Archive

  • Peace protesters appear in court

    THE first of three groups of anti-war protesters due before the courts had charges of obstructing the public highway put to them by Watford Magistrates on Thursday. Over the course of three days 51 defendants will be brought before the court in connection

  • Asylum system should be changed, says would-be Tory MP

    ALL asylum seekers should be locked up by the security services until they are cleared of being a terrorist threat, according to the Conservative Parliamentary spokesman for Watford. The UK should also consider withdrawing from relevant international

  • Thameslink delay decision condemned

    The Government's decision to further delay the Thameslink 2000 rail project has been slammed by transport officials. Work on the project was to have started this year and finished in 2008, but is now likely to be delayed for some time. Thameslink 2000

  • Plans to build skatepark withdrawn

    PRESSURE from residents has forced Watford Council to withdraw its proposal to build a skatepark in the town centre. The leisure department on Wednesday admitted defeat in its campaign for a skatepark in the former Watford springs site. The proposed skatepark

  • Man in court in deception charges

    A MAN who earned £250,000 during more than two years employment with a major construction company has been taken to court on deception charges, after it was alleged he was not a qualified civil engineer. Alan Stevens, 58, worked at Maple Cross-based firm

  • Banned driver could be jailed

    A MAN disqualified from driving four months ago could face prison after appearing in court for driving during his ban. John Hamlet, 21, of Osprey Close, Watford, was warned he could spend his 22nd birthday behind bars after pleading guilty to a charge

  • Probation staff strike

    PROBATION staff in Watford held a one day official strike on Wednesday, January 28, in protest over spiralling workloads. Around ten members of the Hertfordshire probation area picketed their office in King Street. It is the first time in 19 years that

  • Team for unemployed is accredited

    A DEDICATED team working for the unemployed and young homeless in South Oxhey had their hard work recognised with the award of a Matrix accreditation. All Saints' Centre for Employment and New Directions (Ascend) is a one-stop shop which provides training

  • DJ Penk is backing Danny's Euro quest

    Capital Radio DJ Steve Penk has shown his support for Barnet's very own Eurovision hopeful by playing his tune on his show. Danny Davies, who has made it to the final eight of the UK's Song for Europe competition, said he was amazed the famous radio presenter

  • Sir Sydney Chapman's successor to be named in March

    The Tory candidate earmarked to succeed Sir Sydney Chapman as MP for Chipping Barnet will be chosen in March. Sir Sydney announced last month that he will stand down at the next general election, after 24 years as Chipping Barnet MP. The Tories had imposed

  • Warrant issued for murdered au-pair's boyfriend

    Detectives investigating the murder of a Czech au-pair who was found suffocated under a block of flats in New Southgate almost two years ago have issued a warrant for the arrest of her former boyfriend. Twenty-five-year-old Dana Prokesova was found in

  • Falling tree kills driver in 'freak accident'

    A motorist was killed on Tuesday when a rotten tree crushed his convertible sports car in Hadley Highstone. Matthew Warden, 32, from Tamworth Road, Hertford, was hit by the falling tree on the junction of Great North Road and Beaumont Place at 1.30pm.

  • Falling tree kills driver in 'freak accident'

    A motorist was killed on Tuesday when a rotten tree crushed his convertible sports car in Hadley Highstone. Matthew Warden, 32, from Tamworth Road, Hertford, was hit by the falling tree on the junction of Great North Road and Beaumont Place at 1.30pm.

  • F1 fan makes tracks to stardom

    Formula One fan Mark Beaumont hopes his dreams of becoming a Grand Prix driver will come true after winning a place in a TV show to find a new racing star. Mark, 34, of Penn Road, Hazlemere, is taking part in the competition which is due to be shown on

  • College gets go-ahead to 'rape Green Belt'

    Campaigners battling to stop Oaklands College developing on Green Belt land at Smallford have been dealt a bitter blow. Councillors, who were told by the Government the plan did not breach Green Belt policy, decided on Thursday they had little option

  • New MD for rail firm

    Thameslink has appointed a new managing director as part of a number of senior management changes by the companies operator, Go-Ahead PLC. Mr Mark Causebrook, the former director and general manager at Thameslink, moves to the new position of managing

  • Child crushed by tree in playground

    A child is dead and another is in a serious condition in hospital after a tree collapsed in a school playground in Ashstead, this afternoon. Surrey Police received the emergency call to West Ashstead Primary School, Surrey, about 12.25pm after reports

  • Man hit with metal bar in car park attack

    A man was attacked outside McDonalds in St Albans Road, Watford, on Tuesday, January 21. The 34-year-old was walking through the car park when he was approached by two men wearing dark coloured baseball caps and baggy clothing. They asked him for money

  • Airport worker jailed for 18 months for child rape videos

    A Heathrow Airport cashier has been jailed for being a key member of an international paedophile conspiracy. Ritesh Patel, 26, a philosophy graduate who works in a bureau de change, was a leading figure in the clandestine Shadowz Brotherhood, a club exchanging

  • Airport worker jailed for 18 months for child rape videos

    A HEATHROW Airport cashier has been jailed for being a key member of an international paedophile conspiracy. Ritesh Patel, 26, a philosophy graduate who works in a bureau de change, was a leading figure in the clandestine Shadowz Brotherhood, a club exchanging

  • Gillian Taylforth: interviewed January 2003

    We loved her as the put-upon Kathy in EastEnders and we still love her as the unhappy Jackie who has given her baby to her own son in Footballers' Wives. Now GILLIAN TAYLFORTH is tackling her first serious stage role in Bad Blood Former EastEnders veteran

  • Londoners could pay £20 each to host Olympics

    Mayor Ken Livingstone may have signed a blank cheque to bring the Olympics to East London, according to the London Assembly member for Waltham Forest. Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the assembly's culture committee, believes a funding deal agreed by the Mayor

  • Top cyclist shot in leg

    A top cyclist has spoken about her ordeal at the hands of a gunman. Louise Schuller, 42, was shot in her left leg while standing with her bicycle in Bloxhall Road, Leyton, last week. Miss Schuller, who is ranked 13th in the UK, now faces a lengthy recovery

  • Tube derailment: No services for two more weeks

    It will be another fortnight before even a basic service can run on the Central Line following the Chancery Lane derailment, tube chiefs said today. London Underground initially said the line would be closed for two or three days after the crash last

  • Damage

    Ealing Bomb Blast Pictures January 30, 2003 12:30

  • Damage

    Ealing Bomb Blast Pictures January 30, 2003 12:30

  • Damage

    Ealing Bomb Blast Pictures January 30, 2003 12:30

  • War talk delays Olympic decision

    Ministers have delayed making a decision on a London bid for the 2012 Olympics, as discussion of war against Iraq continues to dominate the Government agenda. The Olympics decision was to be released after today's Cabinet meeting, but ministers will consider

  • Howes About Jazz: January 29 edition

    Paul Zec is an increasingly busy saxophonist with a well-connected history of jazz playing going back to his student days. One evening recently he emerged momentarily from behind a bottle of Cotes du Rhone at his home in Charlton to share a moment of

  • Gillian Taylforth: interviewed January 2003

    Former EastEnders veteran Gillian Taylforth says she is both excited and nervous about her debut into serious stage drama. Normally associated with television, the only time the bubbly blonde has appeared on the boards was as the genie opposite Lorraine

