lep.co.
uk
Hour-long
battle with
a burglar
● From Page 1
“Through all this I was
telling Alice to go and wake
her mum to call the police.
After what would have been
40 minutes holding him over
the fence post I felt I had no
option other than trying to
get back through the hedge
myself so I could drag him
back to my house so I could
hopefully alert the police.
‘‘By now I was weak from
restraining him and the cold.
He broke free from me.
"I wrestled him back down
on to the lawn. I tried to gain
the upper hand of him again
by grabbing him around the
neck and my fingers caught
the inside of his mouth.
“He turned his head and
broke free.
“I chased him in the gar-
den again, grabbed his coat
or jumper, but strained my
fingers.
“He dived over the hedge
and escaped. I was going to
dive over the hedge but I
only had a pair of jeans on.”
Mr Jones, who works for
Holdens CVE in Leyland,
said the offender told his fi-
ancee’s daughter Alice, 15,
that he was armed.
The man managed to es-
cape and Mr Jones then con-
tacted the police via text.
A man was later arrested
and charged by police
though the force is still
hunting a second suspect.
Engineer Mr Jones, who
lives with fiancee 47-year-
old Suzie Maine, who is also
deaf, said the thieves failed
to steal his fiancee’s Toyota
Corolla and his 4x4 Nissan
Terrano.
He sustained bruising to
his arms, legs and feet as
part of the tussle.
Det Con Danielle Pren-
dergast, of Bamber Bridge
CID, praised Mr Jones’
bravery and said: “What he
did was fantastic.”
The laptop and rings
have since been recovered
though the keys remain
missing.
● Police have charged
Thomas Dixon, 18, of Re-
gents Way, Bamber Bridge,
with burglary.
Storm in teacup
over drinks idea
Carers get
‘crazy’
advice
by Chris Visser
chris.visser@lep.co.uk
CARERS have hit out
after being asked to pay
towards cups of tea and
slices of cake offered by
the people they care for.
The county council is ask-
ing domiciliary support staff
– who help those with learn-
ing difficulties – to “consider
making a contribution to the
cost of any meals or refresh-
ments they consume”.
County Hall chiefs insist it is
not compulsory and excludes
workers on long shifts.
But the Unite union criticised
the move as an “absolute load
of rubbish”, while learning dis-
ability charity Mencap said
clients would feel patronised.
Unite shop steward Ann-
Marie Moss, who works as a
carer in Preston and South Rib-
ble, said: “They say we have to
put donations in for having cups
of tea, even if we are sitting so-
cialising with them.
“We would be putting dona-
tions in for every coffee and
every teabag.
“I think it’s an absolute load
of rubbish and don’t think we
should have to do this. It’s ab-
solutely crazy.
“I disagree with it and I won’t
be putting any donations in.”
Mrs Moss, who lives in Eux-
ton, near Chorley, said the coun-
cil was also asking for donations
if staff had benefited from any
taxi journeys.
previous
stories
lep.co.uk
● Friendly chats for
dementia carers
● Carer stole from
72-year-old
TROUBLE STIRRING: Ann-Marie Moss, one of the Preston and South Ribble carers team
Mencap spokesman Amy
Clarke, who has a learning dis-
ability, said: “If I invite some-
one into my house, they are my
guest.
Money
“I wouldn’t expect them to
pay me money if I offer them a
cup of tea or cake.
“If they did offer me money, I
would find it quite patronising.
“Having one rule for people
without a disability and anoth-
er for people with a disability is
unhelpful and doesn’t make
them feel independent.”
Preston MP Mark Hendrick,
whose mother was a home
carer, said: “I think it should be
a decision for the person in-
volved and there should be no
guidance in that area.
“If someone is coming to help
you, a cup of tea is fair enough.
It seems peculiar.”
Mary Lawrenson, Lancashire
County Council’s direct services
manager, said: “In line with na-
tional guidance, the county’s
domiciliary support workers
have been asked to consider
making a contribution to the
cost of any meals or refresh-
ments they consume, which are
currently paid for by people with
Evening Post, Tuesday, February 23, 2010
learning disabilities whom they
support.
“For some time, people with
learning disabilities have effec-
tively been subsidising the cost
of their carers’ meals.
“We are asking support staff
who are not working long shifts
and are not therefore sleeping
over in the tenant’s home, to
offer a contribution towards the
cost of drinks and meals they
consume.
“Support workers have not
been instructed to do this.
“We are asking them to re-
flect on whether this is fair treat-
ment of vulnerable people.”
+5
NEWSBRIEF
Trawler in
sea rescue
A TRAWLER was rescued
by another vessel off the
coast of Morecambe Bay.
The Coastguard was
alerted when the boat got
into difficulties near
Heysham. But a nearby ves-
sel managed to save the
trawler which had broken
down at around 2.30pm on
Saturday.
Telly bursts
into flames
A TELEVISION was de-
stroyed after it caught fire at
a home in Penwortham.
Two fire crews tackled
the flames in Woodlands
Avenue at around 9.50pm
on Saturday. No injuries
were reported.
Three pulled
from crash
THREE people were res-
cued by firefighters after a
car crashed in Chorley.
Two men and one woman
were released by two crews
after the collision in Wigan
Lane, Heath Charnock, at
around 8.50pm on Satur-
day. The three casualties
were taken to hospital with
minor injuries and have
since been discharged.
Cars collide
A TWO-VEHICLE colli-
sion took place in Preston
on Ringway at around
7.40pm on Saturday. Two
fire crews were called to the
scene but no injuries were
reported.
Circuit fire
AN overheated circuit
sparked a blaze at a house
in Chorley. Two crews used
a thermal imaging camera
to put out the fire in Acres-
field, Adlington.
It happened at around
6.35pm on Saturday.