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Lammas Park (Again) - URGENT HEALTH WARNING

A concerned local noticed the water coming into these ponds wasn’t right and has carried out a lab analysis test on the tennis courts endI’ve seen the report and it looks legitimate Can’t include picture but the text states:-Water quality DANGERKeep children and dogs away from this water.22 February 2025Test for E.coli levelsResult 3603 E.Coli/100mlColony Forming UnitsMore than 3x above maximum limit for river waterIf you come into contact with this water wash your hands thoroughly with soap in running water and dry them completely - use liquid soap and warm water if you can.Source NHS InformE.Coli/100mL:Test site location: What3Words tricks.influencing.brandedSource of pollution:Ealing Council Sustainable urbanDrainage System (SuDS) scheme has connected surface water drains to the ponds in the north of Lammas park which flow into the large excavated basins in the south of the park.The surface water drains shows a very high level of sewage contamination. The grey water and brown sludge is clearly visible. The water in the discharge pipe also smells of sewage.Test equipment: Fluidion Alert One AnalyserSymptoms of E. coli infectionSymptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and occasionally fever.About half of people with the infection will have bloody diarrhoea.People usually notice symptoms 3 to 4 days after they have been infected. But symptoms can start any time between 1 and 14 days afterwards.These symptoms can last up to 2 weeks.Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)A small number of people with E. coli 0157 infection go on to develop a serious condition called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include:•peeing less•tiredness•swelling•bruisingThis can sometimes lead to kidney failure and death, although this is rare.The risk of HUS is highest in children aged under 5 years.Source: NHS Inform websiteEaling Council and Thames Water — a circus and its clowns (allegedly)

Colin Goodman ● 95d102 Comments ● 74d

Leighton Road, West Ealing

Talk about using a sledge hammer to crack a non-existent nut!At www.ealing.gov.uk/elthorne-leighton you will discover two 'improvement' options are suggested at the eastern end of Leighton Road.Option 1 turns the southern section of Seaford Road into two way dedicated cycle lanes. Option 2 blocks the direct road link between Leighton Road and Northfield Avenue.The documentation supporting these options is pages and pages of photos, statistics, diagrams and platitudes. The sheer volume of it probably rivals the supporting documentation used in the D Day Landing in France during WWII.I received two copies of the undated 3 page letter sent to 100s of residents. No options' details just a pointer to the web site. There's also an 8 hour(!) public meeting planned for Monday 27 January 2025 at the small Northfield Community Library. It runs for 11am to 7pm. It's called a 'drop-in' style session. This is not a proper public meeting. A proper public meeting is where an expert - say Councillor Driscoll - is up front with slides and or large display panels. He presents the Council case and than the 100+ residents are allowed to ask questions for an hour. There needs to be an effective amplified sound system with roving mikes so that every one can hear the questions and the answers.The budget for the Leighton Road-Elthorne Park Road improvement project is £250,000. Surely this money could have been /should have been spent alleviative some real problems in Ealing - instead of spending money on 'addressing' unspecified, unsubstantiated 'historic traffic and safety issues'.

Eric Alan Leach ● 126d143 Comments ● 121d

LTN’s - 20min Neighbourhoods — What I Learnt Last Night

Went to Ealing Councils “Community Workshop for Ealings 20 Minute Framework for Ealing Broadway & South Ealing” last nightDidn’t know about it did you? I’m not surprised as we only heard last minute via an obscure social media post; it was advertised as Sold Out via Eventbrite but this was wrong and there was plenty of capacity. In fact it was very sparsely attended!!!The buzzwords were “Primary Active Travel Route”; “Greener Active Travel Link”; “ Climate Change and Ecological Emergency Plan” and wonderful ideas such as Focus Zones, Placemaking etcCut to the chase: this is the return of LTN’s only on steroids now.Plans under consideration (ie coming your way in a year or two) are to make South Ealing Road a Primary Active Travel Route. Questioned what this actually is the spin answer was where walking and cycling encouraged but, despite constant requests, the details of what this looked like couldn’t be shared. When I stated this can only be at the expense of car travel and “another as Chiswick High Road disaster” the very nice young lady could only go crimson and I got no response really.Exactly the same when talking about the Uxbridge Road junction around The North StarAll of these plans are formulated via the online responses numbering 1,100 which is a 1.25% sample of the effected population in these areasWhen asked where the people rolling these ideas out lived they were rather sheepish in confirming they didn’t live in these areas, some actually not even Ealing rather the well known cycling stazi of Islington!! The regeneration aspect for these areas is of course laudable and welcome.However clearly this will be at the expense of heritage and your freedom of movement by means you may choose freely The final classic snippets were nobody from Planning in attendance or involved, no consideration apparently in respect of high density high rise blocks with this just being about infrastructure. So totally disjointed which to the average Joe must appear mad as don’t you plan your infrastructure around the expected built environment as a whole???In short — there’s a nightmare heading our way

Colin Goodman ● 542d207 Comments ● 148d

I asked AI for the options to legally dismiss a UK Government.