  • Royal Bull, Chislehurst: reviewed January 2003

    PUBS in Chislehurst tend to be a mixed bag, ranging from the excellent to the appalling depending which end of the town you find yourself in. Anyone who's been to the pubs on the Mottingham/Eltham fringes will know what I mean. A friend of mine who recently

  • Snow causes crash chaos on M40

    Heavy snow and ice caused long tailbacks on the M40 this morning, with 15 minor accidents reported by about 7am. And a van turned over near the Stokenchurch junction at 8.40am, causing further mayhem. A police spokesperson said: "Around 7am there had

  • Snow causes crash chaos on M40

    Heavy snow and ice caused long tailbacks on the M40 this morning, with 15 minor accidents reported by about 7am. And a van turned over near the Stokenchurch junction at 8.40am, causing further mayhem. A police spokesperson said: "Around 7am there had

  • Boy's death leads to treatment changes

    Whipps Cross Hospital has promised to look at ways of improving its treatment of disabled youngsters in the wake of the death of a smiling six-year-old. Happy little Woodford Green pupil Lorenzo Brown died suddenly on January 12 after being struck down

  • Spend a night in hellish hotel

    Hot L Baltimore, Rose Bruford Theatre, Lamborbey Park, Sidcup, Feb 6-8, 7.30pm plus Sat 2.30pm, £6/£4, 020 8308 2616 ROSE Bruford College kicks off its spring season with an evening of sexual innuendo and racy dialogue. Based on the Broadway play of the

  • Pop stars wanted

    A RECORD label is looking for stars of the future to rival Pop Rivals chart toppers, Girls Aloud. Independent A&R Records is putting together a four-strong girl band and will be holding auditions in the Midlands in March. Applicants must be 16 to

  • Treat for opera-lovers

    Viennese Strauss Gala, Woodville Halls, Woodville Place, Gravesend, Jan 31, 8pm, £12.50/£11, 01474 337774 A NIGHT of romance is promised as the Woodville Halls indulges the nostalgia of a Viennese festive season. The Viennese Strauss Gala introduces the

  • Consumer watchdog on web

    A new web-based consumer watchdog to condemn and praise local and national businesses has been launched by a Wandsworth woman. Diane Lewis-Cole, of Carmichael Mews, founded consumerpatrol1 after fighting for 18 months to get a refund after a kitchen firm

  • Bentley damaged

    THIEVES caused £8,000 worth of damage to a £51,000 Bentley car parked in South Woodford. The crooks broke the front nearside window of the car parked in The Viaduct between 4pm and 5.20pm last Tuesday, setting light to the interior of the car and damaging

  • Bentley damaged

    THIEVES caused £8,000 worth of damage to a £51,000 Bentley car parked in South Woodford. The crooks broke the front nearside window of the car parked in The Viaduct between 4pm and 5.20pm last Tuesday, setting light to the interior of the car and damaging

  • Trivial ambulance calls threaten lives

    A surge in the number of patients calling their own ambulances - many for trivial reasons - is holding up vital rapid response to life-threatening cases, an ambulance service boss has warned. Brian Allen, manager of the East Surrey locality of Surrey

  • Top marks in schools

    PUPILS at Redbridge's secondary schools receive the third best education in the country. And their development throughout their schooling has been deemed as second best nationwide. The findings, released in the latest Government National Performance Tables

  • Full marks to our schools

    OVER the past year, we have reported on A Level marking problems, a vetting chaos and other concerns with the general educational system, so it's nice to be able to report on how well our schools are doing. For Redbridge schools to have featured so highly

  • Bomb trial begins

    A REAL IRA terror cell planted three bombs intending to bring death and destruction to mainland Britain, an Old Bailey jury has heard. It is alleged that brothers Robert Hulme, 23, and Aiden Hulme, 26, and Noel Maguire, 34, all of no fixed abode, planted

  • History of the Balham bomb

    It seems incredible in these days of the internet, mobile phones and other forms of instant, mass communication that the violent deaths of 68 people could be effectively covered up for five years. But in October 1940, when a bomb tore through the water

  • Better deal on cards for Harlow tenants

    TENANTS are getting a raw deal from Harlow Council, according to a new housing strategy launched by Harlow Labour Group. The strategy sets out a series of proposals aimed at providing more affordable homes, better quality housing and an improved service

  • Better deal on cards for Harlow tenants

    TENANTS are getting a raw deal from Harlow Council, according to a new housing strategy launched by Harlow Labour Group. The strategy sets out a series of proposals aimed at providing more affordable homes, better quality housing and an improved service

  • Concerns mount over fire strike row

    The Trades Union Congress is seeking an urgent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister as concern grows over Government plans to force pay conditions on firefighters. John Prescott signalled plans to introduce legislation in the next two months that would

  • First aid day advice

    IF your child started choking on a coin or poured boiling water over itself would you know what to do? What about if a friend had a heart attack in front of you? These are questions that will be answered as part of a basic first aid awareness event being

  • Police receive cash boost

    THE fight against drug-related crime in Harlow has been given a £274,410 Government funding boost. Harlow police division's basic command unit has been allocated an extra £171,246 to provide additional resources for officers tackling crime and disorder

  • Dapper duck

    Several birds, including the all too familiar magpie, pied wagtail, oyster catcher and the somewhat less common goldeneye duck, exhibit black and white plumage. To my mind, one of the most attractive of them all is the rather dumpy but dapper tufted duck

  • Women tells of tube crash horror

    A terrified student has described the moment she thought she was going to die in a dark, soot-filled train carriage in the Chancery Lane tube derailment on Saturday afternoon. Emma Jordan, 20, of Leopold Road, Wimbledon, was returning home after a night

  • O's and U's tie in the battle of the vowels

    Leyton Orient 1 Cambridge United 1: Orient manager Paul Brush was pleased to see his side bounce back from Tom Youngs' first half opener with Jabo Ibehre's 74th minute equaliser earning the O's a point, although he refused to comment on the performance

  • Grand Prix finds a sponsor

    KEN Livingstone has joined the campaign to save Crystal Palace Sports Centre after announcing a £75,000 sponsorship deal for its annual London Grand Prix event. The long-term future of the stadium, which has run up £20m of dilapidation costs, is threatened

  • Bancroft too strong for Old Boys

    Old E'dians13 Bancroft29 (Eastern Counties Two South) OLD Edwardians took full advantage of a sluggish start from the visitors, opening the scoring after 10 minutes with a simple, well supported drive up the middle. The visitors were penalised several

  • Glen's first team glee

    GLENN Roeder looks likely to throw youngster Glen Johnson in on Sunday and there is every chance that the eighteen year old will be a cornerstone of the fight for survival in the right hand side full back slot. Johnson, a product of the Hammers Academy

  • Fears of exploitation

    An aid agency has warned that new laws on support for asylum seekers could drive some asylum seekers into the hands of terrorist or criminal gangs. The recent arrest of four Algerian asylum seekers on terrorist charges in Manchester highlighted growing

  • Another Carlisle clobbering for O's

    Carlisle Utd3 Farrell 53 + 70, Maddison 56 Leyton Orient0 (League Division Three) THREE Carlisle United goals in a devastating seventeen-minute second-half spell dealt Orient's promotion aspirations a real body blow on Saturday afternoon as the Londoners

