Tony Pulis: I will give youth a chance at Crystal Palace

November 28, 2013, 8:33 am

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TONY PULIS says he will give young players a chance at Crystal Palace, with Sullay Kai Kai set to travel with the squad to Norwich City this weekend. The Eagles boss confirmed at a press conference today (Thursday) that the 18-year-old striker, who scored a hat-trick in a behind closed doors friendly with Tottenham Hotspur, would travel with the squad to Carrow Road on Saturday. Pulis did not say whether Kai Kai would feature within the matchday squad, but said he was willing to give young players a chance if they are good enough. He said: "Palace have a fantastic reputation with the academy, but it doesn't mean that automatically you are going to play these players. "They have to prove they are good enough when they play for the teams below the first team. "We have one [Kai Kai] who scored a hat-trick against Tottenham this week and we will take him with us to Norwich." Pulis pointed out that he has a history of giving youth a chance from his time at Stoke, adding that he gave players like Ryan Shotton, Marc Wilson and Andy Wilkinson their chance with the Potters. And he said he will reward the young players at Palace too, if he feels they are worthy of a place in the team. "I'm hoping and praying that we've got two or three gems in the group who will come and help us," he said. Meanwhile, Pulis says he has enjoyed his first few days at the club, having taken training for the first time this week following the Eagles' 1-0 win at Hull City on Saturday. He said: "There are certain things that we need to change and certain things we have to change. "But I have really enjoyed the first few days and the attitude of the players has been first class. "The lads did very well at Hull and there is a great spirit here. "We have a tough game this week at Norwich and I have huge respect for Chris and what he has done there. "Every game is tough in the Premier League and Saturday will be no different."

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Beloved New Addington doctor remembered at service

November 28, 2013, 11:15 pm

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A DOCTOR who 'went the extra mile' and was "a very good friend" to his patients was remembered at a packed memorial service.

Fulsome tributes were paid to Dr Richard Bamgboye in front of around 80 friends, family members and colleagues at the service on Wednesday.

Known to his patients as Dr Richard, the senior partner at Fieldway Medical Centre died suddenly in late October aged 56, leaving the local community shocked and saddened.

A married father-of-three, Dr Bamgboye lived in South Croydon and had worked at the practice for around 20 years.

Roy Simpson, chairman of the practice's patient participation group, told the service at Fieldway Community Centre: "He was not only a marvellous doctor, he was a very good friend to me.

"I miss the times he used to come in and have a cup of tea and a chat.

"He was the same at the surgery whether discussing the patients' group – we would have a very good chat.

"He was always there when you needed him. And before I start crying, that is all I have to say."

Celestine Short, a patient, described a compassionate doctor who was highly dedicated to his work and had a strong faith in God.

She said: "He was patient, he was wise. He used his wisdom in many things, because some of us would go to him not only with our ailments, but also with our family problems."

She added: "He was a humble man, a very humble man, and in fact it was after he died some of us got to know [that] other side of things.

"He was a dignified man. You would see Dr Richard from day to day; he carried that air of dignity around.

"He was a carer. He was in there doing the doctor's job, doing the carer's job, doing everything.

"He was compassionate. He tried to understand what you were going through."

Former patient Claudette Brown told how Dr Bamgboye was the only doctor she could find willing to take the time to help her.

She said: "He talked to me on the phone to ask me what I was experiencing, and he really took time out to find out what was going on, not only with my symptoms, but holistically."

The centre's reception manager Chris Heryett added: "He was like a member of our family.

"Since his passing the amount of people that have come into the surgery and told us little stories that we never knew about – he was just more than a doctor."

The patients and colleagues who organised the service thanked others who had contributed: Ifesi Anyamere, Fieldway Pharmacy; Aumex Pharmacy; Martin McColl's, Fieldway; Stanley Kelly, patient; Andrew Turner; Vanesssa Barnett at Waitrose in Biggin Hill; Joy Simpson; and Mrs Grady at the Fieldway Community Centre.

Crystal Palace chief: 'I wanted right decision on manager, not a rushed one'

November 28, 2013, 11:15 pm

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EAGLES chairman Steve Parish says he does not care what everyone away from Crystal Palace thought about their manager search, which took a month to conclude.

Ian Holloway departed the club on October 23 – and exactly a month on, Tony Pulis was announced as the new boss ahead of last Saturday's 1-0 win at Hull City.

Parish said he always felt "comfortable" with Keith Millen taking charge of the squad in a caretaker role.

"Did it take so long? What's the right amount of time to get it right?" said Parish.

"If you're hiring a manager for two or three years, hopefully they will stay longer than that and help us build the club.

"We weren't expecting Ian [Holloway] to go, so you've got to look at who is available, have discussions and see what the right thing is for the club now and in the future.

"We all want to stay in this division, it's the best place to be, but if we get relegated we need the right man to bring us back up.

"We had the luxury of the international break to search for someone as players are away, and also Keith [Millen] was doing a great job.

"He took the squad back to where they wanted to be in a playing sense and where they were comfortable. I didn't think there was any desperate need to get somebody in as we were ticking over quite nicely.

