The rise in youth unemployment in Preston by a whopping 346% in the past 12 months is a shocking statistic that no one can be proud of.

Too many young people are finding themselves neither in work, education or training as they are being overlooked and not given the opportunities they deserve to get on with life.

However, local MP Mark Hendrick is wrong to point the blame solely on the poor decision making of the Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition. Perhaps he needs reminding that it was under his Labour party that unskilled immigration from Eastern Europe spiralled out of control creating the tragic situation where nearly 9 in 10 new jobs created are filled by migrant workers.

Yours faithfully

Paul Nuttall

The Sentencing Guidelines Council has set new guidelines which mean more offenders will face prison sentences and they have set 18 months as suitable for the most serious cases.

“I am not usually in accord with the decisions of this body, as they tend to reduce sentencing tariffs and also, in effect, tie the judges’ hands. But on this occasion I agree that sentences for dangerous dog owners need to be tougher,” said Mr Nuttall, UKIP Deputy Leader.

“Many of us see on a daily basis cocky young lads strutting around with pit bull type dogs and mastiffs designed to enhance their tough image, and it can be very intimidating.

“Of course other owners have perfectly well behaved dogs who they keep muzzled and under control but it is the minority that pose a danger. We all can recall horrific incidents were people have been savaged to death.

“I also think DEFRA is right to considering whether it should be a criminal offence for possessing an out-of-control dog on private property but I am against compulsory microchipping which is also under consideration.

“The vast majority of dog owners are law abiding, sensible and considerate and they are the ones who would be financially hit by such a move, particularly pensioners. Those with the dangerous dogs will just ignore it and carry on laughing at the law,” said Mr Nuttall.

It comes as no surprise that not long after last month’s closure of the Claughton Tip in Garstang, people wishing to use alternative facilities in Salt Ayre are being turned away due to over-capacity at the site.

Lancashire County Council was warned on numerous occasions that the closure of the Claughton Tip would cause more hassle than it was worth after a spirited, yet unsuccessful, campaign to keep it open.

I fear that as more residents are turned away at the gates of Salt Ayre, we could see an increase in fly tipping within the county. With this in mind, the decision to close the tip at Garstang should now be reconsidered as it is all too clear that the dependency on Salt Ayre is bound for failure.

Yours faithfully

Paul Nuttall

This government seems determined to undermine our national defences at every twist and turn and now the latest victim appears to be 300 jobs at Longtown’s ammunition depot.

Every conceivable effort should be made to preserve and increase jobs not look for reasons to slash them.

Here the Ministry of Defence is saying it will cost £135 million to bring the buildings up to health and safety standards. Where on earth did they pluck that figure from, given that campaigners argue that around £13 million is a more realistic figure?

I am glad that local MPs have been lobbying the Defence Minister Peter Luft and I hope that such pressure will succeed in getting the MoD to abandon the closure plans. There must be a way to resolve the health and safety problems without throwing local workers on the scrapheap and this issue must be pursued with all vigour.

Paul Nuttall

I see that Merseytravel has started looking into replacing the fleet of existing trains serving the Merseyrail services, many of which will be approaching 40 years of operation by the time they are replaced. And about time too.

Commuters paying sky high fares, at the very least deserve a journey on a clean, comfortable and reliable WIFI enabled train that is more affordable to maintain.

However, what I believe is also important, is that any new order for trains for Merseyrail should come from a UK based firm so we can provide much needed long term employment opportunities for the many youngsters living in areas with little or no job prospects.

Yours faithfully

Paul Nuttall

I was delighted to read that Wirral’s beaches are among the best in the North West, with four given the Good Beach Guide’s highest accolade of “recommended.”

It is particularly impressive as only a fifth of recommended beaches are in the North West in a year when 68% of UK beaches were shown to have excellent water quality.

It is important that the standard of our local beaches continues to improve generally, not because of EU directives, but so we can take our children to play on our shores without worrying about possible contamination.

Yours faithfully

Paul Nuttall

“In my opinion such measures are long overdue and should be implemented as soon as possible,” he said.

“Drug drivers are a menace on our roads and cause just as much danger to other road users as drink drivers and it is only right that a serious stance is being taken on the matter.

“I am glad to hear that the proposed legislation includes prison sentences but I think a maximum of six months is too low, especially as we all know that in reality it would mean three months at the very most and probably a lot less.

“Cannabis smoking in this country is rife as is cocaine abuse and I have no doubt at all that many drivers would fail a random drugs test for those particular drugs.

“I know that testing for various drugs is complicated but it is good to know that steps are now being put into action to equip police with devices to test for illegal substance abuse when drivers are suspected of impaired driving.

“This can only mean that our roads will become safer and road fatalities will fall,” said Mr Nuttall, UKIP Deputy Leader.

Various attractions – bizarrely including laughter yoga – are being staged on Saturday in Brussels in a Festival of Europe Open Day.

It has been planned around this week’s Europe Day anniversary of the foundation of the first step towards European union.

Paul Nuttall, Deputy Leader of UKIP and North West Euro-MP, said, “I am sure the millions left destitute and unemployed by the EU’s ruinous policies will join me in denouncing these events. The Eurocrats are laughing at us – at our expense.

“We are living through a eurozone crisis and here these bureaucrats are fiddling away while Rome burns, or in this scenario while various countries in Europe teeter on the brink of financial collapse.

“It is just appalling that Brussels chiefs are staging a celebration – with taxpayers money, of course – at a time of worsening political and economic crisis across the EU.”

The events planned include displays of Tai Chi, cookery, flag throwing, a troop of frolicking clowns and a live performance by a 69-year-old DJ called Mamy Rock.

“It is ironic the agenda includes flag throwing when the EU is forcing public buildings in the UK to fly the EU flag for a week or face a £10,000 fine. And laughter yoga is about learning ‘to laugh for no reason’. Well, there is certainly nothing to laugh about in the EU right now, added Mr Nuttall.

The charity 4Children is right to highlight the lack of any strategy coming from Cheshire West and Chester Council on tackling child poverty after revealing figures that show that as much as 16% of young people within the borough are living in poverty.

I am afraid that the situation in many households in the borough is actually getting worse as more families feel the strain of inflation eating away at their frozen wages. Meanwhile vital local services face the chop and council chief Steve Robinson receives a £235,000 remuneration package.

CWAC must get their act together now and address child poverty within the borough before we are faced with yet another generation lost to poverty and inequality.

Yours faithfully

Paul Nuttall

Reports that the next generation Vauxhall Astra is set to be manufactured at the Ellesmere Port plant is further good news for the North West car industry after the announced expansion of the Halewood Jaguar Land Rover plant last month.

It is also reassuring that General Motors have to come to their senses after it was speculated that the plant in Cheshire was to be mothballed after poor European sales figures.

GM appears to have been reminded that the 21st century car manufacturing industry in the UK is perhaps one the most productive and efficient in the world, attracting the likes of Nissan and JLR while Volkswagen owned Bentley are just down the road in Crewe.

More work however is needed in order to attract additional big employing manufacturing businesses back to the region if we are to provide our young school leavers with decent work opportunities.

Yours faithfully

Paul Nuttall