  • Be on your guard at cashpoints

    A NEW scam where thieves use a plastic device to steal bank cards from cashpoints has reached Bromley. Police have warned ATM users to be on their guard after a number of thefts using the so-called Lebanese Loop method. The thief puts a thin plastic sleeve

  • Women tells of tube crash horror

    A terrified student has described the moment she thought she was going to die in a dark, soot-filled train carriage in the Chancery Lane tube derailment on Saturday afternoon. Emma Jordan, 20, of Leopold Road, Wimbledon, was returning home after a night

  • O's new boy speaks out

    NEW Orient signing Gary Alexander highlighted the ambition of chairman Barry Hearn and the quality of players he saw when he played at Brisbane Road a couple of weeks ago with Hull as being the reason behind his quick decision to join the east Londoners

  • Win tastes bitter for Norwich's nasty Nigel

    THE round of applause that greeted Garry Hill as he entered the press room for the post-match conference said it all. Fleet Street scribes are notoriously hard to win over, but minutes after his Daggers had waved goodbye to their FA Cup dream, Garry Hill

  • Teenager caged for attack

    A schoolboy horror film addict who hit a teenage girl with a vodka bottle during a 'Silence of the Lambs' fantasy has been locked up for 12 months. The 16-year-old youth from Hayes, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been accused of throwing the

  • More big cats are spotted

    SIGHTINGS of wild cats in Kent are increasing says the British Big Cat Society. There have been 92 sightings in the county and the society says for every sighting another three go unreported. Gravesend has had a number of sightings including a lynx which

  • Cruel couple banned from keeping pets

    NORTHFLEET: Neglected kittens found suffering in filth and faeces A CALLOUS Northfleet couple have been jailed after repeatedly neglecting kittens, despite a previous court order forbidding them to keep cats. Marina Wilkes, aged 25, and Paul Sargeant,

  • Rink would find favour

    Sir,-How wonderful to see in the Richmond and Twickenham Times last Friday's publication, an artistic landscape sketch carried out by Deborah Harrison, of an ice skating rink built adjacent to the Pools on the Park swimming pool in Old Deer Park. The

  • Fire fears over supermarket housing plan

    Sir,-I am writing concerning Sainsbury's proposal of adding housing to their supermarket on the Lower Richmond Road, Richmond. My concern centres on the fire hazard supermarkets pose and my experience of the burning down of the Chichester branch of Sainsbury's

  • Flooding risks

    Sir,We have all sympathised with the hundreds of people along the Thames and elsewhere who recently have suffered flooding and have been evacuated to temporary accommodation. It can take months before flooded houses are fit for reoccupation. Remember

  • Theresa Sanders

    Sir-, If any of your readers happens to know the whereabouts of Theresa Sanders (married name unknown) late of Castlegate in Richmond. We should be most grateful to hear. We are celebrating our Golden Wedding at the end of March and as she was one of

  • Support on patrol

    Police officers with a new community role are to be posted across London over the next few months. Police Community Support Officers (PCOS) were first introduced to the capital last September to carry out security duties in Westminster. Now the scheme

  • So near, and yet oh so far

    Norwich City1 Abbey 90 Daggers0 (FA Cup Fourth Round) WHEN you're young, you learn that football is a 'funny old game', but it's only as you get older that you find out that it can also be gutwrenchingly cruel on occasions as well. Unfortunately, this

  • Agequake hits home as OAPs head for Bucks

    The so-called "demographic agequake" has hit Buckinghamshire, according to a new survey showing a sharp rise in the numbers of pensioners living in the county. Figures published by the GMB union this week reveal the number of OAPs has risen by 14 per

  • Agequake hits home as OAPs head for Bucks

    The so-called "demographic agequake" has hit Buckinghamshire, according to a new survey showing a sharp rise in the numbers of pensioners living in the county. Figures published by the GMB union this week reveal the number of OAPs has risen by 14 per

  • ROBBO'S STAYING

    ENGLAND'S number two David James let in six goals on Sunday and Liverpool lost Chris Kirkland for the rest of the season, yet the only goalkeeper people in Dagenham are talking about is FA Cup hero Tony Roberts. The press box was buzzing in Norwich on

  • £5 day centre charge will exclude many pensioners

    Sir,-I work as a hairdresser to the elderly and have close personal contact with my clients. Because of the worries conveyed to me concerning the £5 daily charge Richmond upon Thames Council are proposing to levy on day centre members, I would like to

  • Museum curator bids farewell to Richmond

    Sir,-After thirteen years as curator of the Museum of Richmond, I am moving on to take up a new position as Museums' Manager for Maidstone. I will be managing the Maidstone Museum, the Bentliff Art Gallery and the Tyrwhitt-Drake Collection of Historic

  • Track record of Kingstonian directors was appalling

    Sir,-It is a great shame to see events off the field at Kingstonian overshadowing those on the field yet again. And I feel especially sorry for manager Kim Harris who has to put up with this nonsense throughout his time at Ks. If he were to turn around

  • Police warn of cash machine scam

    POLICE are re-iterating the need for residents to be particularly cautious when using cash machines after another Harrow man was stung by the 'Lebanese Loop' scam. In the latest incident, a man used the hole-in-the-wall at Natwest Bank in Station Road

  • CHEMISTS OPEN ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9

    BIGGIN HILL Safeway Stores, Main Road. 11am to 1pm. BROMLEY Boots the Chemist, The Glades. 11am to 5pm. HAYES, KESTON & WEST WICKHAM Safeway Stores, High Street, West Wickham. 10am to 4pm. ORPINGTON Sainsbury's, Locks Bottom, Farnborough. 10am to

  • Rent evaders will be found

    Those council tenants who shirk their rent are in for a tough time this year as the borough has announced it is cracking down on payment dodgers. Merton stressed that although the majority of tenants do pay promptly, the authority believes it is not fair

  • Burglars con homeowners

    Jewellery and personal items worth more than £2,000 were snatched when three burglars forced their way into a house in Gilbert Road, Wimbledon. The burglars, who were white men in their 40s, barged into the house at around 11.30am on Friday, January 17

  • STATE OF THE ROADS

    a215 (south norwood hill) anerley Both ways between A212 (Church Road) and B266 (Whitehorse Lane). Roadworks during off-peak periods. Temporary lights until February 10. A2 (new cross road) deptford Both ways at Willshaw Street. Roadworks. Right lane

  • Restaurant is creme de la creme

    A French restaurant has been short-listed out of more than 6,000 London eateries for a top award. La Trompette in Devonshire Road, Chiswick, has been hand-picked by judges of the Tio Pepe Carlton London Restaurant Awards 2003 for the title of French Restaurant

  • CHEMISTS OPEN ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9

    NEW ELTHAM & FALCONWOOD Jacques Chemist, 735 Sidcup Road, New Eltham. 11.30am to 12.30pm. GREENWICH, BLACKHEATH, CHARLTON & WOOLWICH Sainsbury's Pharmacy, Horn Link Lane, Greenwich. 11.30am to 12.30pm. WOOLWICH, PLUMSTEAD & THAMESMEAD WEST

  • Schools face bleak future

    School governors and headteachers are claiming the council's proposed standstill on education funding will contribute to cuts in vital services and a deepening of a current recruitment crisis. Representatives from the borough's education community issued

  • Memories of King George's Park

    Hi my name is Wendy Collins I went to St Michael's school as well as the Elliot. I remember King George's park and the swimming pool. My family worked at OK sauce factory. I now live in western New York on Canandaigua Lake. It's very beautiful here. Life

  • Narc (18)

    Billed as a homage to gritty classics such as The French Connection and Serpico, writer/director Joe Carnahan's Narc signals its intent early on, with a devastatingly brutal chase, and grips like a vice throughout. The film is an astonishingly powerful

  • STATE OF THE ROADS

    a215 (south norwood hill) anerley Both ways between A212 (Church Road) and B266 (Whitehorse Lane). Roadworks during off-peak pe-riods. Temporary lights until February 10. A2 (new cross road) deptford Both ways at Willshaw Street. Roadworks. Right lane

  • DNA match in Milly murder case

    DNA found after a church burglary has been matched to a sample discovered in the bedroom of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. The schoolgirl's remains were found in woodland in Hampshire, six months after she vanished a mile from her home in Walton-on-Thames

  • Friday lunchtime. The King's Head, London Colney.

