Other UK News In Brief

Six Arrests At Demonstration In Central London

Education Activist Network alongside The National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts organised a demonstration in central London on Saturday (29 January). The protests in London were largely peaceful with only a small number of arrests. In line with talks the Metropolitan Police had held with organisers prior to the march in the capital on Saturday, the majority of protesters kept to what had been discussed and agreed. However, the agreed rally to mark the end of the march on Millbank did not occur and as a result several splinter groups broke away. Several of these groups were still roaming around the West End late afternoon with no apparent purpose or destination, which was necessitating a continued police presence. There were six arrests made: Three on suspicion of criminal damage, one on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, one on suspicion of violent disorder, one on suspicion of being wanted on warrant.

Firms Sentenced After Steeplejack Falls To Death In Bolton

Two companies have been fined a total of £85,000 after a steeplejack fell 50 metres to his death from an Edwardian chimney in Bolton. A colleague was also left clinging on for his life. John Alty and another worker were at the top of the disused chimney at Swan Lane Mills in Great Lever in June 2007 when the scaffolding they were on collapsed. The 40-year-old father-of-one from Blackburn was pronounced dead at the scene but his colleague survived by clinging to a ladder on the outside of the chimney. Bailey International Steeplejack Company Ltd and Ken Brogden Ltd were both prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following Mr Alty’s death. Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Mr Alty’s employer, Bailey International, had been hired to carry out repairs to the brickwork on the chimney, and its two employees had been taking down the scaffolding when it gave way. The HSE investigation concluded that the company had not used strong enough anchor fixings to attach the scaffolding to the chimney, despite knowing that the brickwork at the top was in a poor condition. The Macclesfield-based firm, which employs around 30 people, also failed to check the scaffolding design and to test the fixings before they were used. The court was told that the scaffolding had been damaged on a previous job, and that Heywood-based Ken Brogden had been hired to repair it. But instead of grinding out the joints and welding them back together, the company welded over the weakened joints. Bailey International admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £80,000 towards the cost of the prosecution at Manchester Crown Court on 28 January 2011. Ken Brogden Ltd, of Manchester Street in Heywood, pleaded guilty to breaching Section the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £10,000 with costs of £16,000.

New Images Issued Following Protest Disorder

Detectives from Operation Malone are releasing new images of those suspected of being involved in the disorder seen across central London late last year. The twelve images relate to the three incidents which occurred during November (10, 24 and 30) and are captured from CCTV in the areas of Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square and Millbank. Two of the pictures, taken from the disorder seen at Millbank Tower on 10 November, are clearer images of two males whose images have previously been released. A number of arrests have been made in connection with all four incidents (on 10, 24, and 30 November and 9 December 2010), with nine individuals charged and another five receiving cautions or reprimands. Investigations into the incidents continue and detectives remain committed to tracing those responsible for criminal behaviour.

(BMcN/GK)