"It's all worked out quite well, and four points from the last two games; not many people thought we'd achieve that. It's a great platform for Tony to come in on."

There have been suggestions Pulis was pushing for transfer-window activity in January as a condition of coming to the club.

But for the time being he will have to work with what he's got, including the glut of summer signings brought in by his predecessor.

Parish added: "You won't find a football club where everyone in the squad is vying for a position in the first team all of the time.

"You will always have players who are out injured or off-form, so we'll see. But I am happy with the players we've brought in and I'm not looking to discard them yet."

Norwich City vs Crystal Palace preview

November 29, 2013, 12:30 am

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WHAT a week it has been at Crystal Palace.

A new manager, a win at Hull City and renewed optimism that the Eagles could start to climb the Premier League table, especially in the next three matches.

And Palace should, indeed, head to Norwich City tomorrow feeling confident of getting another win under their belts.

Tony Pulis will take his first match for the Eagles at Carrow Road and he would certainly have stamped his authority in training this week alongside Keith Millen.

It looks as if he will work with what he's got for the time being, but when the January transfer window opens, it seems we can expect a number of new players arriving to bolster the club's survival chances.

One man who will miss tomorrow's game – and the following two – is winger Yannick Bolasie, who starts a three-game ban after his red card at Hull City last week.

Palace appealed the decision, but the Football Association turned it down on Tuesday afternoon.

And vice-captain Mile Jedinak said it was not a red-card offence either, admitting he spoke to Hull midfielder Jake Livermore about it after he was on the end of the tackle.

"I saw Yannick slip – he's not one to go out and do it intentionally," he said.

"I spoke to Jake Livermore after the game and he had told the referee not to do anything and it wasn't intentional. The referee made a decision a little bit too quickly without sort of seeing it. We will now cop that.

"Yannick was, I thought, hastily sent off."

Bolasie's absence gives a chance for someone else to come in, and that could be Jerome Thomas, who missed last weekend's game through injury.

However, Jonny Williams made his return to the squad and he will certainly be pressing for a starting position. Adlene Guedioura is still a long way off from returning.

Palace look set to keep the same backline that has kept two clean sheets in a row, while Cameron Jerome impressed immensely last weekend in front of Pulis and could start.

Marouane Chamakh could either make way or partner the on-loan Stoke City man after going off with a head injury at the KC Stadium, but Dwight Gayle will be vying for a spot in the starting XI too.

In terms of the opposition, Norwich have been struggling and it is arguably a very good time to play them.

And Palace have been boosted by the news that dangermen Anthony Pilkington and Robert Snodgrass are both out injured for the game.

Snodgrass did not feature in last Saturday's match at Newcastle United, while Pilkington was substituted just after half-time on Tyneside, suffering a hamstring strain.

Canaries boss Chris Hughton said: "Anthony has had a scan which shows a grade two strain, which usually means five or six weeks out.

"Robert came back from international duty with Scotland and felt his knee at the beginning of training last Friday.

"He could be out for a few weeks, but not as long as Anthony."

Furthermore, striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel, midfielders Alex Tettey and Elliot Bennett, plus Mark Bunn are also all ruled out through injury.

Croydon MPs urge Pickles not to delay Westfield/Hammerson

November 29, 2013, 12:51 am

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CROYDON'S three MPs have united to urge Communities Secretary Eric Pickles not to delay Westfield/Hammerson's £1 billion town centre project. The scheme was given planning consent by the council on Monday night and then the green light by Mayor of London Boris Johnson on Wednesday. Mr Pickles is the final hurdle and has the power to call in the application, which would lead to delays. Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell, Croydon South's Richard Ottaway and Croydon North's Steve Reed have written a joint letter to the Secretary of State and pressed him not to intervene so the plan can "progress as quickly as possible". The cross-party missive details some of the benefits of the scheme, hailed this week as a catalyst for the regeneration of the town centre. It will see the existing Whitgift Centre replaced by 1.4 million sq ft of shopping space, leisure facilities and between 400 and 600 new homes, creating up to 5,000 new jobs. On housing, the MPs wrote: "Not only will this help to address the huge demand for housing in our town, but having people living in the town centre will change if for the better – rather than just being somewhere young people go to drink in the evenings, it will once again be a place people can live." The letter adds that the design of the new shopping complex – likely to be London's third Westfield – would make it "much easier to get around the town centre on foot". "Unlike the current Whitgift Centre, which is impassable at night, there will be pedestrian routes running through the scheme, giving it a much more town centre feel and ensure that there are good connections with other parts of the town centre that we want to see regenerated, like London Road and Surrey Street." "Finally, and most important," the letter adds, "It will change the reputation of Croydon, catalysing further investment by other developers." The letter says the scheme is "broadly consistent" with national planning policy, the London Plan and the Croydon Plan, and that it enjoys cross-party support. "In light of this," the MPS say, "we are writing to ask you not to exercise your power to call the application in so that it can progress as quickly as possible."

