Crime commissioner Dan Price (top left picture) and Halton Cllrs Andrea Wall and Mike Wharton have taken aim at Runcorn MP Sarah Pochin (top right), saying ‘inaccurate’ claims about the town are stoking fear.
MP said to be stoking fear with inaccurate claims
An extraordinary war of words has erupted between local leaders and Runcorn’s new MP, after they accused her of stoking ‘fear and confusion’ about the town following a series of claims in the media and the Commons.
In a strongly-worded joint statement, Labour’s Halton Council leader Cllr Mike Wharton, council community safety chief Cllr Andrea Wall, and Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dan Price said Reform MP Sarah Pochin had made a string ‘incorrect and critical’ outbursts about the town, but had not provided evidence for any of them.
Ms Pochin accused local leaders of arrogance
But Mrs Pochin has hit back, accusing them of ‘arrogance’ and of ‘dismissing’ local people’s concerns.
Since taking office after her success in the May 1 by-election, Mrs Pochin has made a series of allegations, including that houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) in Runcorn are hotbeds for serious crime, drug dealing, trafficking, prostitution, and grooming. She also claimed local people are ‘frightened to go out of their houses’ because of the number of ‘illegal immigrants’ in the area, and said the town had a ‘real problem with women’s safety’.
Yet senior local leaders said they have ‘no idea’ where Mrs Pochin’s information comes from, and called on her to retract her comments and report any crimes that she claimed to know about.
Council was never asked for information by the MP
Cllr Wharton said:
It is unfortunate that we as a local authority have to date never been approached for information by Mrs Pochin. Our communities deserve factual information, and we are here to provide that to them. Halton Borough Council stand willing to provide factual information to Mrs Pochin in order to assist her in her duties to advocate for and assist her constituents in Runcorn.
Mrs Pochin has also repeatedly stated that she has seen CCTV footage of alleged criminal activity apparently taking place near HMOs, such as drug dealing, but Labour police and crime commissioner for the area Mr Price said there had been no such reports or evidence provided.
He said:
I simply don’t recognise the picture that Sarah Pochin tries to paint of Runcorn. It’s not based on reality.
On several occasions Mrs Pochin has stated to have seen CCTV providing evidence of criminal activity. To date, no reports or evidence has been provided to Cheshire Police or to my office by Mrs Pochin, despite the MP having had several opportunities to do so.
Claim of increase in asylum seeker number can not be substantiated either
Mrs Pochin also claims that there has been a rise in the number of people seeking asylum moving into local social housing, putting pressure on local services, following the decision to close the Daresbury Park hotel which had housed asylum seekers.
In the statement, they also denied this was the case. Cllr Andrea Wall, executive board member for community safety, said:
The people who previously lived in the hotel have been moved to another region. Government officials have also confirmed that there will be no further increase in asylum seeker numbers in Halton. This follows intensive work from Halton Borough council over several months including lobbying the Home Office to stop using the hotel for asylum seeker accommodation.
Mrs Pochin hit back, saying:
My constituents are raising serious concerns about the rise in HMOs housing asylum seekers. We’ve received first-hand accounts from those living next door, backed up by CCTV footage of late-night knife and drug crime, intimidating behaviour by gang members and unacceptable noise. Despite the PCC claiming to be unaware of this, which in itself is a concern, we have crime reference numbers from Cheshire Police. This isn’t hearsay – it’s happening in our community. And if you live next door to one of these HMOs, it’s a living nightmare.
Labour Councillors’ response? Arrogance, dismissal, silence.
Only some HMOs in Halton house asylum seekers, with others housing a range of people including those looking for affordable accommodation. The Home Office classed the people in Daresbury Hotel as asylum seekers, not illegal immigrants, as their claims had yet to be processed.
