Ex-policeman on mission to 'reclaim public spaces' in Runcorn

The busway, Southway and Trident Park in Runcorn. (Runcorn Weekly News)

A former police officer whose daughter suffered serious injuries in a suspected attack while out with friends in Runcorn has raised concerns over public safety in the area as he pledged to “scrutinise” the work of the authorities and .

Tom McNally, 51, is medically retired from Merseyside Police but has now brought his experience to bear in trying to work out what can be done, setting out his aim as “we want to reclaim these public spaces”.

He said: "Since it happened I've channelled all my energy into positive action rather than negative."

On several nights he has even returned to the spot at the entry to Trident retail park on Southway where his 20-year-old daughter is reported to have been attacked by a group and suffered what Cheshire police described as "serious facial injuries" at 9.50pm on Saturday, May 14.

The location is a short distance from Halton Hospital’s urgent care centre where his daughter and her friends first turned for help only to find it shut, and were then advised on the phone they faced a 40-minute wait for an ambulance, prompting them to call Mr McNally to provide transport to Warrington accident and emergency.

A4 notepad in hand, Mr McNally has since then been speaking to people including Trident shoppers, security and others in a bid to piece together a picture of the area.

He has also reached out to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which he said has agreed to do some work in Runcorn and Widnes, and he's written to the borough’s MPs, urging them to contact the Home Secretary Priti Patel - who recently condemned the incident in the Commons as “appalling” after a question from Mike Amesbury MP.

Some of the points Mr McNally has raised cannot be published due to the ongoing investigation and active proceedings involving four youths arrested and subsequently bailed on suspicion of Section 18 assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent, with no charges yet brought and any allegations subject to due process on the merits of legally admissible evidence.

General issues he said he’d identified in Runcorn include what he described as a tendency towards “reactive” policing such as officers responding to incidence as opposed to “intelligence-led”, such as using information to pre-empt escalations, or providing a more permanent presence where needed.

He said this could be addressed by installing a “copshop”  police station on Trident, ensuring a consistent presence - mirroring a scheme he himself pioneered in Edge Hill during his career in what he said was the first of its type.

Other issues raised include a lack of protective clothing for security in the area, and fragmented communications between retail security in Trident and Shopping City, which he said have radio contact but are separate from the teams monitoring Asda and McDonald’s on West Lane.

One initiative Mr McNally would like to see is for a vacant unit to be refurbished as a “safe space” for people facing threat.

He acknowledged the impacts of cuts to officer numbers in the last 12 years and the resulting strain on the level of service, and said the recent police recruitment drive would take time for training to take place and boost officer numbers, but said he believes practical improvements remain possible now.

Mr McNally hopes to continue to contribute to improving safety in the area by scrutinising the work of the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel and Halton Borough Council’s safer policy and performance board.

He said: “Mike Amesbury raised questions to the Home Secretary about policing and they used this situation to attack the Government on police cuts, which I think does play a part but it’s not what I’m interested in at the moment, party politics.

“All I’m interested in is making Halton safer again, so I asked the MP to write to the Home Secretary and come and speak to me here and do a site tour to ask what the Government are going to do.

“What I’d like to see is safe spaces.

“My daughter went to Halton Hospital which was closed.

“There was no safe space for them.

“You’ve got empty units here that have never been occupied since the retail park was completed.

“They could be utilised for a safe space where the doors can be locked and the police contacted.

“I’d also like to see a permanent police presence in the form of a copshop, which I set up in Edge Hill in Liverpool, it was the first of its type in the UK.

“Runcorn front counter is closed, there’s nowhere for people to walk in - a place where people can go to report and receive an immediate response.

“At the moment we’re getting response out to Runcorn station and Widnes but it’s too slow.

“There’s no efficient mechanism for the police to be notified.

“There’s a shop watch scheme but it’s ineffective and that needs reviewing.”

Mr McNally said a Freedom of Information request to Cheshire police showed there were 35 violent incidents in the Halton Lea ward in the month to March 22, and the same number in neighbouring Halton Castle ward.

The assault in which his daughter was injured followed months of reports of “antisocial behaviour” in the retail park and nearby busway.

The head of Runcorn Local Policing Unit has reaffirmed his team’s commitment to tackling problems in the area and have secured arrests, but said the underlying issues need a broad “multi-agency” solution, adding residents can play their part by acting as witnesses or being mindful of their child’s whereabouts.

He has urged people to work together to tackle general problems in the area.

Chief Inspector Andrew Blizard said: “We are aware of the ongoing reports of anti-social behaviour at Trident retail park and we are committed to doing all we can to tackle the issues.

“Over the past six months patrols have been increased in the area and a number of dispersal orders have been put in place on key dates as a preventative measure.

“We have also been working closely with local businesses and the on-site security team to help tackle the problems and identify key suspects.

“As a result of this work a number of youths have been arrested and their cases are currently progressing.

“However, it is not something that we can tackle alone, and it cannot be solved overnight.

“Simply arresting people and putting them in front of the courts will not remove the problem, instead it requires a long-term multi-agency response.

“Many of those involved in ASB suffer from a number of complex issues and require long term support from a number of agencies in order to turn their lives around.

“We also require support from the local community.

"Whether that be providing information as witnesses or ensuring that you know the whereabouts of your children at all times.

“Only by working together and providing people with the services and support they require will we be able to truly tackle ASB in Runcorn.”

Read more news from Runcorn, Cheshire, here.