MURDERED COVENTRY MUM FAILED BY POLICE

WEST Midlands Police failed a “vulnerable” Coventry woman who was stabbed to death in front of her seven-year-old daughter, an independent investigation has revealed.

Rabina Bibi, 35, was murdered at her home in Leicester Causeway, Foleshill, by an ex-partner during an attack in September 2008.

Just half an hour before the city mother was stabbed at least 15 times, she had made a 999 call to police at 7.36pm, complaining her ex-partner was banging on her front door.

Six minutes later, she made a further call to police stating the man had left and she no longer required help.

A third emergency call was made from the Foleshill house at 8.09pm, this time by Ms Bibi’s young daughter Aisha, who could be heard saying: “A man is trying to kill my mummy. He’s my mummy’s friend and he is trying to kill her with a knife.”

When the police arrived, they found Ms Bibi’s body.

Following a trial at Warwick Crown Court in August last year, Zakarya Rezaie was jailed for life for the murder of Ms Bibi. After the trial, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched an investigation into West Midlands Police’s conduct.

Last week, the commission revealed the force had failed Ms Bibi by not despatching police officers when she first called for help, contrary to force’s policy on domestic abuse. It has not been determined if the failure was due to human error or an IT failure.

The IPCC recommended West Midlands police review its IT systems and training.

IPCC investigators interviewed operator staff from the police control room, supervisors and IT specialists in the course of the investigation, and examined computerised incident logs.

The commission concluded that police should have attended Ms Bibi’s home within 30 minutes of her first call. It also determined the second and third calls made from Ms Bibi’s home were dealt with appropriately.

IPCC Commissioner Len Jackson said: “Regardless of whether there were IT faults, human
errors or performance failings, regrettably West Midlands Police failed a vulnerable woman in Rabina Bibi. She was entitled to a police response within 30 minutes based on the information she provided and it failed to happen.

“It will never be known whether she would still be alive today had police officers been despatched to her in accordance with force policy.

“I am glad West Midlands Police has accepted our recommendations to review their IT systems and user training so every effort is taken to prevent any reoccurrence of this very sad event.”

COVENTRY'S SUPER HOSPITAL'S PARKING CHARGES SLAMMED IN ONLINE CAMPAIGN

AN INTERNET campaign slamming high parking charges at Coventry’s University Hospital has been backed by thousands of people.

Members of the Socialist Party formed the “Stop the £2.7 Million Parking Robbery at Walsgrave Hospital” group on social networking site Facebook.

Last year car park chiefs, at the super hospital in Walsgrave, raked in £2.7million in parking fees – the second highest amount in the country.

More than 3,000 people have already joined the online group and a further 2,000 signatures have been collected on a petition.

Councillor Dave Nellist (Soc, St Michaels) said the response to the campaign site has been “overwhelming”.

He said: “We had public meetings in different parts of the city and one of the biggest issues coming up was the cost of parking at the hospital.

“We thought launching this online campaign would be a good way of bringing the community together and encourage people to submit to the national consultation.

“And the petition we have been doing on the streets has given us a massive head start.

“Nurses were among those stopping to sign in the city centre. One told us that staff have to pay for parking in advance but are still not guaranteed a parking space.”

Cllr Nellist said that the petition would either be presented at a council meeting, at a health scrutiny meeting or at a University Hospital board meeting.

“It’s important to note that this PFI (Private Finance Initiative) agreement is not only effecting us, but our children and grandchildren will also be paying for it,” he added.

“We should find a way of funding public and private transport to help get people in and out of hospitals.

“We pride ourselves on having a free health service, well it is not free if you pay for parking. At the moment this is a tax on the ill.”

Hundreds of messages have been posted on Facebook.

One resident said: “Through my ongoing ill health problems I have to visit various departments on a regular basis, over the past few years I have been admitted several times.

“My family have had to fork out quite a few pounds on parking charges. I am disgusted that a privately-run firm can coin it in to the tune of several million pounds.