    I WAS originally sent out to London Colney to review The Meeting Place, however after doing several laps of the high street I decided that either my eyesight was a lot worse than I had originally thought or the pub had changed names. Before panic buying

  • Tears shed for son 'everybody loved'

    Hundreds of grieving friends and relatives attended the funeral on Monday of a 23-year-old Sutton man who, according to his dad, "lived his life to the full". Martyn Goreham, of Sherwood Park Road, who had just started a career as an estate agent a few

  • The Golden Lion/London Colney/Thursday lunchtime.

    NOT so long ago I was championing the cause of an up and coming St Albans band called The Rivals, who found their spiritual home at The Golden Lion in London Colney. I was invited along a couple of times to watch them rehearse in the pub's cavernous hall

  • Three Hammers/Chiswell Green/Tuesday lunchtime

    WHEN I last visited the Three Hammers at Chiswell Green on an indifferent August day last year it was about to close for major refurbishment so was, understandably, not particularly prepossessing. On Tuesday, an even more indifferent day of relentless

  • Friday lunchtime. The King's Head, London Colney.

    I WAS originally sent out to London Colney to review The Meeting Place, however after doing several laps of the high street I decided that either my eyesight was a lot worse than I had originally thought or the pub had changed names. Before panic buying

  • Three Hammers/Chiswell Green/Tuesday lunchtime

    WHEN I last visited the Three Hammers at Chiswell Green on an indifferent August day last year it was about to close for major refurbishment so was, understandably, not particularly prepossessing. On Tuesday, an even more indifferent day of relentless

  • About Schmidt (15)

    About Schmidt is the sort of tragi-comedy that wouldn't look out of place on recent BBC2 schedules, alongside The Office, I'm Alan Partridge or Marion And Geoff. What's remarkable about this tale of one man's journey to the edge, though, is that it's

  • Schools face bleak future

    School governors and headteachers are claiming the council's proposed standstill on education funding will contribute to cuts in vital services and a deepening of a current recruitment crisis. Representatives from the borough's education community issued

  • MS sufferer fined £1,000

    A MULTIPLE sclerosis sufferer from Stanmore has been fined £1000 for noise nuisance. Michael Nunn brought the civil action against Elizabeth Bord, one of his neighbours on Acacia Close, as he said that the level of noise emanating from the house that

  • Schoolgirl escapes abduction

    POLICE have told schools across the borough to be on special alert this week after the attempted abduction of a schoolgirl. The shocking incident occurred on Thursday last week outside Nower Hill High School, when the 13 year-old was dropped-off outside

  • Pensioner battered in brutal attack

    A HARROW pensioner has been left with horrific injuries after being viciously beaten-up in a brutal car-jacking on Saturday. Frail Claude Colenso, who is known as 'Jeff', of Kelvin Crescent, Harrow Weald, is recovering in hospital this week, following

  • Filter bed inquiry

    The third public inquiry into plans to develop the Seething Wells filter beds will open on February 18, at Kingston's Guildhall. Last August, Developers Persimmon Homes and Thames Water appealed against a Kingston Council decision to refuse permission

  • Forum theatre highlights race

    Roehampton staff have been taking a more modern approach to training on diversity and equal opportunity issues by engaging in a play covering the themes of diversity and leadership, with a particular emphasis on race. The university is committed to promoting

  • Tube chaos continues.

    COMMUTERS who use the Central Line have to find alternative ways of getting to work as the line remains closed until further notice following the derailment near Chancery Lane station on Saturday. The tube line, which serves three stations across the

  • Teacher training receives top marks from Ofsted

    Roehampton's teacher training provision has received outstanding results from its 2002 Ofsted inspections of six secondary education subjects. The results for religious education, business studies and design technology were particularly good. The university's

  • Fun for Purim

    An afternoon of craft for theatre-lovers led by Caroline Ingram will be making finger puppets and scenery for kids to take home and perform their own play for Purim on Wednesday, February 19, from 2pm to 5pm. Come prepared to cut, stitch, stick and draw

  • Being spiritual in our secular world

    Based on the themes in his new book, The Alphabet of Paradise: An A-Z of Spirituality for Everyday Life, author Howard Cooper will talk next month about the challenges of integrating a spiritual life into our secular world. Cooper, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist

  • Open day provides chance to find out

    The next open day at Roehampton will be held on Wednesday, February 12. The days are a perfect chance to find out about university life, demystify any concerns you may have about applying to university, issues around finance, how you will cope with study

  • Challenge for a 'grand' amount of weight-lifting

    SHOPPERS turned out to test their strength against a true master in a £1,000 weightlifting challenge at The Chimes shopping centre in Uxbrudge. Rajko Radovich, pictured left, from Flex Health and Fitness Club in Uxbridge, set the challenge to shoppers

  • Anxious stay for Safeway employees

    Staff at Safeway's head office are still waiting to hear whether their jobs are under threat in the continuing bidding war for the supermarket giant. Negotiations started earlier by northern supermarket chain Morrisons which said up to 1,200 jobs could

  • Anxious stay for Safeway employees

    Staff at Safeway's head office are still waiting to hear whether their jobs are under threat in the continuing bidding war for the supermarket giant. Negotiations started earlier by northern supermarket chain Morrisons which said up to 1,200 jobs could

  • Tackling marathon

    Wandsworth resident Caroline Taylor-Walker is braving the London Marathon this year on behalf of Action For Blind People. Caroline, from Burntwood Lane, is joining 16 others in supporting the charity and has urged other local people with marathon places

  • Jail for conman

    A bogus roofer who befriended an 87-year-old Roehampton war veteran and then stole £100,000 from him by forging cheques was jailed last week. George Woolford pleaded guilty to stealing the huge amount by conning his way into the housebound man's home

  • Ian has plenty in reserve

    QPR fans were given a blast from the past on Monday when manager Ian Holloway came on to play for the reserves in a training game against Team Bath. But Holloway is not planning to make a playing comeback for the Hoops. The 39-year-old was simply making

  • Making a stand against war

    A group of anti-war prot-esters descended on Battersea MP Martin Linton's surgery, on January 18, to give the Labour politician an earful of their views on military action in Iraq. Protester Harriet Hall said her fellow demonstrators had come together

  • Art exhibition

    An exhibition of work by artists with learning disabilities is currently running at Earlsfield library. A wide range of work, from painting to photography, is on show until February 22. The library is located in Magdalen Road. Call 020 8871 6389 for more

