Labour-run Haringey Council is coming under criticism for their inability to respond to requests to make safe a large open manhole that poses a serious risk of injury.

Lib Dem councillor Bob Hare discovered the open manhole while walking down Park Road in Crouch End last week, and reported it to Haringey Council in order that they could cover it and make it safe for pedestrians. A week later, the manhole remained open, partially covered only by a piece of chipboard barely big enough to cover the hole, placed there by a resident.

Councillor Bob Hare comments:

“This manhole is over three feet deep, and the only effort to make it safe seems to have been to place a traffic cone over the top. Older residents and young children are especially at risk, but anyone could have fallen in and badly injured themselves. Labour need to take urgent steps to ensure that this level of negligence doesn’t happen in the future.”

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that the Prison Service lost 589,471 working days during 2005/06 due to sickness, an average of more than twelve sick days a year for each member of staff.

The statistics were revealed today by Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, Lynne Featherstone MP.

She said:

“As the prison population continues to soar, it is no wonder that prison staff feel overburdened. The Government needs to shift its focus from chasing headlines to its front line services and the staff they depend on.

“With working conditions for prison staff having deteriorated to such a low, how will they be motivated to help prisoners break the vicious cycle of re-offending?

“As the prison population continues to expand, stress and sickness amongst beleaguered staff is only going to increase.”

Notes:

The statement was obtained through a written parliamentary question where the Secretary of State for the Home Department was asked to reply directly to Lynne Featherstone MP.

During 2005/06 the number of working days lost due to sickness absence was 589,471 among prison staff. The Home Office 2006 Departmental Report lists 46,128 Prison Service staff.

Commenting on the Joint Committee Report on Counter-Terrorism policy and Human Rights, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson, Lynne Featherstone MP said:

“This report shows how badly wrong the Government has got its terrorism legislation.

“The Government is willing to lock up suspects without charge but isn’t willing to use intercept evidence to convict. We have to ask, what is the purpose of their incarceration if not to convict?

“The Government has been rattling sabres about extending the 28 day period without charge. This reports put a nail in that coffin.

“These laws were supposed to allow the police time for further investigation so that the suspect could be brought to justice. The Government needs to tell us what on earth has been going on.

“Clearly we have been misled over the use of the terror law of detention without charge. If the suspect is not being investigated during incarceration – then that detention is being conducted under false pretences.”