Damien Delaney: We've always stayed true to what we know

November 29, 2013, 1:00 am

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DAMIEN Delaney has admitted he's never been worried about Crystal Palace's start to the season and believes sticking to their gameplan is finally getting its rewards. The centre-back kept a second clean sheet in a row last weekend at former club Hull City following the goalless draw with Everton, and with Tony Pulis arriving in the manager's hotseat, Delaney thinks the Eagles can achieve survival. He said: "I think we have played similar against Hull in other games. We spoke about it in terms of set-pieces undoing us – 12 goals have gone in against us in that fashion. "At this level, if you go behind, it's very, very difficult to get back into games. Especially with the starts we've had, going to Liverpool and Manchester United. "We always wanted to remain true to what we wanted to do and if we stayed a little bit more disciplined and more compact, we knew we'd get goals. "Hopefully with the new manager coming in now we can get a bit more organised. We have been brilliant of late but I think we can get to the 40-point mark we're all looking for. "I think we probably deserved that bit of luck with ways things have been of late. "We knew we weren't a million miles away, despite what people may have said. "In terms of performance, we were competing but undone at this level by four penalties, four free-kicks, two corners, and all of a sudden you're behind in games. "West Brom away from home gave us a lot of hope, and the game against Everton. Against Hull, we defended a lot better from set-pieces." And the Irishman has hailed the impact of caretaker boss Keith Millen and first team coach Ben Garner, thanking them for being "brilliant". "Keith has done a tremendous job," said Delaney. "I think that's important to state and I want to go on record in saying that. "Keith and Ben (Garner) have been absolutely superb. It was a big pressure situation for Keith to come into a Premier League job and I think he's handled it unbelievably well. "He's done a really, really good job organising us. Training has been absolutely fantastic. Keith and Ben have done brilliant."

Riesco collection sale misses Croydon Council's minimum target

November 29, 2013, 1:00 am

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THE controversial sale of a Chinese ceramics collection has fallen short of the minimum figure anticipated by the council.

A total of 24 items from the Riesco collection went up for auction in Hong Kong on Wednesday but only 17 were sold, bringing in a total of £8.2 million.

Before the auction the council's was putting a figure on the sale of between £9 million and £14 million.

What is still not clear is how much commission will be charged by auctioneers Christie's and by how much the final figure will therefore be reduced.

But Councillor Tim Pollard, the cabinet member with responsibility for culture, remained relatively upbeat about the success of the sale.

He said: "We have come close to the £9 million and we still don't know what the final figure will be."

It was expected, he said, the total would increase following negotiations with potential buyers whose original offers fell below the reserve price.

Cllr Pollard said: "We have always tried to avoid laying down definite figures because you can never tell what the value of the works is going to be.

"The intrinsic value of the items is low, it is what people are prepared to pay for the scarcity value which counts."

Cllr Pollard said the proceeds would play a considerable part in reducing the borrowing required for the £33 million refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls.

He said it had been his hope to reduce the burden of borrowing on council taxpayers by £1 million a year and the lowest estimate of £9 million "should achieve that."

Cllr Pollard added: "We were in a position of having to borrow £33 million to refurbish Fairfield and anything we can do to bring that figure down has got to be positive.

"We are now in a position where we can do the most important things with real confidence."

He added: "Funding the refurbishment was never going to be easy but our reading of the situation is that the people of Croydon value Fairfield and want us to keep it."

Councillor Timothy Godfrey, the Labour shadow cabinet member for culture, said: "The council was talking about using the proceeds to fund a large part of Fairfield refurbishment, now it is not going to even be able to fund a third of it."

Charlotte Davies, who led an abandoned residents' campaign for a judicial review of the decision to see the collection, said: "This is a debacle. What a mess."

She said the sale price had reinforced her belief that the council had compromised itself morally by agreeing to the sale in the first place.

Croydon Advertiser wins a hat-trick of journalism awards

November 29, 2013, 1:13 am

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THE Croydon Advertiser has scooped a hat-trick of awards at a ceremony rewarding the best in regional journalism. Our Time For New Heroes splash, on the eve of the Crystal Palace vs Watford play-off final in May, won the Front Page of the Year prize at the EDF Energy London and South of England Journalism Awards. The judges said: "The fade from the black and white of yesterday's heroes to the bold colour of today's players, works really well. A bold approach, matched by great thought and confidence in the final delivery." Chief reporter Gareth Davies picked up two awards - for Digital Journalist of the Year and Weekly Reporter of the Year. Gareth received particular praise for his investigation into the forgotten victims of the 2011 riots, with the judges saying his stories were "captivating reads." The Advertiser was also highly-commended in two further categories - Weekly Newspaper of the Year and Alex Leys, for Designer of the Year. Editor Glenn Ebrey said: "To win three awards within such a competitive field is a fantastic achievement for all concerned and just reward for everyone's hard work. "I'm delighted for Gareth, who works exceptionally hard, and also with the front page victory - especially when you consider we were up against daily papers from across a huge region."

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Rail delays between East Croydon and London Bridge following equipment fault

November 29, 2013, 1:16 am

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AN EQUIPMENT fault is causing delays to train journeys between East Croydon and London Bridge this morning (Friday). Network Rail has said the 15 minute delays will continue until approximately midday. The problems are being caused by an issue with lineside equipment between East Croydon and Norwood Junction. First Capital Connect and Southern services between London Bridge and Brighton are affected.