  • Activity week

    Children and parents can enjoy a wide range of activities at a weekly drop-in session at Wandsworth Museum on Saturday afternoons. This Saturday the theme is Romans, where visitors can don a toga and take part in mosaic making. Activity corner runs from

  • Search goes on for missing girl

    Have you seen Brygida? Police and parents have become increasingly worried about the disappearance of 13-year-old Brygida Horniak, who has now been missing for more than two weeks. She was last seen at the family home in Hereward Road, SW17, on January

  • Correct classes

    A story in last week's Guardian about drama group Perform taking special classes at Belleville Primary School incorrectly stated the school is situated in Tooting. It is in fact in Battersea, and the classes take place on Wednesdays in separate sessions

  • E-fit released in landfill murder mystery

    Detectives investigating the suspicious death of Mohammad Khan have released an e-fit of a man seen struggling with the teenager shortly before he vanished. The body of the disabled teenager, missing from his London home since January 2, was found on

  • Eyewitness plea

    POLICE are appealing for eyewitnesses after a student was fatally stabbed outside a popular nightclub. Paul Carr, 25, a student at Thames Valley University, Ealing, was stabbed after leaving the Boulevard nightclub, Ealing, in the early hours of last

  • Delayed opening

    The Post Office has apologised that its newly refurbished branch in Putney is to open a week later than planned. The outlet, at 214 Upper Richmond Road, will now open on Monday, February 3 and the temporary shuttle service will still take customers to

  • Alcohol thief sent to prison

    A 21-year-old burglar who broke into a Wandsworth off-licence and stole £100 worth of booze is to go to prison for breaking a community rehabilitation order. Daniel Sibley, from Tilehurst Road, kicked in a glass panel to enter Unwins, in Wimbledon Park

  • Nursery gets a lotto cash

    A NURSERY is getting a cash boost to create more places thanks to funding from the National Lottery. Greenfields Nursery in Recreation Road, Southall, is set to receive more than £47,000 from the New Opportunities Fund (NOF), the National Lottery's good

  • Families left homeless by fire

    Families were left homeless after a massive fire gutted the top floor of a block of flats in New Barnet on Wednesday. Army Green Goddesses rushed from their base at Inglis Barracks in Mill Hill to the blaze at Russell Court in Lyonsdown Road which broke

  • Families left homeless by fire

    Families were left homeless after a massive fire gutted the top floor of a block of flats in New Barnet on Wednesday. Army Green Goddesses rushed from their base at Inglis Barracks in Mill Hill to the blaze at Russell Court in Lyonsdown Road which broke

  • What's on

    Leisure listings THURSDAY 30 JAN COMEDY at the Comedy Bunker, Ruislip Golf Centre, Ickenham Road, Ruislip. Milton Jones (extended set), Inder Manocha and Hils Barker, with Joel Sanders MC. Doors open 8.15pm, show starts at 9pm. Admission £7. Box office

  • Tube derailment: No services for two more weeks

    It will be another fortnight before even a basic service can run on the Central Line following the Chancery Lane derailment, tube chiefs said today. London Underground initially said the line would be closed for two or three days after the crash last

  • Fiery Flamenco

    Gypsy Blues, Stag Theatre, London Road, Sevenoaks, Feb 2, 7.30pm, £12/£16, 01732 450175 IT's fiesta time in Sevenoaks as the Flamenco Express presents The Gypsy Blues. This rollercoaster of a show explores a broad section of Flamenco forms through solo

  • Magic moments

    Moment of Weakness, Orchard Theatre, Home Gardens, Dartford, Feb 4-8, 7.30pm plus Wed & Sat 2.30pm, £18.50/£15.50, 01322 220000 THE Orchard Theatre's production of Donald Churchill's romantic comedy Moment of Weakness promises to be a sparkling evening

  • Damage

    Ealing Bomb Blast Pictures January 30, 2003 12:30

  • War talk delays Olympic decision

    Ministers have delayed making a decision on a London bid for the 2012 Olympics, as discussion of war against Iraq continues to dominate the Government agenda. The Olympics decision was to be released after today's Cabinet meeting, but ministers will consider

  • Pete's still laughing

    The Laugh Resort, Blackheath Halls, Lee Road, Blackheath, Jan 31, 8.30pm, £9/£8, 020 8463 0100 CULT comedy club The Laugh Resort is set for its second appearance at the Blackheath Halls. Following Bromley Council's decision to remove funding from The

  • Theatre group goes for prizes

    Beckenham Amateur Dramatic Society presents All My Sons, Feb 6-8, Beckenham Public Hall, Bromley Road, Beckenham, 8pm, £5, 020 8650 1200 MEMBERS of Beckenham Amateur Dramatic Society (BADS) are out to scoop the top prizes at the Bromley Full Length Play

  • Crooks find new way to steal mobiles

    PIZZA diners are being warned by Ilford police about a robbery scam being carried out in Redbridge. Crooks are approaching diners in the Pizza Hut, High Road, Ilford and placing a map on the table over mobile phones, purses or wallets, while they pretend

  • Boy's death leads to treatment changes

    WHIPPS Cross Hospital has promised to look at ways of improving its treatment of disabled youngsters in the wake of the death of a smiling six-year-old. Happy little Woodford Green pupil Lorenzo Brown died suddenly on January 12 after being struck down

  • Knifepoint robbers on the run

    Detectives are looking for two thugs who held a mother and son at knifepoint while ransacking their home of £38,000. In the terrifying incident, the teenage boy, his mother and some of his schoolfriends, were taken hostage in their Redbridge Lane West

  • Crime needs to be beat

    A SOUTH Woodford businessman is urging residents and traders to report crime and give police a true picture of the area's problems. Chairman of the South Woodford Business Partnership, David Niemen, said George Lane had become a crime hotspot over the

  • Long haul for fire strike?

    STRIKING fire fighters at Woodford Fire Station are bracing themselves for a long fight against the Government. Stockpiling wood to keep the brazier going, Red Watch at the Snakes Lane West fire house were defiant as their union representative announced

  • Call for refugee figures

    REDBRIDGE Council has lost track of the numbers of asylum seekers and refugees living in the borough. Home Office legislation introduced in 2000 means that immigrants seeking asylum are no longer registered by local authorities but are co-ordinated by

  • Top marks in schools

    PUPILS at Redbridge's secondary schools receive the third best education in the country. And their development throughout their schooling has been deemed as second best nationwide. The findings, released in the latest Government National Performance Tables

  • Trivial ambulance calls threaten lives

    A surge in the number of patients calling their own ambulances - many for trivial reasons - is holding up vital rapid response to life-threatening cases, an ambulance service boss has warned. Brian Allen, manager of the East Surrey locality of Surrey

  • Jewel gang knife hell

    DETECTIVES are looking for two thugs who held a mother and son at knifepoint while ransacking their home of £38,000. In the terrifying incident, the teenage boy, his mother and some of his schoolfriends, were taken hostage in their Redbridge Lane West

  • Warning: new asylum laws may induce terrorism

    An aid agency has warned that new laws on support for asylum seekers could drive some asylum seekers into the hands of terrorist or criminal gangs. The recent arrest of four Algerian asylum seekers on terrorist charges in Manchester highlighted growing

