Save Our Sandwell Canada Geese

 

An important announcement in this campaign, now a year old since we learned of Sandwell council officers lies and deception and that this council had conspired to murder 220 geese in two of its green flag parks. This is unquestionably avian cleansing, at first denied with lies of “relocation” and then justified with smears that when questioned do not stand up to scrutiny, yet “no action” taken to look at the officer lies and deception or investigate it from Sandwell council’s so called “scrutiny” committee.

Pivotal to several sources of misinformation about the geese has been compiled by Sandwell’s Director of Neighbourhoods Adrian Scarrott. He has selectively released information on a drip feed basis in order to neutralise scrutiny of his department’s decisions and has wilfully delayed responses that I have asked for over several issues.

Principally he delayed sending out the independent investigators report (completed 11th February 2015), (sent out by him on 23rd March 2015) which confirmed that John Satchwell and others had admitted lying about the cull till after that same officer had been answering questions under scrutiny at our petition hearing (on 25th February 2015).

 

One would think it important that such an officer who admitted lying would be given a grilling by a scrutiny committee, but alas Scarrott and co assured that this key report was not released before this in order that he wouldn’t.

The latest stalling tactic involved a response to me asking  questions which I posed in an email dated 28th June 2015. Note that the council are supposed to respond within 20 working days, yet this has taken over two months just for this formal answer, dated 26th August 2015. I had previously asked the questions via telephone conversations with his secretary as well as other scrutiny officers who claimed to not have the answers. I don’t know who really does in this council because they appear to make it up as they go along, digging holes and then backpedalling in the hope that someone behind them has filled them in.

This is the response from Scarrott, which confirms that no geese will be killed this year.  I have of course heard this story before, and so I treat it with the scepticism and suspicion as should everyone else reading this should. What is also revealed is that for some reason the two parks in question and none of the others it seems are subject to a “consultation” on how geese are to be managed. Why these two parks have been singled out again is not revealed though of course it should be restated that the parks manager lives in one with his son as “project manager” of the other. It would be nice to believe that decisions were made on scientific evidence rather than family ties and nepotism, but I know that this is not the case with this local authority shambles.

 

 

A Freedom of information request for this report referred to stated that it could not be found. This I find impossible to believe and the reason stated for not keeping it questionable. That the council retains minutes, yet not the reports referred to within them appears highly unlikely. Reports are usually found within the council minutes.

The letter includes the minutes from January 13th 1997. It was around this time that reports in the local media suggested a cull of geese, and myself amongst others wrote to the council at the time receiving this response from Paul Cosgrove. This stated that the council would be continuing with egg pricking. “It has at no time been the Local Authority’s intention to pursue any other policy..”

It should be noted that as revealed in this post that Chairman of the Leisure committee at the time was Friar Park Councillor Geoff Lewis– an angler. That the committee decided to try and convince people of “the problems caused” by the birds is also perhaps not surprising given that they obviously spoil the fishing of his mates.

• What is revealed here is that egg pricking was accepted as the method for controlling the goose numbers- and therefore formed Council policy.
• That it would be the task of Sandwell’s countryside rangers to prick the eggs on Sandwell’s sites.
• That this work would be undertaken during a two week period over a number of years.

The second paragraph needs to be explored in detail. In the absence of the report it would appear that the only method of noting “alarming” increase in flock numbers would be to have undertaken some form of count at each site. In the absence of the report we conveniently do not have such numbers, which of course allows this council to speculate that the numbers have increased. THEY HAVE NOT. Indeed how could they IF the countryside rangers had been carrying out egg pricking during a two week period over several years?

If the council thought they were being clever here in trying to argue that they have not in fact breached their existing policy, then they have once again shot themselves in the foot by not being able to produce a report which justifies the caveat which they may now be relying on. I would hope the Local Government Ombudsman is not so easily hoodwinked by a change of policy without consultation, as has been admitted by Sandwell’s monitoring officer, Neeraj Sharma.

• There is no mention of this report or the minutes of this committee at all in John Satchwell’s 2013 report entitled “options for the reduction in Canada geese numbers in Urban parks”,
• No mention of it in Adrian Scarrott/Steve Handley’s rebuttal of our petition
• No mention of it in the information supposedly relayed by the council to the so called “independent investigator” who found that the council had supposedly followed a process- when in fact they had not followed their existing policy.

The only conclusion one can draw from this is that the report, whoever wrote it, had been forgotten.

The last sentence states “consideration be given to the total removal and human dispatch of those flocks.”

This is absolute nonsense. Why would “the total removal” be justified in an increase in numbers? This is clear extermination of an entire species without justification, and could not be supported by the general licences that Natural England supposedly govern. There appears to be little understanding of goose movements or behaviour by the author of the report and by the councillors on this committee.

The third minute of this report basically involves council taxpayer funded propaganda for tackling Lewis’ spoilt fishing days out.

So once again it is time to gear up for confrontation with Sandwell council concerning potential goose culls in 2016. We need your support as do the geese. We need to be ready when the council come out with the wording of their “consultation” and respond to it that no culls of adult birds will be acceptable.

 

So Western Super sludge has “Dismaland” well  it’s not a patch on a much wider theme park known as “Sadwell”. The theme is mainly animal excrement mixed with toxic waste and sport. It’s free to enter and the visitor numbers are up, unfortunately meaning that the number of houses being built is taking over every blade of disappearing grass available.

 

AREA SL31

A chemical waste disposal site located next to a newish housing development. Poisoned birds a speciality.

 

LANGLEYLAND

An extensive piece on this themed area can be read HERE. The Red zone comprises several chemical factories with a record of extensive fires. Gas masks are provided on request. Please be aware that this site may not be suitable for people with heart conditions or small children and pregnant women. Gaze in awe at the number of species at The Fly tip reserve. Stop for a tipple at the half demolished Bridge pub and view the derelict Langley Maltings in all its glory.

NELSON’S COLOSTOMY BAG

Yes somewhere in there is a five pound note. Can you find it and be a bingo champion?

 

THE PUBELICK

A £72 million bent college deal in the making. How a barmy “arts centre” idea moneybox kept being fed until it burst. Plenty of empty shops to look at in nearby Ghostbrom.

THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUTS 

Marvel at the “award winning” Birchley island in all its “attractive” glory.

Yes if you want a jolly day out it’s “NO SHIT SHERLOCK”. Just don’t bring your dog because it may be donated to a local foodbank.

 

THE DAILY FART

ZOMBIE JOURNALIST ATE MY HAMSTER.

THEY ARE HERE, AND TIS THE “SILLY SEASON” TO BE JOLLY.

 

In the latest in a series of unprovoked attacks sweeping Britain, my hamster was yesterday eaten by a zombie journo. Starved of suitable diet, the wide eyed hacks have in recent weeks been turning into bloodcurdling simpletons walking the streets at night, haranguing people in shopping centres and stalking celebrities for their stories.

Research has shown that the ZJ’s as they are known are particularly fond of small animals at this time of year, and so it was with great sadness that our Freddy was cruelly snatched whilst in his plastic ball outside on the front lawn. He was downed in one, head first.

Fred the Ted as he was known became a national treasure after auditioning in Britain’s Got Talent playing the ukulele.

Prime minister David Cameron called an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the escalation  during the parliamentary recess, just stopping short of a recall which experts predict may end the invasion of the swarming menaces and also emphasised that we need a “big conversation” on how the ZJ’s operate in public places.

A resistance led by West Bromwich West Labour Deputy Leader contender Tom Watson has mobilised to counter the parasites which can cause serious damage to human health. Support for a cull is growing, but unfortunately the ZJ’s are protected by laws which mean it is an offence to disturb or kill them whilst typing, vox popping , or surrounding a target.

page 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 TITS, TITS, AND MORE TITS.

OK so that was total bullshit, but in recent weeks there have been a slew of attack gull stories, which follow on before from stories concerning fox attacks and also badger attacks. The pattern is by now familiar.

*Hysterical person reports a story- damage to property, a pet “eaten”

*More hysterical people report similar stories because they are deemed “newsworthy”.

*Politicians start making statements after being asked to by those trying to fill pages with comments to keep the story going.

