Former Lord Mayor admits making indecent images of children

By Katie Westwood | 03/10/24

Hello from St Paul’s Square.?

In today’s edition of the Liverpool Daily Post, we report on disturbing news about a former Merseyside Lord Mayor who has pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children. Cllr Paul Tweed, who represents the Litherland ward on Sefton Council, appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court last week having been arrested and charged on three counts of making indecent images of children. According to ECHO Political Editor Liam Thorp, Tweed has been kicked out of the Labour Party after pleading guilty to the charges.Tweed was first elected to Sefton Council in 1992 and has held a number of high ranking positions on the local authority, including holding the cabinet portfolio for corporate services and performance between 2012 and 2015. He became Sefton's Lord Mayor for the year 2008/09.?

Over in Kirkby, Local Democracy Reporter Elliot Jessett reports on the desperate situation endured by residents of a block of flats. Shocking photographs show the horrendous living conditions in Willow Rise, where residents are dealing with leaks and damp, as well as issues with the supply of electricity, hot water and heating. Elliot has spoken to three people who have been forced into homelessness due to the seriousness of the situation. Knowsley Council's Environmental Health is conducting an investigation into? Willow Rise.

Elsewhere, details have been revealed about plans for the UK’s first floating sauna. Earlier this year, Liverpool City Council’s planning department gave the go-ahead for the installation of a sauna and ice baths on a floating pontoon next to the existing jetty in Princes Dock. WYLD Sauna are working to install a 30-person sauna and plant room alongside a pair of ice baths with floor boxes. Outdoor showers, waterfall effect pail showers would also be put in place alongside two changing rooms, with floating planting to act as a boundary for people who would like to enter into the dock space.

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Former Lord Mayor admits making indecent images of children

A former Merseyside Lord Mayor who has been an elected councillor for more than three decades, has been kicked out of the Labour Party after he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children. ?

Cllr Paul Tweed, who represents the Litherland ward on Sefton Council, appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court last week having been arrested and charged on three counts of making indecent images of children. ?

Court listings show that Tweed, of York Close in Netherton, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of children at his home between September 9 2020 and May 13 2024. He also pleaded guilty to possession of indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of children. ?

Merseyside Police today confirmed that Tweed, 61, was arrested on September 24 as part of an ongoing investigation into sexual offences. He appeared in court the following day. He will be sentenced next month.

Tweed was first elected to Sefton Council in 1992 and has held a number of high ranking positions on the local authority, including holding the cabinet portfolio for corporate services and performance between 2012 and 2015. He became Sefton's Lord Mayor for the year 2008/09, attending numerous events as the borough's first citizen.

The Sefton Labour group said it took "immediate action" to remove Tweed as a member after it became aware of the offences, but despite Sefton Council asking him to resign following his guilty pleas last week, he currently remains an elected member of the council, sitting as an independent.

A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “We were extremely shocked to hear of these charges and subsequent guilty plea and we have written to Councillor Paul Tweed asking him to resign with immediate effect.

“As a council this is completely at odds with our values and high standards the public expect and deserve. We will assist the police investigation in any way we can.” >?

A statement from Sefton Labour Group said: "We are deeply troubled to hear of these disturbing charges. Immediate action has been taken in response and we can confirm that Councillor Tweed is no longer a member of Sefton Labour Group or the Labour Party."

Tweed will appear for sentencing at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on November 6 to allow time for a pre-sentence report to be obtained.

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'I'm facing homelessness after I was told to leave for my own safety'

A block of flats in Kirkby is 'f*****' and should be 'condemned' according to exhausted residents who have been living without electricity for almost six weeks. The ECHO has spoken to three people who have been forced into 'homelessness' due to the serious and ongoing issues at Willow Rise which has left them feeling 'stressed', 'humiliated' and 'unable to wash'.

Knowsley Council's Environmental Health team has acted on residents' complaints and been conducting an investigation into Willow Rise, confirming there were issues with the electricity, hot water and heating supplies.

A council spokesperson confirmed one resident will be staying in alternative accommodation after his flat was served with an Emergency Prohibition Notice (EPN).

Joe is the resident of the flat which will be served with an EPN and said he has been forced out of his home by major leaks in the block which have caused so much damage that his electricity had to be cut off. He said: "I'm currently facing a difficult situation, having been made homeless due to no electricity and no water in my apartment, through no fault of my own.

"This has caused immense stress and anxiety, as I’ve lost the safety and stability of my home. The impact has been even more severe as I deal with health issues.

"This has left me feeling overwhelmed, as I now have to navigate the uncertainty of finding shelter and managing my well-being without a stable place to call home."

An Emergency Prohibition Notice is a legal order legislated for in the Housing Act 2004 that immediately prohibits the use of a building or part of it. Such orders are issued by a local authority when they believe a property is unsafe to live in and there's an imminent risk of serious harm to the occupants. A Category 1 hazard in your home is a serious and immediate risk to your health and safety, and could result in death, permanent paralysis, or other serious harm.

