Man Bailed in Rainhill Monteith Murder Case

A man arrested on suspicion of murdering Rainhill dad-of-three Kevin Monteith has been released on police bail.

The 46-year-old, from Huyton, was questioned by detectives last Friday before being released on police bail.Mr Monteith's body was discovered by his eldest son, Robert, 21, at about 10.30pm on Saturday, November 22.
The 42-year-old electrician had been battered to death with a weapon on the driveway outside the family home on Holt Lane, Rainhill.Earlier this month, in an emotional appeal for witnesses, Mr Monteith's widow Anne said her family 'will not rest' until her husband's killer is brought to justice.

Free Buses on Christmas Day to St Helens & Whiston Hospitals

Buses will be free for hospital staff and visitors on Christmas Day.

Merseytravel is offering the seasonal gift on a number of routes. Hospitals served include the Royal Liverpool, Liverpool Women’s, Whiston, Walton, Alder Hey, St Helens, Broadgreen, Fazakerley, Clatterbridge and Arrowe Park.

Free buses will operate a limited service on routes including 10A, 20A, 92A, 102, 201 and 212 in Liverpool, 110 and 118 in Wirral and the 10A, 24X and 194/195 St Helens Circulars. First buses go from around noon and run until around 6pm.

A limited network of bus services will also run throughout the region on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, with most services operating from around 10am.

St Helens Well Placed to Beat Economic Downturn

St Helens is one of the best equipped towns in the country to survive the looming recession, according to new research.

The town - along with Tewkesbury, Dover and Corby - is well placed to ride out the current economic storm.

Figures complied by the Oxford Economics give councils across the country a vulnerability score depending on how well placed they are to cope with the downturn.

St Helens has the best score on Merseyside and, at 282 out of 408, one of the better scores in the country.

The figures are based on local factors such as types of industry in any one area. Types are scored for vulnerability in the current economic climate and an overall score is achieved.

The report highlights that Central London, other London Boroughs and the wealthy areas of Macclesfield, Chester and Bournemouth among others, which have high concentrations of jobs in banking and auxiliary services are those most at threat.

However, the findings of the report, released last week, will make stark reading for many in the town. Eighty jobs were lost last week when Pimblett's collapsed, and earlier this month figures showed 1,700 repossession orders had been issued by courts in St Helens so far this year - an increase of 20 per cent from 2007.

Councillor Richard Ferry, executive member for Urban Regeneration, said: " Everyone is worried about the economy being hit by the twin pressures of the credit crunch which is restricting the supply of finance particularly for house buying, and a squeeze on disposable incomes due to the high rises in energy and food prices.

"A key part of our economic strategy has been to attract a wide range on business and industry making us well placed to ride out economic downturns and it does seem that this is making us well placed to ride out economic downturns.

"While recognising that the credit crunch is adversely affecting many families in St.Helens we can take come comfort from this report that we might not be as badly affected as many part of the country."

To view the full report log on to www.oxfordeconomics.com/Free/pdfs/ukregcc(july08).pdf

Christmas Food Safety Tips From St Helens Environmental Health Depertment

Follow these safety tips when preparing festive fare over Christmas

Make sure your Christmas is not only happy but safe too by following these food safety tips when preparing your festive fare.

This simple to follow advice has been issued by St.Helens Council’s Environmental Health officers in a bid to ensure good health over Christmas.

If you are catering for family and friends storage can be a problem, so always ensure there is enough fridge and freezer space to keep perishable food cool and safe. If you are short of space you should take drinks out to make more room for cooked foods. Drinks can be stored in another cooler place in the house or in a cool box with ice.

Keep raw meats and defrosting food at the bottom of the fridge to prevent any drips from falling onto other food. Always store cooked foods and left overs away from raw food. Keep the

temperature of your fridge at about 5C by monitoring it with a fridge thermometer

Frozen turkeys and other poultry have to be thoroughly thawed in a cool room before cooking. To check the bird is completely thawed, make sure there are no ice crystals in the body cavity and that the legs are flexible. Once defrosted, store in the bottom of the refrigerator until required.

It is strongly recommended that stuffing is cooked separately. If the bird is stuffed, this should be placed in the neck cavity only and additional cooking time must be added.

The table below is a cooking guide. Cook at a temperature of 190 deg centigrade, (375f) or Gas Mark 5 and baste regularly. To test the bird is cooked, insert a skewer into a thigh and ensure that the juices run clear. It should finish cooking approximately 30 minutes before serving, then left to stand/rest. This also makes carving easier. Any meat remaining should be cooled quickly, placed in the refrigerator and used within three days.

