Families' plea for help after building collapses in Norbury

May 19, 2014, 2:54 am

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TWO families have presented themselves to the council for housing assistance following the collapse of their building in Norbury. Fourteen people were evacuated safely from 1505 London Road after its roof caved in on Saturday afternoon, injuring two passers-by. The building is uninhabitable in its current state. A council spokesman said this morning those who had presented themselves had been helped. Alex Scavo, 27, said his brother and colleague live in the second floor of the three-floor building and were sleeping there at the time. "They heard a noise and saw from the window the pieces coming down, so they got scared and went out and ran away," he said. Falling bricks injured a man and a woman walking past the building. The man was injured in the head and taken to St George's Hospital as a priority. The woman was injured in the foot and was taken to Croydon University Hospital. Police said their injuries were not life-threatening.

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Croydon conwoman Neelam Desai jailed for 30 months after travel business frauds

May 19, 2014, 4:33 am

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TRAVEL agent Neelam Desai has been jailed for 30 months for a series of frauds totalling more than £230,000. The 34-year-old ran a business selling discount flights and holidays from her home in Beulah Grove, Selhurst, in late 2009 and early 2010. But the deals - described in court as "too good to be true" - were so unrealistically cheap that her business quickly fell apart. Wealthy customers loaned her large sums of money to pay back other holidaymakers who had booked flights and trips that never happened. When the customers asked for their loans back, Desai tried to repay them by writing cheques from her mother's bank account - without permission - totalling £220,000. The cheques later bounced and the businessmen contacted the police. Desai, a former baggage handler at Gatwick Airport, later wrote three cheques from a stolen chequebook to repay other angry customers. These cheques also bounced. Her scams also extended to selling three iPhones via online marketplaces despite never owning any of the goods. All the while, Desai had been doing business under a fake name after being made bankrupt in 2009. Today her lies finally caught up with her when she appeared at Croydon Crown Court to be sentenced. Desai originally denied four counts of fraud, three of handling stolen goods and one of doing business while bankrupt, but changed her plea on the first day of her trial on March 3. The court heard today that Desai committed frauds while on a nine month suspended sentence, imposed in February 2010, for obtaining loans in 2006 which were secured against her mother's address, again without permission. Judge Stephen Waller sentenced Desai to a total of 30 months, three of which were for offending while on a suspended sentence. Judge Waller told the former John Ruskin College pupil she would spend half her sentence in custody before being released on licence. Seven other counts of fraud, six relating to cheques and one to an iPhone, are to remain on file. An investigation by the Advertiser has linked the former travel agent to a dating website scam where men were tricked out of tens of thousands of pounds. Desai was arrested last month on suspicion of ten counts of fraud by false representation and was bailed until August pending further investigation. The conwoman made allegations of harassment against Advertiser chief reporter Gareth Davies which led police officers to threaten him with arrest. The warning has yet to be rescinded.

Man caught by have-a-go heroes admits trying to rob bank

May 19, 2014, 4:49 am

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A MAN has admitted using a fake gun to try and rob a bank. Andrew Fernandez demanded money from the cashier at Lloyds Bank in Brighton Road, Coulsdon, on November 27 last year. The 47-year-old, of no fixed abode, was chased out of the bank by a local window cleaner, James Rowley, who had popped inside. He was then caught by Mr Rowley's colleague, Daniel Sandholm, who held him in the next-door road until police arrived. Mr Fernandez pleaded guilty at Kingston Crown Court today (Monday)to attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and two further counts of possession of an imitation firearm, relating to offences on July 12 and September 27 last year. He has been remanded in custody to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on June 16.