The ECHO previously reported on an adjacent tower block, Beech Rise, which is part of the same development. That block also has a series of major repair issues including no lift access for over 50 days - leaving people feeling trapped in the homes. The ownership structure is a major factor in maintenance issues reaching a stalemate as all major repairs have to be paid for via increases in service charges - already at thousands of pounds per annum. </br></br>?

Renata lives in the other Willow Rise flat being investigated by Knowsley's Environmental Health team. Like Joe, Renata's electricity was cut off in August and she has spent almost six weeks living in a hotel. She said: "Over the past month, I have had to deal with so many things at once. From the death of a close family member to other unforeseen changes in my personal life. It’s hard enough to deal with the death of a family member when you’re away from home, but this whole situation has made it unbearable.

"The way this is being handled shows a complete disregard for everyone involved, especially those most affected. The mishandling of the situation has taken away any opportunity to grieve or gain control over my life. The basic needs I work so hard to meet are now in someone else’s hands—and it’s humiliating. ?

"I am stressed, anxious, and have no idea where else to turn. I feel completely helpless."

Management company Dempster Management Services Limited (DMS) is the new managing agent and recently took on the contract offered to it by the leaseholders' board - Parklands (Kirkby) Management Company Limited. A spokesperson for Dempster Management Services Limited said: “We wholeheartedly sympathise and acknowledge the complaints raised and we are committed to resolving the catalogue of issues that exist at Willow and Beech Rise."

One person happily out of the situation at Willow Rise is Andrew Elliott who moved into the block in 2023, but has now moved out due to the ongoing maintenance issues. Andrew said he enjoyed living in his flat until things just got too much- culminating with his electricity being turned off on August 23.

He said: "I spent nearly a month still living in the block without electric and hot water. I was living on takeaways everyday as I couldn't cook, I had to boil the kettle on the landing just so I could have a stand up wash in the sink."

"My feelings towards living at Willow Rise were all good until the electric situation. The whole block needs to be condemned, it’s just f*****."

A spokesperson for Dempster Property Management added: "We echo our previous comments insofar that we sympathise with residents and we are working with various parties to resolve the complicated matter surrounding the leaks at Willow Rise.

"We are currently working with the insurers and their nominated leak detection specialist who have found several plumbing faults within almost ten individual apartments. The report was issued to us in brief on Wednesday and we are contacting individual apartment owners so that they can resolve the plumbing faults listed within the report." Read more

New details released for UK's first floating sauna on the waterfront

Fresh details have been revealed about the developing plans for Liverpool to host the UK’s first floating sauna. Earlier this year, the city council’s planning department gave the go-ahead for the installation of a sauna and ice baths on a floating pontoon next to the existing jetty in Princes Dock. ?

Peel Waters is working in partnership with WYLD Sauna to bring the attraction to the Liverpool Waters development later this autumn. New information has been released about WYLD’s plans for the venue including its hopes to open into the evening. ?

WYLD Sauna are working to install a 30-person sauna and plant room alongside a pair of ice baths with floor boxes. Outdoor showers, waterfall effect pail showers would also be put in place alongside two changing rooms, with floating planting to act as a boundary for people who would like to enter into the dock space.

It is hoped the proposal would be a “complementary use” to existing water-based activities within Princes Dock, such as open water swimming. It said the new pontoon would be moored to the existing dock wall but could be easily moved, if needed. ?

A licensing application has been lodged with the city council that gives new indication over the firm’s plans for the site. WYLD is seeking to open from 7am to 10pm daily which would also include the playing of recorded music indoors. ?

As part of the application, the business hopes the city council will allow the sale of alcohol from 11am to 10pm from Monday to Sunday. A date has to be confirmed for the plans to be determined.

As part of its planning application, the company confirmed no cosmetics, chemicals or detergent will be allowed, including shower gels and soaps. It added: “All water, including rainwater will simply enter the dock as it won’t need to be managed in anyway.”

Alongside this, WYLD said: “Materials have been carefully chosen not only to suit the existing surroundings but also to ensure that they stand the test of time within the marine environment.” ?

A series of floating plants are being proposed to act as a boundary to the waterspace that users of the facilities will be able to access. The statement said: “This will not only add a unique aesthetic to this area but will also provide the waterspace with new, biodiverse landscaping.

“The plants have been carefully chosen to suit the marine environment and will be finalised during the determination period. Wyld Sauna have spoken to flora specialists who have experience in installing floating habitats in dock waters. The structures will consist of flourishing coconut mats that meet protective metal and lightweight foam glass gravel.”

During busy/peak times, where the open water swimming is in operation, a lifeguard would be placed on duty. During off-peak times and quiet periods where there is no open water swimming in operation, members only would be able to dip in the allocated dock area in front of the sauna or use the cold plunge ice baths.

A ‘drawbridge’ style access is proposed between the existing pontoon and the proposed pontoon. This bridge will be lifted up when the sauna is not in use. Read more

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