  • Warning: new asylum laws may induce terrorism

    An aid agency has warned that new laws on support for asylum seekers could drive some asylum seekers into the hands of terrorist or criminal gangs. The recent arrest of four Algerian asylum seekers on terrorist charges in Manchester highlighted growing

  • Hemel Celtic Under-17's 1 Borehamwood Youth Under-17's 6

    Sunday, January 26 THE pitch was barely playable with puddles everywhere, but Borehamwood made a very lively start, scoring within the first 12 minutes when Dean Skipsey played the ball to Sam O'Connell, who rounded the keeper and slotted home. Within

  • Diving in at the deep end

    The first place I went snorkelling was around Crab Island, a cluster of rocks off the Gower coast in South Wales. The sea was freezing, my mask didn't fit and within seconds seaweed had blocked my snorkel and I was choking on the briny. I didn't even

  • Concerns mount over fire strike row

    The Trades Union Congress is seeking an urgent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister as concern grows over Government plans to force pay conditions on firefighters. John Prescott signalled plans to introduce legislation in the next two months that would

  • First aid day advice

    IF your child started choking on a coin or poured boiling water over itself would you know what to do? What about if a friend had a heart attack in front of you? These are questions that will be answered as part of a basic first aid awareness event being

  • Police receive cash boost

    THE fight against drug-related crime in Harlow has been given a £274,410 Government funding boost. Harlow police division's basic command unit has been allocated an extra £171,246 to provide additional resources for officers tackling crime and disorder

  • Consumer watchdog on web

    A new web-based consumer watchdog to condemn and praise local and national businesses has been launched by a Wandsworth woman. Diane Lewis-Cole, of Carmichael Mews, founded consumerpatrol1 after fighting for 18 months to get a refund after a kitchen firm

  • Funding threat to children's theatre

    A massive cut in funding for a specialist Wimbledon theatre threatens to curtail entertainment and education for thousands of children across London. The Polka opened in the Broadway 24 years ago and is the only theatre in Britain producing and presenting

  • Women tells of tube crash horror

    A terrified student has described the moment she thought she was going to die in a dark, soot-filled train carriage in the Chancery Lane tube derailment on Saturday afternoon. Emma Jordan, 20, of Leopold Road, Wimbledon, was returning home after a night

  • To your good mental health!

    MENTAL health workers wished a colleague well before they sent her on her way after 30 years in the NHS. Both staff and volunteers at Horizon House, in Langdon Road, Bromley, held a party for Violet Johnson, 58, on the day of her retirement. Mrs Johnson

  • Simon seals his best ever finish

    Singapore Caltex MastersCHINGFORD-based golfer Simon Khan has put his fourth place finish in the Caltex Masters in Singapore on Sunday down as one of the major highlights of his professional career. The 30-year-old, who plays out of the Toot Hill club

  • Herons form habit of letting victories slip away

    Wanstead10 Ely13 (Powergen East Counties 1) ONCE again, a lack of pragmatism cost Wanstead dearly as they squandered another chance of moving up the table, and instead their lack of composure saw them drop points at home. Ely started with the elements

  • Manny comes to the four as Leyton consolidate

    Leyton5 Wokingham Town0 (Ryman Division 2) LEYTON went into this match looking to strengthen their position of second place in the table and it didn't take them long to strike as a second minute goal was headed home by Jeff Wood. Leyton struck again in

  • Goalie Goodman's heroics keep Pennant in hunt

    Leyton Pennant1 Berkhamsted Town1 (Ryman Div One) PENNANT gained a precious point in their battle to avoid the drop in an excellent match against mid-table Berkhamsted Town on a mud bath of a pitch. The visitors made by far the better start and could

  • Roasted, mashed or boiled?

    Dulwich residents were being asked "how does your garden grow?" this weekend, in preparation for a winter vegetable extravaganza. A potato event was held on Sunday, at Dulwich College to encourage interest in potato growing alongside a Farmers' Market

  • Elderly to net pension boost

    Streatham MP, Keith Hill has welcomed a new pension credit, which he says is a boost for local pensioners. In a message to constituents, he said the new credit would help thousands of local pensioners from October. He said: "This is the biggest improvement

  • New changing times partnership launched

    The Streatham Business Partnership For Change, which aims to encourage local businesses to get more involved in tackling challenges in the borough, has just been officially launched at a business breakfast. The event, held at Holmes Place Health Club,

  • O's and U's tie in the battle of the vowels

    Leyton Orient1 Ibehre, 74 Cambridge United1 Youngs, 35 (League Division Three) ORIENT manager Paul Brush was pleased to see his side bounce back from Tom Youngs' first half opener with Jabo Ibehre's 74th minute equaliser earning the O's a point, although

  • Shop front grant will make business bright

    Grants of up to £5,000 are now up for grabs to help businesses in Norwood brighten up their shop fronts. The Norwood Shop Front Improvement Scheme is aimed at making the area more attractive for businesses and has been initiated by Lambeth Council. Emete

  • Abandoned in Croydon

    Croydon faces a flood of homeless asylum seekers, forced to sleep rough without food, accommodation or legal means to earn a living. An agency contracted by the Home Office to provide support for asylum seekers has warned that Croydon faces "an impending

  • Miller mulls over Orient's offer

    WITH Paul Brush and Orient fans alike waiting in anticipation to see if Justin Miller is ready to commit himself to the east Londoners, the South African born defender gave Guardian Sport some encouraging signs that he might just be ready to sign a long

  • Dagger Diary with Mark Janney

    ANOTHER year and another superb FA Cup run comes to an end, albeit in the cruelest of circumstances. We travelled up to Norwich on Friday where we were put up in a fantastic hotel and there was a lot of free time which the boys passed in various fashions

  • BBCi - a victim of its own success?

    It is the UK's favourite digital destination, with a depth of information that would put the British Library in the shade. But BBCi is facing increasing pressure to review its online investment ... How do they do it? It's a question many of us have asked

  • MP steps down

    A long-serving pillar of the community has announced that he will be stepping down from his parliamentary duties. Clive Soley, MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush will not be standing in the next general election in 2005 in favour of retirement,

  • A promise to listen on tram future

    Residents' fears over the West London Tram scheme will be listened to, vowed a senior official of the scheme. In an exclusive interview with the Times, Tim Jones, project director of West London Trams, gave a resounding promise that any issues raised

  • Bomb trial begins

    A REAL IRA terror cell planted three bombs intending to bring death and destruction to mainland Britain, an Old Bailey jury has heard. It is alleged that brothers Robert Hulme, 23, and Aiden Hulme, 26, and Noel Maguire, 34, all of no fixed abode, planted

  • STATE OF THE ROADS

    a215 (south norwood hill) anerley Both ways between A212 (Church Road) and B266 (Whitehorse Lane). Roadworks during off-peak periods. Temporary lights until February 10. A2 (new cross road) deptford Both ways at Willshaw Street. Roadworks. Right lane

  • Back to basics for Hill

    Daggers5 Junior 8, Shipp 38, West 43, Stein 55 + 85 Barnet1 Agogo 67 THERE were no signs of an FA Cup hangover at Victoria Road on Tuesday night, in fact this was one almighty hair of the dog as the Daggers ran riot at the expense of a baffled Barnet,

  • St Faith's provides a cosy place to learn

    St Faith's school is almost unique among London primaries. Rather than a stark, concrete, echoey Victorian building, the school is situated inside a modern, light, roomy yet cosy building, beautifully combining wood panelling with glass. The school moved