Ukip leaflets snatched by anti-fascist, candidate says

May 19, 2014, 6:16 am

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AN "anti-fascist" campaigner snatched leaflets from a Ukip election campaign stall and ran off down the street. A tussle broke out between the man and Ukip candidate Kathleen Garner as she tried to get the leaflets back. The pair struggled over the literature in and around South End, South Croydon, until a passing driver intervened. Police were called to the stall in South End on Saturday after the fracas at around 2.30pm. Ms Garner said the man started gathering the leaflets promoting her candidacy to represent Croham ward in the local elections on Thursday. She said: "A chap just turned up at the stall and started picking up leaflets and said, 'I am taking these'. "He moved towards a nearby tree which had a little banner up, and started to take that, too. "I was determined not to let him get away with it and started trying to grab things back off him and he moved up the road. "Every time I grabbed them off him, he grabbed them back again, and this was going on for some time. "He said, 'You are racist, fascist, and I belong to an anti-fascist group'. "So I said, 'You are the one being fascist, because you are not letting us speak freely'." Ms Garner said another man driving down the road then stopped and got out of his car to reprimand the alleged leaflet-pincher. The latter then jumped into a second car driving past, but got out after it was held up by traffic, and ran off. The leaflets, Ms Garner added, contained her local election pledges including tackling fly-tipping, providing parking and helping local businesses. The 68-year-old added: "I was feeling a bit trembly afterwards but I think that was the adrenaline." Ms Garner described the alleged leaflet-snatcher as a white man in his forties, thin, wearing light shorts, plimsolls, no socks and a white t-shirt. She had been manning the stall with three colleagues from the party and said the rest of the day had been more positive. She said: "We had one chap who did not agree with us but we had quite a long chat with him and he congratulated me for appearing in public to stand up for what we believe in. "And we were getting quite a lot of taxi drivers and other drivers going past and honking their horns to support us."

Croydon nightclub, where man was stabbed during Tim Westwood DJ set, has licence revoked

May 19, 2014, 6:57 am

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A TOWN centre nightclub had its licence revoked this week after a man was stabbed at a Tim Westwood DJ gig at the venue. 12-20 club, formerly known as Shooshh, in Crown Hill, Croydon, lost its licence at a Croydon Council licensing sub-committee hearing on Monday (May 19). Police had recommended the revocation of the licence after a stabbing at the club during the three-hour Westwood set in the early hours of Easter Monday. Gary Grant, the Metropolitan Police's legal representative, stated that officers had "no confidence" in the ability of the club's owner, Luke Mayle, to run the club properly. However, Mr Mayle's counsel David Dadds argued that officers had not properly informed the club of previous violent incidents which took place at other Westwood gigs in London. The committee hearing had been called after the incident on April 21 in which a 26-year-old man was stabbed at the club, provoking what police called "mass disorder" to break out outside the busy venue. Mr Grant told the committee police had since found out the night had been attended by "well-known violent criminals, well-known to the police's gangs unit" and that gang members were targeting the venue because it was a "weak link" in the town's club scene. The sub-committee also heard representations from the police about the club's poor security measures such as a lack of ID checks and body scans. They said CCTV showed a man had walked through the club with a knife visible and was not apprehended by security. When questioned by the sub-committee chair Councillor Maria Gatland about his attitude to the four key licensing objectives, Mr Mayle said the hired security had not carried out their jobs properly and were to blame for the disorder. In a report compiled by council licensing officer Stephen Moore, he states that when he visited the club on April 19, door staff had been wearing combat fatigues and body armour. He goes on to point out this is something he had not seen in Croydon for seven years. One of the club's main lines of defence was regarding a police check of the premises just an hour or so before the stabbing incident occurred. Four officers visited the club at approximately 12.45am, just over an hour before the incident, and the records from the visit indicated everything was fine at the venue save for a strong smell of cannabis in the VIP area. They did not order the club to close at this point but said the club would need to be revisited. Mr Mayle, who only took over the running of the club in earlier this year, did not book the event which BBC Radio One hip-hop DJ Westwood eventually played. In his defence, Mr Dadds argued the police should have provided the club with information about the previous incidents surrounding the DJ's gigs. He cited a stabbing following an event in Hounslow and questioned why the police had told Mr Mayle they considered it a 'medium-risk' event rather the highest. If police deem an event high-risk, the most likely course of action is to close it down. Mr Mayle will now appeal the revocation and the club would have remained closed for the time being anyway as the premises undergoes refurbishment. Cllr Gatland and her fellow sub-committee members Cllr Tony Pearson and Cllr Pat Clouder - after more than an hour and a half's deliberations - decided to revoke the club's licence due to a number of incidents dating back to December 2013. Cllr Gatland also said the committee had concerns about Mr Mayle's running of the club as its premises licence holder - a message echoed by Mr Grant and the police. The man stabbed on the night in question suffered a collapsed lung but did not have any life-threatening injuries. The sub-committee also heard how there had been around 20 men outside the club swinging their belts and hitting each other with them. Jetro Lopes, 20, of Lancing Road, Croydon, has been charged with attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, violent disorder and the possession of an offensive weapon.