Steve Reed on his first year as Croydon North MP

November 29, 2013, 1:56 am

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Last November the Croydon North by-election, held following the death of MP Malcolm Wicks, saw Labour's Steve Reed win by a landslide. This week chief reporter Gareth Davies asked him about his first year in the job.In your maiden speech in the House of Commons you made a point of speaking up for those abandoned after the riots. How much progress have you made with their cause? "They definitely feel I have strongly championed their cause. I have written on their behalf to Prince Charles and the Prime Minister, I've taken them to meet Ed Miliband and held an adjournment debate in Parliament where the minister responsible for riot compensation had to come and account for himself. I have stood foursquare beside them to fight for what they deserve. "What has been frustrating is that despite promise after promise, nothing has come through to give them what they are due, but we haven't given up."Is your support for those families the aspect of your work you are most proud of during your first year as an MP? "It's one of them, but I'm not going to pick that yet because we haven't won. "I'm particularly proud of the case of Olesni Lewis [23-year-old who died after being restrained by the police]. "I engaged with the family, I raised their case in a debate and I had private meetings with the minister. Eventually we got the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to reopen their investigation so there can be a proper understanding of what went wrong. "The other thing I am proud of is the big issue about the state of the streets in Croydon North. People are really upset. It's their top issue. I couldn't get the council to listen so I set up an independent commission which is compiling its own report into what the scale of the problem is and what's causing it."The big news this week is the approval of Westfield and Hammerson's plan for the town centre. Will Croydon North benefit from the deal? "I think it's incredible news for Croydon as a whole, which has been in relative decline compared to other parts of London. Croydon needs to strengthen its offer and Westfield/Hammerson is going to make that happen. "The key is we don't want to just regenerate the town centre and leave the districts in other areas in the condition they are in now. It must make a difference to the likes of Selhurst, Thornton Heath and Norbury, where residents want to develop a stronger - and unique - shopping and cultural offer. "As the plan stands now I'm not confident that will happen, but there seems to be a willingness to engage on all sides. "The proposals for the regeneration of Crystal Palace Park will affect our borough as well. If we could revive the idea of the tram extension up to Crystal Palace I think that would help to pull regeneration out of the town centre and towards the outer districts."Is there anything you have done over the last 12 months you would have done differently? "What would I have done differently? It's difficult to say after only 12 months."Well, what have you learned over the last year? "The job is very different than being a council leader, where I was running an organisation with a budget just shy of £1bn. If I wanted something done I could just command certain bits of it and it would happen. "But, If you are an MP you don't control anything. I have influence and I've been learning to use it to get the results the people in Croydon North want to see. Now I'm running campaigns to persuade people who are in control of the resources or the decisions to do the things that my constituents want."With that in mind does it frustrate you that your campaign to protect Croydon North's police stations has failed? "The way campaigning works is that you rarely get everything you want. I don't think it's a done deal yet, but I'm very disappointed that Croydon North lost all of its police stations* and in the borough as a whole we only have one 24-hour station remaining. "I was also disappointed that the council would not support the campaign. There's an issue where they should be standing up for Croydon rather than just going along with the Mayor of London because he's a Conservative, which is not my experience of what happens elsewhere."During the by-election you said you wanted to be Croydon North's 'jobs champion'. Do you think you have done enough on that issue? "Setting up a jobs fair was part of that, but I've also raised the issue of youth unemployment on many, many platforms both in Parliament, in the borough, speaking to the police and with Westfield and Hammerson. I think I have gone some way to getting noise about that."Do you know how many young people got a job as a result of the jobs fair you held in June? "I don't know exactly how many, but I do know that people did get jobs and training opportunities because they told me about it. What I haven't done is do a comprehensive survey and I'm not sure they would all reply in any case, because people don't always, do they? "There were three things about it. The event itself gave practical help to people there and then. Secondly, holding an event flagged up the need to focus more on jobs in Croydon North. "The third bit is I talked about launching a project to engage the community in helping the long term unemployed. I've been talking to a think tank and a number of third sector organisations about putting that project together in the New Year. "So a year in, there's progress, but a job done? Absolutely not."In October you were promoted to Shadow Home Office Minister. Do you have ambitions to go further? "I've been quite lucky to be promoted within a year of being elected. It's a real opportunity and it will be good for Croydon. People are concerned about antisocial behaviour and crime in the constituency so there's a good think there. "I can never say that I'm aiming to go higher because it's not in my hands. You would need to ask Ed Miliband about that. It depends what's offered."What would you like to have achieved in a year's time? "Can I have two? I would like the state of our streets to be visibly cleaner. It will be such a big issue during the council elections that the two parties will have no option but to clean up the streets. "The second one is that I want my project on employment to get going. What's different about this is it is trying to engage the community itself - such as the churches, the mosques and other organisations – to channel support to the people they have access to who are looking for work or long term unemployed. "I think if you can do that through the community you have a really good and innovative way to get support to people who need it."*The custody centre in Windmill Road, West Croydon, is a police front counterHow would you rate Steve after his first year as MP? Let us know below