  • Energy idea generates cash award

    A wind turbine could be installed at a Hayes school and "clean" electricity produced for the community after an energy-generating plan won a top national award. The scheme at Harlington Community School, supported by Hillingdon Council, is one of ten

  • Calling all would be writers

    Aspiring young writers are to be given the chance to work with some of the best writers in the UK in a unique competition. Write Up Your Street, a programme run by East-Side Educational Trust supported by John Lyon's Charity and London Arts is looking

  • Curator calls it a day after years of history

    Amersham Museum is on the lookout for a new curator after Monica Mullins announced she is standing down after 20 years of service. Mrs Mullins, 75, says she will give up her role at the museum in High Street, Old Amersham, in the autumn, because she believes

  • E-voting in May polls backed

    The Government has approved St Albans' bid for a second trial of e-voting in the May district and parish elections. St Albans District Council cabinet will meet next week to decide whether to proceed with the scheme after the Office of the Deputy Prime

  • New lease of life for elm tree

    New lease of life for elm tree Ealing's last elm tree has been saved from the axe after being transformed into a sculpture merging wildlife and fantasy. The 120-year-old, 28ft tall wych elm tree in Acton Park has been diagnosed with Dutch elm disease

  • Bullying and the unborn

    Sir, Congratulations to the John Groomes organisation for their initiative re playground bullying towards children with a disability. I see from your letters page that the organisation seeks to point out that disabled people are basically no different

  • Traffic and Brunel

    Sir,-In last week's paper you noted a cautious welcome for the plans on view for the Brunel site. For those of us living on St Margarets Road, parts of Kilmorey Road and Railshead Road, the caution is wholly justified. Fifty or sixty houses will be presented

  • Still just a lad from Wandsworth

    Hi you all, I lived at 29 Melody Road. Our family were the first black family to live up by the common. Back in 1959, I grew up hanging around the Alverin Library. Me and Max Greene used to hang around Garratt Lane. Does anyone remember Lynn's Cafe? I

  • Pass rates at all-time high

    GCSE pass rates in Harrow continue to be well above the national average, according to new performance tables released on Thursday last week. Results in Harrow continue to improve, with pupils achieving the borough's highest ever pass rate. 59.1 per cent

  • Searching for Robin Fry

    I am trying to trace my father Robin Fry. He is in his early 60s and lived around the Sutton area when I was born in 1965. He worked as a TV engineer in a well known shop in the area. If anyone knows him I would love to get in touch with him. January

  • Proud Wimbledonian

    I left Wimbledon years ago and have lived in East Sussex for a long time. I love it here but will never forget the place of my birth. I will always be proud to be a Wimbledonian. January 30, 2003 16:30

  • STATE OF THE ROADS

    a215 (south norwood hill) anerley Both ways between A212 (Church Road) and B266 (Whitehorse Lane). Roadworks during off-peak periods. Temporary lights until February 10. A2 (new cross road) deptford Both ways at Willshaw Street. Roadworks. Right lane

  • Student tells of tube terror

    A terrified student has described the moment she thought she was going to die in a dark, soot-filled train carriage in the Chancery Lane tube derailment on Saturday afternoon. Emma Jordan, 20, of Leopold Road, Wimbledon, was returning home after a night

  • Help required from Surrey Kiwi

    Friends Romans and Countrymen! Help is required from an ex-Surrey girl now resident in New Zealand! I'm searching for a friend who I worked with in Epsom at Lester Bowdens during the 1970s. Her name is Rita Price. Also, a friend of mine here in NZ is

  • Three Hammers/Chiswell Green/Tuesday lunchtime

    WHEN I last visited the Three Hammers at Chiswell Green on an indifferent August day last year it was about to close for major refurbishment so was, understandably, not particularly prepossessing. On Tuesday, an even more indifferent day of relentless

  • CHEMISTS OPEN ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9

    NEW ELTHAM & FALCONWOOD Jacques Chemist, 735 Sidcup Road, New Eltham. 11.30am to 12.30pm. GREENWICH, BLACKHEATH, CHARLTON & WOOLWICH Sainsbury's Pharmacy, Horn Link Lane, Greenwich. 11.30am to 12.30pm. WOOLWICH, PLUMSTEAD & THAMESMEAD WEST

  • DNA match in Milly murder case

    DNA found after a church burglary has been matched to a sample discovered in the bedroom of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. The schoolgirl's remains were found in woodland in Hampshire, six months after she vanished a mile from her home in Walton-on-Thames

  • Sweet love

    A Wallington couple who were childhood sweethearts married this weekend after losing touch for nearly 40 years. Mr and Mrs Simmonds say before James decided to track down his first love Judy just over a year ago, they had "just settled for existence".

  • Friday lunchtime. The King's Head, London Colney.

    I WAS originally sent out to London Colney to review The Meeting Place, however after doing several laps of the high street I decided that either my eyesight was a lot worse than I had originally thought or the pub had changed names. Before panic buying

  • CHEMISTS OPEN ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9

    SIDCUP & NORTH CRAY Southcotts Chemist, 281 Main Road, Sidcup. 11.30am to 12.30pm. THAMESMEAD, ABBEY WOOD & BELVEDERE Safeway Stores, 2 Twin Tumps Way, Thamesmead. 11.30am to 12.30pm. NORTH WELLING & NORTH BEXLEYHEATH Qureshpharm, 9 Wickham

  • The Golden Lion/London Colney/Thursday lunchtime.

    NOT so long ago I was championing the cause of an up and coming St Albans band called The Rivals, who found their spiritual home at The Golden Lion in London Colney. I was invited along a couple of times to watch them rehearse in the pub's cavernous hall

  • The Golden Lion/London Colney/Thursday lunchtime.

    NOT so long ago I was championing the cause of an up and coming St Albans band called The Rivals, who found their spiritual home at The Golden Lion in London Colney. I was invited along a couple of times to watch them rehearse in the pub's cavernous hall

  • Results reach all-time high

    GCSE pass rates in Harrow continue to be well above the national average, according to new performance tables released on Thursday last week. Results in Harrow continue to improve, with pupils achieving the borough's highest ever pass rate. 59.1 per cent

  • Pensioner murdered in her own home.

    A MURDER investigation has been launched after a pensioner was found beaten and bound in her own home. At about 10pm last night, police officers were called to a residential address in Ranelagh Road, Ealing. On arrival officers discovered the body of

  • Mayor Ken pays visit

    London Mayor Ken Livingstone was due in Sutton today to meet the borough's new police recruits and talk to local business representatives. The Mayor was set to visit the Secombe Theatre this afternoon for a reception with the Sutton Business Federation

  • Residents reunited

    DEVASTATED residents from the fire-ravaged Strongbridge estate were once again reunited on Thursday for a New Year Buffet organised by the Harrow Christmas Care/Strongbridge Appeal. It handed them a chance to see each other again and to share their problems

  • Harrow student stabbed to death

    A HARROW Weald student was stabbed to death after leaving a nightclub in Ealing during the early hours of Wednesday last week. Paul Carr, 25, who was originally from Omagh in Northern Ireland, had been at the Boulevard Nightclub. He and two friends, both

  • Harrow man charged with roofer's murder

    A MAN has appeared in court charged with the murder of 33-year-old Derek Andrews whose body was found on wasteland near the Grand Union Canal. Mr Andrews had been missing since Wednesday, November 28 last year after telephoning his family to say he was

  • Nancy helps out

    Veteran charity collector Nancy Vlasto is a familiar face in Kingston. She regularly tours the town dressed up in a pantomime horse outfit and calls herself Blossom collecting donations for good causes. In the run up to Christmas Miss Vlasto, who lives

  • Asian evening

    An Asian fashion and dance evening will be held on Saturday, February 8 at Tolworth Girls' School in Fullers Way North, Tolworth. Tickets for Bollywood and Beyond, priced £5, are available from the tourist information centre in Kingston Market Place or

  • Triple dose of bad luck

    A Surbiton couple are hoping bad luck only comes in threes after their holiday luggage was sent to the wrong continent, their house was flooded and burglars broke into their home, all in the space of three weeks. Ita and Marc Dumbleton set off to visit

  • Staff targetted ten times.