'You have lied to an awful lot of people': Judge jails Neelam Desai for £230k travel business frauds

May 19, 2014, 10:52 am

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THE conwoman who accused the Advertiser of "persecuting" her has been sentenced to 30 months for ripping off customers of her discount travel business. Neelam Desai, 34, offered customers cheap flights and trips but, when the packages began to fall through, she tried to pay them back by borrowing huge sums of cash and writing fraudulent cheques from her mother's bank account. Desai, of Beulah Grove, Selhurst, also used a stolen chequebook and ran the travel business - under a fake name - while bankrupt. It also emerged that she committed fraud while on a suspended sentence for deception, after dishonestly using her mother's home as security to obtain two loans. Desai's frauds totalled £230,790 but her lies finally caught up with her at Croydon Crown Court today (Monday). Judge Stephen Waller said Desai had "lied to an awful lot of people" while selling holidays and flights that were "too good to be true". This week's hearing was unconnected to an Advertiser investigation linking Desai to a series of dating website scams. That reporting led the former John Ruskin College police to threaten our chief reporter with arrest after she claimed he was "harassing" her. That threat - which was condemned by human rights and media groups - did not prevent the Advertiser from being in court as Desai learned her fate. Kathryn Pitters, prosecuting, said Desai had been involved in a "number of instances of financial dishonesty" between 2008 and 2012. Desai, she said, ran the travel business from her home and claimed to provide "magnificent and heavily discounted flights and holidays". As business spread through word of mouth, she was introduced to Dhanji Asani, who made numerous bookings for himself and his family, as well as for friends. "The deals that the defendant was offering were extraordinary in their scope and attracted a great deal of interest," said Miss Pitters. "Those deals, however, were too good to be true. They were so heavily discounted, that it was simply impossible for the defendant to deliver." Shortly before Christmas in 2008, Desai told Mr Asani she was having financial difficulties which meant bookings he had made for himself and his friends had fallen through. She reassured him by claiming her brother was about to lend her £180,000. To save face with his friends, Mr Asani loaned her £153,500 on the basis that he would be repaid £180,000. A week later, Desai told him she was "broke" but was due to receive various funds from hotels in the Seychelles and Dubai. He paid a further £23,000 into her account. When he received the same amount back a week or so later, Mr Asani was reassured enough to book more trips. On February 4, 2009, Desai sent him a cheque for £150,000. It had been written from her mother's bank account - without permission - with a guarantee it would clear. Miss Pitters said: "The cheque bounced as the defendant knew it would. Her assertions in that letter simply amounted to another part of the long deception." After several other failed promises to repay the money, Mr Asani visited Desai's home and asked to see her bank statements. When she refused, he contacted the police. It would later emerge that Desai was taking money from another customer to try and repay Mr Asani. Paresh Shah made a number of holiday bookings through Desai and, for one of the payments, was asked to transfer £10,000 into Mr Asani's account. Mr Shah enlisted the help of his uncle, Rajniakant Shah, who paid £43,295 into Desai's account in January 2009. A few days later she asked Mr Shah for £55,000 so she could pay a bond to become a licensed travel agent, but his uncle refused to help. On February 26, his uncle received a cheque for £70,000 from Desai. The cheque was written from Desai's mother's account and, again, without permission. It also bounced. A few days earlier Desai had appeared at Croydon Crown Court and been handed a nine month sentence, suspended for a year, after pleading guilty to using deception to obtain two loans, in her mother's name and secured against her mother's house, which she had not been able to repay. The court heard that Desai was declared bankrupt on March 10, but continued to do business under the name Nisha Patel. Desai was arrested in connection with the travel business frauds on March 18 and was later bailed. Three other customers later contacted the police when Desai tried to repay three sums - £4,000, £2,660 and £3,500 – using a chequebook stolen from Niraj Dhokia. Mr Dhokia told police he did not know a Nisha Patel or Neelam Desai, and that he had not written the cheques. The Royal Bank of Scotland confirmed he had previously contacted them to say he had not received the chequebook. Abigail Penny, defending, said Desai had been given the chequebook by "someone else" as a way of "getting herself out of the trouble she was in". Another of Desai's victims was a minicab driver working for Roadrunners in West Croydon. Desai, who he knew as Nisha Patel, employed the man from November 2009 and February 2010 to deliver tickets and pick up cash. He had four mobile numbers for her. He later paid Desai £3,195 for tickets which he did not receive. The court also heard that Desai used Ariana Travel, in London Road, Thornton Heath, to book the trips. She made a large number of bookings between November 2009 and March 2010 and always paid in cash. Later, in 2012, Desai tricked several people into handing over hundreds of pounds by claiming online that she had iPhones for sale when she did not. When Desai was arrested and later charged for the earlier offences, she admitted borrowing money from Mr Asani and trying to repay him and Mr Shah's uncle from her mother's account. When asked where the money had gone, Desai claimed she was spending £1,000 on her phone bill and £10,000 on friends and family per month. She also mentioned a Mr Patel, someone who she claimed had received £20,000 for bookings he had made. Desai said Mr Patel was "the only person making money" from her actions, and denied being involved in a scam where they split the money. Mr Patel was later interviewed by the police but not charged. In an interview with the Advertiser last month, Desai claimed a "gang of men" made her commit the frauds she has pleaded guilty to, adding that they had threatened to kill her mother if she did not comply. We put these allegations to the Met and a spokesman said no one else was being sought in connection with the offences. The claims were not mentioned during Monday's hearing, during which Miss Penny admitted her client was "very much in the front of this case". "While there may well be people behind her, it is not in my instruction to indicate that," she added. In mitigation, Miss Penny said Desai had a "history of depression" caused by the unexpected death of her father. In a letter to the court, Nila Desai said her daughter was "essentially a very nice, giving and kind person" but that "something had changed in her" after the collapse of her marriage and her father's death. Miss Penny claimed her client had a personality disorder but a psychological report - commissioned by the defence - said that was not the case. It instead found that Desai had a "bias towards exaggerating". Judge Waller concluded there was "nothing wrong with her psychologically" and criticised Miss Penny for using public money to pay for the report. Desai initially denied the offences when the case came to court but changed her plea on the first day of her trail on March 3 this year. Miss Penny said: "She knows she has done something wrong and, it may have taken some time, but she has accepted responsibility." Desai, who covered her face with a scarf to avoid having her photograph taken as she arrived at court, looked on impassively as Judge Waller said he had no choice but to impose a custodial sentence. He gave her 27 months covering four counts of fraud, three of handling stolen goods and one of doing business while bankrupt, as well as a further three months for breaching the suspended sentence. Seven other counts of fraud, six relating to cheques and one to selling an iPhone she did not have, were left on file. Desai was arrested and later bailed last month on suspicion of ten counts of fraud by false representation. Her arrest followed an Advertiser investigation into a honey trap scam which saw men tricked out of tens of thousands of pounds by a woman on Asian marriage website Shaadi.com. Nisha Patel was among the aliases used by the woman. The Met has yet to respond to the Advertiser's legal request to revoke the harassment order made against our reporter. The matter is being raised with the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

