Clippings (Jan-Feb 1999)Clippings (Jan-Feb 1999)Public sheds light on street safety (T&A 23/2/99)
Retailers pound the beat (T&A 18/2/99)
Welcome hospital security (Editorial, T&A, 16/2/99)
Cameras to beat violent patients (T&A 16/2/99)
Muggings prompt supermarket security plea (T&A, 5 Feb. 1999)
Fears of an influx of car criminals (T&A 29/1/99)
Paedophile gets life for raping boy in shop (Yorkshire Post 20/1/99)
Olwen Dudgeon, Legal Correspondent, Yorkshire Post (20/1/99)
A SEX attacker was jailed for life yesterday after a court heard he turned his twisted fantasies into reality by preying on young boys, including raping one in the toilets of a busy city-centre store.
Alun Evans targeted youngsters during their summer holidays and subjected a six-year-old boy playing by a railway line to a horrific attack in 1995, when his crime went undetected at the time.
But Leeds Crown Court heard his "campaign of offending" was brought to an end last year after he was captured on film by security cameras on the day he raped a 13-year-old boy in the BhS toilets in Leeds.
Tom Bayliss, prosecuting, said the victim and a witness who tried to catch the rapist described Evans so well that police were able to spot him on security films taken at the store and the Bond Street shopping centre. He was identified after his picture was published.
Evans, 23, of Bankfield Avenue, Kirkheaton, Huddersfield, admitted the rape in August, attempted rape on the six-year-old in 1995 and indecent assault on another boy in 1996.
Jailing him for life, the Recorder of Leeds Judge Brian Walsh QC described him as "extremely dangerous and a considerable risk to the public for the foreseeable future". He said Evans had a disturbed personality which led him to commit offences of "a predatory nature" on young boys. His history showed a clear pattern of increasing seriousness, culminating in the dreadful rape.
"You must be detained and not released until such a time, if ever, that it be judged you no longer pose such a risk." Judge Walsh awarded Gordon Rawlings, who tried to catch Evans after the rape £100 out of public funds for his actions. Commending police officers involved in the case, the judge said it highlighted the value of security cameras in city centres.
The court heard that Evans was put on probation by magistrates in 1992 at the age of 17 for two indecent assaults on boys. Mr Bayliss said the first of those offences was in June that year, when Evans approached two 13-year-old boys at Dalton Bank quarry. One escaped but the other was made to take off his trousers and was molested.
Evans was on bail for that attack when he grabbed a schoolboy aged 14 as he was sitting on a bridge overlooking the Rochdale canal at Todmorden. He dragged the boy into bushes and was indecently assaulting him when he was disturbed and caught by a passer-by.
Mr Bayliss said the latest series of offences began in 1995, when Evans attacked a six-year-old boy playing with friends on a railway embankment near Mirfield. After putting on a yellow fluorescent jacket making him look like a railway worker, he approached the group of children, who ran off.
Evans gave chase and caught the youngest, forcing him into bushes, where he tried to rape him. The attack was reported to police but Evans was not found. The following summer he befriended two brothers and, after he gained the trust of their parents, the boys were allowed to stay at his home. On six or seven occasions Evans indecently assaulted one of the boys, aged 10 or 11, but remained free to continue offending until the rape.
The victim of last August's rape had got bored while shopping with his mother and sister and was allowed to go off briefly on his own. He went window shopping at sports stores before going into the toilets at BhS.
Unbeknown to him, he was being followed by Evans, who had targeted another boy to attack but had lost him in the shopping centre. He told police later he then saw the schoolboy and chose him instead.
As the boy was washing his hands, Evans grabbed him and dragged him into a cubicle, where he raped him in spite of his distress and struggles.
Mr Rawlings realised something was seriously wrong when he saw Evans leave the toilets and found the boy. He chased the rapist but lost him.
Jennifer Kershaw QC, for Evans, said he wanted to express regret to his victims and their families. He had been a victim himself but reports indicated he was not yet beyond help.
'You hope you are going to have pride in your children but you never anticipate it will be in a situation like this'
The father of the schoolboy raped by Alun Evans praised his son's courage in trying to cope with his terrible ordeal - including having to wait months for the results of an HIV test.
"You always hope you are going to have pride in your children but you never anticipate it will be in a situation like this," he said after the case. "I have to say I felt incredibly proud of him as he took the police through what happened. It cannot have been easy to do that particularly when I was listening."
He said his son had been determined to give evidence in court if necessary but had not had to do so in the end.
"Now I can go home and tell him the system has worked and his attacker has been locked up for life. That might help to restore some of his faith."