Crystal Palace boss still eyes a playing role for Kevin Phillips

November 29, 2013, 2:00 am

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HE may be 40-years-old, but Tony Pulis feels Kevin Phillips still has a part to play for Crystal Palace on the pitch in the Premier League. Following Ian Holloway's departure in October, Phillips assisted caretaker manager Keith Millen in a coaching capacity, leading to suggestions he may not be as involved on the pitch for the Eagles this year. But like Ryan Giggs, who proved on Wednesday night for Manchester United that he still has incredible ability despite turning 40 today, Pulis says Palace's play-off hero can still play a role this season. He said: "I am hoping Kevin will still help us on the pitch rather than off it. "I haven't really talked about [the coaching side of things] yet, but I certainly see him helping us on the playing side." Pulis said the coaching staff at the club, including Keith Millen, had been great in his first week though. "Keith [Millen] has been smashing, like I knew he would be. "They have all been very helpful and it has been a good couple of days this week and we are all looking forward to Norwich. "It will be a tough game, but every game is in the Premier League."

Thornton Heath teenager charged after stabbing

November 29, 2013, 2:18 am

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A THORNTON Heath teenager has been charged after a 24-year-old man was stabbed earlier this week. The incident occurred at around 3.45pm on Wednesday in Epsom High Street. A 24-year-old man received stab wounds and was taken to hospital for treatment to serious but not life threatening injuries. On Thursday evening a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with wounding with intent, possession of a pointed article in public and possession of a class B drug with intent to supply. He has been remanded to appear at Redhill Magistrates Court today. Another 16-year-old who was arrested in connection with this incident has been released on police bail while the investigation continues. Anyone who witnessed the incident or the events surrounding and who has not yet spoken with police is urged to contact Surrey Police on 101 quoting reference 45130002115 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Tony Pulis aims to get the best out of the Crystal Palace squad

November 29, 2013, 2:30 am

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TONY PULIS says he intends to get the best out of the Crystal Palace players to help them fight off relegation. The Welshman has never been relegated as a manager and he established Stoke City in the Premier League during his tenure at the Britannia Stadium. But now he is in the hotseat at Selhurst Park and is determined to help the Eagles stave off relegation, with Pulis saying yesterday (Thursday) that his aim is to get the best out of the current squad. "My football philosophy is to win games and always has been," he said. "You have to recognise the material you have to work with and make the best out of it to try and win games. "It is very easy for the top clubs because they are able to pay big wages to the best players in the world. "When you haven't got that you have got to compete and get the best out of the players you have got. "You have to recognise the strengths and weaknesses and work with what you have got and try to understand the best way of getting results." And while he said earlier this week that he plans to wheel and deal in January, he says that the Eagles' current squad have six games to prove themselves to him ahead of the January transfer window. "We have a few weeks until the transfer window opens, so it is up to everyone to knuckle down and nail their colours to the mast," he said. "My first impressions are that the players are really determined to get the results and do all the best they can for the club." Meanwhile, Pulis says he has no problem with Cameron Jerome, who played for him at the Britannia but was critical of the Welshman after he left Stoke City. "Cameron is fine," he said. "He had a chat with me this week and he played as well as I have seen him play for a long time at Hull. "I am not interested in the 'he said, she said' business - sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. "I was brought up in the 1960s, so people saying anything or calling me names, I will laugh all them off."

Reward for help finding escaped killer raised to £15,000

November 29, 2013, 3:20 am

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A REWARD of £15,000 is now available for helping detectives find an escaped killer. Lerone Boye, 27, was jailed in 2012 for the murder of New Addington teenager Kelvin Chibueze. But on October 16 this year he escaped from the John Howard Centre in Homerton, east London. Detectives earlier this week offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest, and on Wednesday Crimestoppers added £5,000. Boye is described as a black man, 5ft 10ins tall and of slim build. He has a distinctive horseshoe-shaped scar on his right cheek and a gold tooth in his upper row of teeth. When he was last seen Boye was wearing a grey/blue sweatshirt with a grey vest over the top, and grey jogging bottoms. He had short hair and a goatee beard. Police believe Boye may be in the east London area. He is also known to have links to Barking, Newham and Ilford. Anyone who sees Boye is advised not to approach him bu to call 999. The extra £5000 reward is available to anyone who provides information leading to Boye's arrest directly to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via a secure online form at crimestoppers-uk.org. Anyone with any information about Boye's whereabouts can also call police on 020 8358 0100.

