Chief Constable Ian Learmonth
Saturday, June 16, 2012
10:45 AM
Ian Learmonth among a list of the county’s finest to be recognised in the birthday honour’s list
Kent’s chief constable has received the prestigious Queen’s Police Medal in the birthday honours list.
Ian Learmonth, who joined Kent Police in July 2010, was among a list of the county’s finest to be recognised for their services and work in the county.
The chief constable was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal, which is given to officers for distinguished service.
Mr Learmonth joined Essex Police as a Cadet in 1974, and served with the force in a variety of uniform operational roles until 2005 when he was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police.
In that role he led the major police operation for the G8 summit in 2005, and the policing response to the attack on Glasgow Airport by terrorists in 2007.
He was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable of Norfolk Police in 2007, where he led a major programme to redesign the force to put more officers on the frontline.
In July 2010, he was promoted to Chief Constable of Kent Police. His work with the force has been praised by both the Prime Minister in August 2011 during the disorder that gripped the country, and by the Home Secretary.
Mr Learmonth is the national lead for the police service on public order policing, a role he was given after last summer’s disorder.
He said he was both delighted and humbled to receive the Queen’s Police Medal.
“The success of Kent Police is down to the hard work and deep sense of public service of my officers and staff,” he said.
“I have not worked with a more dedicated team.
“I don’t consider what I do to be special, but I’ve worked with some amazing people over the years and seen the profound impact that effective policing has on people’s lives.”
Deputy Chief Constable Alan Pughsley added: “Ian Learmonth has given 38 years of his life to selflessly serving the community in a variety of difficult and dangerous police roles.
“He is an exemplary police officer who has always put the public first. It is a privilege to serve under his leadership, and this award from the Queen is very richly deserved and brings honour to the force as a whole.”
Director of Turner Contemporary, Victoria Pomery, was honoured with an OBE for services to the arts.
Ms Pomery runs the hugely successful gallery in Margate, which attracted more than half a million visitors in its first year of opening.
Others recognised in the honours list were leading hop grower Tony Redsell, who farms across Kent, who was awarded an OBE for services to the UK’s hop industry; Sally Anne Sweeney Carroll, founder and mentor of Transport for Sick Children, who received an MBE for services to child care; and Professor Christopher John Rudge, formerly national clinical director for transplantation and consultant in renal transplantation, who was honoured with CBE for services to transplantation and organ donation.
Mary Butcher, from Canterbury, and Heather Clemence, from Tonbridge, were both recognised for their talents and services to the community.
Ms Butcher was awarded an MBE for services to basket making after 35 years in the industry.
She said: “When I first saw a letter from the cabinet office, I wondered what I had done. Then I opened it and I couldn’t quite believe it.
“It’s such an honour, not just for me personally, but for the craft too.
“I have taught people in the last 35 years who have become traditional basket makers, and I have taught people to think differently about the basket making process.”
Heather Clemence has volunteered at Sevenoaks’ British Heart Foundation branch for more than 30 years and received a British Empire Medal for her long service.
She said: “I was completely surprised because I had no idea about it at all. I got it through my charity work which my husband and I have been doing since 1978.
“The award of the BEM is a great surprise and honour. I must share it with all those who, over more than 30 years, worked together as fundraisers.
“But most of all I will always remember the friendship we all shared, the happy meetings, the fun which we all had over coffee and biscuits and the pleasure of fundraising events.”
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
Armed men raid Wembley bank in daring daylight robbery (From Harrow Times) - Harrow Times
Armed men raid Wembley bank in daring daylight robbery
5:16pm Friday 15th June 2012 in News By Anna Slater
Two armed men raided a bank in Wembley this morning in a daring daylight robbery.
The men stormed into the HSBC Bank in Ealing Road just before 11am this morning.
A male went up to front counter staff making verbal demands for cash to be handed over whilst holding a handgun.
The second man remained behind his accomplice in a foyer by the front door, holding a firearm believed to be a sawn off shotgun.
The terrified cashiers ducked under the front counter and immediately raised their alarms, causing the suspects to flee empty-handed in an unknown direction.
It is thought one suspect was travelling on a bicycle.
Both suspects are described white, around 5ft10inches in tall and of an athletic build.
They had each concealed the lower part of their faces with a scarf or high collar.
The second suspect was wearing a dark Parker jacket with a fur trim around its hood.
Anyone with information should call the incident room at The Finchley Flying Squad on 020 8358 1751 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to remain anonymous.
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Source: www.harrowtimes.co.uk
Smash hit - The Liverpool International tennis tournament celebrates a decade of top-class action - Liverpool Echo
THE Liverpool International is 10-years-old next Thursday. The event which has counted five world number ones on court at Calderstones Park, 10 former Wimbledon singles champions and entertained tens of thousands of tennis fans every year reaches a significant milestone.
And to celebrate a decade of top class tennis in a public park, we look back at some of the names who have graced Anders Borg’s brainchild.
2002
THE Liverpool International was launched with a fanfare of publicity in 2002 – and the presence of the then world number one and former US Open champion, Marat Safin.
Local sports fans loved the idea and flocked to Calderstones Park . . . but unfortunately the LTA proved less enthusiastic!
Winner: Marat Safin bt Jan-Michael Gambill 6-7 7-6 6-4.
2003
IF the tennis authorities didn’t exactly drive the fledgling tournament underground, they certainly forced it indoors.
Under legislation by the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour, no top-50 player is allowed to appear within 100 miles of an official tournament.