Judge Brian Walsh QC heard that the boy suffered enormous trauma because of the horrific attack. His self-confidence has gone and he now has a great fear of going out on his own or even being alone at home. He was terrified he would catch the HIV virus and die and had to wait several months before tests revealed he was clear.
The teenager's father paid tribute to the police for their support throughout the case, particularly Det Con John Rowson. "They really have been tremendous keeping us informed of everything that was happening, and John has been exceptional in the way he has tried to help us all."
Det Supt Eddie Hemsley, who led the inquiry, said: "Our sympathy goes out to the boy and his family. At least he now knows that this dangerous man is behind bars."
T&A 29/1/99
Residents have voiced concerns that criminals driven out of Leeds city centre could now be targeting the Wharfe Valley and Aireborough.
Increased levels of car crime in the Weetwood police division, thought to be caused by thieves forced out of Leeds by closed circuit television cameras, have given fresh impetus to a five-year campaign for Yeadon to receive a CCTV crime deterrent system of its own.
Figures released at this week's Aireborough, Horsforth and Otley Police Community Forum show that the number of motor vehicles reported stolen in the Yeadon and Rawdon area between April to December 1998 was 46 - double the number stolen in 1997.
The number of thefts from motor vehicles in Yeadon and Rawdon also increased from 247 between April and December 1997 to 274 in the same period a year later.
Weetwood Crime Prevention Panel member Geoff Streets has now called on local community groups to lobby Leeds City Council for funds to establish a system for Yeadon High Street.
Mr Streets claims that a £30,000 community improvement fund set aside for Yeadon CCTV was diverted to other causes after the City Council's priorities changed.
He said: "The system is not expensive - it's the maintenance and security. We have had funding for schemes for large areas in Yeadon but we have been told by the Council that even if we get hold of the funding, it would not promote closed circuit television cameras in Yeadon High Street.
"I'm hopeful that community groups will put pressure on the Council and make some in-roads on this.
"Crime is increasing. The town hall has been vandalised regularly and crime has affected businesses and traders in the area."
A spokesman for Leeds City Council said that Yeadon was not considered a priority area for its own CCTV system.
"The Council does not have a budget for CCTV development in town centres, whether in Yeadon or any other town in the district," he said.
"We would give our backing to any scheme put forward by the Weetwood Crime Prevention Panel if it met our criteria for CCTV development by clearly identifying the specific crime problem and solution, containing satisfactory proposals on installation, monitoring and maintenance."
Aireborough Crime Prevention Officer Neil Pearson said: "Where CCTV has been shown to be an effective deterrent and also an aid to crime prevention, the police would always support a scheme but the problem is where the money is going to come from."
The numbers of burglaries reported in the area dropped from 257 to 160 while the number of drugs-related incidents more than halved from 60 to 27.
T&A, 5 Feb. 1999
A councillor is urging supermarket giant Asda to step up security after a woman was mugged at a cash point outside its Shipley store.
Councillor Phil Thornton (Lab, Shipley East) wants the Leeds-based chain to put CCTV cameras outside the Manor Lane store to cover the car park and area housing the cash points.
He said he had written to Asda in the wake of a number of purse thefts late last year and after last Friday's robbery - which saw a man snatch £40 from a woman he grabbed at a cash machine.
He said: "It needs to be nipped in the bud - we're trying to promote Shipley as a shopping centre and Asda should do something to reassure people that it is a safe place to shop.
"We've got a sophisticated CCTV system in Shipley - it would be very easy to link another camera into that and the Council would be more than happy to talk to Asda about it."
Inspector Nigel Cawthorne, of Shipley police, said: "The majority of crimes have been thefts from unattended trolleys or from open handbags in the store.
"It's a very safe place to shop and incidents at that cash point are extremely rare."
Inspector Cawthorne said Asda had given £5,000 towards the town centre CCTV system, making it the largest private contributor to the £140,000 scheme.
A spokesman for Asda said it was company policy not to comment on specific security issues or incidents but added: "Shoppers at Shipley can be assured security and customer safety is taken extremely seriously. We do review each incident and look at ways we may be able to improve."
T&A 16/2/99
Hospital chiefs in Bradford have won £300,000 of Government cash to protect frontline doctors and nurses from violence.
The money announced today will pay for a state-of-the-art CCTV system to monitor every treatment room and waiting area in Bradford Royal Infirmary's new accident and emergency department due to open next year.
The aim is to protect hard-pressed staff in the unit - the third busiest casualty department in the country - who are the frequent targets of violence from drunk or drugged-up patients and visitors as well as bystanders caught up in trouble.
Last year there were 219 recorded violent incidents in the casualty department, which treats more than 100,000 patients a year.