Council 'to use all available bylaws' to ban Croydon soup kitchen

November 29, 2013, 3:29 am

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COUNCIL leaders want to use "all available bylaws" to ban a soup kitchen for the poor and homeless. The kitchen, run by volunteers and set up by charity Nightwatch, provides food and drink for sometimes up to 50 people an evening in Queen's Gardens. But a secret council report says the soup kitchen is causing antisocial behaviour in the town centre and affecting nearby businesses. Nightwatch chairman Jad Adams said the ban would be "immoral, politically inept and open to legal challenge". The charity received the council's Voluntary Organisation of the Year Award last year. Efforts to prevent it from using Queen's Gardens, which it has done for more than 30 years, are detailed in a yet to be published report entitled Town Centre – Food Provision. The document was discussed at a meeting of senior councillors and council officers. It said the soup kitchen ban is part of a wider effort to tackle antisocial behaviour in the town centre specifically aimed at "street drinkers, beggars and other rowdy behaviour". The Spread Eagle pub, the report adds, is "greatly affected by the presence of what has been termed a 'Soup Kitchen'". "The customers of the public house, users of the gardens and pedestrians nearby have complained about the behaviour of those using the soup kitchen," it said. The soup kitchen is held every night of the year on the upper level of Queen's Gardens. It sees volunteers from churches across the borough give out donated food and drinks - as well as toiletries, duvets and clothes - to the homeless and destitute, and can attract up to 50 people a night. But the council believes its customers are a public nuisance. "There is often conflict and difficulty in organising the people into a queuing system," the council report states. Nightwatch were informed of the plan to ban the soup kitchen and wrote a letter to the council stating there were not any issues. However, the report said: "Police do not agree and the data supports the police view". "The soup kitchen attracts individuals that we are actively targeting into the area," it adds. "The short term enforcement phase is working well but we are now at the stage where we should be addressing more medium and long term solutions. "Removing the soup kitchen we believe forms part of that approach. It would mean there would be no reason for street drinkers and beggars to congregate in the area in the early evening and would assist with reducing crime and antisocial behaviour within the town centre." The report details a number of bylaws covering Queen's Gardens which could be used to stop the soup kitchen, and notes that people who breach them are liable to be fined up to £50. It lists three options, including allowing the soup kitchen to continue, which the report says will "do nothing to reduce antisocial behaviour and frustrate the activities of the police and partners in trying to address the lifestyles of these individuals". The report also says the soup kitchen could be moved to a different location, but adds the preferred approach is to close it down "utilising all available bye laws [sic] and preventing the use of Queen's Gardens for this activity". This would be undertaken, the document adds, after further discussion with Nightwatch, giving the charity the time to find a more suitable location. Statutory homelessness in Croydon is at an eight year high and, during a count completed last Tuesday, rough sleepers were also found to be at record levels. Mr Adams rejected claims that the soup kitchen was a source of antisocial behaviour and said the report was "questionable in its assertions and highly controversial in its objectives". "There has been a total failure to grasp the context of our situation," he added. "We have an increase in client numbers because of the increasing impoverishment of society. "It is these numbers that have meant this issue has arisen now, for the first time in our 37 years. "We have to work together to face these challenges in society, not attack each other over different manifestations of the problem. "The soup kitchen itself is not the location of antisocial behaviour. The police claim some of our clients are misbehaving elsewhere. "We submit that people who are minded to commit such acts will do so anyway. "Perhaps if they were hungry they would be even more likely to do so." Mr Adams said the charity planned to move the soup kitchen anyway once Taberner House, the council's former headquarters, is converted into flats

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Man charged with trying to rob Lloyds Bank in Coulsdon

November 29, 2013, 3:32 am

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A 46-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with trying to rob Lloyds Bank in Coulsdon. Andrew Fernandez, of no fixed abode, is due to appear in Croydon Magistrates' Court today (November 27). Police were called to the bank on Wednesday afternoon to reports of an attempted robbery. Mr Fernandez has also been charged with possession of an imitation firearm.

