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40p Tuesday, January 29, 2013 SEN-eO1-S2 [P] [P] www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk Established 1854 Stoke City Celebrating 150 years of Souvenir Special Part Five: 1970 to 1977 Inside Today ‘Taser’ death inquest opens AN INQUEST into the death of a 44-year-old man who died three months after being shot with a police Taser gun has been opened. Martin Baskeyfield, of Scotia Road, Tunstall, died two weeks ago at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. He was admitted on October 4, just days after police fired the stun gun at him during his arrest for driving offences. It is believed he died from natural causes, but Mr Baskeyfield’s family lodged an official complaint against Staffordshire Police, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission is now investigating. North Staffordshire Deputy Coroner Anthony Curzon, opened and adjourned the hearing yesterday. BATTLE LINES ■ HS2 rail link to create 300 jobs PULIS WANTS TRIPLE SWOOP BACK PAGE INQUIRY: Our story from January 19. BY ALEX CAMPBELL [email protected] CITY and county leaders are trav- elling to London next week to meet the Transport Secretary to demand a High Speed rail hub next to the M6 in North Staffordshire. Crewe station is in line to get a £200 million stop on the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the £32.7 billion HS2 rail network – slashing journeys to the capital from one hour 40mins to 58 minutes with at least two high speed trains every hour. A new HS2 maintenance depot in Crewe will create 300 jobs. But Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council are meeting Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to call for the new hub to be built instead between junction 15 and 16 of the M6. City council deputy leader Paul Shotton said: “That will kill two birds with one stone. It would enable HS2 to be close to Crewe’s connectivity but also unlock the benefits for North Staffordshire.” The Sentinel can reveal the city council turned down the chance to submit a joint bid for a HS2 hub with Cheshire East Council. The Tory-run authority described the city’s alternative proposals as a ‘non-starter’. It said North Stafford- shire’s best opportunity to benefit from HS2 is by pressing for an elec- trified, high speed link from Stoke- on-Trent to the new hub in Crewe. Leader Michael Jones said: “I’ve already spoken to the Government and said that Crewe deserves this, but Stoke-on-Trent needs to be part of it.” The proposed route of HS2’s second phase cuts through swathes of Staffordshire’s countryside – includ- ing villages like Swynnerton, Made- ley and Betley – but leaves residents with no direct access to the line. Villagers in Swynnerton are sta- ging a public meeting on Saturday in protest at the proposal. Stone MP Bill Cash said: “I will be taking every possible action to oppose this.” The Government revealed yester- day that the second phase of HS2 will run north from Birmingham on two branches with new stations at Not- tingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester Airport and Manchester Central and pass beneath Crewe in a two-and-a-half mile tunnel. Some of the 250-mph trains will stop at Crewe to link HS2 to North Wales, Liverpool and Scotland. Home Secretary Theresa May, who visited Crewe Station to launch the hub plans yesterday, said: “We believe HS2 will generate jobs, re- balance the economy and act as a catalyst for our future prosperity.” The construction of the second phase of HS2 should start in the middle of the next decade, with the line open by 2032. ‘High speed link will ruin picturesque countryside’; Pages 6&7 ■ Demands made to move hub site ■ Villagers’ anger at rural upheaval FAST SHOW: Trains like this Javelin will soon be cutting through Staffordshire. 60p www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk INSIDE TODAY WIN A FAMILY TRIP TO LONDON GET YOUR FREE FRISBEE ARE YOU THIS WEEK’S PIE FACE? SEE PAGE 11 OF TODAY’S MAN DIES AFTER BEING ‘TASERED’ 44-year-old stopped by police on suspicion of disqualified driving THE ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL! SNOW SPECIAL: PAGES 2&3 BE POTTERS MASCOT AT FA CUP CLASH STAY IN A HOTEL FOR £10 PAGE 39 Contact us 26 Liverpool Road, Stoke, ST4 1AT Tel: 0330 123 9134 Email: [email protected] www.liverpooleoraddental.co.uk New NHS patient registrations now available The NHS Liverpool Road Dental Practice • Open 8am - 6pm, Monday to Friday • State of the art dental surgery • Friendly and welcoming team • NHS dentistry is free for children and people who receive certain benefits Queensway Leek Road Queensway Queensway Leek Road City Road City Road Liverpool Road Shelton Old Rd Stoke Roa London Road Lonsdale Street Copeland St Copeland St Elenora St Fleming Rd Hartshill Road Stoke-on-Trent Rail We are here ©LW Your Target for a fantastic deal TEL: 01782 398021 targetwindows.co.uk Target the first choice for windows, doors and conservatories