*A species is smeared and inevitable attacks on them follow which are also then reported.

This year its the turn of gulls, and there are talk of culls. Next year it could be cats. In the past it has been dogs- which led to one of the weakest kneejerk and ill thought out pieces of legislation in recent history.

One can only hope that Canada geese escape the wrath, but with councils like Sandwell and many others internationally declaring war on a species which is far less harmful than man, it is up to those who know them to fight their corner and rebut the media driven drivel.

 

“We receive numerous complaints from families with young children complaining about the mess they leave and their aggressive behaviour during the breeding season.”

From Press statement from Maria Crompton  August 2014- Cabinet member for environment and highways Sandwell MBC, and goose culler.

A long title, but a simple yes or no answer will suffice. The question appears to be answered in a well buried report on Sandwell council’s CMIS website. This is the virtual burial ground for such matters that the council think that no one will be bothered to read, except anorak types and perhaps a passing journo who might actually want to take them to task instead of just printing off verbatim their press releases- as Sandwell council are accustomed to in these parts.

On 30th March 2015 the sub committee of the standards committee met to discuss two items. Neither the attendance, declarations of interest or visitors have yet been recorded on the page, but the minutes of the meeting have been.

I would like to stress from the outset that the referral of Councillor Crompton to this committee had absolutely nothing to do with myself, but a member of the public who felt disgusted that her statements particularly in the press had been used to justify a cull, which later when the same person asked a freedom of information request of the council appeared to contradict the information which Crompton had reported as facts of the case. I believe that the person making the complaint was fully justified in doing so, but of course as this is Sandwell and has a domination of Labour members, they are not going to bring to book one of their own.

The complainant brought the matter to the attention of Sandwell’s monitoring officer, Neeraj Sharma, who decided that there was no case to answer in her opinion regards Crompton’s statements. Members of the council are subject to a code of conduct, which was recently updated following some extremely embarrassing gaffes by other councillors who failed to declare interests. It is interesting to note that the monitoring officer appears to believe that they did no wrong either, even though making false declarations is a criminal offence, it states so on the actual forms they are supposed to complete. The complainant has the right of appeal to refer the matter to the standards committee, and duly this was referred.

The matter before the members related to an allegation of conduct which if proved could constitute a breach of paragraph 12(6) the Members’ Code of Conduct. This states that a member, when acting as a member does not conduct herself in a manner which could reasonably be regarded as bringing their office or authority into disrepute.  

Meeting to discuss this issue Councillors Ahmed, Dhallu, A Hughes and Lewis. Councillor Lewis as chair asked if he should declare an interest concerning being the former head of leisure concerning goose egg pricking. Given Lewis’ angling interests, it is quite clear that he is not particularly appreciative of either wildfowl or those who care about them. I state this from personal experience, given that several years ago he challenged me concerning the statements that I had made with respect to how angling in Sandwell was badly affecting wildfowl. He asked me for “evidence”, to which I produced a 62 page report outlining just how much it was affecting wildfowl in Sandwell on a site by site basis, also collecting a measured 2 miles of fishing line from Sandwell’s grotty poolsides.  Perhaps I will look at this in another blog post in the future, but surprise surprise, I never heard  from him again, on receipt of this irrefutable evidence of harm that his fellow fishermen  were causing birds.

We would note however that during Councillor Lewis’s chairmanship of the leisure committee, he may have approved of the pricking of goose eggs, but DID NOT APPROVE A POLICY OF ADULT GOOSE CULLING- ONE COULD ASK WHY, AND WHAT HAS APPARENTLY CHANGED IN THAT REGARD SINCE HIS CHAIRMANSHIP?

“Not for Publication Exempt information relating to any individual The information contained in this report is strictly confidential and in accordance with the appropriate Codes of Conduct, must not be disclosed to unauthorised persons”

The outline of this meeting is described, with some relevant links provided.

“4/15 Request for Review The Sub-Committee was advised that in accordance with the Council’s arrangements for dealing with allegations of breaches of the Member Code of Conduct, the Monitoring Officer, on 6th March 2015, considered a complaint received from a member of public with regard to the conduct of Councillor Maria Crompton. The Monitoring Officer had decided to take no action in respect of the complaint. The complainant and the subject member were notified of this decision and the reasons for the decision.

The complainant had subsequently submitted a written request for a review of the decision of the Monitoring Officer. The Sub-Committee considered the details of the complaint, which alleged that Councillor Crompton had been dishonest in a press release; an article on the Council’s website and a personal response to a letter stating that the culling of geese in Sandwell parks was due to repeated complaints. However, a Freedom of Information request by the complainant had revealed that eight written complaints had been received over a five year period.

If the allegation was proven, this could constitute a breach of paragraph 12(6) of Part 1 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.  The SubCommittee also considered the Monitoring Officer’s response and the complainant’s request for a review. The Sub-Committee took into account the assessment criteria approved by the Standards Committee for dealing with complaints about member conduct and the comments from an independent person appointed by the Council to advise on standards matters.

The Sub-Committee carefully considered the matter and concluded that the member was acting in her official capacity. The Sub-Committee took into consideration that the Cabinet Member was confirming information supplied to her by officers which was made in good faith and that a number of verbal complaints by members of the public and Park Wardens had not been included as part of the written complaints received.

The Sub-Committee did not feel therefore that there had been a breach of the Members’ Code of Conduct and endorsed the views of the Monitoring Officer.  The Sub-Committee further concluded that, all complaints, including verbal complaints, should be logged onto the system to show an accurate number of complaints received and logged by the Council.

Resolved that, in relation to the conduct of Councillor Maria Crompton, the Sub-Committee uphold the findings of the Monitoring Officer, and that no further action be taken.

   ” The key statement made in this blurb is the one below. “The Sub-Committee took into consideration that the Cabinet Member was confirming information supplied to her by officers which was made in good faith and that a number of verbal complaints by members of the public and Park Wardens had not been included as part of the written complaints received.”

The term “made in good faith” could imply that the councillor was just acting on statements made to her by officers, and that these officers had made statements which were later not as robust as they appeared when uttered by the councillor in question.  In this case it appears to suggest that the officers may not have been as accurate and informative with sound information as previously suggested. Some of the information put forward in letters to myself and in interactions in the media and written in her name have been priceless.

• The statement “We receive numerous complaints from families with young children and the mess they leave behind and their aggressive behaviour during the breeding season.”  Letter dated 14th August 2014.

This was of course not supported in the freedom of information request from the complainant- 8 complaints in 5 years- 2 per year and none in one year at all. This is not “numerous”.

• The idea that Muscovy ducks would be added to Sandwell’s pools after Canada geese had been culled- thus illegally replacing a non native species with another non-native species- Letter dated   14th August 2014. This at first was put forward as one of the reasons for culling.
• “The increase in numbers has had a detrimental impact on other waterfowl.”

There is no evidence of this, and this is not the reason why the council supposedly carried out the cull for reasons to “protect public health and public safety”.

• ““There was clear evidence that the damage they caused and the mess they left behind was a constant source of complaint by visitors…..“ Letter from Crompton to Animal Aid dated January 14th November 2014

As previously stated there is no “clear evidence” of complaints to the council- we know that only 8 were made in these two parks in the last 5 years, and are likely to be complaints from the same individuals- source Sandwell council in an FOI request.

• The inaccurate longevity of Canada geese as “Knowing the age geese live to approximately 25-30 years”  

, an important point when the authority is trying to argue that the birds have no predators and live and breed for their entire lives, which is nonsense in itself. The British Trust for ornithology record  of this species confirms her statement to be false and misleading.

• Her performance in a radio interview on Radio WM immediately after the cull story had broken.

In this interview she…..

• was unable to state how the birds had been culled, yet later her officers appear to have found out that their necks had been broken, despite them not being present to witness this themselves.
• appeared to admit that officers had lied to myself, but offering no apology or explanation as to why this had happened.
• Appearing to know nothing about Matt Darby sending me pictures of geese being illegally  released from his .GOV email account.

It has been seen that several officers of the council lied concerning the goose cull, so are we to really believe the council’s claims that a number of complaints were made verbally, which they did not record? I wonder who- with a vested personal interest in getting rid of geese in his back yard could have exaggerated the number of verbal complaints?  Or were the 8  whinging old bastard gloom and doom merchants who hate geese the same who told  tales of woe to every park ranger that would listen?

