Road deaths.

Had a really good meeting about road deaths in Leicestershire yesterday. That sounds bad but I'll carry on.

I must admit that roads, well transport in general is a bit a passion of mine, not sure if it's because I am a boy, but things that councils do to make roads safer etc interests me.

Anyway, so met some experts at County Hall because their annual road casualty report is out, with all sorts of fascinating stats about how crashes happen, where, when, well everything you can think of really.

Now in the county casualties are reducing steadily every year, but the number of deaths remains around the same, at around 50, in fact it has risen slightly every year for five years.


Every year around half of those will be people under the age of 25, and those are the people in particular the council wants to target.

They are changing road layouts, speed limits, putting in bumps and the ever-unpopular speed cameras, which is making the difference but is not breaking through the ceiling. Education also plays a part, especially targeting those who have not even learned to drive yet.

They are also starting an innovative profiling scheme, where they look in detail at the circumstances of people who have died, so they can target areas and certain types of people and hopefully cut deaths.

What no-one could explain is why young people are often so fearless, even reckless when they drive a car. Often these traits are the reasons why people are killed. Speeding, losing control, not looking and taking drink are still the key causes of fatalities. Year after year.

When I was a younger man, I hope at 27 that I am still fairly young, passing my driving test (after four tries) was the most nerve-wracking thing I think I can remember, and going out on my own (I was a cub reporter in Northants driving to Corby to find a man with a samurai sword) frightened me to death, not the man with the sword. What I mean to say is that it was also the responsibility of driving that frightened me, not just the thought of dying.

After a while you gain confidence, you take more risks, this is normal I guess, but I still can't get into my head where people go from this to, well, putting their lives, and others' at risk. Why are they not scared of death? All the adverts of TV now show in a brutal way how people die on our roads, motorcyclists, people without seatbelts, children hit etc. But it is still happening.

But today it clicked, I've never met anyone who said they are a bad driver. So many of us are just too cocky when it comes to driving and that's why too many people die. Everyone knows everytime you get in a car you could die, everyone does, but the attitude is that "I'm too good at driving" for it to happen.

Nick Rushton.

So Nick has decided to stand down from the cabinet and will not seek to be the new deputy leader.

The rumour mill at County Hall has been in overdrive on this exact issue for the last month - ever since we broke the story. In the end this result was inevitable really. I must have had the same will he/won't he conversation with dozens of people.

If he had stayed, or even tried to, serious questions would have been asked and the pressure would have been cranked up another notch on him, the Tories and the council. This, for the moment, will relieve some of that pressure.

What has happened in Breedon has been damaging to the council and its administration. I have no idea whether anything that happened was illegal - that is for the police - I don't know whether it breaks council rules - that is for the standards board. What I do know is that the public and other politicians, including Conservatives, are uncomfortable with what has happened. The council itself believed it serious enough to report it the police after all and it is not the "non-story" Andrew Bridgen seems to think it is.

The priority for the powers that be at County Hall, both politically and at officer level, has been that they do not want the council to be tarnished permanently by what happened. It is a kind of Gordon Brown situation, the longer Nick stayed the keener the spotlight on him and therefore the council.

It was also inevitable that in the end someone had to go for this and it was Nick. I am not saying it was anyone else's decision other than Nick, I honestly don't know. I know it will have been difficult for him for him to do this, I suspect he may not have wanted to, but he will also be aware that in politics that he must be seen to do the 'right thing'.

As political reporter I have got to know Nick personally over the last two and a half years and he has been at the heart of many stories I have written, has always been helpful and was a good cabinet member for transport. I have no qualms about saying that I like the man.

I have tried to use this blog to give people an idea of what being a journalist is like. This story is another good example. In politics you rely a great deal on contacts, you get to know them, you speak most days, you see each other a lot, you gain eachothers' trust. He or she helps you with stories, tip-offs, quotes, and in turn they get their message across and improve their profile. It is part of the game and sums up my relationship with Nick.

But then something like this happens, they are on the front page for the wrong reasons, you have to ask difficult questions and sometimes this is the result. This too is what happened with Nick, and is the other part of the game.

Being a journalist.

Wondering if people wanted to know what it is like to be a journalist? Thought I'd tell you about a visit to the police HQ in Enderby today which sums up what it is like.

To put this into context, every day for the last three weeks I have done a page lead on the key issues in the county and European elections. I was invited to meet the police officer in charge of dealing with electoral fraud on June 4.

Now, of course a week or so ago some of the most senior councillors at County Hall were referred to him for alleged dirty tricks relating to a pre-election deal to get a rival candidate to stand down.

So I meet this officer, we talk through the most common forms of fraud, what police will be looking for, what the public should be looking for. Good story.

Interview ends, so I ask about the case at County Hall. It's my job after all and he was not surprised that I asked.

Here's what happened:

Me: I know one case has been referred to you from County Hall. Can you tell me anything?
Officer: I thought you would ask, I can't say anything at all.
Me: Ok, well I got an update last week saying no arrests, is there any update now?
Officer: You have to go through the press office Martin.
Me: Have you been involved.
Officer: Yes i'm involved.
Me: Well, won't the press office just come back to you anyway?
Officer: Yes.
Me: So you could just tell me if there any update now.
Officer: You have to speak to the press office (looks into distance)

So I head back to work, a bit grumpy, and call the press office. Five minutes later I get a call back after they spoke to him. And I'm told there's no update.

This is what it is like to be a journalist.

Noisy neighbours/thoughtless louts.

Today's front page is a story about noisy neighbours and the misery suffered by those living next to these thoughtless louts.

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Noisy-neighbour-complaints-soar/article-1030441-detail/article.html

Yesterday I spoke to a Beaumont Leys woman who has lost weight, has become agoraphobic, and almost lost her marriage because of the problems caused by her neighbour who insists on having karaoke all through the night, letting her children and dogs run riot and who personally shouts, swears and throws things out of her windows.

Her case is not unique, in fact speaking to the police and council it became clear that thousands in the city and county suffer in exactly the same way.

Ok, all of us may have been guilty in the past of having the stereo on loud, doing DIY when we shouldn't or having a party that has got a bit out of hand. But the authorities have clear procedures and send letters, and I think 99 per cent of people would be mortified if they realised they had caused these problems and would pop next door to say sorry with some wine or flowers.

Yesterday I was in a lock-up near Morrisons at Freemans Common there were the piles and piles of DVD players, stereos, TVs, all seized from idiots who ignored the warnings and are too stupid/selfish to see they are making life so difficult for people. It makes people ill and drives them to the edge, making it difficult to function at work and at home. We should throw the book at them.