“I class it as a tax on the sick and infirm, I would even go as far as saying taxing the relatives of the dying – shame on them.”

Another said: “When my 16-year-old son was in hospital for three weeks, for the car park charges, food and drink the total bill came to well over £250. How is that justifiable?”

ISS Mediclean was given the right to run the car parks in return for part-funding the new hospital under the PFI).

Money made on parking fees, which range from £3 to £10 a day, goes to ISS, but they have to account for costs including full repairs and maintenance over a 35-year period.

ISS Mediclean spokesman Craig Smith said: “All the details agreed in the PFI still stand and until that changes there’s nothing further we can do.”

Scotland has already abolished parking fees at hospitals while the Welsh government announced plans to phase them out by 2011.

A consultation as to whether charges should continue in England is running until February 23.

What do you think? Write to us or email timesletters@mrn.co.uk.

RECYCLING BIN REVIEW IN MARCH

A COMPREHENSIVE review of the recycling bins that have been rolled out across the city will be taking place in March.

The date was revealed at a Coventry City Council city services cabinet meeting, in which more than 80 residents signed a petition over the lack of space outside their homes because of the bins.

Resident Rita Norman, of Stoke, said that the recycling scheme did not consider disabled people, who struggle to get past bins on pavements and have difficulty pushing their receptacles out.

She added: “I don’t think this was thought through properly. You can’t get past the pavement anymore. It’s putting the public in danger.

“Some people who are disabled struggle to push the different bins out on the various collection dates and they can get quite heavy.”

Councillor Sucha Bains, Labour councillor for the Upper Stoke ward, added: “There are people in Upper and Lower Stoke and St Michaels that are not entirely happy with the bin collections.

“Some people don’t have big enough gardens to hold all these bins so need some help.”

During the meeting Dilip Chauhan, waste services manager, said that smaller bins are available for those who want one.

He said: “We already acknowledge some difficulties that residents face with the introduction of recycling scheme.

“We have recycling ‘champions’ visiting residents to see what specific problems they have. There will be a comprehensive review in March looking at many of these issues.”

PARENTS MEETING MP TO TALK ABOUT CRUMBLING SCHOOL

ANGRY parents campaigning for a crumbling Coventry school to be re-built will be meeting with a city MP this week.

Members of the parent action group are meeting with defence secretary Bob Ainsworth, MP for Coventry North East on Friday (tomorrow).

Campaigners are calling for John Gulson Primary School, in George Street, Foleshill, to be re-built because of its poor state.

Last week more than 30 mums and dads, who’s children attend the school, demonstrated outside the council house with placards, and carried pictures of the school’s peeling paint, leaking cisterns and cracked plaster.

They handed in a petition with 1,346-signatures to a cabinet meeting that was headed by Councillor John Blundell (Con, Wainbody).

The cabinet member for children, learning and young people said that there wasn’t enough money for a new building and pledged a programme of maintenance and improvements instead.

He pledged that the council would team up with governors and an architect to plan maintenance and improvements. He also said there is a proposal to install modular buildings or “huts” in the grounds to cope with an expected increase in pupil numbers and to accommodate existing pupils, while their classrooms are improved.

He said: “We will use what money we have got and any additional money we get to alleviate the problems as much as possible.

Member of the parent action group Sam Begum, who has three children that attend the school, said that some progress is being made.

She said: “We have got a little bit further because at first we were told their is no chance the school will be re-built but now we’ve been told that if it is economically viable it might be considered.

“What we don’t want is this architect to make everything colourful and give the illusion of extra space, he’s not a magician, either there is extra space or there’s not.

“We don’t want children being crammed into small spaces or being taught from huts.

“This is why we’re meeting with Bob Ainsworth because this school is not in an acceptable state and we will continue our campaign.”

What do you think? Write to us or email timesletters@mrn.co.uk.

MOTORCYCLE THEFTS

TWO motorcycles were stolen from a garage in Stoke.