Homeless charity's response to 'soup kitchen ban' - in full

November 29, 2013, 5:12 am

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THE council wants to ban a soup kitchen run by homeless charity Nightwatch from Queen's Gardens, opposite its new headquarters. Chairman Jad Adams has branded the plan "immoral". Here is his response, sent to council leaders, in full: Nightwatch has been operating since 1976, it is the largest volunteer organisation in the borough with some 150 volunteers. We are in contact with all churches and schools in the borough and many other organisations - staff at Taberner House [council's former HQ] donated food to us at Christmas, for example. Last year Croydon Council gave us the Voluntary Organisation of the Year award and we are happy with our positive relationship with the council. We often work with the local or national media about the good work we are doing in Croydon. We are a receiving centre for a large amount of food which is donated at Harvest Festival and stored; and perishable food given to us on a daily basis by businesses, caterers and well-wishers. They give us food expecting us to hand it out to the poor of Croydon, and that is what we do. Anyone expressing need can receive help. Invariably there are people with greater or lesser need, but no one queues up in a soup run for food who is not at some level of need. Our basic activity is an open access contact point where we see anyone who appears wanting food. This is currently in the Queen's Gardens. This has been one of our sites since we were founded. Nightwatch went to the gardens because homeless people were sleeping there. That is, they were there first, just as there are homeless people in many public parks including those where there is no food provision. We consider we cater for the homeless and vulnerable which includes those sleeping out, those in squats, hostels, bed and breakfast and other inadequate accommodation. A number of people are those who were homeless and who we helped in the past and who we continue to support as they see their main contact with society as via the homeless community. We give food to people who have somewhere to live but not enough money for food, rent and power. We can do something, therefore, to prevent their homelessness in future by helping to relieve their economic burden. We also help to resettle former homeless people in new accommodation with recycled furniture; and we help people looking for work with protective clothing such as steel toe-capped boots. We signpost people to agencies that can help them with particular problems. We try to have enough volunteers at any time to be able to engage with all clients who need advice or extra assistance. We refer people to Thamesreach, StreetLink, the Westminster Drug Project, Citizen's Advice Bureau, Croydon Association for the Young Single Homeless (CAYSH) and to Croydon's Support, Needs, Assessment and Placement team. We share food with the Croydon Food Network and one of our committee members, Tony Sewell, is its vice-chair. By maintaining contact with this hard-to-reach group of clients, we are able to make introductions for other agencies. This year, for example, we have hosted visits by the Borders Agency (for Eastern Europeans); the Home Office (for 'illegals') and the London Fire Brigade (concerned about fire danger for people living in squats); and this week we will see visits from the Terrence Higgins Trust and Public Health Croydon from workers concerned with the sexual health of homeless people. We have often hosted visits from London Relocations and other agencies who help eastern Europeans to return home. There are a number of dubious and debatable statements in the report titled 'Town Centre - Food Provision'. To deal with the all would be tedious, but the following: 'The volunteers have limited engagement with the attendees due to the risk associated with the venue/people' is untrue. There are sufficient volunteers for engagement with all clients who wish it, and our volunteers are trained and prepared for any risks that might occur. If volunteers felt vulnerable, we would ask them to stand down to make way for others who were more confident. We are part of a network of voluntary agencies providing food and other support, including the Croydon Churches Floating Shelter, the Salvation Army and various places of worship. The Croydon Mosque in London Road, for example, gives food every Friday evening from the apron in front of their premises, many of their clients are the same as ours.Numbers This issue has arisen because there are greater numbers coming to us for help and this relates to two things over which neither we nor the the council has any control. These are the increased impoverishment of society, and the influx of indigent eastern Europeans (that is, those not able to find work or who work only sporadically). Eastern Europeans tend to be the most unruly element. We first brought the council's attention to the problem of indigent eastern Europeans in the borough in September 2006. Most recently I raised the matter with council leader Mike Fisher at a Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) meeting on September 2. We have written to Croydon MPs about the matter and to the London Mayor. We are quoted in the local and national press about it. If the Leadership team has solutions, we would be grateful to hear them. We feel we are dealing with the local result of a national problem caused by poorly thought-out international agreements over movement within the EU. Stopping people getting sandwiches in the Queen's Gardens is not going to help. People without adequate accommodation congregate in public spaces. They do that in the Queen's Gardens but also in places where there is no food distribution, and we would seriously question the logic that says that someone drinks or causes trouble in the Queen's Gardens in the morning or afternoon, because Nightwatch is going to be there at 9.30pm. There are certainly public order problems in the gardens. ow closely these relate to us is an open question. We feel we maintain discipline very well when we are there. At any rate, we do not think Nightwatch can be held responsible for young men having a fight in a public park over a girl. We do not tolerate any drug-related activity and clients know that. We have helped a large number of former addicts settle in to new accommodation after rehab.The questions:• What other locations you might like to suggest as a suitable alternative • How we might consider alternative ways of supporting the homeless by adopting a more modern approach, for example:• How might we develop opportunities for individuals who find themselves homeless, to have an opportunity to see a housing advisor who could facilitate them gaining access into a hostel and/or help them to gain access to benefits. • How might we better target resources so as to ensure that clients accessing services are those most in need (we have had reports that some individuals using the soup kitchen are not homeless and are receiving benefits How helpful it would be if we were to move from the gardens to another site is open to question. If we are considered to be such a magnet for trouble, how would it help that we were a quarter mile away from the present site? We are pleased the police are taking the alcohol exclusion zone seriously. We want to operate in an alcohol free zone, so far as this is possible. How would it help anyone if we moved to another area which is not in an alcohol exclusion zone? We are moving anyway, because of changes in the use of the Taberner House site. If the area is going to be residential, we will not be there. It would be helpful if alternative sites were suggested to us. We need a site which is fairly central, open at night and in a non-residential area. When we have a better idea of when the redevelopment of the Taberner House site will take place, we will step up our search for a new site. Only some of our clients are literally homeless and roofless, as a glance at our literature will show. We see those who have been marginalised. If it is possible to get them into the system, that is what we do. Some people we see are in receipt of benefits but cannot cope, some are working but not making enough to cope. Our presence at a central point allows us to contact clients who have difficulty accessing or understanding the system, and signpost them to appropriate agencies.Legal powers The remarks under the 'legal powers' section of the report concur with the remarks made by Nightwatch in a letter to the police on 17 July. Our activities are legal and need no permissions. There is no sale and no obstruction. It is worth repeating, also, that our activity is widely supported by the Croydon community. The alternative is to seek new laws. Westminster council sought new legal powers to try to stop soup runs in 2011 and their experience is instructive. They received only luke-warm support from political colleagues which quickly drained away when they received a good deal of negative publicity. Nor were the police supportive, as they did not have the resources to police council bylaws against church people and other volunteers who had no intention of stopping food distribution. This would divert police resources into arresting and charging people who had never come into contact with the criminal justice system before. The creation of a new law would create a new class of lawbreaker, to no one's benefit. There was also a concerted campaign against Westminster's plans. Soup run providers were supported by Liberty, who prepared legal arguments from human rights legislation that it would be a fundamental breach of human rights to deny a person food if someone wanted to give it to them. Members of the public were outraged at an attempt to deny food to hungry people, and to criminalise soup run volunteers. Some felt it was the duty of a citizen to defy a bad law until it was repealed and declared themselves willing, if the law were passed, to go to Westminster to distribute food even though they had never done so before. Thus, if the attempt to bring in a new law were successful, it would have the opposite effect from what was intended: there would have been more, not fewer people distributing food. Westminster negotiated with the soup run providers, and withdrew their legislative proposals.

