LIB DEM COUNCIL SAVES ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR HOTLINE FROM LABOUR CUT

12.00.00am GMT Fri 9th Jan 2009

Sheffield's dedicated helpline for local people to report anti-social behaviour and other nuisance has been saved, thanks to Liberal Democrat Sheffield City Council. The Council has come up with a financial package to rescue the helpline, whose future had been under threat as the Labour Government cut funding for the popular local service.

Under the Lib Dem plans, the Council will pay South Yorkshire Police to run the 101 helpline, together with three other Council helplines. They are the out of hours numbers for homelessness and children's and adults' social care. By having one operator handling these helplines efficiency savings can be achieved so that local people get value for money.

Calls to 101 and these other helpline numbers will continue to be answered by the same staff, so no member of staff will lose their job. Customers of 101 and these other helpline numbers will see no difference in the way they contact these services or the help they receive.

The 101 helpline is a popular non-emergency number where people can report vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property, noisy neighbours, intimidation and harassment, abandoned vehicles, rubbish and litter, people being drunk or rowdy in public places, drug-related anti-social behaviour and broken street lighting.

The helpline began in 2006 as a trial funded by the Home Office. Sheffield was one of the five areas across the country that the Government selected to pilot the new number, with the intention of extending the service nationwide in the longer term.

However, In November last year the Labour Government announced its decision to stop funding the popular 101 service from March 2008 onwards despite a manifesto pledge to roll the service out across the UK.

Cllr Bob McCann, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable, Safer Communities from Sheffield City Council said:

"I'm absolutely delighted we're able to save 101 for the people of Sheffield. Local people told us that they wanted to keep 101, and so we have found a way to do this, despite the lack of funding due to the cut from the Labour Government. The helpline is tremendously popular and useful for local people in Sheffield who want to play their part in keeping Sheffield a safe and attractive city."

"All the telephone numbers will remain the same, so you can continue to dial 101 to report anti-social behaviour, graffiti, fly tipping, broken street lighting and so on. Customers should see no difference in the service they experience during these changes."

"I'd like to thank everyone in Sheffield who uses 101. Keep using it, as it's here to stay!"