Police cancel bill for Sheffield events

Police have cancelled charges for their presence at the Sheffield Christmas light switch-on and Halloween celebration after a mixture of pressure from the public and lobbying from MPs

Labour MP for Sheffield South West, Clive Betts, who was part of a delegation meeting with police commander Chief Superintendent Simon Torr, said to us:

“It’s very clear that the police can’t charge for their presence and these events. A crowd of that size is an issue for for the police but they don’t charge.”

“The company responsible must make a request for special services and no such request was made”

South Yorkshire police were set to bill Yellow Bus Events nearly £8,000 for their Fright Night event and were planning to charge Sheffield Council £3,700 for the Christmas lights switch on this week.

Mr Betts, who met with Mr Torr and Brightside and Hillsborough MP David Blunkett and council leader Julie Dore to discuss the bill, said:

“A mixture of public support for the events and my own research into the law has led to the charges being dropped.

“Case law is very clear on this, the police can’t charge for an event in a public area with free and open access.”

“The recent Leeds United vs. West Yorkshire police court case has shown what the standard is.”

The court case Mr Betts mentioned erupted over a dispute about the cost of policing football matches in Leeds. The case went to the High Court where Mr Justice Eady held that policing on the public highway and on public land fell within “the normal constabulary duty to keep the peace”. Therefore, the costs of such policing were not recoverable from Leeds United. We were told by Mr Betts that previous cases like these were an influencing factor in the bills cancellation.

Mr Betts added: “Also, there were other people in the area not attending the events, and the police have a duty to provide a service for them too.”

When the charge was first issued Yellow Bus Events managing director, Scott Barton, said:

“Family events are run on a tight budget, and extra policing charges could end up strangulating them".

“Events like Fright Night and the Christmas lights switch-on provide positive activities for children and young people, and reduce anti-social behaviour - saving the police money".

“Police actively encourage people to attend.”

Everyone we spoke to agreed that it would be a shame to not encourage more events like this, including the police. A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “Police and Sheffield Council have always worked well together and this continues to be the case. We have a duty to ensure public funds are correctly used to support events but also to ensure that the policing of local communities does not suffer any detriment.

“South Yorkshire Police has been in recent discussions with Sheffield Council and event organisers about the policing of events, this is currently under review as we work with our partners to identify the best way forward.”

If you missed the Christmas light switch-on and it’s huge list of activities and events, check out our audio/video slideshow from the event, showing the Sheffield community coming together to celebrate the festive season.

by Matthew Gee

Local designers showcase Derby fashion talent

Friday and Saturday will see Derby café bar Fat Cat transformed into a high-end fashion boutique showcasing local designers. The brainchild of Fazane Malik from Ilkeston, this ‘popup’ event hosts seven of the best Derby and Midlands fashion and accessories designers.

Organiser Fazane Malik

Bringing together 7 Derby and Midlands based designers, the Derby Designer #POPUP Boutique exclusively showcases local fashion talent for a limited time. With one-off celebrity print t-shirts, limited edition collection pieces and one-of-a-kind accessories, buyers can bag themselves a unique piece whilst getting the feeling of satisfaction that comes with supporting local businesses. 

Open at the top floor of the Fat Cat Café Bar on Friar Gate, the boutique is open Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 9am-5pm.

Designer accessories

The event is the brainchild of Fazane Malik, 29, from Ilkeston, who will be selling her first collection from her brand ‘Fazane’ at the boutique. Her designs equip modern women with a classic look with a twist. 

Having spent years in the industry working with designers in Australia and London, in the Fashion department of Leicester’s 69 Degrees magazine, as well as six-and-a-half years working for a clothing manufacturer, she is using her experience to drive forward her own brand. She noted the popularity of pop up events in London – boutiques, cinemas, art galleries – and was asked to be involved. 

However, the high costs of hiring spaces and the demands for a large percentage of profits led her to wonder why pay someone else for something she could do herself. 

Using established contacts with local designers, and discovering new ones through creative networking site ‘From Dusk 2 Dawn’, she brought together a variety of complimentary collections to help small scale brands gain exposure and publicity in their local area. “I could have taken my collection to London”, Fazane says, “but I wanted to come back to Derby because I love it so much”.

All of the featured designers are passionate about collaboration in local creative and fashion communities. Leren Connor and Erica Godfrey (of Oddly Enough) agree there is no competition between them; in fact Leren stocks Erica’s accessories in her boutique on Green Lane, Derby. Leren agrees that “The more designers that come together the better”. Both Leren and Erica enthuse how invaluable social media is to promote and sell their brands. They wish more people would use it to advertise the creative talent of Derby.

Helping the boutique achieve a boudoir look is Derbyshire based business, ‘The Vintage Afternoon Hire Company’. Set up by local ladies Alex Harris and Bryony Marriott, the company offers an exquisite selection of vintage crockery, furniture, accessories and props. Currently covering Derbyshire and the surrounding area, the pair work mostly at weddings creating vintage and elegant areas for after-ceremony teas. 

A selection of what is available from The Vintage Afternoon Hire Company

With the short lived nature of a pop up boutique, what’s next for these designers? Organiser Fazane hopes that if this event is a success, she can continue to work with the designers and take the event elsewhere in the East Midlands. “Just the East Midlands”, she says though, “there are so many talented designers here and I want to celebrate that”.

Find out more about the designers:

• Fazane – Limited Edition Womenswear by Fazane Malik
• Organic Pirate – Independent Unisex Label by Louis William Driver
• Jenny Purchase – Handmade Leather Clutch Bags by Jenny Purchase
• Leren Connor – Eclectic Eccentricity by Leren Connor
• Tamara Joseph – Winner of the Midlands Independent Designer of the Year Award 2012
• Oddly Enough – High Quality and Handmade Upcycled Accessories by Erica Godfrey
• SJA – Hand Drawn Celebrity T-shirts by Sam Andrews 
• The Vintage Afternoon Hire Company – An exquisite selection of vintage crockery, furniture, accessories and props by Alex Harris and Bryony Marriott

By Emma Riordan