The point is that with some people such fixated issues reveal that the problem is really them- because they have mental health issues. Below are relevant extracts from the then code of conduct enacted in 2012. I would note the following points in section V “Expectations of conduct.”

“Members  shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner which will intend to maintain and strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the integrity of the authority and never take any action which would bring the Authority, or its members or officers generally, into disrepute”

and also the previously mentioned section 12 (6)

“Do not conduct yourself in a manner which could reasonably be regarded as bringing your office or your authority into disrepute. “

           

Prior to the complaint being taken to the standards committee, this is the letter sent to the complainant by monitoring officer Neeraj Sharma, the officer supposedly in charge of ensuring that members respect and do not breach the members code of conduct. The letter in itself reveals some new information which will be discussed below.

 

Theses 3 points from Sandwell’s chief legal officer confirms that the council

• DID NOT ACCURATELY RECORD COMPLAINTS
• CONSULT ON POLICY CHANGE
• BASED ITS ENTIRE CHANGE OF POLICY ON STATEMENTS MADE BY ITS OWN OFFICERS WHICH WE HAVE CONCLUSIVELY PROVEN TO BE MISLEADING AND DISHONEST.

That councillor Crompton repeated her officer lies only calls into question her judgement to hold this office. In Governmental terms she has collective responsibility  in her portfolio area. If civil servants lie, the politician has to go. This has not happened, and neither did Sandwell councillors so called scrutiny committee see fit to investigate their officers lies, or the wider points made by their chief legal officer.

One can only assume from this, that this council from the top down receives poor advice from its officers, which is repeated by councillors who do not have the brain to question them. Or is it just plain joint corruption?

On Tuesday a protest took place outside the council house concerning the Mayoral meal- a civic “tradition” apparently whereby the “great and the good” of the rotten borough council have a three course meal paid for from the new incoming Mayors’ allowances. Of course this is paid for by the taxpayer. The object of the protest organised by Ric Keeling was I believe not really related to the amount that this meal cost, rather the message that it was sending out in times of austerity- which of course the one party state at Sandwell council keep reminding us is the fault of the big bad Tory wolves.

I really don’t care for the politics of the event, there was a Green party representative there alongside UKIP, as well as others with no allegiance- including myself and Gooseman. The point of our attendance was about the pointlessness of not only the cull of geese, but also the hypocrisy of those who claim to be of the people, yet time and time again by their own actions consider themselves to be above the people. When a member of the public challenges the authority of the councillors they fly into panic mode and attempt by deception to silence or just quell the rebellion with spin and the impression that a democratic process has been followed- one notes the joke manner in which our petition was treated, and the “scrutiny” meeting at which it was presented.

Foodbanks are a clearly emotive subject. No one really wants them- or do they? Are people who have through no fault of their own lost their jobs and find themselves in dire straits to be compared to the slobs portrayed on reality television shows which provocatively portray a “scrounging” underclass? I have fortunately never had to rely on food banks, and hopefully never will. I know a bit about survivalism to know what I could eat given the need, and I can also budget and live within my means without spending on material rubbish that is not needed. I recognise that not all people are as fortunate, but I am not going to lecture them about it- that is where schools need to educate people that money does not grow on trees.

My concern with foodbanks is that they are now being described as being “popular”. As one who scrutinises most things that we are fed by the media, I am concerned as to who runs them, and what their connections are with local officials as regards funding of this voluntary organisation? “Voluntary organisations” in Sandwell are a very dirty world to be in. Connections with family members to local Labour councillors is becoming endemic, and the funding, championing and promotion of these organisations through taxpayer funded literature is worse still.

That being said, I thought the protest was right in its message. Gooseman enjoyed himself enormously and even contributed some of the money he has earned by squeegeeing cars on the Wolverhampton road to keep him in corn during his residence in Sandwell.

The Mayors chauffeur driven car (lazy bastard sotto voce), gleamed with scratches on the car park along with the leaders equally black estate car. There would later be a game of guess which of the two entrances they would leave by- not that difficult really.

 

 

 

Not long after some initial speeches were made outside, the farmers inside began to spill out to join the less equal animals outside.

Different responses were noted. Some smirked and quickly left without comment. Others such as Councillor  Sidhu  of Greets Green notably and respectfully donated into the bucket, and those that did give money should be applauded. However there were some individuals who know who they are whose statements including “piss off” and “what a load of shit” did not exactly show the colours of socialism, more the spectre of Capitalism and autocracy. Not very philanthropic bread dividers here and more suited trousered misanthropists than ragged trousered ones.

One elderly gentleman appeared to  be looking for a selfie opportunity with a prominent local campaigner, and approached Gooseman instead. It’s easy to mistake some peoples identity however.

According to the event organiser, over £100 was raised on the night together with a creditable supply of food to be donated. Whatever the parodies, mocking and indignations of the controlling group of councillors, the protesters were perhaps not the ones gulping when consuming whatever was on the table in West Bromwich, but one wonders to some of them if guilt is a concept that they would even recognise. We know this because of the needless deaths of 220 geese. Some animals are more equal than others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are characters committed to fiction so treacherous, so deceitful that they have become synonymous with the concept of lying. The one I remember best to illustrate is the Shakespearean villain Iago, who occurs in Othello. Whereas his boss Othello is regarded as a man of “honour”, his chief weakness is jealousy and paranoia. Iago conspires with a twisted plan throughout the play to bring about the demise of several of the main protagonists. His deceit is only discovered at the denoument.

 

CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS MOORE      21/7/14      

Ringing tone……….

RECEPTIONIST (PAT MOORE) Sandwell Park Farm, Good Afternoon

 

IC Hello there, is Chris or Matt about ?

PM Bare with me Ian………..

CM Hello

IC Chris?

CM Yes,

IC Hello there Chri….

CM Even though you’ve put a noose around my neck…, I’m still speaking to you, and I’m going to tell you Friday afternoon I risked life and limb whilst I was giddy to help to rescue one of your, one of the swans down at swan pool and get some of that blasted fishing line from all around him, cause he was stuck in the tree, and we released him back on the pool….. that was good

IC erm, well what noose?

CM Well because of this complaint, my necks going to be in a noose, for being implicated with Mr Satch,  (laughter), you know?

IC well all I want him to do is tell the truth and if it comes out…..

CM I know, I know, I know.. I know… well, there you go, anyway what can we do for you sir?

IC erm, well there’s one about that, er basically, the word “relocation”, I mean as you see it were those birds released last year onto Forge Mill?

CM They probably was last year

IC yeah?

CM Erm. I don’t know whether they have this year cause I can’t see them anywhere, and as I’ve pointed out to you before I’ve had nothing at all to do with that, because I don’t work in the parks, I don’t put orders on for things, and I know nothing about it, and I told you the truth then and I’m telling you the truth now, I have nothing to do with it.

IC Well , you know if they’d been relocated, to either of the farms, which I assume is the Sandwell Valley, as he describes it (john satchwell),

CM Yeah

IC erm, Are there any facilities on either of those farms , in the approved methods of killing birds that could be utilised such as stunning, lethal injection ….

CM Here?

IC Yes

CM I wouldn’t have thought so, but I mean they wouldn’t have done it here would they, they’d have done it elsewhere, because that’s what they do innit?

IC Well I don’t know how they do it, I mean…

CM All of that buildings are fully occupied by animals or other things, so I wouldn’t have thought, erm, what they do is they normally  take them in a vehicle and do it elsewhere you know?

I mean, between you and me, you know, and I think, and I’m talking to you now, I’m not talking to anyone else, and there’s nobody else here, I think the swans fair better without the Canada geese, certainly at Dartmouth, they seem to have done a lot better with fewer Canada geese around, now that was partly because of the building works wasn’t it..? But isn’t it not going to be the case everywhere, so isn’t it doing a favour for the swans indirectly if you know what I mean?

IC Well this isn’t about the swans is it

CM Yes I know, but it is indirectly ain’t it? I’m asking you a question now about the swans, that’s all I’m asking you… I ain’t recording you, I’m just asking you a question.