And because the LTA were running a tournament in Nottingham – and the ATP ruled that Nottingham was 93-miles away from Liverpool as the crow flies (the shortest route by road is 106 miles!) – the tournament organisers were forced to schedule a mini-tournament inside at the Wavertree Tennis Centre.
Ironically, outside the skies were cloudless.
No Pimms, no strawberries and cream, no tented village or hospitality marquee – but there was still a tournament.
And it was won by the previous year’s losing finalist.
Winner: Jan-Michael Gambill bt Alex Kim 6-4 6-2.
2004
Back in the sunshine at Calderstones Park, the Liverpool International was starting to find its feet.
Established ATP stars like Ivan Ljubicic, Vince Spadea, Robert Kendrick and Irakli Labadze featured – as did a series of legends for the first time.
Former Wimbledon winner Richard Krajieck was joined by the irrepressible Ilie Nastase and Mansour Bahrami, together with Peter McNamara and Guillermo Villas.
A splendid tournament ended with Mansour Bahrami circling the court on his bicycle!
Winner: Ivan Ljubicic bt Irakli Labadze 6-2 6-7 6-4.
2005
The growing Liverpool International featured lots of extras in 2005.
Not least was the tournament’s uncanny ability to spot rising stars before they had hit the big time.
On this occasion an 18-year-old Serbian with dazzling ground strokes called Novak Djokovic made the tennis public sit up and take notice.
In addition the 2004 champion, Ivan Ljubicic, returned, the legends returned to entrance us once again, and there were added bonuses in the form of women's legend Martina Navratilova and former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash.
The tournament also supported two charities - The Marina Daglish Breast Cancer Fund and the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust – raising the grand sum of £12,000 for the charities over the five days.
Winner: Ivan Ljubicic bt Mikhail Youzhny 3-6 7-6 7-6.
2006
REFUSING to rest on its laurels, the Liverpool International extended even further with the addition of a ladies ATP event – and it proved an inspired move.
A dazzlingly talented 15-year-old from Denmark called Caroline Wozniacki was the star attraction, even stealing the limelight from Belgian powerhouse Xavier Malisse who won the men’s event.
A junior match between children in three age groups from Liverpool and Oslo also attracted a lot of attention, the Liverpudlians winning 31-21 and a rising star called Chloe Murphy winning all her five singles and doubles matches.
Winners: Xavier Malisse bt Vince Spadea 3-6 7-5 (14-12)
Caroline Wozniacki bt Olga Savchuk 7-6 6-3.
Source: www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
Visit Kent chief defends its public funding for tourism promotion - thisiskent.co.uk
THANET has paid more to Visit Kent to promote the area's tourism than all the other districts in the county combined.
The figures were revealed through a Freedom Of Information Act request to each authority after Visit Kent refused to reveal how much public money it receives.
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PROFILE: Visit Kent used Turner Contemporary and Botany Bay as images in its advertising campaign. Chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh (left) insists Visit Kent is open about how much money it gets from the public purse, and Iris Johnston, right, said the council reviews payment to external organisations
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Sandra Matthews Marsh
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Thanet. Margate. Cabinate member for Tourism Iris Johnston infront of the tudor tea house which is set to re-open.
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Thanet. Margate. Turner Contemporary. National launch of Tracey Emins's new exhibition called "She Lay Down Deep Beneath The Sea". Evening showing. No celebs but snapped a few people as they went in including Clive Hart, Laura Sandys and Stuart Neame.
Since 2005 Visit Kent has received nearly £2.8 million in public money with more than £671,000 of that coming from Thanet.
The Thanet share is £2,000 more than that paid over the same period by all other Kent districts and Medway.
Over the same period Kent County Council has paid £1.3 million to Visit Kent.
Robert Oxley, campaign manager of The TaxPayers' Alliance said it was "appalling" that Visit Kent had resisted attempts to publish how much taxpayers' money it receives.
He said: "If Kent residents are unable to scrutinise how much of their cash is ending up in the company's coffers, then it makes it impossible to judge whether they are getting good value for money from the agency.
"Thanet residents in particular will be left wondering why on earth so much of their council tax has been handed over as they appear to disproportionately foot the bill for this opaque tourist agency."
Visit Kent chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh said she "resented" the implication that Visit Kent was anything other than transparent.
She added: "Visit Kent monitors all its activities to ensure good value for money, guaranteeing that for every £1 from local authorities it is match funded at least by £4.
"Tourism is worth £3.2 billion to the Kent economy and employs 63,000 people. Thanet makes up eight per cent of this.
"From 2006 until 2009 Thanet as well as Shepway saw the biggest increase in economic value of tourism growing by ten per cent.
She added that last year Botany Bay and Turner Contemporary had featured heavily in the Kent Contemporary London advertising campaign – something the district could not afford to do on its own.
She said: "Botany Bay was the image that most appealed to potential visitors with 43 per cent saying it made them want to come to Kent. Thanet is only one of six partners in this campaign."
In 2010/2011 financial year Thanet council saved £75,000 by closing its Visitor Information Centres in Ramsgate and Broadstairs. The following year it increased its budget for Visit Kent from £73,720 to £87,784.
Councillor Iris Johnston, cabinet member for tourism said the council's payments to Visit Kent had to be seen in context.
She said: "Much of the Thanet economy depends upon a healthy tourist trade, so it's not surprising that we would place more emphasis than, for example,
Sevenoaks."
Source: www.thisiskent.co.uk
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