Security boss defends retail park record

THE boss of a security firm protecting the Alexandra Retail Park has hit out at a report which condemns the site for hundreds of crimes.

Brian Lawrence, managing director of Moorland Site Security, says the Greater Manchester Police crime impact statement covers a far wider area then the retail park and the old railway warehouse next door.

Mr Lawrence, whose company has been responsible for the site since 1979, said: “There certainly have not been anywhere near this number of crimes.

“There have not been 350 woundings, 180 thefts or 130 cases of criminal damage in the last 12 months.

“There may have been some shoplifting, but there have been no cases of criminal damage that I am aware of and there have been no woundings.”

The report is part of the redevelopment plans drawn up by Oldham Council, and a planning application lodged by Zurich Assurance.

They plan to demolish the existing retail units at the Alexandra site and to replace them with 10 smaller ones.

Mr Lawrence believes the crime discrepancy is because the report, drawn up by the police architectural liaison officer Michael Craig, draws the crime analysis from a square kilometre grid centred on the retail park.

He said: “This goes into Glodwick and part of the town centre. I shall be contacting Michael Craig about this.”

Mr Craig explained the crime impact statement looked at the “wider picture”.

He said: “We have to look at crime patterns in the area, not just the site itself. The figures for the site are not as high.

“The grid goes from Oldham town centre and a lot of figures relate to that and the night-time economy.

“We look at the wider picture, the context of the site as well as the site itself, and what might have an impact on the development.”