Children warned of 'death or injury' as manhole covers are removed in dangerous game in Warwickshire
Children are being warned that they risk death or serious injury if they continue removing manhole covers to climb underground.
The Warwickshire parish of Wellesbourne and Walton has several Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, or SUDS, which the council says are being used to play in.
It says groups of young people are putting themselves at risk of being "severely harmed, or worse, killed" and the covers need to be replaced.
The council shared photos on their social media, pleading with residents to inform police if they see anyone entering the pipes and to warn their children of the dangers.The post read: "Danger and dangerous behaviour on The Grange. We do not usually use these terms but there is a group of teenagers who are in danger of personal harm through their behaviour."The pictures show the SUDS area and the open manhole. A group or groups of three or four boys have been seen entering the pipe in the SUDS. They are then crawling through it and coming up the drainpipe and opening the top covering from underneath and then leaving it uncovered as you can see from the picture."There is great danger that a young person could injure themselves severely, the lids are extremely heavy, or potentially kill themselves should it fall on them whilst they are opening it. Equally, they could get stuck in the pipework which could again end in injury."We have informed the police, Persimmon have visited on several occasions to replace the cover, mend the fences and secure the grills. However, this level of replacement is unsustainable, and the police cannot constantly be in attendance."If you see incidents happening, please immediately ring the police. It is an emergency as there is the possibility of harm. Please talk to your young people, about the hazards of such behaviour. We do not want anyone severely harmed or worse, killed."
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ITV News
a day ago
- ITV News
Children warned of 'death or injury' as manhole covers are removed in dangerous game in Warwickshire
Children are being warned that they risk death or serious injury if they continue removing manhole covers to climb underground. The Warwickshire parish of Wellesbourne and Walton has several Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, or SUDS, which the council says are being used to play in. It says groups of young people are putting themselves at risk of being "severely harmed, or worse, killed" and the covers need to be replaced. The council shared photos on their social media, pleading with residents to inform police if they see anyone entering the pipes and to warn their children of the post read: "Danger and dangerous behaviour on The Grange. We do not usually use these terms but there is a group of teenagers who are in danger of personal harm through their behaviour."The pictures show the SUDS area and the open manhole. A group or groups of three or four boys have been seen entering the pipe in the SUDS. They are then crawling through it and coming up the drainpipe and opening the top covering from underneath and then leaving it uncovered as you can see from the picture."There is great danger that a young person could injure themselves severely, the lids are extremely heavy, or potentially kill themselves should it fall on them whilst they are opening it. Equally, they could get stuck in the pipework which could again end in injury."We have informed the police, Persimmon have visited on several occasions to replace the cover, mend the fences and secure the grills. However, this level of replacement is unsustainable, and the police cannot constantly be in attendance."If you see incidents happening, please immediately ring the police. It is an emergency as there is the possibility of harm. Please talk to your young people, about the hazards of such behaviour. We do not want anyone severely harmed or worse, killed."
The Independent
11-04-2025
- The Independent
Time to build a better future
The Independent is proud to be able to thank its generous readers and partner organisations for the completion of a new bespoke safe haven for women and their families fleeing domestic abuse. Our Brick by Brick campaign, launched last September in partnership with the charity Refuge, asked for a £15 contribution per nominal brick for the buildings – and there was an immediate and enthusiastic response to the appeal. Construction of the first purpose-built house has now been completed, with a second to follow soon. As soon as Refuge's all-female team of decorators have finished up, the first residents will be welcomed into their secure and safe new home. Of necessity, the location of the properties remains confidential, which will lend additional comfort to those who have been subjected to horrific mental and physical torture. In particular, Refuge, the Persimmon housebuilding company and its charitable trust have devoted enormous effort and care to the design of these new homes – with flexibility in the accommodation for children and appropriate security measures. Especially thoughtfully, pets are also allowed. These will be places of kindness as well as safety. In the words of The Independent 's editor-in-chief, Geordie Greig: 'This is a monumental achievement, and I'm immensely proud of the role our readers and supporters have played in building this house – Brick by Brick.' Many politicians, royalty and celebrities have put their status to good use by lending their names to our Brick by Brick campaign, including The Queen, Sir Keir Starmer, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Joanna Lumley, Olivia Colman, Victoria Derbyshire, Andi Oliver, David Morrissey and Sir Patrick Stewart. Despite the near ubiquity of domestic abuse, which takes many forms, it rarely dominates the news headlines – another reason why The Independent has backed this effort. It is so much more than an exercise in 'raising awareness' – a phrase that is often used but rarely matches up to the challenge of the problem. As so much domestic violence goes on behind closed doors, police and social services never get to hear of it – but the best estimates of the incidence of this