Get In The Sea

 

 

The New Brighton Lifeboat Station saga continues with reports of two recent alarming incidents .

The first involved a New Brighton lifeboat tractor ending up swimming with the fishes :

http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/NEWS/14908530.That_sinking_feeling__New_Brighton_lifeboat_tractor_left_underwater_as_training_exercise_goes_wrong/

The second involved two people having to swim ashore when their commercial safety boat was submerged after being hit by a wave  :

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/boat-submerged-new-brighton-after-12191836

Fortunately no one was injured  in either incident – but the fact that two people had to swim ashore without the aid of a lifeboat from New Brighton is particularly concerning.

As we’ve previously reported these incidents are set against the stormy seas of a long running dispute which saw 21 New Brighton lifeboat crew  being sacked or resigning in 12 months.

https://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/all-at-sea/

The Facebook  group ‘Save Our Lifeboat Station’  and have produced a short video providing the background to the dispute with management (see above).

It would appear that in the light of the video and the two recent incidents the Chairman of New Brighton Lifeboat Station , Councillor Tony Jones (aka ‘Tones’) , has a few questions to answer. However he has remained as mute as Stingray siren Aqua Marina……..

 

 

All at Sea

Now we don’t profess to know the ins and outs of the New Brighton  Lifeboat Station dispute – although we’d be delighted to be fully appraised. Nevertheless it sounds as though it has all the characteristics of what goes on at Wirral Council – nepotism, abuse of power and behind the scenes machinations.  So it came as no surprise to us that the name of  former head of Lifeguard Service Tony Jones popped up in a post on the Save Our Lifeboat Station Facebook page that was forwarded to us .

https://www.facebook.com/groups/954271521385697/

Wirral Leaks readers will remember Tones when he was merely a prospective councillor and  was involved in an epic campaign fail by producing a leaflet that broke Electoral Commission rules. And thereby proving his suitability to be a bungling Labour councillor he was ,needless to say , duly elected.

https://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/2016/05/01/campaign-fail/

From what we are reading about the New Brighton Lifeboat saga it is very strangely reminiscent  of Wirral Council’s Control Room debacle  , where clearly management in cahoots with councillors wanted rid of the staff and created a bogus redundancy situation to do so , getting  rid of the whole team. Similarly the team at New Brighton Lifeboat Station seem to have been got shut of  – one way or another.

As this Facebook post from October 7th explains this has potentially serious consequences  :

Once again we have to report a failure by the LOM (Lifeboat Operations Manager)  at New Brighton Station. We have been informed by a reliable source that the Atlantic 85 fast response rib is off service from 15:00 today till Sunday 19:00 hours.

That means everyone is in danger the nearest RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat is Hoylake a good 15 – 20 minutes sea journey to get to a victim. Can you hold your breath or tread water that long ?

21 sacked and resigned crew are sitting at home, fully trained and available for duty. Those at the station whom no one can touch the LOM and divisional DOM (Divisional Operations Manager) feel that you the public should be put in danger.

All because they didn’t realise that we the ex crew are a tightly packed one unit, cut one you cut us all. We have fought as hard as we can to reverse this pathetic decision, but the old boys network at the station is too strong.

We need the public help to press the RNLI to come to its senses. We would all return today if the perpetrator of the kull at the station was removed yes you the LOM shame on you and your band of bad men.

We have evidence of a plot to remove “driftwood” as they put it from the station and orchestrated a plan including shutting the station 12 months ago.

Now your donations are being used to pay hotel bills and expenses for helms from different stations around the country to give you the impression that all is back to Normal at the station.

Please help and forward to all your friends and family enough is enough…..

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=535061780019066&id=100005457464596&set=gm.998783906934458&_ft_&__tn__=%2C%3B

The post and the comments at the foot of the post are particularly revealing and sadly familiar. With references to old boys network, bad men, dictatorship , the apparent contempt for lifeboat crews and the ignoring a vote of no confidence is it any wonder with that kind of background Cllr Tony Jones fits right in at Wallasey Town Hall?.