WELCOME to Knutsford town centre, ne’er-do-wells, opportunist thieves and organised robber gangs.

As of yesterday, April 1, the CCTV cameras used to monitor our streets will no longer be monitored and when the cameras fail, they will not be replaced.

The Knutsfordian is disgusted by the actions of Cheshire East Council and, to a slightly lesser degree, Knutsford Town Council, in allowing this ‘you pay, no you pay’ standoff which leaves Knutsford businesses under threat of increased theft and puts the personal safety of Knutsfordians in jeopardy.

The Knutsfordian knows crime rates are down.

He knows Cheshire East must save money.

He agrees Knutsford Town Council should not use its precept to fund this.

However, Knutsford Town Council has not kept the public and businesses properly informed.

In April 2013 the environment committee established a working group to investigate Knutsford’s CCTV needs.

In November 2013 the full council, in private, discussed funding of town centre CCTV and decided not to contribute towards the cost of CCTV provision by CEC.

The Knutsfordian can find no record of the working group’s report online.

The town council must be more open with its residents.

Knutsford Town Council believes it is the responsibility of Cheshire Police to pay.

Have they put their case to Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner under whose remit this must fall?

PS To robustly answer the vexing subject of The Knutsfordian’s sex, he refers his reader, and Tatton Conservatives, to the late, great, most wonderful female politician of the 20th century, Margaret Thatcher, who famously said, ‘if you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman’.

Tory Cheshire East Clr Olivia Hunter must surely know another of dearest Margaret’s quotes.

Both Maggie and The Knutsfordian, ‘always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left’.

The Knutsfordian would like to point out that he has been extremely restrained in using political appellations in his column.

Given the Tatton constituency has been resolutely blue since its formation, bar an Independent hiccup in the white-suited form of Martin Bell, it’s obvious Knutsfordians are majorly minded to allow Tories to represent them at town, borough and national level.

In the case of the BeWILDerwood, The Knutsfordian was of the opinion the party politics of those proposing and supporting a development which will ‘cost’ Cheshire East taxpayers upwards of £6.75 million are highly relevant.

Clr Hunter did go out of her way to speak in favour of the development.

The Knutsfordian has said previously he wants to encourage Knutsfordians to engage with the town and debate its future.

PPS The Knutsfordian hears the special Tatton Brewery Crowning Glory beer, supporting Knutsford Royal May Day, went down a treat at the official opening of the heritage centre’s eponymous exhibition.

Those with tickets to the Knutsford Beer Festival will enjoy this weekend.