VOTE: The New Addington boulders - should they stay or should they go?

May 30, 2014, 12:31 am

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THEY are probably the biggest talking point in New Addington. Some think they resemble an arrival from outer space, others would say their plain ugly. But, at least according to the previous administration at Croydon Council, the Central Parade boulders played a vital role in stopping illegal parking. Now, though, the future of these rocks appears to be, er, on the rocks. In the minutes after her election victory last week, new Labour councillor Louisa Woodley pledged to get rid of the boulders. With this in mind, we thought we'd ask the people who really matter - the residents of New Addington (and elsewhere, if you have an opinion). In the words of The Clash, should the boulders stay, or should they go? Or perhaps you couldn't care less? Please vote in the poll below, and we'll reveal the results in a piece in next week's Advertiser.

Conwoman lied about sick family to get cash from victims

May 30, 2014, 3:00 am

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A CON artist who duped victims into handing over cash by pretending her family members were seriously ill has been convicted of fraud.

Sherene Simmons, 32, of Dalmally Road, Croydon, turned up unexpectedly on victims' doorsteps, often in the early hours of the morning, pretending relatives were sick in hospital and pleading for help and money to visit them.

Targeting victims in Addiscombe, Ashburton, Shirley and Croham, Simmons claimed on one occasion that her mother had suffered a heart attack and she needed the money to get to hospital.