type of violence and its effects are sobering. Last month, it was revealed that between April 2023 and March 2024, 98 victims of domestic abuse took their own lives – on top of the 80 who were killed by a current or former partner, and the 39 killed by a family member. Coupled with the 354 suspected deaths by suicide following domestic abuse since 2020, that brings the total number of domestic abuse-related deaths this decade to 1,012, according to the government-funded Domestic Homicide Project. There will be many hundreds of thousands more similar cases that have gone unrecorded, if not millions. One reason for these types of crimes – which are often described as an 'epidemic', and one with a long and often hidden history – is that it is just so difficult for women and children to get away from an abusive man quickly and safely. Without a refuge, they can become trapped in barbaric, controlling relationships. Shelters such as those provided by Brick by Brick will go a long way to remedying that. From a safe home, damaged people can begin to repair themselves, and their lives. They can also more readily seek what help they can from the authorities, as well as legal advice that will secure them justice. Such things are also crucial in rebuilding lives. More needs to be done, which is undoubtedly more difficult at a time when there is less money around. The social services departments of local authorities have suffered successive waves of austerity, as have police forces. Yet they are there to save lives and prevent injury, and there can be few better uses for taxpayers' money. More purpose-built refuges would also be a fine investment, saving on temporary accommodation and trying to fix problems when it is far too late to stop the harm. The children, after all, carry the physical and mental scars for the rest of their lives. In its election manifesto, the Labour Party tried to build on the pioneering work in this field done by generations of campaigners and some politicians who cared enough to make a difference, notably Theresa May, whose government passed laws on disclosure and 'controlling coercive behaviour'. Mercifully, even in these polarised times, this is not a partisan matter. Labour, in its turn, promised to 'introduce domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms so that victims can talk directly to a specialist, and ensure there is a legal advocate in every police force area to advise victims from the moment of report to trial'. The party also promised to halve abuse against women and girls (much of it in the home) within a decade. Disconcertingly, the home secretary Yvette Cooper last November had to concede that she didn't know how to measure 'overall violence' against women and girls, nor 'how you look at domestic abuse'. Of course, if any government sets a target (even one that may exceed its own lifespan), it needs to be able to quantify its success, but that should be no excuse for not getting on with the job and maintaining that momentum. The creation of more safe refuges could be transformative in this effort, and it is something that should take its place in the ambitious housebuilding programme being overseen by the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner. There are women at the top of government who understand the problem of domestic abuse, are committed to improving the situation of women and girls and have the power and responsibility to do something about it. They should build a better future, brick by brick.
The Independent
24-12-2024
- The Independent
The key donors who contributed to the Brick by Brick campaign
The tremendous success of the Brick by Brick campaign would never have been possible without the generous response from both our readers and high-profile donors. In September, The Independent and leading domestic abuse charity Refuge launched a trailblazing appeal to raise funds for building two safe houses for women and children escaping abusive partners and raise public awareness of domestic abuse. The campaign, which kicked off in September, aimed to build one refuge at the outset. But construction plans were changed to accommodate a second house after the initial £300,000 target was smashed just weeks into the campaign, with over £X raised for the appeal so far. A star-studded cast of famous faces has backed the Brick by Brick campaign - including everyone from the PM Sir Keir Starmer, to Dame Joanna Lumley, Dame Helen Mirren, the Queen, Olivia Colman, Victoria Derbyshire and Sir Patrick Stewart. The house, the first that housebuilder Persimmon has ever built specifically for domestic abuse survivors, will be semi-detached, with a living room, open-plan kitchen and dining room as well as a private garden. It will also have the latest security measures, including a fireproof letter box, CCTV, and enhanced locking features on windows and doors. It will be linked to the local police force to ensure that officers can get there quickly in the unlikely event that a woman's abuser discovers where she is living. But survivors will have more than a roof over their head thanks to Refuge staff providing emotional support and legal advice during a family's stay, as well as supporting women with safety planning, budgeting, finding a safe new home, dealing with debt and applying for welfare benefits, accessing health services, and finding nurseries and schools. Here is a breakdown of some of the key donors who contributed to the Brick by Brick campaign. The Independent's readers HM The Queen Sir Keir Starmer and the Cabinet Dame Joanna Lumley The Julia Rausing Trust Nationwide Persimmon Homes Lloyds Amanda Pritchard and the NHS England board The Very Revd Andrew Tremlett Dean of St Paul's N. Sethia charitable foundation Igor Tulchinsky Sarah, Duchess of York (Sarah's Trust) Gurinder Chadha Jung Chang Penny Mordaunt Sir Mohamed Mansour Joely Richardson Please donate now to the Brick by Brick campaign, launched by The Independent and charity Refuge, to help raise another £300,000 to build a second safe space for women where they can escape domestic abuse, rebuild their lives and make a new future. Text BRICK to 70560 to donate £15. The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men's advice line on 0808 8010 327.