Burglars broke into a garage in Watersmeet Road on Tuesday January 12 between 7pm and 10pm.

The motorcycles were then stolen and removed using either a trailer or a van. The motorcycles are described as a white and black Ducatti ‘Monster’ registration BX58 NHP and an orange and white endurance style bike with ‘176’ stickers on it, registration FJ09 DDN.

Anyone with information about the burglary or who might know the whereabouts of the motor cycles are asked to call Pc McHugh at Stoney Stanton Road police station on 0845 113 5000.

CANLEY CREMATORIUM WORK CAUSES DELAYS

GRIEVING families that use Canley Crematorium to say a final farewell to loved ones will have to wait until August before ongoing repair works are completed.

The project, which has taken nearly four years to complete, involves replacing cremators and building new ones that comply with government guidelines.

But it has meant families are restricted access to view the charging of the coffin because the area is currently under construction.

The restricted use of the crematorium has resulted in many people using services in Nuneaton and Leamington.

A petition carrying 270 signatures, most of Hindu and Sikh faith, was handed in to Coventry City Council at a city services cabinet meeting last week to see if work could be completed earlier.

Sandra Turner, bereavement services manager, said: “We can update people in the community if there are any delays. We can’t guarantee it will be done on time in case anything goes wrong but that’s the same for any project.

“This is a big project. The roof of the crematorium has to be re-lined with steel for the new filtration system to go in.

“There is an awful lot of equipment to install. We’ve had to re-configure the whole building.

“When we applied for funding in 2006, there were other major projects across the city and we couldn’t have all the funding in one go.

“This has meant we’ve been receiving the money slowly over the past few years.

“We aim to get work completed by August, but we never know about setbacks that could occur.

“For instance, work stopped while we had heavy snowfall.”

Three of five phases have been completed, which involved modifying the existing cremators with electrical wiring, a new sub station and replacing gas pipes.

Two more cremators will be completed by May with high-level floors, emergency exits, and a new filtration system. Work is expected to finish in August.

Councillor Sucha Bains (Lab, Upper Stoke) and Councillor Malkiat Auluck (Lab, Foleshill) had been campaigning on behalf of the petition-signers. They said people are very upset that work has taken so long and were hoping it could be completed sooner.

Cllr Bains added: “The Hindu and Sikh families want to see the body cremated before they go to the temple to do their prayers.

“It should be done on the same day. They need to know their loved ones are at peace.”

TALK ON WOOD'S FALL

THE FALL from grace of Tiger Woods will be the subject of a talk by a Coventry University professor on Friday January 29.

The talk, part of the Coventry Conversation series, will look at the possible long-term damage to the golfer’s career.

Professor Simon Chadwick, director of the Centre for the International Business of Sport, will give his talk at 1pm in the Ellen Terry Building, Jordan Well, Room ETG 34.

Admission is free and open to the public.

PARKING FINES COST COVENTRY £1m

COVENTRY City Council raked in more than £1million in parking tickets last year – but only pocketed £27,000.

And that money will be used to plug a deficit of thousands of pounds racked up during the set-up of the scheme.

A report, which is being presented to the council today, shows that between April 2008 and March 2009 traffic wardens issued nearly 31,000 tickets, generating £1,064,031.

But once costs, such as wages and overheads were paid off, the council was left with only £27,544.

Since the council took over parking enforcement from West Midlands Police in 2005, money paid in fines went towards set-up costs.

This is the first time the scheme has produced a surplus and should go into improving it.

But during the first three years the council ran up a debt of £437,000 and Councillor Hazel Noonan (Con, Cheylesmore) warned it would take a further three years to pay this off.

The portfolio holder for city services defended the scheme and said that it is helping to keep roads safer.

She added: “We want all roads in the city to be as safe as possible for drivers and we have seen an improvement.

“The extra money generated will be going towards paying off the deficit from the past few years.

“Now we have extra powers, such as putting more parking enforcement officers near the zigzags at schools, we are becoming more efficient.”