I would wager that most of us are rather unhappy with Comrade Starmer and his Stasi, to say the least. The last option 5 seems very viable to me, I will notify Reform :-In the UK, there are several legal options for dismissing an elected government and triggering a new general election:1/ Fixed-term elections: By law, a general election must be held at least every five years. 2/ Prime Minister's request: The Prime Minister can request the King to dissolve Parliament and call an early election2. The King typically grants this request, as it is part of the royal prerogative exercised on ministerial advice.3/ Vote of no confidence: If the government loses a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons, they are expected to either resign or call a general election.4/ Loss of majority: If the government loses its working majority in Parliament, it may be forced to call an election or resign.5/ Recall petitions: While this doesn't directly dismiss the government, individual MPs can be subject to recall petitions. If 10% of voters in a constituency sign a recall petition, the MP loses their seat, triggering a by-election.It's important to note that the public cannot directly force a general election. Opposition parties and the public can only try to put pressure on the government if they believe an election should be held sooner.The King's role in calling elections is largely ceremonial. While the King technically has the power to refuse a dissolution request, this has not happened in modern times and would be highly controversial.

Rosco White ● 164d36 Comments ● 157d

Wottasurprise - Shamed human rights lawyer faces sentencing for £3m legal aid scam .......

Woke Lefties are SO "Holier Than Thou."   🤣Shamed human rights lawyer faces sentencing for £3m legal aid scam that falsely accused Iraq war veterans of murder and torture.Phil Shiner, 67, from Birmingham, has admitted three counts of fraud A disgraced former human rights lawyer is due to be sentenced today over a £3million legal aid scam involving claims against Iraq war veterans.Phil Shiner, 67, who was struck off for pursuing false torture and murder allegations against British soldiers, admitted three counts of fraud on the eve of his trial.A former soldier who was among those targeted has vowed to attend today's sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court, saying he wants to look Shiner in the eye as punishment is handed down.Robert Campbell, who was a major in the Royal Engineers, branded Shiner a liar who 'duped the legal establishment glitterati into thinking he was on some kind of crusade'.Shiner, who was the principal solicitor of the law firm Public Interest Lawyers, was struck off as a solicitor in 2017 at a tribunal after being found guilty of misconduct and dishonesty relating to false abuse claims against British troops.He will now be sentenced for fraud after admitting that an agent acting on his behalf had been cold-calling potential clients in Iraq.He also admitted paying referral fees, both of which breached the terms of being granted a legal aid contract as part of a judicial review. The charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Shiner has been on bail since pleading guilty in September this year.Philip Shiner, who was struck off for pursuing false torture and murder allegations against British soldiers, is due to be sentenced after admitting three counts of fraudShiner had brought thousands of criminal complaints to the Iraq Historic Investigations Team – a body set up by the Ministry of Defence to investigate soldiers. Not a single one was ever charged. Mr Campbell was accused of drowning Iraqi teenager Saeed Shabram in a river in Basra in May 2003, and was scrutinised in eight investigations into the 19-year-old's death, including one for possible manslaughter, before he was ultimately cleared.In 2020, judge Baroness Hallett decided there was 'no reliable evidence upon which it would be proper to conclude' that Mr Campbell or any other British soldier pushed or forced Mr Shabram into the water.Mr Campbell has now said ahead of today's sentencing: 'We were investigated eight times before we were exonerated because Phil Shiner just kept lying and lying and lying.'The 51-year-old, who was medically discharged from the army in 2018, added: 'I want to catch his eye. I want to look at him. I want to see what he looks like.'I wish I could address the court but I can't because he's not actually being sentenced for lying about me he's just being sentenced for fraud.'Asked what he would say to the court if he had the opportunity, Mr Campbell said Shiner had 'duped the Ministry of Defence, he duped human rights groups, he duped the legal aid authority, he duped the BBC and he duped the legal establishment glitterati into thinking he was on some kind of crusade and he wasn't'.Shiner had made an application to the Legal Services Commission in 2007 in which he sought up to £200,000 of legal aid funding for his firm to represent clients including Khuder Al-Sweady, in an application for judicial review.Shiner, pictured outside London's High Court in January 2013, had brought thousands of criminal complaints to the Iraq Historic Investigations Team. No troops were charged as a resultAccording to the National Crime Agency, he received about £3million in the value of the contract.And the ensuing Al-Sweady inquiry into allegations of mistreatment and unlawful killing of Iraqi nationals by British troops in 2004 cost the taxpayer £24million.The inquiry found that Mr Al-Sweady's nephew Hamid Al-Sweady had been killed 'outright' whilst fighting, and had been a 'willing and active' participant in an attack on British forces.It concluded that the most serious claims of murder and torture were ‘wholly without foundation and entirely the product of deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility’.Shiner was later declared bankrupt after being struck off for ­dishonesty and other offences by the Solicitors Regulation ­Authority for pursuing false torture and murder allegations against British troops.In making his 2007 application, Shiner failed to disclose that an agent acting on his behalf and with his knowledge had been cold-calling and making unsolicited approaches to potential clients in Iraq. He also failed to disclose that he was paying referral fees.This practice was not permitted as part of gaining a legal aid contract, the NCA said.Shiner was also convicted for providing a witness statement to the commission in support of his application, which was again gained by an unsolicited approach.As a result of his failure to disclose this information, Shiner was able to gain a 'valuable legal aid contract to enable him to pursue the judicial review', the NCA said.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14176451/Disgraced-human-rights-lawyer-3million-legal-aid-scam-linked-claims-against-Iraq-War-veterans-sentenced-today-major-targeted-vows-want-look-eye.html

