Here in Wednesfield North and across Wolverhampton – Football has a great following. Even as I type this out there will be constituents and others finalising plans to visit Russia for the World Cup…..Please if you are, take a look at this advice and follow it if you can.

Action Fraud – The West MIdlands.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place from 14th June – 15th July 2018.  The worldwide demand for match tickets is expected to be significant. Action Fraud have been alerted to several websites which are offering World Cup Tickets for sale, some at highly inflated prices. A FIFA spokesperson said:

“FIFA regards the illicit sale and distribution of tickets as a very serious issue and it has been reminding all football fans that FIFA.com/tickets is the only official and legitimate website on which to buy 2018 FIFA World Cup tickets.”

“FIFA has received various complaints and enquiries by customers of non-authorised ticket sales platforms, and has consistently confirmed that these companies cannot guarantee access to the stadiums as the respective tickets may be cancelled. Insofar customers are at risk of investing a high amount of money (also for travelling and accommodation) without having the certainty to actually be able to attend the matches.”

FIFA have also warned that “any tickets obtained from any other source, such as ticket brokers, internet auctions or unofficial ticket exchange platforms, will be automatically rendered void and invalid”.

Action Fraud received over six hundred reports and intelligence submissions in relation to the previous World Cup so it’s vital that football fans exercise caution when considering a purchase or making a transaction.

Protect yourself:

• Don’t take the risk. Tickets for the World Cup 2018 can only be purchased directly from FIFA. For more information, please visit www.FIFA.com/tickets.
• A FAN ID is required for fans to be able to enter the 2018 FIFA World Cup stadiums. Exercise caution if using a third party to obtain your FAN ID for you. You may be charged inflated costs for the service and your personal details may be compromised. For more information, please visit www.fan-id.ru.
• Visit the Take Five website for the latest guidance on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
• For useful advice and information on the World Cup please visit the Government Guidance Pages; https://www.gov.uk/guidance/be-on-the-ball-world-cup-2018

What is Action Fraud Alert?

Action Fraud Alert is provided by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau which is run by the City of London Police as a national service. Register to receive direct, verified, accurate information about scams and fraud in your area.

The system uses the Neighbourhood Alert Platform which is a secure, national community messaging facility used by Police, Neighbourhood and Home Watch, Crimestoppers,Fire & Rescue Services and local authorities throughout the UK.

Mr Keith Ireland City of Wolverhampton Managing Director had this to say in his weekly briefing for Councillors tonight!  All I will say is that it is really good that so much focus is being placed on our Volunteers…..Wednesfield is a real ‘top notch’ place. Keith Ireland said “Wednesfield in Bloom: Today, I was delighted to speak at the Wednesfield in Bloom seminar held at the St Thomas Church Centre. Other speakers included Simon Archer, Wednesfield in Bloom Chairman and James Clarke, Hands on Wednesfield Chairman. The seminar was a chance to congratulate volunteer community groups ‘Wednesfield in Bloom’ and ‘Hands on Wednesfield’ who have seen recent success in competition, winning the Silver Award in the 2016 ‘Heart of England in Bloom’ Urban Community competition, and the Gold Award in 2017. It also explained to guests how Wednesfield has gone about competing in the competition and what the challenge has done for the local community. Wednesfield is set to be the focus of an episode of the new BBC Show ‘Britain in Bloom, tonight, on BBC 2 at 6:30pm. The show follows fifteen different communities from across the country as they prepare to compete for gold in the Royal Horticultural Society’s prestigious ‘Britain in Bloom’ competition. I’m sure all Councillors will join me in wishing Wednesfield good luck at the next competition, and I would like to encourage you all to watch the BBC2 programme tonight.”

Last night on Tuesday the 17^th April at about 7.39 I pulled up at the lights in my car on Broad street in Wolverhampton City Centre. I had stopped because the traffic lights leading to the ring road had turned red. I was making my way home back to Wednesfield. There was a group of young men sitting on the steps of the building (about five in total) on the left of me, right alongside the lights.

One man in a hoody and baseball cap stood up and leaned over the railings and tried my front passenger door.

Luckily I had locked it. He then went to the rear door and opened the car door. I challenged him, but he just remained focussed. At that with the door waving open. I decided that the best way was to get out of the situation as fast as I could. So I put  my foot on the accelerator, I drove away at some speed through the red light.

I was unnerved, I was concerned that he had wanted to rob my bag which was on the back seat. Or so I thought.

But I was also scared in case he was trying to get into my vehicle with the gang following him…. I was heading towards Wednesfield having attended a City Council Scrutiny Meeting at the City Council City centre offices.

I tried to contact West Midlands Police via 101 without success, and waited till I got home when I emailed the Wednesfield WMP team.

I don’t think the man stole anything from the car. I found I had put my bag with my I-Pad in the Car Boot and not on the back seat.

But the whole incident unnerved me greatly. I have obviously warned my wife and friends. But after some deep thought today I have decided to post on my site to give a wider warning. Please lock your car doors and be watchful. All this was over in about 20 seconds. But it nevertheless was very alarming.

Wednesfield North Labour Councillors today issued further information to their Local Residents relating to plans and proposals to build on current ‘Green Belt ‘ in Essington.

This message is primarily aimed at Wednesfield North constituents who have an interest, or who are interested in the recently announced proposal to develop 2,500 homes on what is current ‘Green Belt’ land alongside Linthouse Lane and Kitchen Lane and within the Parish of Essington and the District Boundary of South Staffordshire D.C.

Councillor Bateman said ” have received this further information from South Staffordshire District Council.

South Staffordshire District Council is still finalising work on their current Site Allocations document (SAD) but have also begun work on the review of their Local Plan.

They inform me that they are working towards publishing Issues and Options for the new Local Plan in Autumn of this year, by which time they hope the revised NPPF will be in place.

This document will set out strategic growth options for South Staffordshire and consider what levels of growth can be accommodated.  They further inform me that they are currently updating our Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) which will contain all the sites suggested to them (including Linthouse Lane) and this will be the starting point for site options.

Wednesfield North City Councillors Mary Bateman PhiIBateman and Rita Potter have asked that their contact details be added to South Staffordshire District Councils Local Plan database, and that means that we will receive automatic updates on local planning matters.

I would now urge any of our Wednesfield North constituents or local residents in Wednesfield who wish to be added to the database, to do so now, by sending your email address to localplans@sstaffs.gov.uk .

We will continue to inform Wednesfield North residents of new information as we receive it of plans around this development.

Today we had a visit from Councillor John Reynolds and daughter Alice Reynolds – who Mary and I have known since she was born! Mom Gillian Walton was herself a Councillor here in Wednesfield North back in 1990 through to 1994. John and Gill have been friends of ours for decades!

Today we had been out campaigning in Wednesfield North with Mary delivering leaflets here in the sunshine following what seems like weeks of grey cold and damp skies.

Alice made us all perk up a little as we chatted about those early years just after she was born, and of course we reminisced about Gill and the work she had done working with families in the very Ward we were out campaigning in today!

Alice is the sort of person that will help build tomorrows Labour Party. Fantastic with people, enthusiastic, and already showing keen interest in representing hard working families. I have high hopes that Alice will follow in the family footsteps of representing people.

Mary and I spoke warmly about both John and Gill who we had known now for decades. We were delighted that Alice had come to spend a little time with us campaigning here in Wednesfield North.

Currently Alice works in Europe; she is President of the Bruxelles Branch of the GMB Union. How about that for a title!

Both Mary and I were mightily impressed with Alice and we thanked both John and Alice for their contribution to Mary’s campaign to win Wednesfield North again for Labour today.