IC Well, I mean I don’t see it like that, I’m not just interested in the swans, I’m interested in the geese and all the rest of it. I mean I rescue geese, as I’d rescue swans, like I did the other week on swan pool..

CM As we have here, but it wasn’t that, it’s not that, I was only asking you as an individual and talking to you as we do talk, erm but as far as I’m aware , there’s nothing here that they’d use , we don’t have anything, anything that we want to kill here, we have to send it away.

IC Well if you got a dead horse or cow or something like that what, who would remove it?

CM. OH blimey , there’s a whole list of people , but our stuff has to be dead and it goes through the council’s , well it’s not the council’s , it’s the Government’s fallen stock scheme, but it doesn’y cover those birds, it only covers cows, pigs, sheep and we’re  in the scheme here, and I pay for that scheme, but it doesn’t cover birds

IC Wildlfie?

CM No it doesn’t cover them, they’re classed as “a pest” anyway aren’t they?

IC But how do you dispose of anything like a dead swan or something like a badger or…?

 

 

PART 2

CM erm, if we get a dead swan, or if we get a dead goose, what we’d normally do is to take it, or SERCO would take it away and they dispose of it normally

IC But they wouldn’t take away about 70 odd geese would they, I wouldn’t have thought?

CM No they wouldn’t, but I suppose if somebody’s come and rounded up whatever number it is up, they’d take them away, and they’d dispose of them, because they have the licence and waywithall to do that, the council wouldn’t be involved whatsoever, I mean in the past when I’ve had to have a few pigeons done away with, what they do is, cause we have a special programme here being a farm, feral pigeons or sick pigeons are taken away by the people who kill them off, they wouldn’t expect us to do it. But my fallen stock scheme here, the one that I operate, which is through DEFRA, its actually got listed here what they’ll take , and the people who come in a take them, there’s a whole list of people, that can come in from around the country, they will only take what’s on that list and nobody else in the council I would have thought would have that list, I mean you have to pay for it you see, and I get a print out, and I could show you a print out of what comes, and it just prints out like if we have a large pig die, we ring this number and they send somebody in to collect it, and then we get like a receipt , that they’ve taken it and it gets taken down and then the way it works is that we get a bill that comes through electronically, but you wouldn’t do it for wild birds, you wouldn’t do it for geese, rabbits or badgers, with single ones they usually go to one of the Shidas Lane depots. But that number would have to go straight off with the people that’ve been charged to do with it.

(someone coughs in the background at CM’s end- a male, no doubt the conversation was on speakerphone)

It wouldn’t be us. It’s too much for us, we can’t deal with it, you wouldn’t be able to. I suppose it’s not without possibility that they’ve split them up and dumped them here there and everywhere, it depends on what they were told to do, and like I said I’ve had nothing at all to do with them, so whatever they’ve been told to do, they’ve done.

IC Well what about last year, when you had instruction to release them onto …(Forge Mill)

CM Well I think that’s how they, they probably would have, ..no I didn’t have instruction because I didn’t deal with it, whatever they did last year was last year, and I don’t really know exactly what went on.

IC Well, I remember ringing you , before he (John Satchwell) was on the phone to you, and he was trying to make you basically say that they were going to be released at… and they were released at Forge Mill because Matt sent me a picture of them being released

CM yeah I think they probably was , but I think they probably found the error of their ways didn’t they because there’s certain areas around all parks that are designated as feeding areas , we’ve got them in Dartmouth, and those areas , you know we get rat poison and stuff put down in special boxes so you know only rats get in and nothing else gets them , so when you’ve got stuff like that what you’d do is you’d deal with those individually . Now last year , you know I didn’t have to deal with anything , as you know we’ve had builders all round the park, we’ve had no bloody water in there in the last two years, so it’s different , so whatever they did last year if they released them they released them, I certainly wasn’t a witness to it

IC Well Matt was because he took a picture of it

CM well he might well have, but I think they probably learnt the error of their ways, you know they probably would have been told. But again you know it’s not us that puts orders on for those sort of things , that would come from parks people , they’d deal with it wouldn’t they.

But I do know that somewhere that I think there is a committee report about erm, I know it goes back , there was one years , Paul smith , see I’ve said Paul Smith , he used to get involved with reports years ago, and there was a report out to deal with erm like injured birds and birds that are on lakes that are causing a nuisance , and they took a massive amount of information off the DEFRA people , and I suppose that’s the same people like what was it Natural England, whoever they are, and you know I think he told them how to deal with an over population of Canada geese, and I think they’ve done things like waxing the eggs or oiling the eggs, pricking the eggs- I think they’ve done all that , I think we’ve done what they did in the report, and I think there is a report somewhere, not that I’ve got a copy , I think there is a report, to be fair on the wildlife areas like we’ve got like Sheepwash and Forge Mill and places like that, it’s not a real massive problem , it has in the past been a problem in Dartmouth, but not since we’ve had dumper trucks running around – they just buggered off didn’t they? Erm and when the water level went down , we haven’t had so many there, I mean we’ve had enough problems trying to keep the swans alive when we bought all that food. So it’s not something that we would deal with, you know.”

 

 

DISCUSSION

There are many issues which arise from this conversation. There are damning claims and statements made which need clarifying, and then we also get an insight into the mind of someone who has been in a job position without it appears any scruples about bringing his employers into disrepute.

CHARACTER TRAITS

The first issue is the character of the man in question revealed. At the start of the conversation he interjects with a story, a tailored distraction technique. This is a frequent tool that he uses in an attempt to throw me off the purpose of the call, but all it really reveals is the utter failure of his and his staff at the Sandwell Valley to manage angling properly. Linked to this is some form of self sacrifice on his part, in that he rescued a swan. Was this story fact or pure fiction?  Who knows, and who really cares, for Chris Moore it merely provided an attempted distraction.

The other thing that the listener/reader will quickly note is the frequency of utter drivel and rambling from one direction to another, a tool well used by people of deceit. This is particularly used to avoid answering direct questions. But these are just character traits, for it is the content of the lies that defines the treachery of this individual.

Firstly he tries to distance himself from “Mr Satch”- John Satchwell, thus trying to gain a confidence. Again, some self sacrifice is implied that his “neck is in a noose.” Melodrama, hypochondria, and sometimes hypochondria by proxy have all been used in the past in conversations with the man, whereby the tale he tells serves as another form of distraction to throw one off getting any answer to a question that you are asking- usually in my case about his or his staff’s failure to do something.

The most shocking claim however is the apparent admission that his council, and officers together with their supposed “professional” contractors, Pestex  were complicit in illegality of releasing Canada geese from Victoria park in 2013.

IC “erm, well there’s one about that, er basically, the word “relocation”, I mean as you see it were those birds released last year onto Forge Mill?

CM “They probably was last year”

Not only do we get this but later on an even more bizarre statement is made.

IC “Well, I remember ringing you , before he (John Satchwell) was on the phone to you, and he was trying to make you basically say that they were going to be released at… and they were released at Forge Mill because Matt sent me a picture of them being released

CM yeah I think they probably was , but I think they probably found the error of their ways didn’t they…”

Who exactly is he referring to here? John Satchwell and the pest controllers Pestex, whom it is claimed did not act unlawfully by following a Natural England general licence to cull, or the entire council at Sandwell itself? What errors were learnt, as they have certainly not been punished or prosecuted as they should have been if the geese had been released? Through this admission, which we are now expected to believe was a lie on John Satchwell’s part which Chris Moore and others  were playing along with, this officer is happy to claim that his council have broken the law rather than admitting to the “truth” that they had been killed.

ABSENCE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND FALSE TRAIL LAYING USING OTHERS.

Not only does Chris Moore like to distance himself from any personal involvement in the cull, but he also draws into the picture Paul Smith.

