Stockport Independent Issue 188

APRIL 2025 4 BEST-SELLING children’s author Steve Webb used World Book Day to urge children in Macclesfield to ‘unleash the power of their imaginations’. He was speaking to King’s Infant and Junior School pupils who were dressed as their favourite book characters. Steve has captivated youngminds for the last two decades with his series of books and he is published worldwide by the literary giant Faber & Faber. The school’s head of English, Soulla Costanda, said: “As always, World Book Day is a day for the children to celebrate reading and how to create imaginative stories of their own. “It is an opportunity to become your favourite character or villain and to talk about the stories we love. “In a world consumed with tech- nology, to relax with a good book shouldbepromotedandcelebrated.” GREATER Manchester Police (GMP) says its fight against crim- inals is reaping rewards with a “significant drop” in crime over the past year. In the 12 months to December 2024, recorded crime was down by eight per cent in Greater Manchester with almost 30,000 fewer incidents across the GMP force area. The force made 67,084 arrests, 3,545 more than the previous year and an increase of 5.6 per cent on 2023. A GMP spokesperson said: “These dramatic results have been achieved through targeted operations, community engagement and work with partners.” He added that there have been “particu- larly notable reductions” in neighbour- hood crime – theft from the person (down 28.2 per cent), vehicle offences (down 18.5 per cent) and residential burglary (down 11.3 per cent). In the same period, the number of crimes solved was up by 12.6 per cent – described by the force as a “significant increase” on May 2021 when Chief Con- stable Stephen Watson was appointed at GMP. GMP says one of his first improve- ments was to increase the number of neighbourhood officers, resulting in greater community engagement and increased visibility on the streets. GREATER Manchester NFU members high- lighted sector issues and the need to see farming families supported when they held talks with MP Lisa Smart on farm. Around 12 farmers met the MP for Hazel Grove and impressed on her what farm businesses need to continue to grow and rear high quality, traceable and sustainable food and care for the countryside. The meeting was held at Far Benfield Farm in Romi- ley, with discussion around inheritance tax, the rising cost of living crisis and national food security. Rural crime, farm drain- age, flood management and how important farms on the urban fringe are for food production and looking after the countryside also featured heavily in discussions.  Sheep farmer Joe Suppan, who hosted the visit, said: “It was great to have the MP out on farm to showcase how much farming brings to the local economy and caring for our countryside right in the heart of urban areas. “My daughter would like to take over running the farm, but it is a worrying time in farming at the minute with inheritance tax and rising living costs. “We are committed to feeding people great food from this part of the coun- try and supporting the food and drink sector and associated industries across Manchester. “Lisa really listened to what we had to say so we hope she can lobby on our behalf for our farmers in Greater Manchester.” Helen Wainwright, NFU county adviser, said: “Our members and their busi- nesses big and small are vital to our cities and towns playing a key role in the pro- duction of food and farming. It is critical to have the sup- port of key stakeholders, so they understand the chal- lenges facing farmers. “It was great to have the MP out on farm and we will continue to work with Lisa and her team to ensure that family farms in Greater Manchester can continue to produce food for the nation.” Family farmers state their case CRIME FIGURES DOWN Frontline: Police in Stockport are working to reduce neighbourhood crime (Photo credit: GMP) LATEST GMP PERFORMANCE FIGURES: Bringing books to life Character acting: King’s youngsters embraced the spirit of the day Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle, GMP’s lead for local policing, said: “It is hugely satisfying to see significant reductions in neighbourhood crime in 2024 and that GMP is delivering results for our communities. “At the same time as reducing crime volume, we have also seen increases in the rates of crime being solved. “We are under no illusion that there is still much more to do to keep driving these reductions. “These statistics are evidence of GMP’s commitment to neighbourhood policing and are a credit to the work of our neigh- bourhood policing teams in identifying and solving problems as well as the dedicated neighbourhood crime team, who work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice. “However, none of this can be achieved alone. We work closely with our part- ners including local authorities, the CPS, the voluntary sector, and the Pro- bation Service. He added: “Just as important, we have seen growing support from communities to provide intelligence and CCTV, give statements and report suspicious activity. “Our witness care teams and victim services partners are there to support those who bravely come forward to report these crimes, taking a stand against those would inflict violence and misery.” •Total crime – in the latest 12months GMP recorded 325,164 crimes, 28,269 fewer than the previous year, a reduction of eight per cent • Serious violence – 32,788 crimes, a reduction of 4.8 per cent • Residential burglary – 11,323 crimes, a reduction of 11.3 per cent • Personal robbery – 3,990 crimes, a reduction of 7.1 per cent •Theft fromperson – 5,275 crimes, a reduction of 28.2 per cent •Vehicle offences – 17,950 crimes, a fall of 18.5 per cent • Stalking and harassment – 44,252 crimes, a 15.4 per cent fall • Domestic abuse – 53,342 crimes, a reduction of 7.2 per cent • Child protection – 21,841 crimes, a fall of 2.5 per cent The latest figures show that GMP call handlers now answer 999 calls in four sec- onds, well inside the national standard of 10 seconds. •GardensTidied •GrassMown •HedgesCut •Paths PressureWashed •Garages,ShedsRemoved& Cleared •Fences Painted ALL GARDENS LEFT SPOTLESS FOR YOU TO ENJOY SPOTLESS GARDEN CLEARANCE SERVICES •Sheds&Garages Painted •SingleRooms toFull Houses Decorated&Cleaned •Yards PressureWashed •FencesRenewedandPainted •WindowFrames Painted •UPVCCleaned Landlord Clear, Clean and Decorate Services SPOTLESS DECORATING SERVICES Ring Steve on 0161 636 9213 or 07753 433 426 for all your Cleaning, Clearing and Decorating needs! Farming issues: The Suppan family