Her victims often doubted the story but nonetheless gave Simmons some money, typically between £40 to £60 cash, on the understanding she would pay them back – which Simmons never did.

In some cases, she shamelessly returned to the same victim to ask for more money and help, saying her mother had suffered further illness or even died.

She pleaded guilty last Thursday at Camberwell Magistrates' Court to 12 counts of fraud by false representation, having been arrested last Monday and charged the next day.

Simmons has been remanded in custody to appear at Croydon Crown Court for sentencing on a date to be confirmed.

Detective Constable Scott Barefoot, of Croydon CID, who investigated the case, said police used CCTV footage to identify the fraudster and force her to own up.

He said: "One of the very first victims to make an allegation had CCTV at her home, which showed a clear image of Simmons, so we knew from an early stage she was probably behind these scams.

"The difficulty in this case for us was locating and arresting Simmons, but we eventually caught up with her and due to the weight of evidence against her, she had little choice but to admit to the offences."

Police are investigating ten further allegations of fraud and are encouraging any more victims to come forward.

DC Barefoot said: "Victims in this sort of scam often feel embarrassed, having fallen foul of the con, so we think that there could be even more victims that haven't come forward. We would urge anyone who has been a victim of this kind of scam to contact police or Action Fraud with the details."

Two of Simmons' victims spoke to the Advertiser last May, before she had been identified.

Robin and Margaret Broadbent, of Highbarrow Road, Addiscombe, were fast asleep when the woman now known to be Simmons knocked on their door and said her son had been stabbed and she needed to get to King's College Hospital. They gave her £40.

Mr Broadbent, 74, said shortly after the incident on April 24: "It was a very shocking thing to have happened, and we were so sleepy and disorientated it was very easy for her to get money off us."

To contact police, call 101 or call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

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Lidl's bid for supermarket in Sanderstead DISMISSED on appeal

May 30, 2014, 3:09 am

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CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after unpopular plans for a Lidl supermarket were rejected by the planning inspector. Inspector Ron Boyd yesterday dismissed the chain's appeal to develop the site of the former Good Companions pub in Limspfield Road, Sanderstead, citing "highway safety". Campaigners had battled the plans mainly on predicted traffic problems and the potential risk from the extra traffic to children at two nearby schools. Local campaigner Paul Redlington said today: "This is a great day for the residents of Hamsey Green and neighbouring areas. "It's an astounding result given we were up against the financial might of Lidl, their planning experts, and even a QC. "All we had was our determination, and a conviction not to be steam-rollered by a business that failed to listen to genuine concerns about traffic and safety." He added: "It is also a victory for the 2,000 local school children all of whom would have been at risk from this development." The decision brings to apparent close a battle raging since August 2012 when Lidl first revealed its plans for the site. Officers at Croydon Council recommended the plans be approved, but councillors voted against them last August, triggering Lidl's appeal. In his four-page decision following a public inquiry, Mr Boyd said the store plus 70 car parking spaces and a new access road would create the "potential for confusion between drivers" and "increase the number of potentially conflicting traffic movements". He added the plans would create "a new source of potential conflict" between pedestrians, particularly school children, and vehicles. He concluded the development would "adversely affect safety on the adjoining transport network." Mr Redlington added he hoped Lidl would now sell the site to "a responsible developer who will listen to the local community."

Froch v Groves: Who will win the Battle of Britain rematch?