CM “But I do know that somewhere that I think there is a committee report about erm, I know it goes back , there was one years , Paul smith , see I’ve said Paul Smith , he used to get involved with reports years ago, and there was a report out to deal with erm like injured birds and birds that are on lakes that are causing a nuisance , and they took a massive amount of information off the DEFRA people , and I suppose that’s the same people like what was it Natural England, whoever they are, and you know I think he told them how to deal with an over population of Canada geese…”

The report he refers to could be the 1997 cabinet report, which it is now claimed via John Satchwell the council do not conveniently have a copy of, or John Satchwell’s culling report itself. The two appear to be ambiguously referenced by the statement made here. Either way, Paul Smith subsequently denied having been party to any culling report or being in agreement with the idea in his recorded phone call conversation, yet on the record it is claimed that he knew full well about it.

OUTRIGHT SCURILLOUS LIES AND DECEPTION

 The genesis of the culling can perhaps be traced back to September 2012. In a conversation with Chris Moore at the time, he asked me about my opinion of Canada geese. I did not know the purpose then of why he wanted to know this, but sent an email to him which also copied in John Satchwell. It is clear now that the idea was actively being discussed in Sandwell’s corrupt parks department, with Moore being used as the litmus tester to seeing what the reaction would be to a possible cull. He was left in no doubt as to what the reaction would be from myself.

To

• chris_moore@sandwell.gov.uk CC
• john_satchwell@sandwell.gov.uk
• matt_darby@sandwell.gov.uk

Chris,

You asked me about canada geese today during our conversation and my opinion. I take it there is some disquiet about them regarding Dartmouth park? As I said at the meeting at the park farm some months ago, I do not have any problem with these birds. At sheepwash out of about 25 hatched there were 4 survivors. They are eaten by predators on most of the nature reserve sites, even without egg pricking taking place. This provides some predators with food that would otherwise be taken by praying on other small birds. Herons, crows magpies, dogs, foxes- all gosling predators. 

In terms of the park pools, people are not thinking clearly. It is not the food offered to them that is attractive, it is the nature of the surroundings. Given that the birds are grazers and rely on this food like cows, is it much of a surprise that they congregate in parks with grass to graze? Get rid of the grass and build some houses in the parks with long concrete drives with  BMWs on the front! 

In terms of the smells you were talking about, I find it hard to believe that canada goose mess is responsible. I have had this all over me in every conceivable place, and I have never detected any smell, which is not surprising given that they are vegetarian, though a freshly smoking stool that looks like it has been coated with icing sugar is rather cool. Nor have I been struck down by any disease. On the other hand look at what has happened in Sutton park, and the almost certain litigation that Birmingham City council now face, as a consequence of commercial farming- letting cows wander loose and defecate everywhere including in the pools. E-COLI 0157 PROVEN BY THE HPA TO STEM FROM THIS SOURCE. The tourism to this site will have crashed, possibly irrepairably.

I would hope that Sandwell keeps its remaining beasts locked up and not follow their mistake!

All to often wildlife is blamed for the consequences of commercial farming mispractice- from BSE, FOOT AND MOUTH and now TB in cattle. Geese droppings are far less harmful than dog mess and it does not smell as bad, but usually the complainers are the ones who let their dogs defecate freely.

I am rather sick of having to avoid horse  *hit around forgemill lane as well as strange singular men hanging around, but I don’t see the council doing anything about this. I also detect odours eminating from the farms, and in the past this has wafted down the phone line from some individuals I have spoken to based here. I understand that some of these creatures have now been put out to pasture in Northern France.

As for Dartmouth park- I do not like what I am seeing. Too many people here now, too many attractions more like a giant theme park which is obviously what “the vision” was, but it is a repugnant one, which does not complement the surroundings of the valley at all.

I would hope that there are no fools in the council that want to go down the same line as the lake district national park authority concerning proposing the cull of healthy birds.

 I would still like to see where the money spent on sheepwash was spent, as was promised at the meeting.

Ian Carroll   

 

At the so called “scrutiny” meeting, John Satchwell stated that he was aware of my opposition to culling.

There was no occasion when HE asked for my opinion at all regarding Canada geese, though it is now clear to see that Moore was seeking out my opinion to feed back to him before the cull in September 2013. What followed in Satchwell’s report and the lies that were constructed is history.

“I’ve had nothing at all to do with that, because I don’t work in the parks”

CHRIS MOORE HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THIS CULL AND WAS A MAJOR PLAYER WITHIN IT. HOW DO WE KNOW THIS- BECAUSE IN FEBRUARY OF 2013, 6 MONTHS BEFORE THE CULL OF GEESE AT TIPTON AND PRESUMABLY DARTMOUTH PARK, THE FOLLOWING FRIENDS OF DARTMOUTH PARK NEWSLETTER STATES

“The management of the park has for many years been separate to the management of the valley, but the park and the valley are now being managed as one under Chris Moore, Visitor centre and countryside manager for Sandwell based at Sandwell Park Farm.”

No. 29 – February 2013

 

CHRIS MOORE’S LIES AS A MAJOR PLAYER IN DARTMOUTH PARK’S DECISION MAKING PROCESS CONTRAST TO  STATEMENTS MADE LATER TO THE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR.

Compare and contrast the two.

• “I told you the truth then and I’m telling you the truth now, I have nothing to do with it.”
• “I suppose it’s not without possibility that they’ve split them up and dumped them here there and everywhere, it depends on what they were told to do, and like I said I’ve had nothing at all to do with them, so whatever they’ve been told to do, they’ve done.”
• “whatever they did last year was last year, and I don’t really know exactly what went on.”
• “whatever they did last year if they released them they released them, I certainly wasn’t a witness to it”

 

PAGE 10 INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION POINT 2

“2. In 2013 whilst not being involved in the Cabinet meetings they had been consulted about culling and were aware that culling was to take place and were in agreement with it.”

“3 When IC questioned them about relocation they correctly told him that they knew nothing about any relocation as they were very aware that relocation was illegal.”

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION PAGE 19 POINT 11

“They were in agreement with the culling as they recognised that it was necessary and the deception was the only error which had been committed. “

point 12 “Following IC’s lodging of a formal complaint they were advised not to discuss matters with him which is the accepted process.”

 

THE WORST LIE OF ALL

Concerning the disappearance of geese, Chris Moore knowing full well about the cull draws attention away from this in an attempt to suggest the works in the park were responsible for the geese taking leave themselves, whereas the works were in themselves the reason why the council undertook the cull… for their perverted idea of what makes a park.

“it has in the past been a problem in Dartmouth, but not since we’ve had dumper trucks running around – they just buggered off didn’t they? Erm and when the water level went down , we haven’t had so many there”

SANDWELL COUNCIL CLAIM THAT 100 GEESE WERE ROUNDED UP AND KILLED AT FORGE MILL FARM IN 2013 BY CONTRACTORS THAT THEY PAID TO DO THIS – SO WHAT THE HELL IS THE MANAGER OF THE PARK FARM- AND SANDWELL VALLEY INCLUDING DARTMOUTH PARK CLAIMING THAT THE BIRDS DISAPPERAED AS A RESULT OF MACHINERY AND LOW WATER LEVELS?

 Furthermore, if you’ll excuse the pun, on his retirement, the following was posted on the Friends of Dartmouth park website, and is currently displayed on the noticeboards at the site.

“Chris joined the Parks’ Department when he was 15 and has had a long career working, with other people, to provide the community with safe green spaces for leisure and physical exercise. This is exactly what the 5th Earl of Dartmouth and Alderman Reuben Farley wanted for the ‘hard working people of West Bromwich’ when they provided Dartmouth Park. Chris worked in Dartmouth Park for several years and was the person who designed and planted the wonderful floral clocks that so many of us remember. However, one of his greatest achievements was being part of the team that transformed Sandwell Park Farm into the ‘jewel in the crown’ of West Bromwich. The wonderful Victorian Walled Garden is just one of the legacies Chris has given us. The Friends of Dartmouth Park were very pleased when Chris returned to managing the Park during the later stages of the restoration. His ideas for the beds in the Avenue were taken on board and have been a great success.”

 

“Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word.” Iago

I would personally like to wish Chris Moore a very unhappy and a very unhealthy retirement, but in keeping with with spirit of not wanting to cause any personal distress I hope it proves to be a very short one.

…..Or a juxtaposition of “Britishness”.

