by Alan Watkins

Policing of local areas is increasingly coming under public scrutiny in Medway.
New powers mean people will be able to look into the way crimes like anti-social behaviour, drug abuse and alcohol-related incidents are being dealt with.
The regeneration scrutiny committee is adding crime and disorder to its areas of responsibility. It already include the community and leisure as well as highways, planning and reconstruction.
It will meet on today (Thursday, Aug 27) to decide how it will look at issues, including those raised by councillors and members of the public.
And it will also decide whether to co-opt people on to the committee to help councillors.
The children's committee already has school governors, local residents, church leaders and members of the Medway Youth Parliament.
A report to councillors says the new crime investigation powers could make people feel better about influencing what is happening in their area.
It will also give the council new rights to demand information from probation authorities, parish councils, NHS Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts, and even colleges and independent schools.
In return the police authority will have to include a member of the committee among its membership.
One of its tasks will be scrutinise the work of Medway's Community Safety Partnership (CSP).
This body meets in private, but will now have to be more open about what it is doing - and whether it is being effective.
As a first move, both the partnership and the police authority are being asked to attend meetings, and the CSP will be asked to provide an annual report on what its has been doing.