AUGUST 2021
‘TOP COP’ RESPONDS TO OUR READERS FOLLOWING Kempston Calling’s front page last month: Enough is Enough, Assistant Chief Constable Sharn Basra suggested that a meeting with us to explain the how Bedfordshire Police are active in so many areas. ACC Basra was at pains to point out that the level of crime in Bedfordshire is down on previ-
ous years – he admitted some of which is the result of the Covid lock-down. He wants to reassure the general public that his on-going commitment to neighbourhood policing is proving successful. Officers are under instruction to interact with the general public along with their other policing tasks of routing out trouble-makers and gathering crime intelligence. Recent successes have involved cracking down on ‘cuckooing’ at Chandos Court tower block near Roff Avenue, which has been the subject of on-going attention. Beds Police have recently been increasing their
Bedford Borough’s eligible families continue to get free school meal vouchers
BEDFORD Borough Council is providing free school meal vouchers to parents of thousands of children and young people in the Borough throughout the summer holidays.
Bedford Borough children from families that receive income-related free school meals are again eligible for a £15 voucher per week each, for the full six weeks. To date, £665,090 worth of vouchers have been directly issued to parents of 6,609 eligible children and young people to help with the cost of shopping for food. The free school meals food vouchers scheme is part of the package of support launched by Bedford Borough Council and voluntary sector partners earlier in the school year for families and households. Cllr Michael Headley, portfolio holder for finance said: “Once again I am delighted to say we will be continuing our support for children, young people and families in Bedford Borough by providing supermarket vouchers to those eligible for income related free school meals. “We know free school meals are a welcome lifeline to many families, so it is good news that we can once again provide vouchers
for all eligible families during the holidays. “Due to the impact of the pandemic, even more families are struggling and I hope that by issuing these vouchers families can focus on enjoying the school break, rather than worrying about where their child’s next meal is coming from.” Children are eligible for the vouchers if their family receives one of the benefits listed below: l Universal Credit – with an annual earned income of no more than £7,400 after tax l Income Support l Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance l Income-related Employment and Support Allowance l Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 l The guaranteed element of Pension Credit l Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
l Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 The Council and Bedford Borough schools are encouraging more families to register and apply for free school meals, so that they begin to receive the support they need. Conservative Councillors continue to stand behind the local scheme which is underpinned by the Holiday Activities and Food Programme which has so far provided Bedford Borough with £637,280 of government funding during the Covid-19 pandemic. Wootton Councillor John Wheeler said: “I welcome the continued Government and local authority support of children’s families in the greatest need. People are wrong if they think the Covid-19 emergency is behind us, for so many children and their families this programme will continue help to deliver square meals going forward.”
profile on social media, showing them on various ‘action days’ in towns. But ACC Basra points out: “You may not always see a uniform, but rest assured we are out there.”
See letters – page 10
The Kempston Calling put it to him that if he had more resource in the form of officers on the ‘beat’ we would have even less crime. His response was an uncompromising Yes to that – so again the question is: Shouldn’t more money be given to the police for additional front line officers? Towns and villages across Bedfordshire need more support to tackle the problem of drugs and stop the ‘low level’ crime that so much impacts on the lives and busi-
nesses of ordinary people. It’s anti-social behaviour and low level crime that puts off would-be shoppers from visiting our town centres. This is why the Kempston Calling is urging all leaders and politicians to work together to ensure more money spent on increased police numbers to reassure the public and take actually action. We want to see the county’s MPs being more actively engaged with the police here in their constituencies, and reporting back to the public who pay for the police every more heavily through Council Tax, and indirectly through other forms of taxation. The Kempston Calling is hopeful that Central Government will insist that police activity and public funding supports our ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign.
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