At the recent Neighbourhoods and Health Scrutiny board, “Sandwell’s finest” decided to take “no action” on our petition, a two fingered gesture to those who had campaigned hard to protect the geese and expose the officer liars in the corrupt Parks and Countryside Department. It didn’t come as much of a surprise however given the make up  of some of the committee, as in the past I have encountered some of them before for different reasons, and there is one thing that amateur politicians don’t like and that is people, ordinary members of the public who expose their  dealings in the press and public domain in a negative light. Blogger Julian Saunders has exposed many instances of what appear to be questionable dealings at Sandwell council which have culminated in a current police fraud investigation.

However back to the scrutiny committee- there were 12 individuals who make up the two committees, six each. The chair of neighbourhoods scrutiny is one Syeda Amina Khatun  (Mrs) (SAK). She is a ward councillor for Tipton Green, which covers Victoria Park Tipton- one of the cull sites and the site in which the parks manager lives. She is up for election at the May poll.

 

On taking a look at her proposers, aside from Adrian Bailey MP (much sniggering about the image conjured by the subline in the leaflet),her Uncle, Councillor Ahmadul Haque there is one Pauline Hodgetts. Mrs Hodgetts is no stranger to Labour advocacy and has frequently appeared in their election propaganda. She also backed Haque last time round, and has also in the past signed the proposing papers of SAK.

 

So what you might ask? Well Mrs H is chair and has been for years of The Victoria Park Steering Group, which has of course received considerable maintenance and resources over the years to attain Green Flag status- can’t think possibly why, oh yes did I mention who lives there already?

When it became clear that geese had disappeared from Victoria park in 2014 I rang her to ask if she knew anything about it, or had any inkling that there was to be any cull. She replied that she did not. She also did not reveal any particular contempt for geese in the park. Imagine my surprise then when Mrs Labour supporter in the community strides into the council chamber behind John Satchwell sitting next to him in the officer seats at the scrutiny meeting. When examining the footage back it is clear her frequent head nods in support of geese destruction tell a different story to the one she told me. Is it then the case that she was one of the anonymous complainers whom it is alleged had resulted in the council taking action?

Furthermore Satchwell attempted to allow her to speak introducing her as “a colleague”. Since when have non council workers and members of the public been “colleagues”? The term confederate may be more applicable. This was our petition, calling in an officer for scrutiny, not a park’s group meeting and a cynical attempt by him to try to pour cold water on it- using a labour party backer. There is further concern that after the meeting had finished she remained behind in the chamber with Satchwell and the councillors. I am advised by Democratic services that she did not address the committee on an informal basis, but we have to take this at face value don’t we?

Unfortunately these type of group “Park Friends” are promoted by local authorities to generate money for their upkeep. It is further evident that many in Sandwell are led by Labour party activists in the community, in the main white and of advancing years, or those which sign the election papers of the candidates. Some of them even go on to become candidates who become councillors- a profile builder- nothing more and nothing less. There is no wrong doing here but it is no surprise that the reward of praising the virtues of the controlling group appears to be a well kept park- that is accept Redhouse who recently lost the battle to save the historic house from being converted into housing. Perhaps they will vote differently this time?

So back to the SAK. At the meeting the councillor for Tipton Green did not declare that she had a non pecuniary interest in the issue- that being a ward councillor covering that park. But there is another interest in this park, and one which we would like clarification about concerning  the goose cull policy and summer events held in the park. SAK is involved in an organisation called “The Bangladeshi Women’s Association.”
If the women were born or  they have citizenship in this country they are British, not Bangladeshi.  It is one of those great mysteries of multiculturalism, whereby persuing a separatist agenda in name above a door of a “community centre” appears to be able to generate grants and bids for funding that a “cohesive community” could only dream about attaining. This type of specified and discriminatory  funding is as divisive as it is unfair- especially when a local authority makes great claims about Canada geese and other species being “non native”, yet funds self confessed and declared human  “non-native” groups with vigour. I haven’t even got onto the sexist element towards the exclusion of men. WHY DOES A “COMMUNITY CENTRE” HAVE TO HAVE A RELIGION OR RACE ABOVE THE DOOR IF IT IS TRUELY “A COMMUNITY CENTRE” FOR ALL?

Councillor K in her declaration of members interests dated 15/10/14 reveals her connection to this “charity.”

SAK

 

“10. Any employment or business carried out by you that is not for profit or gain. 
Bangladeshi Womens Association Ltd c/o Tipton Muslim Community Centre employs me.  They are a charity and company limited by guarantee.”

11. Any person or body who employs or has appointed you. 
Bangladeshi Womens Association Ltd c/o Tipton Muslim Community Centre, Wellington Road, Tipton 

 

How if you are “employed” by someone are you not carrying out duties for profit or gain?

Voluntary Registration of Other Interests 
Please list below any other interests that you wish to declare in accordance with the General Principles of Conduct as set out in the Code of Conduct or which you think may lead to a conflict of interests between your personal interests and the public interest.  
Bangladeshi Womens Association is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee.  As a manager my responsibility is to manage staff, raise funds and report to Board of Directors. 
BWA has SLAs from SMBC for many projects. 
SLA for Tipton Muslim Community Cetnre. SLA for Management of Jubilee Community Centre. 
My salary is not funded by SMBC funds.

The SLA service level agreements are a local authority mystery of their own. This needs further research, but who exactly decides that “a service” is needed?

The BWA further has part of its structure a project called “REACH”- who funds this?

The service is open to all but is mainly used by Bangladeshi & Pakistani people of Muslim faith.
Summary of services	To provide positive activities for young people to improve their chances in life

I am not sure why there has to be such clear self imposed discrimination and apparent divorce from the rest of the community concerning the title of “Tipton Young Asian Women’s Forum”.  It is bizarre that a sense of place is identified, an age, a continent and a sex, yet the nationality “British” appears vacant. A young women’s group is fine, but why the name segregation- what is behind it, I would really seriously like to be educated on this because I find it repressive and not forward looking at all towards harmonisation and tolerance.

The event flyer for 2014 is shown below confirming associations of its sponsorship and also who to contact as organiser. SAK is not purporting as a councillor here, but she is a councillor, and is also involved with the women’s organisation- for which she receives a “salary”. The geese were rounded up in this park on 17th July 2014, just a few weeks before this “community” event. As a raiser of funds, you would think that such an event is important to the funds of BWA, so why does SAK not declare a pecuniary interest at the scrutiny meeting?

 

As chance would have it, the event that Sunday was actually cancelled at short notice, not to the geese soiling the ground with six minute excreta, but through bad “weather”- a rain deluge. The following sign was one of several put up at the site entrances. The mobile number is the same number as one given by a certain councillor Khatun’s contact on the SMBC website.

 

There are other candidates standing for position of councillor in Tipton Green ward on May 7th. We would ask that if you live in this ward that you use your vote wisely in support of the geese- a discriminated against non native species by Sandwell council’s political class that just happen to have lived in Britain for over 400 years.

GRIFFITHS Donald Henry CONSERVATIVE×

STANYER Mike  United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)×

 

DOWNING’S TREAT

Councillor Susan Downing is a Sandwell Labour councillor representing the ward of Oldbury. She like Khatun is one of the members of the scrutiny board (Health) that was present at the meeting which supposedly “considered” our petition. Like the aforementioned the only words that she actually spoke during the entire 35 minute hearing (without any questions) were to confirm her own name. That’s some fucking grilling there!

Oldbury and Sandwell we are meant to believe are culturally rich and diverse and multi- culturalism is to be celebrated and even championed. “Community cohesion” is another of the active noun laden slosh that drips out the mouths of the sleazy socialist mantra from Sandwell’s Politburo. Over emphasis of this appears to hide the cracks of separatism and obvious divisions.

On the other hand “Britain First” are an off shoot splinter group of the racist BNP party, formed by one of their ex councillors from Kent. Like the EDL before them, BF are organising a protest against a controversial planning permission of a mosque in  neighbouring Dudley. The town is bordered by the area which Councillor Downing represents in Sandwell.

Whatever people’s views on the mosque saga, a legitimate place of worship, the main prognosis is that a group and also counter protest group converging from outside the area only ever attracts trouble, violence and intolerance- and is not wanted there, the epitome  you may think to that message of “hope not hate” so loved by the Labour group at Sandwell who are always telling us how Liberal they are via social media.