Now the £300,000 grant, the result of a successful bid by Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust which runs the BRI, will enable a comprehensive surveillance system to be installed as part of the £5 million transformation of the casualty department.
The scheme will provide full video surveillance in all areas, linked to a staff paging system; panic alarms in all areas linked to the central security point; and 75 mobile alarms for staff. All of the CCTV footage will be monitored by security staff at a control point within the A & E department.
Trust chief executive David Jackson said: "Our hope is that this security system will certainly reduce, if not eliminate, this kind of violence and threatening behaviour against members of staff."
Limited security cover at the moment is provided by security staff who patrol the casualty department. Posters warn patients and visitors that they will be prosecuted for causing trouble as part of a new zero tolerance policy.
Mr Jackson added: "We are delighted to get this money, which ties in beautifully with the existing redevelopment. It means this new system will be available when the new department opens."
He added that "proper standards of privacy and dignity for patients will be maintained", despite the presence of security cameras.
Barrie Scholfield, chairman of the Bradford Community Health Council, said: "The CHC has been pushing for improved security for members of staff at BRI and we welcome this wholeheartedly."
Editorial, T&A, 16/2/99
It is an appalling indictment of modern society that the doctors and nurses whose job is to treat the sick and injured should increasingly find themselves at risk of being injured themselves by violent patients.
Unfortunately that is the way of the world in 1999. Staff in the BRI casualty department are frequent targets of violent drunks or patients under the influence of drugs, and have even had to put up with fights between rival gangs. Last year there were 219 recorded incidents.
So there has to be a welcome for today's announcement that the new A&E unit at the hospital will have the protection of a security system funded with £300,000 cash from the Government. It is an important bonus for the unit, which will be dramatically improved for the Millennium with a £5 million revamp.
The nurses, doctors and, of course, patients at the unit have had to put up with cramped and difficult conditions for a long time. To have had to tolerate disruptive and violent behaviour on top of it is appalling.
It is absolutely right that the new unit should have a top-class security system with a state-of-the-art CCTV system to monitor every treatment room and the waiting area. The chief executive of the Bradford Hospitals Trust has said that despite the presence of cameras, "proper standards of privacy and dignity for patients will be maintained".
Patients who have any reservations in that respect will have to weigh them against the reassurance that comes from knowing that the system will enable any problems with violence to be dealt with promptly.
T&A 18/2/99
Police and Bradford city retailers have joined forces to clamp down on crime and anti-social behaviour.
Around a dozen businesses from the Canal Road retail park have come on board to extend the crime-busting scheme across the city centre.
They have also taken on board the photocard scheme, where pictures of active criminals are made available to businesses in the city.
Dill Butt, general store manager at Courts Furnishings Plc, has been named as the new chairman of Bradford City Centre Beat. He will be joined by Bradford Central police's new crime prevention officer, PC Paul Corah.
Mr Butt said he was keen to work with the police to drum up support from retail colleagues in the City Centre Beat.
He said: "We aim to create a theft-free zone which will also help to reduce groups of hoodlums whose anti-social behaviour is generally very intimidating to members of the public who wish to shop in peace.
"This ongoing initiative can only help to improve the image of all retailers, thereby making our shops more inviting and customer-friendly."
City Centre Beat aims to reduce crime and the fear of crime, reduce truancy and combat drug use.
It also works to improve CCTV equipment in the city and promote Bradford as a safe place.
PC Corah said: "We have an active and dynamic committee of representatives from the business community and we will be working together to promote a better Bradford."
Community safety officer for Bradford Central Sgt Chris Plowman welcomed the boost to City Centre Beat.
He said: "I think there is a general turning of the tide against the tolerance of crime. It is helping to make Bradford a safer place.''
T&A 23/2/99
Safer streets throughout the district will be a priority for transport chiefs this year.
Street lighting and closed circuit television systems will be improved in major consultations with the public, the transportation, planning and design committee agreed last night.
The decision is in line with the Council's best value national pilot scheme centred on community safety. The committee had already set a target of providing 1,000 new street lights across the district by the year 2000, but officers said it had already been reached.
The committee decided that greater co-ordination and liaison should take place on the use of CCTV to ensure the maximum benefit for residents.
Discussions will take place with the police to improve the response to referrals and enhance the service.
The Council will also review the complaints procedures about the system to ensure there is a true reflection of the service delivery. And it will look at joint funding and resource arrangements with private companies and the police.
The Council will have more direct consultation before new lighting schemes are put in and the public will have a greater say.
Committee chairman Coun Latif Darr said he felt that street safety should be an absolute priority and the committee would do everything possible to ensure a top class service.
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