. Plenty of motorbikes doing the ton along Penyffordd By Pass. I can't see them but I can hear them. I think Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom needs an "Operation Motorbike"
I've taken my tablets.....................

Mr Toad of Penyffordd District

Click on image for a better view of
the magnificent Mr Toad (Bufo bufo).
They are dry to the touch unlike frogs.
Mr Toad finds the noisy speeding traffic not to his liking either. Think I'll send a link to Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom who also has an affinity for nature.
Mr Toad found in the garage during Operation Clearout where Colin is trying to part company with 25 years of DIY materials that will "come in handy".

Speeding Traffic Update

Another Wet Sunday. Boy racers speeding with loud exhausts. Why are these loud exhausts legal?
The passing through brigade by the 100's speeding past my house 50 and 60 mph. Bikers same sort of speed.
We have no Lolly Pop Lady or gent.
A Community Council that just about sits on its hands.
I expect more from them in the coming months.
Do we have a lawless speeding village due to the Community Council we have?

North Wales Police a waste of space. Traffic Taliban my elbow.

Arrive Alive do not have the committment or manpower or equipment but will not admit it.

Mark Tami seems the only one taking my (and other residents) complaints seriously.
There have been also the letters by Carl Sargeant AM to FCC.

Impatient with the Traffic Calming Plans for Chester Rd Penyffordd

A sunny morning if slightly cool. Last night at 11.00pm in a tee shirt felt like winter. This mornings rat run mostly over. I wonder whether my community councillors and county councillors who mostly live up quiet cul de sacs are up to the job.

Also from where I am sitting neither do Mark Tami MP, Carl Sargeant AM, Flintshire County Council, Arrive Alive or North Wales Police shine.

Take Rossett village , traffic sorted proper.

postscript . Mark Tami 's letter drops through letter box after lunch....................

Driving Behaviour

Its been pouring down for a while here in Chester Rd, Penyffordd. There will be a good deal of surface water on poorly engineered or poorly maintained roads. A few surprise deep puddles when you come around a corner at speed. I do not have to go out early thank the Lord. How many of you have had tailgaiters or pushers this morning behind you in these poor weather conditions.
Idiots who are too close to the back of your pride and joy which you clean and polish every Sunday
I get Tailgaiters and Pushers everyday. I'm starting a website to report company employees.

Driving manners have declined. I regularly get young women and men tailgaiting me at 60 mph and on their mobiles when I am on an A road with little overtaking capability and 10 vehicles in front.
They drive like playing computer games, close and fast. Your car explodes on the screen and you start again.
A young lady in her car went through a hedge into a pond just a few miles outside the Flintshire border last week probably doing make up or on the mobile at speed.
A very brave young man waded into the pond and levered the door of her car open.
This young lady was very close to not being able to start again.
Arrive Alive, Flintshire County Council and the Chief Constable were quite close to not having their day on the front page.

Will Chester Road Penyffordd be the casualty to upset Chief Inspector Brunstrom's figures?

Three boys going to Penyffordd primary School last week. Silver BMW speeds past within a yard or two of the boys. It's on the wrong side of the road accelerating.
The second photo shows the boys running across the road between the speeding cars in the rat run.
I have had to do surgery on the images to remove the top of my rose bush. I haven't done "a Reuters Photoshop" like they did on the Lebanon War though.
I have written a letter to the school's Headmistress some time ago. Although sympathetic to my letter she seems little interested in 20 mph zones that most other schools appear to have.

Reproduced here

Mrs Patricia Williams

Penyffordd Junior School

Penymynydd Road, Penyffordd

Flintshire

CH4 0LQ

Dear Mrs Williams,

From the above address (removed) you can see where I live. For the last month I have been trying to make our authorities see sense over the rat run we have through our village at various times of the day. It is getting faster and noisier.

My reasons are the excessive noise and speed. We have a by-pass, we should have a quiet village.

At the moment The Community Council are acting rather sluggish. They have a meeting Wednesday night where I hope a little light will appear.

I have been communicating with our excellent MP Mark Tami and Cindy Hinds CC.

Their details are on my blog

Due to Mark I think, we have had visits from Arriva Live and our also excellent Community PC Ian Millington.

I have witnessed children trying to cross the road in very dangerous circumstances in the last 6 months. On one occasion, 3 children crossing behind the bus at the bus stop.
The sight nearly made my heart stop.

As I mention in my blog in various places we have all the ingredients for a nasty accident. As I work from home and from a purely selfish point of view I do not want to be witness to a child, pensioner or horse getting knocked down.

My blog has started as a personal crusade against the Community Council over their inertia. Perhaps I expect too much in so small a time scale

The blog called Penyffordd and District is all a bit “me” at the moment. I intend to expand it so all people of Penyffordd can use it. I will publish articles on any aspect of Penyffordd life or their hobbies from children, teenagers, adults and pensioners. Articles can be written, photographic or what ever. I can also allow other people to put their own articles on. It will also be a forum on matters Penyffordd.