Oven ready weight Thawing time Cooking time (foilwrapped) Approxserving

550-1.4kg 4-10hrs 1-1.5 hrs 2-4

1.4-2.3kg (3-5lb) 10-15hrs 1.5-2 hrs 4-6

2.3-3.6kg (5-8lb) 15-18hrs 2-3 hrs 6-10

3.6-5kg (8-11lb) 18-20hrs 3-3.5 hrs 10-15

5-6.8kg (11-15lb) 20-24hrs 3.5-4.5 hrs 15-20

6.8-9kg (15-20lb) 24-30hrs 4.5-5 hrs 20-30

You should remember that oven temperatures may vary - this is just a guide.

If you have a meat thermometer ensure the deepest muscle temperature is 75 deg C or above.

Twelve tips for a safe Christmas

1. Do not prepare food too far in advance

2. Take chilled/frozen food home in cool bags

3. Check the 'use by' dates

4. Keep your kitchen clean

5. Keep your fridge between 0 and 5 degrees centigrade

6. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling food

7. Keep cooked and raw food separate

8. Plan the menu and defrost food thoroughly before use

9. Keep pets away from food

10. Store cooked food above raw food in a refrigerator

11. Follow the cooking instructions on packets

12. Cook food thoroughly and "have a safe meal"

To avoid cross contamination, prepare raw and cooked food separately and clean and disinfect all utensils and surfaces thoroughly before preparing different foods. Use a food sanitiser such as antibacterial spray on work surfaces, especially after preparing raw meats. Wash dishes, utensils and work surfaces with clean hot water and detergent and keep your hands clean at all times by washing them frequently in hot soapy water, particularly before handling foods. Cover any cuts or grazes with waterproof dressings, keep dishcloths clean and change hand and tea towels often.

It is easy to know when food is "off" by amongst other things the smell. But if the food is pre-packed, how can you tell whether the food is fit to be eaten?

One way is by looking at the date mark on the packaging. There are two types of date mark - "Use By" and "Best Before".

A "Use By" date is the date by which a food should be used. This type of date mark is only applied to highly perishable foods, where to use the food past the date shown may pose a health risk e.g. food poisoning.

A "Best Before" date is a date by which a food should be used if it is to be enjoyed at its best. In other words this type of date mark relates to food quality rather than food safety. This type of date mark is only applied to those foods with a long shelf life including frozen and tinned foods.

For further advice and information contact: Environmental Health, 3rd Floor Wesley House, St.Helens, WA10 1HE, Tell: 01744 456338

Christmas Lantern Procession Through St Helens - Official Route

A sparkling procession of hundreds of lanterns is set to bring the spirit of Christmas to St Helens town centre.

As part of the town's Winter events programme, children from four local primary schools have been busy designing handmade Christmas lanterns which they will be displaying in style on December 11th.

Starting from the Parish Church at 6pm, the procession, accompanied by Valley Brass Band, will pass along Hardshaw Street, Cotham Street and Church Street before returning to the church for a short service of carols and prayers.

North West artist Wendy Meadley has been working with youngsters from Allanson Street, Ashurst, Holy Cross and Parish primary schools together with older residents from Helena Partnerships to make the lanterns that will light up St.Helens during this festive event.

Councillor Richard Ferry, executive member for Urban Regeneration, said: "This is the third year that the Christmas lantern procession has been held and it is a magical event, both for those taking part and also for the many people who get so much enjoyment from seeing the town light up in this way. This is the perfect opportunity to visit the town centre and enjoy a really unique Christmas experience at the same time."

Obese Man Hurt Falling Off Sofa

An obese man had to be helped into an ambulance by firefighters after he hurt himself falling off the couch.

Fire crews in the leafy suburb of Newton-le-Willows, described how they helped paramedics load the patient into an ambulance shortly after 10am on Thursday (December 4).

Members of the Fire Service's special rescue team helped to lift the 'bariatric' patient - a term which indicates he had a Body Mass Index (BMI) rating of more than 40 - into the ambulance before he could be taken to hospital.

The extent of the man's injuries are unclear and a spokeswoman for the Ambulance Service declined to comment.

Sixty Jobs Lost as Pimblett's Goes Under

Sixty jobs have been lost at St Helens-based baker and confectioner John Pimblett & Sons after the firm was placed into administration.

Advisors KPMG Restructuring sold 10 shops around the town to Waterfield’s Bakery, saving 80 of the 140-strong workforce.

But the bakery was closed and the remaining jobs lost.

KPMG Restructuring director Paul Flint said: “The tough trading conditions experienced by retailers up and down the country have unfortunately led to John Pimblett & Sons being placed into administration.”

The company was founded in 1921 by John and Mary Pimblett.