Total Bollards.
On the day that the news agenda will be dominated by the Experian report commissioned by the BBC showing that the North of England will be hardest hit by the spending cuts – and we are invited to conjure up an image of unburied bodies, babies starving in the gutter, and frail old people freezing to death in the winter – I have also received a press release telling me of £500,000 to be spent urgently on a load of bollards.
I kid you not – Newcastle’s Northumberland Street (above) is apparently such a tempting ‘terrorist target’ that the council have called in experts from M15 to advise them how best to protect the street from car bombers.
The result is £500,000 to be spent on 100 heavy duty bollards to replace the ones pictured above.
Councillor Nick Forbes of Newcastle City Council said: “We live in uncertain times and unfortunately these measures have to be taken in order to protect the public.”
“I am sure we would all much rather we could rely on people to behave in the way we would expect but we have seen the devastation that can be caused by determined terrorists and it is important we take whatever steps are necessary to ensure this never happens in Newcastle.”
Remember this when Newcastle City Council starts crying that they cannot afford to feed the elderly in their care homes.
Grrr!
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1
September 9, 2010 at 17:42 -
Well, it might well stop a couple of kamikaze doctors in their Jeep of Fire, but it’ll do absolutely nothing against bombers wearing suicide vests, as we saw on 7/7, will it?
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2
September 9, 2010 at 17:43 -
Is this by any chance a socialist council? Salting the earth after poisoning the wells? Of course, there could be no suggestion that the contract might be placed with a company with close connections to councillors?
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3
September 9, 2010 at 18:23 -
4
September 9, 2010 at 18:45 -
Makes you wonder how they find people stupid enough to pay for this, doesn’t it ?
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September 9, 2010 at 19:13 -
8
September 9, 2010 at 19:13 -
Are they perchance protecting Newcastle City Council’s own offices? I can’t imagine there’s much else in Newcastle worth so much protection.
Perhaps Nick Forbes had better include the addition of some strong grilles in front of their plush pad, for when the duped voters of Newcastle realise why cuts to their services need to be so severe?
(I’d settle for a spike outside, for his head.)-
9
September 10, 2010 at 15:42 -
Nope. The Civic Centre (the faux Scandinavian-looking council hive) is off to the right from the top of Northumberland St.
The street furniture and road lane markings at that end of the street are in a constant state of ferment though, and have been for years. Proximity to the Civic Centre a factor in the decision on where to spend the budget perhaps…?
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10
September 9, 2010 at 19:17 -
Newcastle is controlled by the Lib-Dims. The local paper says that the street will be open to mobility scooters. Are you thinking what I am thinking? A councillor is also quoted as saying: “It is important to point out that there is no specific threat to Northumberland Street, or Newcastle generally, but we live in uncertain times and unfortunately these kind of measures have to be taken in order to protect the public.” God help us all.
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11
September 9, 2010 at 19:44 -
Got to keep the fear going, people.
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12
September 9, 2010 at 19:57 -
CLOUD LAND CUCKOO
Rearrange the above words to make a well known phrase or saying. -
13
September 9, 2010 at 20:06 -
But should a vested suicide bomber strike, will the emergency services be hampered by the bollards?
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14
September 9, 2010 at 20:11 -
You’ve heard the news Joe – there won’t be any money to pay front line services – spent it all on bollards.
I wonder who owns the bollard factory……
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17
September 9, 2010 at 20:51 -
we are very fortunate that all these ‘terrorists’ have an lQ of zero. Jeez, just one with brains could bring the UK to a standstill.
Like Anna, l’d be interested to know what ties this ‘bollocks’ company has with Newcastle Council.
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18
September 9, 2010 at 20:58 -
The most commonly used, globally, devices against car bombers are large concrete blocks. They cost little, can be easily made, can be moved by a pickup truck, or equivalent, if needed to allow emergency services, not pretty, but for Geordies, they can be papered over, papering cracks and stuff fools Geordies all the time.
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19
September 9, 2010 at 21:36 -
Good old Northern graft. “That’s Councillor Duxbury Bollards Ltd, young man. Councillor Duxbury.”
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20
September 9, 2010 at 21:56 -
“… it is important we take whatever steps are necessary to ensure this never happens in Newcastle.”
On this basis they must be proposing an almost infinite budget to employ thousands of wardens (PCSOs?) to check every person and car entering Newcastle for weapons / bombs / etc. on a 24/7 basis. How else can they “… ENSURE that this NEVER happens in Newcastle.” ?
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21
September 10, 2010 at 02:25 -
Nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
[i]These people[/i] have lost all sense of proportion and the language [i]these people[/i] come out with never stands up to scrutiny does it. It is a pale imitation of the mind games better politicians play – framing their side of any argument that makes anyone saying the opposite sound like the Devil himself.
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22
September 10, 2010 at 08:50 -
I think it would be a more sensible idea in these cash-strapped days to put up some signs in Arabic, Parsi, Pushtu and Urdu saying ‘Suicide Bombers this way’ – and point them to the Council offices. It would save a fortune, and I’m sure the Geordies would be pleased.
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September 10, 2010 at 09:44 -
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September 10, 2010 at 10:10 -
Erm, what is the BBC doing commissioning a report which is intended to support the labour parties claim that government cuts will only hit the poor? I thought all the bad old days of bias were over.
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25
September 10, 2010 at 13:25 -
Who on earth told you that? I see a war of attrition against the public consciousness in the form of an unrelenting litany of articles on the local and national news, banging on about the cuts that the evil empire are going to inflict on every part of human life and activity. Expect a double-dip depression from Robert Peston and Jeremy Vine bringing a daily body count of fatalities. The apocalypse started in May, doncha know?
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26
September 10, 2010 at 10:31 -
“We live in uncertain times and unfortunately these measures have to be taken in order to protect the public.”
He should have added “and if only one child’s life is saved by these measures……”
Hey, here’s an idea. Hundreds of people have died from falling off precipices in Snowdonia, or from hypothermia in Snowdonia. The whole range of mountains should be levelled to prevent this slaughter of innocents “so that this can never happen again.” After all, if only one child’s life is saved by these measures…..
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27
September 10, 2010 at 10:46 -
“Erm, what is the BBC doing commissioning a report which is intended to support the labour parties claim that government cuts will only hit the poor? I thought all the bad old days of bias were over.”
Well last night the BBC had a programe about ministers or whoever meeting those who the cuts would affect.
It was on late so i didnt watch it, and may do later.
But how exactly can you make such a programe without it having some bias?
I hope i am wrong but well see.
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