One should be surprised then that Labour Councillor Susan Downing of Oldbury  controlled Ward would use her time, and possibly her council tax payer funded phone to share four posts by the extreme right wing party last year. What could have possessed her? Did she think it was part of the Create and Craft Channel and accidentally type in KKK?

You would think that one would quickly get the gist of “Britain first” concerning its repeated anti Muslim Rhetoric and one could say “hatred”. Its memes are merely an extension of its message which Cllr Downing appears to not appreciate.

I remember the one pound note, a tatty useless piece of shite, unfit for even an emergency arse wipe, that ripped frequently and was without any meaningful use or purpose. Was the Councillor getting a tad sentimental when sharing this given that she receives a basic £10,000 plus special allowances including her role on the scrutiny board? Perhaps she would prefer being paid in them rather than in any other unit of Sterling.

Not just money but animals, that other strange oddity of Sandwell Labour councillors and hypocrisy as to how they appear to favour some animals and despise others such as the Canada goose. Certain supporters of BF  via their shares it is apparent are well into lurchers, lamping and hunting with hawks that they keep up the garden. I suppose all Canada geese should be sent back to Canada where they come from eh Sue?

It’s not clear if Sue joined BF, probably unlikely you would have thought in her position, but presumably by sharing this she is not discouraging others from doing so?

One can only wonder what her fellow Oldbury councillor and Muslim  Mahboob “taxi taxi” Hussein will think of this, or indeed Councillor Khatun? Will she be up the march when they ride into town, and what does she think of the Dudley mosque or even Halal meat burgers? I suppose halal dog burgers are strictly off the menu.

And just when you thought this was a two off she shares the same post twice! One of BF’s other favourite topics appears to concern remembrance- not sure if they include the holocaust in that one?  She’s certainly a 1%er councillor in Sandwell that’s for sure our Sue. LOL

 

 

“Respect” really! I’m sure that this information will go down like a lead balloon at Commie HQ, but there again they are so used to taking “NO ACTION” when it comes to the misdemeanours of one of their own. Perhaps they will all start sharing BF in a sort of “Je suis Sue” ? Just wait till Sharia comes in Sue, you’ll be stoned 😆

So there you have it, two Sandwell councillors both Labour, but with apparently two different ideas of “British” identity which suit them as it pleases.  Country chameleons one might say.  How scrutiny can expose divisions yet “remembrance” strangely appear to unite them.

*Many members of the community signed our petition opposing the cull of geese, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Polish- British. The political class take them all for fools.

 

An email has been sent to those councillors who are restanding at the local elections in Sandwell on 7th May. Any responses received will be published on this page. The option for any other candidates to comment on this issue is also open and you can contact us via the facebook page. Don’t be shy and don’t be silent! This is a black and white issue, and no splinters in the arse.

Candidates should remember that this issue received considerable local and even national attention, not just for the controversy but the now admitted lies that officers of the council made in a vain attempt to avert “adverse publicity”. IS IT ACCEPTABLE FOR COUNCIL OFFICERS, PAID BY LOCAL RESIDENTS TO LIE TO THEM ABOUT HOW THEIR MONEY IS SPENT?

LISTED BELOW ARE THE CURRENT COUNCILLORS STANDING IN THE INDIVIDUAL 24 WARDS. RESPONSES WILL BE ADDED IF AND WHEN THEY ARE RECEIVED.

Red denotes serving Labour councillor, Blue the sole serving Conservative councillor.

 

Abbey Ward

Steven Eling.

NO RESPONSE

Blackheath Ward

Robert Price

NO RESPONSE

Charlemont with Grove Vale Ward

Anne Hughes

NO RESPONSE

Cradley Heath and Old Hill Ward

Ann Shackleton

NO RESPONSE

Friar Park Ward

Joy Edis

NO RESPONSE

Great Barr with Yew Tree Ward

Shirley Hosell

NO RESPONSE

Great Bridge Ward

Peter Allen

NO RESPONSE

Greets Green and Lyng Ward

Gurcharan Singh Sidhu

NO RESPONSE

Hateley Heath Ward

Pat Davies

NO RESPONSE

Langley Ward

Yvonne Davies

NO RESPONSE

JAYNE WILKINSON GREEN PARTY HAS RESPONDED

A considered and detailed response here.

In response to the point about egg pricking

The council did not provide the 1997 report in the FOI request– and they could not give any figures for egg pricking carried out in house by their own staff prior to 2013.

Newton Ward

David Hosell

NO RESPONSE

Old Warley Ward

Trevor Crumpton

NO RESPONSE

Princes End Ward

Stephen Jones

 RESPONSE RECEIVED 20TH APRIL

Hi Ian
Received with thanks,
Sincerely
Steve Jones

Sent from my iPhone

Well I’m not really sure what that is supposed to indicate.

RIC KEELING  UKIP HAS RESPONDED RECIEVED 6TH MAY

Rowley Ward

Barbara Price

NO RESPONSE

Smethwick Ward

Keith Davies

NO RESPONSE

Soho and Victoria Ward

Roger Horton

NO RESPONSE

St. Paul`s Ward

Zahoor Ahmed

NO RESPONSE

Tipton Green Ward

Syeda Khatun

NO RESPONSE

Tividale Ward

Lorraine Ashman

NO RESPONSE

Wednesbury North Ward

Elaine Costigan

RESPONSE RECEIVED 20TH APRIL

Hi Ian, I’m sorry to say I’ve had no dealing with any of this and know nothing at all about it I’m afraid, hope you can get answers. Elaine Costigan

Sent using OWA for iPad

Elaine Costigan was absent from the scrutiny panel meeting of 25th February where our petition was supposedly looked at. If she cannot get answers, then I am blowed as to who can given that the email asks the candidates what their opinion is of the goose cull. WE DON’T GET ONE HERE. But at least she bothered to respond.

Wednesbury South Ward

Olwen Jones

NO RESPONSE

West Bromwich Central Ward 

Bawa Singh Dhallu

NO RESPONSE

NB Bristnall ward and Oldbury Ward: existing councillors have not been reselected. Candidates for these wards are open for comments also.

 

 

 

 

 

So on May 7th several elected members in Sandwell will be appointed to serve their communities. An email has now been sent to all the current councillors who are standing for election again. In total 24 seats are to be contested, one per ward. Two current councillors will be standing down, or have not been reselected. Of the survivors there are 21 Labour councillors standing again, and one Conservative.

There are several other parties standing in different wards. A list of all the candidates in each ward can be viewed below.

Statement_of_Persons_Nominated___Local_Election_2015

As our campaign is a political one as well as one based on scrutiny , the following email has been sent to those who are standing as a councillor again.

THEIR OPINION IS SORT ON THE CULL OF GEESE. For some reason the original email appears to have been thrown back. I took this up with member services and spoke to someone called Mr Shahdaz, who stated that the emails could be forwarded to the councillor incumbents via him. Odd that, and not something that I quite understand given that I used the email contact addresses given on the members pages on the SMBC website. Most of these appear to be

first name_surname@Cllr.sandwell.org.uk.

Most of the officers appear to use first name_surname@sandwell.gov.uk. Anyway I have already had a reply off one of them for what it’s worth, so I’m not sure what type of weird gating is going on with councillors emails?

 

Dear Councillor,

 

 

 Manuel, a character from the BBC sit com Fawlty Towers.  In one episode “communication problems” , his boss Mr Fawlty attempts to make the waiter lie about a bet he has placed. Any similarity between any fictional and real characters are purely coincidental.

 

CONVERSATION WITH PAUL SMITH SMBC CONTEXT

National Grid and contractors were at Sheepwash Local Nature Reserve and the surrounding area undertaking works on their overhead lines  in Spring 2014. There had been a supposed liaison between John Satchwell and National Grid (according to Chris Moore and Matt Darby some months earlier), but he had totally failed to communicate with those present at that meeting that this site was a Local Nature Reserve and that any damage they caused whilst on site would need to be rectified, as well as not damaging some of the habitats.

