Councillors should rethink begging fine
ROCHDALE council have voted to go ahead with a Public Space Protection Order(PSPO) that will give them the power to fine people for begging in the town centre.
People with no money will be fined £100.
If they cannot pay they will be taken to court where they could receive a court fine of £1,000.
If they do not pay the court fine they could go to jail.
This happened recently to a woman in Wolverhampton where a similar scheme was introduced.
Someone gave her 50p. She got 6 months in jail.
At the hustings held at St Chad’s Church before the general election in June all of the Rochdale candidates were asked if they would oppose this proposal.
Not one candidate spoke in favour.
Tony Lloyd said he had spent a great deal of time when he was Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester trying to prevent young people entering the criminal justice system for non-payment of small fines.
Jane Howard for the Conservatives said she was prepared to defy the party whip to vote against the PSPO.
Could any policy be further away from the sort of society based on the values of compassion, social justice and solidarity that Jeremy Corbyn is calling for?
Labour councillors should think again and reverse this terrible decision. Sam O’Brien Athol Street
INVESTMENT LONG OVERDUE
FRONT page headline on the Observer December 9 ’One and a half million to be invested in renovating Drake Street.’
About time, but this should have been done before opening up the river.
Drake Street had many historical buildings but they were demolished.
It could have been saved if our councillors had the money.
What is left of Drake Street will help the struggling traders. Ex-Drake Street shopper
SEARCH FOR ANCESTORS
I AM researching my Garth and Whitaker ancestors who lived in Rochdale in the 1700s and 1800s.
The earliest ancestor I am able to trace is John Garth (d. 1842), a shopkeeper who lived on Road Lane.
He married Mary Kershaw in 1797 and had a son George (b. 1799). George married Sarah Whitaker in 1820 (apparently her father lived on Drake Street at one point) and they moved to Canada with their son Charles (1822-1905) in 1826.
I do know that as of 1905 there were still some of my Garth extended ancestor family living in Rochdale as in the memorial book of Charles Garth there are some condolence messages sent by Garth cousins.
It would be wonderful if I was able to connect with individuals with the surname Garth and Whitaker.
I can be contacted on lmfamilyresearch@gmail. com. Liisa Macnaughton Ottawa Ontario Canada