    TERRIFIED staff at a petrol station were victims of crime ten times in the space of a week. In the latest incident, last Wednesday, a man walked up to the counter at the Tesco petrol station in Glencoe Road, Yeading, and put a packet of biscuits on the

  • Student funding is set to change

    Last week the Government published a white paper outlining its plans for reforming university education over the next decade. Roehampton recognises that all students will be concerned about what this means for them financially and what impact it will

  • Experts go extra mile for runners

    Sporting experts at Roehampton University of Surrey are set to lend a helping hand to runners entering the 2003 London Marathon. The runners will be raising cash for Farnborough's Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in the marathon on April 13. To help them prepare

  • Anger at parking zones

    BUSINESSES in Northwood are furious after receiving leaflets proposing a controlled parking zone (CPZ) in Northwood Hills. The CPZ would stretch from the High Street in Northwood all the way through Northwood Hills to Eastcote. The leaflet is intended

  • Playgroup in store for £2,000 windfall

    A Battersea playscheme is celebrating the sweet smell of success thanks to a local department store. The Heathbrook Club on the Robinson estate was chosen by Arding and Hobbs to be the beneficiaries of its Christmas charity fundraising. The store's perfume

  • Ian has plenty in reserve

    QPR fans were given a blast from the past on Monday when manager Ian Holloway came on to play for the reserves in a training game against Team Bath. But Holloway is not planning to make a playing comeback for the Hoops. The 39-year-old was simply making

  • You could win access award

    Nominations are being taken for the mayor's Access Awards which recognise local buildings that provide excellent facilities for disabled people. The awards are given to both new and existing buildings where disabled access was improved over the past 12

  • Girls charged

    Two girls appeared at Balham Youth Court on Tuesday charged with offences which left a 12-year-old boy allegedly beaten and burnt near a Wandsworth McDonald's this month. The 13 year old and 15 year old are charged with robbery, false imprisonment, grievous

  • Inquiry after man found stabbed to death

    Police have launched a murder inquiry after a man was found stabbed to death at his home on Clapham Common Northside over the weekend. The body of the 54-year-old was discovered after police were called to the address on Sunday evening. The man, whose

  • School club

    A new after-school club has opened in Alma Road, Tooting, giving children a place to take part in arts, drama and computer activities while their parents are at work. It runs for two hours from Monday to Friday during term time, and more information can

  • E-fit released in landfill murder mystery

    Detectives investigating the suspicious death of Mohammad Khan have released an e-fit of a man seen struggling with the teenager shortly before he vanished. The body of the disabled teenager, missing from his London home since January 2, was found on

  • Sex rap

    A top psychiatrist at Roehampton's £500 a day Priory Clinic has been accused of sexual misconduct with a female patient. Dr Mark Collins, from Putney, faces the General Medical Council on February 24, over claims he had an "inappropriate" relationship

  • New homes for those in need

    Most of the housing made available through Wands-worth Council's "hidden homes" initiative will be let to people in the immediate neighbourhood. The properties are being created from converting disused storerooms and laundries on housing estates and the

  • MP steps down

    A LONG-SERVING pillar of the community has announced that he will be stepping down from his parliamentary duties. Clive Soley, MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush will not be standing in the next general election in 2005 in favour of retirement,

  • Go-ahead for flat plans

    A controversial five-storey block of luxury flats behind Arding and Hobbs has finally got the go-ahead from Wandsworth Council. The eight-house and six-flat block was proposed after residents in nearby Ilminster Gardens and Beauchamp Road and the council

  • Borough set to lose £5m health funding

    Wandsworth faces losing up to £5million in NHS funding thanks to new guidelines introduced by the Department of Health. A new formula for calculating the financial needs for London's Primary Care Trusts suggests Wandsworth is receiving 15 per cent more

  • Underground remains closed

    COMMUTERS who use the Central Line have had to find alternative ways of getting to work as the line remain closed until further notice following Saturday's derailment near Chancery Lane station. The Tube line, which serves eight stations across the borough

  • Promise tram doubts will be heard

    Residents' fears over the West London Tram scheme will be listened to, vowed a senior official of the scheme. In an exclusive interview, Tim Jones, project director of West London Trams, gave a resounding promise that any issues raised by residents' groups

  • Promise tram doubts will be heard

    Residents' fears over the West London Tram scheme will be listened to, vowed a senior official of the scheme. In an exclusive interview, Tim Jones, project director of West London Trams, gave a resounding promise that any issues raised by residents' groups

  • E-fit released in landfill murder mystery

    Detectives investigating the suspicious death of Mohammad Khan have released an e-fit of a man seen struggling with the teenager shortly before he vanished. The body of the disabled teenager, missing from his London home since January 2, was found on

  • A promise to listen

    RESIDENTS' fears over the West London Tram scheme will be listened to, vowed a senior official of the scheme. In an exclusive interview with the Times, Tim Jones, project director of West London Trams, gave a resounding promise that any issues raised

  • Anti-war protest ban is "stupid"

    The organisers of a massive anti-war march have condemned a decision to ban them from rallying in Hyde Park. The Stop the War' coalition says 500,000 people will descend on central London on February 15 to protest against conflict against Iraq. The marchers

  • Anti-war protest ban is "stupid"

    The organisers of a massive anti-war march have condemned a decision to ban them from rallying in Hyde Park. The Stop the War' coalition says 500,000 people will descend on central London on February 15 to protest against conflict against Iraq. The marchers

  • Teen jailed for 'Silence of the Lambs' assault

    A schoolboy horror film addict who hit a teenage girl with a vodka bottle during a 'Silence of the Lambs' fantasy has been locked up for 12 months. The 16-year-old youth from Hayes, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been accused of throwing the

  • Teen jailed for 'Silence of the Lambs' assault

    A schoolboy horror film addict who hit a teenage girl with a vodka bottle during a 'Silence of the Lambs' fantasy has been locked up for 12 months. The 16-year-old youth from Hayes, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been accused of throwing the

  • Thameslink delay decision condemned

    The Government's decision to further delay the Thameslink 2000 rail project has been slammed by transport officials. Work on the project was to have started this year and finished in 2008, but is now likely to be delayed for some time. Thameslink 2000

  • MP 'hopes Iraq conflict can be resolved peacefully'

    WATFORD MP Claire Ward has urged the Prime Minister to remember "the thousands of ordinary citizens" whose lives are at risk if war is declared on Iraq. At a meeting with Mr Tony Blair, she said she hoped the conflict could be resolved peacefully, but