Currently, drivers must pay £70 for a serious parking offence, such as parking on double yellow lines or parking without a valid permit.

This charge is reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.

The report also highlights possible plans to introduce CCTV to bus lanes across the city in a bid to catch motorists using it illegally.

“We know about the hot spots and want to make sure those areas are safer,” said Cllr Noonan.

“One of the issues is drivers using bus lanes.

“The police control the camera under the Whittle Arches but we’re hoping to take over and introduce more cameras.

“This is all about making sure our roads are safe.”

But Councillor Lindsley Harvard (Lab, Longford), shadow cabinet member for city services, said the scheme will only be value for money if it does deter “irresponsible motorists”.

He said: “The priority is to make sure there are no irresponsible drivers as I get so many complaints about reckless driving and parking.

“The council also needs to make sure that any surplus money made goes back into the scheme and isn’t used elsewhere.

“They also put in too many bus lanes around the city that aren’t needed and as a result we see an increase of people breaking the rules.”

Last November the Taxpayers’ Alliance revealed Coventry collected the most money in parking fines in the region.

Jennifer Dunn, policy analyst at the TA, said: “While the council has taken a huge amount in parking fines from motorists, the council is clearly running a very expensive parking enforcement system.

“Parking enforcement systems should be run in a fair manner and should not be used as a means to raise revenue.

“Fair enforcement systems will not place an unnecessary heavy burden on drivers and won’t produce such a waste of money, saving money for Coventry taxpayers.”

What do you think? Write to us or email timesletters@mrn.co.uk.

SALVATION ARMY HOSTEL GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD

COUNCILLORS have given the go-ahead to build a homeless hostel on a car park used by worshippers.

Despite protests from scores of residents and religious figures, planning permission was approved by six votes to four, to build a £60million Salvation Army hostel, in Hillfields.

Representatives from the Shree Krishna Temple, who spoke at the planning meeting last week, said the loss of the neighbouring car park between Howard Street and Harnall Lane West would hit hundreds of worshippers.

Nearby GNP Gurdwara Temple and St Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church, which serves the Polish community, also agreed it would affect visitors.

The area, which has space for 65 vehicles, has been used as a car park since being given temporary permission for such use in 2004.

The 80-bed hostel will replace the Salvation Army’s existing building in Lincoln Street, which is being demolished as part of the council’s Swanswell Area Regeneration development.

Council officers said worshippers could use the 460-space multi-storey car park at City College, 350 metres away.

But there are concerns this will cause traffic problems in the area.

Chandubhai Thaker, secretary of Shree Krishna Temple, said: “We knew what the outcome was going to be anyway, but we had to try for our members.

“The council said that we can use the City College car park, but a lot of the visitors that we get are elderly and come in the evenings, so it won’t be easy for them to walk over.

“Also, you have to pay to use it, which a lot of the students can’t afford and they’re already leaving their cars in side streets – now we’ll have to add more cars to this.”

Resident Ian Pollock, of Harnall Lane West, said: “I don’t know what to say other than what can you do?

“We don’t get a say in the matter, even though hundreds of us signed a petition against the plan.

“We’re going to have so many problems with parking on this street and ones close by.”

Richard Bradbury, the Salvation Army’s deputy director of research and development, said: “We want to ensure that our services can lift people out of homelessness. Our excellent staff are currently fighting against a building that is no longer fit for purpose.”

Are you affected by the plans? If so write to us or email timesletters@mrn.co.uk.

WORKERS AT COVENTRY RAILWAY STATION TO STAGE SECOND STRIKE

TICKET staff are planning the second of three strikes in a dispute over the future of booking kiosks at Coventry train station.

Virgin Trains workers held a protest on Friday against the closure of counter windows and introduction of more automated ticket booths.

Members of the union Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association fear more staffed ticket counters face closure.

But Virgin Trains’ chief executive Tony Collins said the true reasons for the industrial action were about extra payments and insisted they had no plans to cut ticket office jobs and were recruiting to fill vacancies.

