Caroline's news

Criminals have been warned that ‘if you break it, you fix it’ as part of a new poster campaign launched today by London Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick and his candidate for Deputy Mayor, Lib Dem London Assembly Member, Caroline Pidgeon.

The London wide payback programme co-ordinated by the Mayor’s office will be an alternative to short term prison sentences for convicted criminals so that they can give something back to society. The slogan for the proposal - ‘You Break It, You Fix It’ appears on posters at 176 sites around London.

Brian said: “We need to judge whether a sentence is tough or not from the criminals' perspective, not ours. Rather than sit in a cosy cell in prison for hours on end, criminals should be forced to clean up graffiti, repair broken fences, clear up fly-tipped rubbish and improve London’s public spaces. Local people will decide what needs to be done to improve their local area, something local authorities can’t currently afford to do.”

Caroline joined Liberal Youth members, Alison Hopkins (Lib Dem candidate in the Dollis Hill by-election), Cllr Daniel Brown and Bob Wharton out and about knocking on doors and talking to local residents on Saturday.

"Alison is a truly local champion having lived for decades in the area. I hope Alison is elected a a strong representative for Dollis Hill working hard on issues such as local libraries" commented Caroline.

Caroline Pidgeon joined Sarah Ludford MEP, Tom Brake MP and Brian Paddick out and about campaigning in Croydon and Sutton on Saturday as part of a big action day in London. The team were joined by Liberal Youth and carried out a residents’ survey in areas such as Waddon.

“The sun shone and we had a really welcoming response form local residents,” commented Caroline.

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, is urging First Capital Connect and Network Rail to stop charging passengers for just walking over the bridge.

At present if anyone using Oyster Pay As You Go enters the station south of the river and passes through the First Capital Connect barriers to get to the tube platforms they are not charged, however people who simply want to walk through the station without catching a train or Tube are being charged.

Caroline Pidgeon commented:

The London SE1 website reports that Transport for London is at last giving serious consideration to improved safety measures at the junction of Abbey Street and Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey - where cyclist Ellie Carey was tragically killed last year.

Caroline Pidgeon said:
"It is good news that the Mayor and TfL now concede that at least advanced stop lines can be completed before the start of the the Olympic Games.

"I will be pushing hard to ensure such basic improvements are completed as a matter of urgency."

Read the full article here.