By Alex Delaney
BIG Brother has gone interactive in Islington. A CCTV camera controlled by the touch of a button now stands on the corner of Holloway Road and Seven Sisters Road.
The button, fitted to electronic information stands throughout Islington, allows a person in an emergency to speak directly to the council’s 24 hour CCTV control room.
One man has already abused the emergency button, according to Marjory Peddie, Islington Council spokesperson. She said: “He kept pushing the button and then running up the Holloway Road. We have cameras all the way along so we were able to catch him and give him a warning.”
She said: “people have pushed the button by accident or because they were curious - in that case we just speak to them and tell them what it is really for.”
The kiosk has only been used for an emergency once since its installation in January when three women used it to inform the police they had their mobiles stolen.
The kiosk is labelled as an emergency help point with the Metropolitan police and Islington Council logo, but there is no information telling the public that the button is directly linked to a 24 hour CCTV centre, or what help the kiosk can offer.
Islington Council said they are using technology to fight crime and make the public feel safer. Cllr Marisha Ray, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Community Safety, said: “We are excited by this kiosk, which offers help on a level not available anywhere else in the country - the potential for future development is great. We hope that the kiosk will be a reassuring presence to help people feel safer, especially vulnerable people, as well as act as a deterrent for criminals.”
The kiosk is opposite City and Islington College. Sunina Mushtaq a spokeswoman for the college said: “I was unaware that this scheme was being started here, it is an important student safety issue.”
Thursday, 15 March 2007
Big Brother is here to help you
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
Traders face rise in electricity bills
Chapel Market traders face a hike in their rent despite the Council’s failure to provide adequate electricity supply.
Stallholders, who pay £57 a week, are furious at the £5 rise in rent as there has been no significant improvement in the facilities available to them.
Broken electricity cables in the market have led to a decline in the number of stalls, with a large number of food sellers relocating to other markets due to the unreliable electricity points.
Stallholder, George Norcross, said: “It’s diabolical. We’ve got no electricity but we’ve been paying for it. We’ve been waiting for the Council to get it fixed for at least 10 months. It’s driving stallholders away. Every time we ask the council when it will be fixed, the Council refuses to give us an exact day.”
Peter Adamides, Chairman of the Chapel Market Stallholders’ Association, has been involved in lengthy discussions with Islington Council over the increased rate and obtained a postponement of its introduction until April 1st.
He said: “Why should stallholders pay more money for a worse service than 10 months ago? It’s unreasonable to expect us to be happy about this. The electricity cables are dangerous, people can easily trip on them if they’re not careful, it’s really not safe. The only explanation we have been given for the price rise is that the Council wants to balance its books and that’s why they are charging us more. We haven’t been told why the electricity is taking so long to sort out though.”
Brian Roberts is one of the few remaining food-sellers at Chapel Market and says the only reason he is still in business is because his electricity supply is still working. He said: “We’re one of the few stalls in action. Vehicles drive down here at night and damage the electricity boxes. To be honest the supply boxes aren’t built for this environment and it’s really affecting people’s ability to make a living. How can you run a business without electricity?”
Type rest of the post here
Thursday, 8 March 2007
Women's day fails to catch student imagination
By Alex Delaney
INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day is being celebrated at City University today and tomorrow.
Workshops will be held on women’s health in the workplace, and how to do business with the opposite sex. There will also be massages and Reiki on offer for those wanting to de-stress.
But some students felt that the event was under-publicised by a lethargic student union.
Sarah McGee, a student at City University said: “I don’t think the university is emphasising the importance of International Women’s Day.
“I hope that next year they try and raise the profile of the day and include subjects that are more relevant to our lives.”
Imogen Fluery, an organiser of the event, denied this accusation.
She said: “For the last two years we have marked International Women’s Day and it has been successful.
“We are booked up for the events this year and hope it will continue to grow.”
International Women’s Day is marked in 42 countries and began in the early twentieth century. In some countries the day is dignified with the status of an official holiday.
In Britain, however, the celebration goes largely unnoticed.
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
MP urges public to get up in arms about Trident
By Alex Delaney
PEOPLE need to do a better job of lobbying MPs against the replacement of Trident nuclear missiles, according to an Islington MP.
In a public meeting last weekend, Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South and Finsbury, said that the debate in Parliament on March 14 would be crucial.
���We need to have support from the public, who need to realise that things are bit more subtle than just voting yes or no to the replacement of Trident,��� she said.
Ms Thornberry called on her constituents to write to her concerning Trident. ���I am immensely proud to be a Labour MP and I think we have done many good things," she said.
"But I have only received around 50 letters about Trident, which means it is hard for me to vote against its replacement on the 14 march.���
The government plans to replace the nuclear missiles based on submarines around the waters of Britain. The costs could rise to as much as ��15 billion, according to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
Sophie Bolt, vice-chair of CND, said: ���Our spending priorities should be for children and social good. These weapons should not have any part in a so-called civilised society.��� Bolt went on say that a recent ICM poll showed that opposition to Trident has reached 59% of the British public.
Mary Edwards from Friends of the Earth argued that the problem of proliferation of nuclear weapons would continue if parliament voted to allow the replacement of Trident.
���Nuclear power is not a God-given right," she said. "We must learn to do without nuclear missiles and nuclear energy if we are to stop Iran and countries like it.���
Saturday, 25 November 2006
Barriers cause division in Finsbury Park
By Alex Delaney
RESIDENTS in Finsbury Park are bitterly split about a set of barriers at the end of Moray Road.
The controversial barriers were built to control traffic around the new Emirates stadium. Despite two consultation programmes by the council, however, some residents remain unhappy about them, wanting to have them replaced with CCTV cameras.
Andrew Barnes, chairman of Moray Road (West) Residents' Association said: “There is an awful lot of history with this barrier. A small group of have been very passionate about getting them removed and replaced with CCTV cameras."
However, councillors at the East Area committee voted to keep the gates as the CCTV would have cost £100,000.
The barriers have also angered residents in the Tollington Estate.
Richard Schudermann, vice-chairman of Andover Estate Tenants and Residents Association, said: "It's disgusting that you come to a decision like this. A road closure has been done without a proper consultation of the most important stakeholders - 1,500 households were not properly consulted about this."
Labour councillor Phil Kelly said: "Whatever we have done has left someone unsatisfied. I was looking for a consultation on what the options are."
Sunday, 15 October 2006
Drivers rude to elderly and vulnerable
By Alex Delaney
VULNERABLE people in Islington have experienced verbal abuse from bus drivers for Dial-a-Ride, who specialise in services for the elderly and disabled, according to Age Concern.
Kate Tansley of Age Concern said: “Those dealing with the elderly need to be patient and understanding. It is really disappointing that some of the drivers have been rude to them. Problems like this simply compound the bad experience of the elderly in society.”
Marion Thom, from the Association of Greater London Older Women (AGLOW), said that many of their members had experienced similar problems with the drivers.
“It is disgraceful that some of the most vulnerable people in the community should be treated this way," she said. "I encourage my members to make a fuss when they have a driver with a bad attitude, but some of the older ladies really aren’t capable of calling the council or the companies to complain, so I occasionally do it for them.”
Dial-a-ride is a private-hire bus service run by Transport for London (TfL). Tom Moult, Press officer for TfL, said: “We look into all complaints, but the survey we conducted in August of this year showed a 95% satisfaction rate in driver courtesy and helpfulness.”