Cover Up

[not4me]

The BBC today and yesterday it was Rotherham. In both cases the organisations were criticised for being more bothered about protecting their own reputation than the victims. Is that what is happening here too? Someone from the council needs to be coming out with a statement about this (and I don't mean the duty spin doctor)

[Ste P]

I am sure that if there was any reviews in to local authority's around the UK covering up for the good of their reputation I suspect there will be due attention paid to Hartlepool Bourough Council in particular historic fob offs and cover ups.

For the time being council officials and Councillors feel secure in the way they operate, this just shows how thick and lax they are as the town is obviously being scrutinised right now by varying organisations including HMRC and the National Crime Agency, it's just a matter of time now. When it comes there will be an abundance of Witnesses, Witnesses that have posed complaints and not so far recived appropriate and fair investigations.

[marky]

You can read this story two ways - actually three. A cover up by the council or The Mail failing as a local newspaper to properly inform its readers. I say 3 ways because its probably most likely we have both going on at once with a phone to Ms Yates from the council's PR Department. I think we've all learnt by now that the council has no qualms about perverting or hiding the truth to protect its own reputation but that's the irony isn't it? By doing so it damages its reputation far more than if it was an honest organisation that played it straight.

[craig finton]

so basically someone at one of the councils community places has been caught out grooming under-age girls, the coucil is trying to keep it quiet and the Mail is going along with it. Jeez have these idiots not being watching the news for the last 2 years !!

[Foggy]

I agree.  They think that lying and sweeping 'difficult' issues under the carpet is a normal reaction to these things.   It seems like the carpet is so full these days that things are going to start spilling out all over the place.

Anyway, I thought certain Councillors were all for safeguarding and protecting vulnerable people... only when it suits them it appears. 

[steveL]

I think I counted 8 separate items on Adam Johnson on the Mail website today - blanket coverage. The hypocrisy on display is plain for all to see but I have no doubt there have been phone calls between HBC and The Mail. This will only give further succour  to Labour's utter belief that it is entitled to have control of the local press.

People are becoming more and more aware that The Mail is now nothing but a compliant mouthpiece of the Civic Centre and its plummeting circulation figures, dropping by 100 copies each month, are a reflection of this. All very sad.

[Ste P]

Has any other contributors got any further information in regards to the rumored or alleged grooming/abuse of a child here in Hartlepool?

So far reading between the lines, I can only assume (and no one can be found guilty upon assumption) that it may involve a council funded or council operated youth club, or elected member or council employee.

Factual or rumour would all be appreciated.

[steveL]

The front page is a prompt for HBC to do the right thing but if they don't take the hint then we'll do it for them. There's a lot of covering up going on at the moment putting their stated policy of 'openness and transparency' to the test. By the end of next week, everyone will know, one way or the other, just how genuine it is.

[testing times]

So now we know. A few questions though. I see exactly the point that the Post was trying to make. This is the first I've heard of this and it's got all the way to the courts before the Mail has reported it and yet we have been deluged with articles on the Sunderland footballer and a very similar case.

There are still scant details reported by the Mail and no mention of which youth centre he worked at. To me this looks like the damage limitation machine is still in full swing.

Well done to the Hartlepool Post.

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/hartlepool-youth-worker-trawled-internet-for-sex-with-young-girls-1-7759511

[mk1]

Gazette

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/ex-youth-worker-hartlepool-jailed-10968222

[craig finton]

I notice they're not allowing comments

[Ste P]

steveL well done for highlighting this by way of hartlepoolpost.co.uk, if not I wouldn't of known and the Hartlepool Mail would have buried it instantly as I have no trust in them anymore, with that said they obviously trying to bury it ASAP as thy aren't allowing comment (after conviction) because the council funds them and supports and does exactly what Alistair Rae tells them to.

The Mail does seem to have Alistair Rae/Gill/Peter and the local Labour/Cons group dictating what goes out, the authority's aren't as daft as you lot (by you lot I mean the labour donkeys including Gill), it is already being recoded.

Justice will prevail.

[Foggy]

I had the misfortune of meeting this cretin once when he worked for West View Project. I assume that is the youth centre in question and a quick google confirms it.  Within 30 seconds I had decided I didn't like him and I got the distinct impression his colleagues felt the same.

This obviously stinks of a cover up but I suspect those guilty of covering it up will say they were trying to protect the organisation who are doing valuable work with young people... Or something like that. This story was going to come out eventually so why bother? It only makes them look like they were covering it up.

The comparison with the number of stories about the Adam Johnson trial are unbelievable. It is obvious that this story is far more relevant to Hartlepool yet it is hidden away as much as it possibly can be.  It is interesting to note that the Fail haven't published a photograph of the person in question but the Gazette  have. I wonder if they would have even printed the story at all if the Gazette hadn't.

[Devils advocate]

A quick search in google brings up a web page for the West View Project naming a Chris Wise, is this the same person?

"To discuss costs and booking for schools activities contact Chris Wise."

Code Select Expand

http://hartlepool.fsd.org.uk/kb5/hartlepool/fsd/organisation.page?id=UDHwSHIQUnQ

[not4me]

Its front page in the Mail today. Looks like they've taken the hint.