I am pushing for a 20 mph at Penyffordd junction on Chester Rd, your own input would be extremely welcome and valuable, carrying plenty of weight. Flint, Hope and other schools have advisory 20mph. I would wish to start with this then push for compulsory.
Sincerely Colin

http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/

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A waste of time....................? The Council have persuaded her ( I think) to fill out a "Route to School" form so we can get money for a crossing outside the Post Office. I should point out I am not wishing for the above scenario just pointing out the possibilities as any Health and Safety Officer doing a risk assessment would. Between 8.30am and 9.00 am when the school children are walking to school many of whom have to cross Chester Rd there will be about a 100 speeding cars and lorries on Chester Rd many reaching 50 mph plus where these little boys are standing.

Postscript: perhaps I have been a little hasty.................................we shall see.

The Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom and Flintshire get good figures

The Chief Constable announces that there have been no road fatalities from June 2006 to June 2007 in Flintshire . Click here.
The figures are very good. He must have been crossing his fingers for the last month.
Those pushing for his early retirement must be a little sad.
The Chief Constable praises Flintshire County Council and their partnership with Arrive Alive.

There is no need to rest on laurels though.

Chester Rd, Penyffordd is currently getting 2000 anti social speeders daily. I think this is happening across North Wales. Arrive Alive get one new enquiry a day which they are incapable of dealing with due to having no resources.
Arrive Alive have neither the manpower nor the money to deal with this problem. Neither do North Wales Police.

A new partnership between Arrive Alive and North Wales villages and communities needs to formed.

The cheapest option is a Hidden Speed Camera Initiative for villages.

A new road sign at the entrance to villages for those who wish to sign up.
Cars will then be more inclined to keep to the proper speed limit for the entire speed limit restriction.

Bikers take out extra Insurance

There will be a Helimed Ride out on June 2nd 2007 to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance. This will come in handy as they race around North Wales at the week ends.

Chester Road Race Track (No! Not Chester Races)

I note with interest 4 cars flying past the front of the house, bumper to bumper, maximum acceleration, foot to the floor racing through our Welsh village rural environment.
We are having rumble strips, a flashing sign, a zebra crossing.
The racers are going OUT of the village not in.
The morning insult is from the middle to out.
I think cloud cuckoo land.
Meanwhile Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom prepares himself for another day of posturing, inspection and conferences whilst North Wales villages receive their daily environmental insult.

Further on Hidden Speed Cameras

Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes also states that deaths are not coming down fast enough with the current camera rules. I would add that the Police Forces in UK are impotent against speeding traffic in many villages. For example Penyffordd, Chester Rd, 2000 speeding vehicles a day from 5.30 am to 22.30 pm most days. We get a bit of a rest in some parts of Saturday and Sunday.
Just a reminder , we have a By - Pass

cc Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom

The Chief Constable's Operation ChesterRoadSpeeders

I remember when I was about 8, the village bobby was boss. To be put in his black book was a grave offence indeed. In fact my wife Lisa is very uneasy about talking to the Police even though she is not wanted for anything that I know of.
Here I am 45 years later about to take Richard Brunstrom to task.
Operation Debar 2 is under way. There are the Police say atleast 8,000 vehicles driving around North Wales at the moment without a license, insurance or tax. Not sure how they work that one out. Statistics, probability, bell curves?
Your chance to sort out that son of a bitch you dont like. The number 0845 607 1002.

Richard, we have 2000 speeding motorists through Chester Rd, Penyffordd each day. I hate the noise.

So here's how we do Operation ChesterRoadSpeeders.

Its an early start 5.30 am Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday when the kids are in school later on in the day. To make it an efficient operation incoming traffic to Chester Rd from the Broughton direction needs to be diverted to using the By-pass. Otherwise they warn all the speeding traffic that the Police or Arrive Alive are about as what happened last Arrive Alive visit.
Tripod with radar equipment set up on grass verge on Terrace Lane junction without fluourescents, the black SAS garb will be fine. This is where they will be reaching speeds of 40 - 60 mph whilst still in the 30 mph zone coming out of the village towards Broughton. The main team are just over the hill towards Broughton just like in The French Connection where the baddies with the money and cocaine come over the top of the bridge to meet the police road block with Popeye.

The team at the top of the hill are there to hand out the paperwork for speeding. They will of course be ok to wear fluorescents as in line with Police safety procedures. If you dont want the felons to be too late for for work we will need about 10 officers. I and my fragrant wife Lisa will avail the officers with tea ,coffee and biscuits. The busiest time will be between 7.15 to 9.15 am.
Not sure of the current rates but 400 speeders times £60 equals £24,000 for about 5 hours work and Penyffordd gets a reputation for not doing speed. Other busy times are 12.00 - 14.00 hrs which is shift change over then 16.00hrs - 18.30. There are however atleast one speeder nearly every minute of the day.

This operation will give you big headlines and perhaps start to stem the daily environmental insult to villages across North Wales and renew your title as The Traffic Taliban especially in Chester Road, Penyffordd where it is much deminished at the moment.