May 30, 2014, 4:30 am

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The time for talking is almost over as one of the most eagerly-anticipated fights in British boxing history takes place at Wembley Stadium tomorrow night (Saturday). And you can expect plenty of fireworks as Carl Froch and George Groves take to the ring in front of a record 80,000 people, with Froch putting his IBF and WBA super-middleweight titles on the line. Froch won the first fight between the two in controversial circumstances last November, courtesy of a contentious ninth-round stoppage, having been knocked down early on by 26-year-old Londoner Groves in his first world title fight. The 36-year-old Nottingham-man has admitted he probably took Groves too lightly last time, but insists that won't be a problem this time around as he looks to "put the saga to bed" in his own words. Confidence is a key thing in boxing and both fighters are not short on that. In fact, some may consider it arrogance that both are so confident of victory, with Groves describing Froch as "a man on death row", while Froch says this fight will define his career. Froch, who has 32 wins and two defeats from his 34 professional fights, has admitted he will be remembered for the outcome of this fight and he says there is huge pressure to perform. However, while he believes the magnitude of the event could get to his younger opponent, Groves feels Froch's destiny is to lose in what he has dubbed the Cobra's 'day of reckoning'. But who will come out on top in this world title fight, I hear you ask. Well, Froch will start the fight as favourite with the edge in height and reach and the fact that he won the controversial first fight, but Saint George cannot be discounted. He has a powerful punch and Froch knows that all too well, having been floored in the first round last time out. Groves dominated the early rounds of the first fight and only suffered his first defeat when the referee Howard Foster brought a halt to proceedings in the ninth round, prematurely in most people's eyes. As such, Groves petitioned the IBF for a rematch and having been granted his wish, he will be hell bent on trying to claim victory this time around, having described this as "unfinished business". He certainly has the motivation and to topple a three-time world champion would be a feather in his cap, and his record of 19 wins from 20 fights suggests he is capable of upsetting the odds. However, Froch is by no means finished yet, despite being ten years older than Groves. He says age is just a number and there is no doubt that Froch is just as determined as he has ever been, so much so that he believes the fight will not go the distance. And while it is unlikely Froch will have things all his own way in the fight, his experience of the big occasion may just give him the edge in what is sure to be a thrilling fight for the neutrals.

Robber who attacked South Norwood garage owner escapes from prison

May 30, 2014, 4:48 am

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A ROBBER who attacked and robbed a South Norwood garage owner has escaped from an open prison. Police are appealing for the public's help in finding Simon Marcus Rhodes-Butler, who escaped from Ford Prison in West Sussex on May 22. The 37-year-old was jailed for seven years in October 2011 after he and accomplice Ilyas Ismail attacked Gordon Weller at his business in Birchanger Road and snatched his £4,000 Rolex watch. Originally from Offord Road, Tottenham, Rhodes-Butler is known to have friends and family in London. Police are advising members of the public not to approach the offender but to call 999 if they see him. PC Steve Reed, of Sussex Police, said: "We have been looking for Rhodes-Butler for a week but without success so far. "We need to speak to anyone who might have an idea where he could be or where he has been staying. "If you have any information please contact us." Mr Weller spoke to the Advertiser in 2011 after Rhodes-Butler and Ismail were jailed. The Birchanger Garage owner, then 62, recalled how he was held in a headlock before breaking free and calling police. Officers arrested the attackers moments later after they had fled into the car park of a block of flats and found themselves trapped. A police dog sniffed out the Rolex, which the robbers had buried in a flowerbed. Mr Weller added at the time: "My neck hurt for a while after that. "I kept thinking about it, although I try not to now. "It's good to see that they didn't just get a slap on the wrist." - Anyone who sees Rhodes-Butler should call 999 immediately

Crystal Palace: Aaron Wilbraham thanks Tony Pulis after leaving the club

May 30, 2014, 5:00 am

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AARON WILBRAHAM has revealed he has known about his departure from Palace "for the last few months" after it was announced on Wednesday he was being released by the Eagles.

The 34-year-old is on the lookout for a new club together with Jonathan Parr, Danny Gabbidon and Dean Moxey. who were also released.

However, Wilbraham says boss Tony Pulis is helping him find new employers ahead of pre-season in July, and the striker has thanked the manager for keeping him involved "until the end".

"I have known I was leaving for the last few months, but the gaffer has been really good with me," Wilbraham revealed.

"Obviously I didn't play a lot last season and I knew I was down the pecking order a bit, and when you're in that position you don't expect to be given a new contract if you're not playing week in, week out.

"The manager has thanked me for being around the place and he says he's going to help me all he can with other clubs.

"He has told me there have been a lot of clubs ringing up about me and he's going to put in positive words.

"I have been around football long enough. I'm 35 this year but the gaffer has been really good about it.

"He kept me part of the squad until the end and I've really enjoyed my time at Palace.

"Being involved in the play-offs last season and helping the club get into the Premier League, I've enjoyed being around the place."

Along with Pulis, Wilbraham's agent is also busy trying to secure a contract for his client, and the veteran has hinted he would like to join a club who are likely to be in the hunt for promotion.

"There have been a few clubs who have been offering me deals," he said. "It's all right them speaking about it and showing interest but until a contract is down on the table, I don't usually take any notice of it.

"My agent is speaking to people at the moment and he seems quite positive.