Youths fight in Croydon town centre

November 29, 2013, 5:56 am

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SOME 20 youths started fighting in the town centre yesterday before scattering as police arrived. Police were called at roughly 2.25pm to reports of disorder in Old Palace Road near Church Street. The Advertiser understands the disorder involved roughly 20 men in their mid to late-teens. A Met spokesman said one of the men had a gash to his face but did not want medical help nor to make any allegations. He added: "Officers attended and several youths dispersed from the area upon police arrival. "Three youths were dispersed from the town centre area by police under the dispersal order currently in place." No arrests have been made. Officers are reviewing CCTV of the disorder to see if any further action is needed.

Young mum tells court of horrific killing of dad-to-be

November 29, 2013, 6:27 am

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A YOUNG mother wept as she told a court how three masked men burst into her room and hacked the father of her child to death with an axe and machete. Danny Gough, 24, was dragged from the bed he was sharing with Kareena Modashia, who was three months pregnant at the time. "I heard a bang, someone coming through the door, it was really loud and woke me up," she told the Old Bailey on Thursday. "Someone shouted – 'police, police' – there were footsteps on the stairs and the next thing I knew they were in the room. "There was a knife in the room which he (Danny) went and grabbed when we first heard the bang but then he put it down because I thought we were being raided when they shouted 'police'. "They entered the room, three guys, and Danny got up and they attacked him. "They ran straight over to Danny, I went to get up and one of the guys squirted something in my face. "My eyes started to instantly burn, I grabbed the pillow to try and wipe it off and by that time the three of them were on Danny. "There was no sounds they were just attacking him, I thought they were fighting – kicking and punching. "I was in shock, I didn't know what was going on. "Then I heard someone say 'dead'. I thought it was Danny saying I was dead but obviously it wasn't. It must have been one of the people that said he's dead. "They ran out of the room…I went to get off the bed and the whole floor was wet. It was blood." Jurors have heard how Mr Gough, also known as Danny McGinty, was murdered at his home in Stockbury Road, Woodside, in December 2010, as part of an "increasingly violent" and escalating feud. One of his alleged killers, Sam Monteith, 32, had been slashed and sprayed with ammonia by a gang involving Mr Gough some six weeks earlier, it was said. Stephen Dougherty, 35, of no fixed address, and Paul West, 29, of Eaton Avenue, Slough, deny murder while Monteith is currently not fit to stand trial. Miss Modashia had been going out with Mr Gough for around three years and gave birth to their son on June 18, 2011. Mr Gough was excited about becoming a father, she told the jury. The trial continues.

Man appears in court over road death of Purley mum-of-two

November 29, 2013, 8:00 am

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A 26-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court charged with killing a mother-of-two by driving dangerously.

Thomas Lee, of Money Road in Caterham, faces once count of causing death by dangerous driving over the death of Kremena Mersinkova, 40, in Godstone Road on February 16.

He appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday where he spoke only to give his name and address.

His case was sent to Croydon Crown Court, and he did not indicate how he planned to plead.

The highways maintenance worker was granted conditional bail by district judge Teresa Szargun.

He must live and sleep at home, not contact Emma Nelson or Adam Christian, nor drive.

He is due to appear next at Croydon Crown Court on December 11.

Dressed in a suit and black jacket, Mr Lee was accompanied at court by his mother, with whom he lives.

Court listings show he was represented by Tuckers solicitors, but his defence lawyer refused to give his full name to the Advertiser.

Mrs Mersinkova's husband, Plamen Mersinkova, sat at the back of the court. Prosecutors say Mr Lee hit Mrs Mersinkova, from Whyteleafe, while driving a Citroen Saxo.

She and her husband were walking home in the early hours after working night shifts as cleaners at University College London hospital.

Mr Lee was charged earlier this month.

After Mrs Mersinkova death, her husband spoke of his painful loss.

He previously told the Advertiser: "She was the perfect mum, the perfect wife; she was a perfect human being."

He added; "It's the biggest loss for us as a family that we could possibly suffer. Nobody could ever replace her in our hearts."