This would need Matt Darby and others to later have meetings on site with National Grid- another example of how the senior parks manager does not involve any discussions with his staff- or put Council interests on this site first. A number of complaints were made to the council about the contractor’s behaviour on site, leaving gates unlocked in particular as well as that picked up by the council rangers themselves.

On the day after raising issues with Paul Smith about a vandalised lock on an internal gate at the site to stop off road bikes, which he noted to fix, imagine my surprise to find National Grid contractor staff angle grinding off the whole gate. I queried what they were doing and contacted Paul Smith who spoke to them, only learning that they had been given permission to do this by whoever they had had the meeting with. Sandwell Valley staff claimed to know nothing about this. Obviously Paul Smith was left red faced that just hours earlier he was attempting to fix a gate, and now someone had come along with council permission to remove the entire bloody thing!

This conversation involved reporting some issues, as well as attempting to ask him what he knew about the goose culls.

HE IS AFTER ALL THE NATURE CONSERVATION OFFICER FOR SANDWELL.

Conversation with Paul G Smith 22/7/14                7 minutes 10 seconds

KEY PARTS CONCERNING THE GEESE ISSUE ARE IN ENLARGED TEXT. The transcript of the conversation, recorded in two parts is detailed below *1/2 denoting the split.

PS Hiya

IC These, erm Western Power, do you know what they’re doing down here, messing around by the pumphouse?

PS Western Power?….. No not unless there’s some sub- contractor to National Grid. I haven’t …I wasn’t aware of them particularly being on site.

IC They seem to be digging some trench where they put that wooden fence.

PS It must be to do with (national Grid), I’ll try and fInd out, they must be sub- contractors to National Grid I would think.

IC I just hope they lock the bloody gates, I think I’ll go out that way, see if they’ve shut em.

PS Yeah, yeah, erm I mean we haven’t , erm National Grid have been ok since we mentioned about keeping the gates locked, so I don’t know who this lot are, erm , well give me a call back if they’ve left the gates open, and I’ll get onto National Grid, they must have details of contact numbers.

IC I don’t suppose you know anything about this goose business do you?

PS No, as I say, again, I’ve been off, I haven’t…  what’s happened?

IC Well 70 odd geese have disappeared off Victoria Park Tipton, like they did last year (by the pest control company)..

PS (INTERJECT) (Yeah I did hear about last year.)

IC Now last year it was alleged, and Matt Darby sent me a picture of them unloading them out at Forge Mill lake, so I very much doubt if Natural England have given them any licence to have let them do that, so I think it was done because I’d found out about it. This year John Satchwell claims they were “relocated” again to Sandwell Valley.

PS Right

IC Now looking at the numbers there I don’t think so and you know there’s a particular bird on there , a hybid cross like the one on Dartmouth Park, that certainly isn’t there, erm, and others that have come from elsewhere, but not the 70 plus increase, so I suspect that they’ve destroyed them and used them for biomass as United Utilities did in…

PS Yeah I don’t know nothing about that, I’ll ask Matt if he knows anything. Nothings been said to me.

IC Well Chris Moore said he didn’t know anything about it, so if they’ve brought them to the park farm or the other, Forge Mill farm, and then picked up by somebody else, would that be theoretically possible?

PS Well (not without), well I’m based at Forge Mill I’d have noticed something like that,

IC Well this was last week so…

PS Well I wasn’t here, erm no I’ll ask around, but I’ve certainly not heard of anything, nobody’s said anything… no I’ll try and find out.

IC You can’t ever remember any report being written about anything like this, about relo.., erm exterminating or culling geese?

PS No , No , nothing’s ever come past me, I ought to be told..

IC (INTERJECT) (Well I should think so)

PS No I’ve not heard anything about it

IC See they usually set you blokes up as the fall guys, talking about “biodiversity” and all of this business*1/2 and it just seems to be people at the top making decisions, without any consultation. I mean there are alternatives to this and I know they’ve tried egg pricking, what have you, but this is a disgusting thing to do. There’s some park funday on in a couple of weeks time organised by this Councillor Khatun and I just wonder whether it’s all in aid of this?

PS I really don’t know Ian, nothing’s come my way, I mean I’m certainly against anything like that, It’s not been done with anybody consulting me.

IC So that’s the park friends group that know nothing about it, no one at the valley knows nothing about it, the nature conservation officer knows nothing about it.. it seems like one man has taken it upon himself to exterminate, getting a load of pest controllers company, probably with public money and exterminating them.

PS Well I don’t know but it would be very difficult to do without people noticing. As I say, I don’t know nothing about it. You know I’d be totally against that. I know nothing about it I’ll see if anyone’s heard anything, but if you’ve spoken to Chris and he doesn’t know, I can’t see anyone else knowing. I’ll ask around, see if anyone else knows, Sandnats, they might have heard something, No I don’t know about that.. Anyway let me know if there’s any gates left open and I’ll…

IC If you ever need a walk around..

PS Yeah I’ll try and get that sorted out, has the scaffolding all gone now?

IC It’s gone along with that toilet they’d left behind for a few days, I put a couple of those metal 25kg weight things behind the fence because they were obviously going to be chucked in, some of the sandbags have been chucked in the river anyway, and those height barrier things , to weigh them down, sort of thing, erm but there’s still some clamps left last week where the EA (ENVIRONMENT AGENCY), had mowed, but I managed to intercept them stopping them going all the way because there’s still swans on the river, so they’ve mowed to the edge of the bend.

PS Yes well we’ll arrange a site visit and make sure everything’s going to get reinstated that they took out.

IC But the EA were late in cutting that apparently because of these National Grid, and they said they gave them a week to put all these stones and that on the pumphouse, but they still haven’t done it.

PS I’ll try and find out about that as well. Alright then Ian, thanks for that, and I’ll be in touch soon and have a site visit.

IC Alright

PS Alright then, cheers, bye bye.

PART 1 OF THIS CONVERSATION CAN BE HEARD BELOW.

 

 

PART 2 OF THIS CONVERSATION CAN BE HEARD BELOW.

 

DISCUSSION

It is clear that when asked about his involvement in any discussions and report concerning culling of geese, Paul Smith repeatedly states that he knows nothing about this, nor had any involvement in any council report. Compare this with the statement issued by Steve Handley Streetscene Director at Sandwell council in a freedom of information request reply dated 17^th November 2014.

“Officers within the council have appropriate qualifications and experience to advise on such matters and discussions and actions on alternative control methods have taken place…. One of the officers spent a number of years working for the wildlife trust and two colleagues have degrees in Environmental studies.”

In the case of the officer who he refers to working in the wildlife trust, I believe that he is referring to Paul Smith- whose statements made in this phone call conversation to myself do not support Mr Handley’s claims at all.

Following the revelations from the independent investigation concerning officers conduct and lying, it is clear that Paul Smith was one of those lying. Let us look in detail at his comments of August 2014, compared to the statements attributed to officers in the February report, a mere six months difference.

 

IC “You can’t ever remember any report being written about anything like this, about relo.., erm exterminating or culling geese?”

PS “No , No , nothing’s ever come past me, I ought to be told..”

PAGE 10 INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION POINT 2

“2. In 2013 whilst not being involved in the Cabinet meetings they had been consulted about culling and were aware that culling was to take place and were in agreement with it.”

PAUL SMITH IN QUOTES

“I really don’t know Ian, nothing’s come my way, I mean I’m certainly against anything like that, It’s not been done with anybody consulting me.”

“……As I say, I don’t know nothing about it. You know I’d be totally against that. I know nothing about it I’ll see if anyone’s heard anything…”

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION PAGE 19 POINT 11

“They were in agreement with the culling as they recognised that it was necessary and the deception was the only error which had been committed. “

I have to say that of the three Sandwell Valley officers implicated in this deception, the one that I am most surprised at and disappointed with is Paul Smith. He seemed like a long suffering genuine inoffensive guy, and a someone who tried to do things, against opposition from the likes of Darby and Moore, who rarely ever attended meetings but sent him to take the flack.

But lies are lies, and in this case I have no sympathy for his predicament at all, and there can be no excuse for the treacherous deceit which he obviously played along with. It is a fool who follows like a sheep those committing wrongdoing, and there is the old cliché adage, but one of the truest ever committed to the English language that;

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)