"It's just what's best for me and my family really. I am getting to that age now where I want to be settled with my family, so it's looking for the best options for me.

"I just want to play football and be involved in maybe another promotion push if I can. I have been involved in two promotions to the Premier League in the last four years."

South Norwood takeaway owner fined over TV licence

May 30, 2014, 8:26 am

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A TAKEAWAY owner has been fined £400 for using a TV without a licence inside the premises. Ali Pektez, owner of the Kebab Centre in Portland Road, South Norwood, was also ordered to pay £200 court costs and a £40 victim surcharge, at Croydon Magistrates' Court today. A spokesman for TV Licensing said: "Any business that shows television programmes as they're being shown on TV, whether for customers' use or in staff areas, must be covered by a valid TV Licence. "If there is living accommodation on the premises where a TV is also in use, this must be covered by a separate licence." Those without a valid licence risk court prosecution and fine of up to £1,000 per offence, plus costs. Martin Dyan, TV Licensing spokesperson for London and the South East, said: "We appreciate these are tough times for businesses, but to be fair to the majority who do pay the licence fee, we have to take action against those who watch TV illegally." In 2013, TV Licensing officers visited more than 33,000 businesses across the UK to check their licences. A licence costs £145.50 and can be bought at www.tvlicensing.co.uk.

easyJet owner decides not to open East Croydon food store

May 30, 2014, 11:15 pm

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THE founder of easyJet says he will not be opening a budget food store in the former Metlife building after being advised by Croydon Council it may struggle to get planning permission.

But Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is pressing ahead with plans for offices and a hotel at the site in East Croydon, including a temporary mock-up food store on the first floor.

His spokesman said Sir Stelios's easyGroup companies are still considering opening a budget food store elsewhere in Croydon, as well as looking at other areas such as Peckham, Catford and Woolwich.

Spokesman Richard Shackleton said the council had advised at the outset the food store may struggle with planning permission due to its size, location, and council zoning policies. He added: "At that point we just walked away from it."

Plans for a gym at the site have also been dropped, given the company has opened a gym in nearby Thornton Heath, Mr Shackleton added.

The company hopes to open its easyHotel on the top four floors of the building in late summer or early autumn, with roughly 110 rooms.

Managed office space on the lower floors is due to be "marketed imminently," Mr Shackleton added, saying the company would consider a longer-term let.

The planned mock-up food store on the ground floor will be used to conduct market research, with focus groups invited to test the products, mainly packaged and tinned foods and basics such as washing-up powder.

Sir Stelios bought the building, in Addiscombe Road, last year, saying he wanted to enter the budget food business to help people in need.

He explained at the time: "My interest in the food retailing business was sparked by recent press stories covering the widespread use of food banks by the needy and my own experience with the 'food from the heart' charitable programme operated by my philanthropic foundation in Cyprus.

"I have a feeling that there is a gap in the food retail market – a niche below some of the current budget operators such as Aldi and Lidl.

"Concentrating on affordable, basic 'no-brand-name' packet and tinned foods at bargain prices, easyFoodstore underlines the need for additional reliable day-to-day provision of basic foodstuffs."

A spokesman for Croydon Council said pre-application discussions were confidential, confirming that no formal planning application for the food store had been made.

He said the council had granted permission for floors four and five to be used as a hotel and was assessing a further application to use floors six and seven for a hotel.

The office space does not need permission as there is no change of use.

New Croydon Council leader pledges a 'cleaner and greener' borough

May 31, 2014, 12:15 am

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PROMISES to clean up Croydon, tackle antisocial behaviour and be a "council for everyone" were a hit with voters and steered Labour to victory in last week's elections, new council leader Tony Newman has said.

Labour won 40 of the council's 70 seats, with the remainder going to the Tories.

But as the dust settles on the celebrations, Cllr Newman and his group get down to the nitty-gritty next week of transforming ambitions into reality.

The first step on that road will come on Wednesday when, after being formally elected as leader at Tuesday's annual meeting, Cllr Newman will get his first look at the council's books.

He told the Advertiser this week that while he did not underestimate the fact the council was going to have to make some tough financial decisions in the coming years, there was a will and an ability to deliver on the main planks of Labour's manifesto.

The defeated Tories are claiming cuts amounting to £100 million are on the cards over the next four years as the Government continues to reduce council budgets.