But a TSSA spokesman said: “Before we released pictures showing a queue of 100metres at the station, they had closed two of the windows. Since then they have reopened the windows and now we are fighting for staff at other stations who are still under that threat.”

The next strike takes place on Monday January 25, between 5am and 8.30am, before staff walk out on February 5.

"SUPER SURGERY" OPENS IN FOLESHILL

THE DOORS for a new “super surgery” that can offer blood tests and minor operations have opened in Coventry.

The surgery, in Station Street West, Foleshill, offers late opening, Saturday sessions, blood and ECG testing and minor surgery, alongside the usual family doctor services.

Sexual health, family planning, weight management and stop smoking services are also provided at the centre which opened last week.

Juliet Hancox, acting director of primary care for NHS Coventry, said: “It really is bringing services much closer to people’s homes and is part of our Equitable Access to Primary Care scheme to improve health in areas of high need.

“Besides the usual range of family doctor services, the new practice is able to provide facilities like blood testing that people used to have to go to a hospital for – and this convenience and open access will help to improve the health of the local population.”

The practice, part of a multi-million pound improvement programme by NHS Coventry, is run by Malling Health Ltd, a primary care provider service managed by NHS general practitioners, who also run the Stoke Aldermoor practice.

Dr James Swallow, regional medical director for Malling Health, said: “Our ethos is to make primary health care more accessible to the general population, with extended opening hours and an enhanced range of services.”

Both the Stoke Aldermoor and Foleshill practices will move into purpose-built new surgeries within the next few years.

The new surgeries are part of a major development plan announced by NHS Coventry in February last year, which created the Walk-In Centre, in Stoney Stanton Road.

It also includes the creation of three new dental practices.

COVENTRY CATHEDRAL START ENTRY CHARGES

ADMISSION fees into Coventry Cathedral started this week as voluntary donations were not enough to keep the building running.

The decision was made by the cathedral’s governing body last November as running costs of around £1.5million a year were not being met.

Last year visitor numbers fell from 100,000 to 80,000 and in the past two years the cathedral has suffered a funding shortfall of £200,000.

From this week visitors will have to pay up to £5 to enter.

Nick Chavasse, director of tourism, heritage and events, said that it was a “difficult decision” to start charging people, but something they must do to remain open.

He said: “It’s very sad that we are having to charge people to visit, but if we want to keep the cathedral open then that’s what we’ll have to do.

“It costs more than £4,000 a day to keep the cathedral running.

“We used to get £5million from English Heritage but that’s stopped now and we don’t, and never have had, funding from Coventry City Council.

“It’s unfortunate we’re having to charge people, however we’re bringing in exhibitions all year round to try and give visitors ‘value for money’.

“We have arranged for work to be shown around the theme of peace and reconciliation and have a new film theatre too.”

Despite requested donations of £3, the average donation from visitors was £1.87.

Mr Chavasse said: “We need to try and attract more people from Coventry to visit the cathedral. At the moment two-thirds of our visitors are from outside the city.

“We’re hoping that by showing short films and exhibitions around the year, more local people will come.”

Under the new scheme, entrance fees for adults cost £4.50 or £5 – with the extra 50p going to Gift Aid – from Monday to Saturday.

There is no charge for children under 10, members of the congregation, members of Friends of Coventry Cathedral and Sundays are free.

Anyone wishing to come to pray can avoid the charge by entering through a separate entrance.

What do you think? Write to us or email timesletters@mrn.co.uk.

HEALTHY EATING ADVICE

RESIDENTS are being invited to take a free Well Now course focusing on how to improve health and well-being.
The six-week course, starting on Tuesday February 2 and will provide information on healthy nutrition and enjoyable eating, alongside other strategies for improving health and well-being.
The course is suitable for everyone whatever their size and is taking place at the Central Library, from 10am to 12pm.
To register for a place contact Lucy Aphramor on 024 7625 2506.