Peter Turns

The following text was taken from the West Yorkshire Police Website

If you have any information about Peter, please contact them on 0113 2414659

City and Holbeck Police are urgently appealing for information in a bid to trace the whereabouts of 27 year old Peter Turns.

Peter had traveled from Sunderland on Friday to attend a friend's stag night on Saturday in Leeds City Centre. He had booked into the Premier Inn Hotel on Kirkstall Road and was due to be collected at 4pm on Sunday by his father.

However when his dad arrived at the hotel he was informed by staff that Peter had not returned. At 5.30pm he reported Peter missing.

Police are now growing increasingly concerned for Peter's welfare as he has not been missing before and enquiries have revealed that Peter may have been involved in a disturbance moments before his disappearance.

Statement from Detective Superintendent Paul Taylor:

"We have today launched a intensive search of the Call Lane area and an underwater search of the River Aire in a bid to trace the whereabouts of 27 year old Peter Turns.

"Peter, who lives in Stockport but is originally from Sunderland, was in Leeds over the weekend to attend a friend’s stag night. He had booked into the Premier Inn Hotel on Kirkstall Road and was due to be collected by his father Frank at 4pm on Sunday.

"Frank arrived to find that his son had failed to return to the hotel. At 5.30pm yesterday Peter was reported missing.

"Since this time we have carried out extensive enquiries which have led us to believe that Peter may have been involved in a disturbance moments before his disappearance.

"Peter was last seen outside of the Oporto nightclub on Call Lane between 3am and 3.30am on Sunday. It is believed that Peter may have been stood on the bonnet of a car, before a member of the public remonstrated with him. We are now appealing to the member of the public or the owner of the car to come forward.

"After this disturbance, Peter is believed to have run away towards the River Aire. He has not been seen since.

"We have made numerous attempts to contact Peter on his mobile phone but this has so far been unsuccessful.

"At this stage we are keeping an open mind to Peter's whereabouts and we have to explore every possibility. It may be that Peter met up with someone and left of his own accord or he may be confused after a possible head injury resulting from the disturbance.

"Under Water Search Units are currently searching the nearby River Aire whilst divisional officers are searching the surrounding streets and viewing CCTV footage.

"Peter's family are today travelling to Leeds from Sunderland to assist with the search and are desperately concerned for his safety.

"We are appealing to anyone who may have seen Peter after 3am on Sunday to contact Police as a matter of urgency, or if Peter himself is able to make contact, please let us know that you are ok."

"Peter is an IT teacher at a high school in Macclesfield, he is thought to be very reliable and has not been missing before. He should be going on a skiing holiday tomorrow.

"Peter is described as white, with short auburn hair, he is around 5ft10 and a stocky build. He was last seen wearing a brown shirt, dark trousers and black shoes.

"Anyone who may have seen Peter or knows his whereabouts is asked to contact Holbeck Police on 0113 2414659 as a matter of urgency."

Mackem Poetry

Poetry means many things to many people. Loosely translated, it is a short piece of imaginative writing, personal in its tone and laid out in lines.

It is an annotation, creatively constructed, and pleasing to others. It is also a form of therapy as it allows feelings from within to be emotionally expressed. To quote a cliché, "poetry is in the eye of the beholder".

For many however, poetry is no more than a jumble of nonsensical words penned by the upper classes, read only by the female of the species. It certainly has no place in football.

Or does it?

Terrace chanting, no matter how insulting, is a form of poetic verse.

Poetry is an art form that does not require mastering. It can be tackled by anyone, of any age, and from any walk of life. Poetry lies within everyone’s soul, some good, some bad, some deep, and some quite comical.

Next time you start chanting "We Love You Sunderland, We Do..." remember this, you are expressing yourself, communicating to one and all openly and willingly in an artistic and poetic manner.

Poetry exists all around us, in greeting cards, within songs be it pop music, rock n roll, rap, punk, or lullabies and nursery rhymes. Poetry exists within the many differing forms of religion from hymns to psalms and prayers. Poetry should not be mocked or scorned at. Until you read it or try it you’ll never know just how soothing and comforting poetry can be.

So what exactly is Mackem Poetry?

Written by football fans for football fans, Mackem Poetry concentrates on what many testify as being "by far the greatest team, the world has ever seen" - Sunderland AFC.

Inspiration is a gift everyone is born with.

We all aspire for greater things in life.

Sunderland supporters have for decades aspired to see SAFC grow and prosper. The red and white masses seek glorious success, and although presently tagged with being the worst team in history, never give up their hopes and their dreams.

Mackem Poetry will be published in October 2006. Leading up till then you the supporter, the Black Cat, the Mackem, The Rokerite, The Wearsider can have your say.

Submissions are now open for all to pen their own poem be it based on memories, the current sad state of affairs, or past and memorable victories over Newcastle United, all in all the good times, the bad times, and the ugly times!

Please visit www.mackempoetry.co.uk or, provided it isn’t insulting, derogatory, libelous, or foul, and of course red and white in nature, then please email to submissions@mackempoetry.co.uk your poem, your contact details and if preferred a nom-de-plum to accompany your entry should it be accepted into the anthology (no email attachments, please cut and paste your poem into the body of your email).

You can also submit via more traditional methods e.g. the good old postal service. Send your entries, again not forgetting your contact details to,

JJ Publishing
P O Box 1162
Sunderland
SR4 7WS

www.mackempoetry.co.uk will be constantly updated to keep you informed of developments of the book, the selling price, where you can buy it, extracts and so on.

For further information please email info@mackempoetry.co.uk, or email register@mackempoetry.co.uk to register interest in the book and be the first to know when it's available to buy, where to buy it from and other regular updates.