Rosco White ● 171d13 Comments ● 163d

Donate winter coats, christmas jumpers and books this winter

Hello  Ealing!Please note: Due to the expected poor weather conditions this weekend, The Acton Market Reduce and Recycle Hub and Community Christmas event will be relocating to St Mary's Acton, The Mount, High St, London W3 9NW, on Saturday, 7th October.We wont let the weather stop us!Join us inside the church for all the planned Christmas activities and entertainment we opening at the later time of 11.30am and closing with some fun at 3.30pm👩‍🎤Entertainment:11:30 AM - Ealing Rock Choir1:00 PM - The West London Jazz Collective3:30 PM - Elevate Arts☃Christmas Recycling Activities:🎅🏾Christmas Jumper Swap: Swap your unwanted festive jumper for a new-to-you one! No donation necessary, one jumper per person.🧤Winter Coat & Accessories Collection: Donate your unwanted winter coats and accessories (hats, gloves, scarves, jumpers) to help those in need and homeless this Christmas.🍐Donate to Ealing Foodbank: Bring food donations to help those in our community facing hunger. For suggestions, see the December shopping list: https://ealing.foodbank.org.uk/♻Recycle your unwanted clothes and support Traid.♻Recycle small electrical items, also supporting Traid's work.🙏Learn to Repair your Clothes with Ealing Repair Cafe.📚Join the Book Swap: Bring books to swap or pick up some new reads! We'll also have wrapped mystery books for gifting.🌍Campaign for Change with Ealing Friends of the Earth: Learn about local issues and campaigns concerning air pollution, climate change, nature, and biodiversity.🏠Find Out More on Your Town, Your Voice: Participate in Ealing Council's vote for priorities on local community projects.Plus for the families: Get a chance to see inside an emergency vehicle!🚔Metropolitan police vehicle🚒Fire engine (on display unless needed for an emergency)

Zahra Shah ● 176d1 Comments ● 174d

Lammas Park Why all the misleading and Deception?

New posters have appeared in Lammas Park.  They still do not explain in any detail the rationale for the failed works.They still do not have a single name of anyone in charge.The pictures though are hugely misleading.They show " Flooding in and Ealing Street"The pictures are actually the flooding in and around two 'Speed tables" in Church Lane/ Culmington Road.In actuality the cause of the flooding dates back to the installation some years ago of the traffic calming speed tables - which serve their purpose.But the construction of these blocked the fall of rainwater to the drains and caused problems from day one.The road rises slightly after the Junctions of Elers Road and Lammas Park Gardens and the rainfall cannot soak away as the Drains are the wrong side.This has worsened because of two other factors. 1.The drains have not been routinely descaled for decades ( They used to be done every 10 years by a local company based in Derwent Yard ). I know this for sure as it was one of my first student summer jobs ) Simple rudimentary stuff but highly effective.2. The huge trees produce a lot of leaves which are not dealt with and full the galleys and rot and again block water flow and drains up.  This is a problem locally around the parks.The roots have disturbed the level flows of the gullies. Again something that form time to time is easily remedied.Does it really take huge earthworks to remedy a lack of basic urban maintenance?Why use misleading pictures with the very cause in the pictures? Water unable to reach the drainsThe third Picture shows a flooded western end of the park.  This was in winter and after a very long dry period.  A very heavy rainstorm caused this and it was no more than water logged - just like a level playing field.  It took longer to drain away as it was much colder in that period.Theres used to be a slightly boggy area no more than a few metres in diameter near there that was down to a leak from an inspection chamber.Fact is Lammas Park has had minimal maintenance since the 1960s. Always the poor relation to Walpole Park which was looked after really well. Lammas Park has lost a lot of it's once equally good amenities to free and open access to all, but it at least remained a very safe park for children to play in,  be it sport or the swings or the long gone adventure playground.That is no longer even a consideration. Boggy Water and Playground? Irritant fauna and biting insects?  Why do you think Victorian Parks were created? Especially when surrounded by open meadows?  Because they were made to be safe and healthy places.With this bird brained scheme which has no evidence of proper risk or impact assessments is frankly, shameful and those behind it ought to be made accountable.But putting pictures with misleading captions is stooping to the level of regimes that this nation fought to quell. Tell the truth. And explain everything properly.  And produce the independent risk assessments.

Raymond Havelock ● 191d14 Comments ● 187d