They are also saying the cost of implementing Labour's programme will run out at £27 million. Both figures were treated with a fair degree of scepticism by Cllr Newman.

He said: "Governments can change and we will be looking for cross-support to renew efforts to get more grants for Croydon.

"In many ways we are an Inner London borough which is only receiving Outer London support."

But he admitted: "There will be costs involved in getting rid of fly-tipping and street cleaning. Equally, though, this will be about how we deploy resources.

"As an example, obviously the high streets will need cleaning more frequently than a quiet cul-de-sac. It is a question of priorities."

But he made it plain this would not be a matter of concentrating resources in the north of the borough at the expense of the leafy and quieter south.

Cllr Newman said: "I would hope across the borough will be cleaned properly. Fly-tipping is unacceptable both in Kenley and Upper Norwood."

He also believes the problem can be reduced by the council taking a more pro-active role in prosecuting; again through a better use of existing resources.

As part of its intention to be a council for all Croydon, Cllr Newman stressed the importance of engaging with business and protecting the billions of pounds of investment being lined up.

That ties in, he said, with Labour's commitments to bring more jobs to the borough and ensure the benefits from developments like Westfield/Hammerson filter down across the borough, helping district centres.

He said: "We are going to set up a business forum where developers and investors can sit down with us at least four times a year to make sure we are all batting for Croydon."

Cllr Newman is also convinced that Labour's commitment to new housing schemes containing 30 per cent affordable homes will not put developers off.

He said that while the council would have to take a tougher line with developers, he was confident the upturn in the global economy and lower land values in Croydon would continue to make the borough an attractive option for investment.

He said: "Croydon still has huge untapped potential and I believe it has been punching beneath its weight up to now."

Returning to future financing, Cllr Newman said all aspects of spending would go under the microscope.

He seems to accept Labour is saddled with its bête noire, the new Bernard Weatherill House HQ.

But he said: "I am waiting to look at the books but I have heard the building is underused."

He held up the prospect of moving staff within the building and freeing up two floors to rent out, for extra cash.

Also on the re-examination list is a detailed look at the contract for building an incinerator on the Croydon/Sutton border.

Cllr Newman said concerns remained that pulling out of the contract could cost millions of pounds in penalty payments.

In addition, the council will look at reducing dramatically the outlay on consultants; reducing outsourcing in favour of keeping services in-house; becoming a living wage council, including council contractors in that ambition; and also checking the £36 million cost of refurbishing Fairfield Halls, in the belief a good job could be done cheaper.

All this ambition will be achieved, Cllr Newman said, with greater openness, fewer discussions behind closed doors, more effective scrutiny and webcasting of council meetings.

Cllr Newman said: "I am proud of what we achieved in the election campaign.

"It was a genuine doorstep campaign and our ambitions clearly resonated with voters."

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Rail services from Croydon returning to normal

May 31, 2014, 12:25 am

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Rail services through Croydon disrupted earlier this morning (Saturday)after a person was hit by a train at Clapham Junction are returning to normal But Southern warned at around midday there could be some residual delays on services via Clapham Junction of up to 30 minutes.

Police concern about missing South Norwood man

May 31, 2014, 3:56 am

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POLICE in Croydon are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of a missing 50-year-old man from South Norwood Alan Jarvis, was last seen at around 7.30pm yesterday (Friday) boarding a 155 bus outside St Georges Hospital in Tooting. He is a white male, appoximately 5ft 7" tall, with receding grey hair, blue eyes and tattoos on both arms. Mr Jarvis is known to frequent areas in Croydon including South Norwood Country Park and also the Box Hill area in Surrey At the time of his disappearance he was wearing a green bomber jacket, denim jeans, black Reebok classic trainers and an army cap. Mr Jarvis is in serious need of medical treatment and officers are increasingly concerned for his wellbeing. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call police on 101 quoting reference 14MIS018603 or Missing People on 116000.

Crystal Palace supremo reveals admiration for Dwight Gayle goals

May 31, 2014, 8:15 am

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STEVE Parish has looked back on Dwight Gayle's goal at Aston Villa last season with admiration. The last-gasp strike won Goal of the Season at the club's end-of-season awards earlier in May. And Crystal Palace co-chairman Parish says he had a feeling Gayle would a second at Fulham when he stepped up for the free-kick with several minutes remaining. "I think, technically, Dwight's goal at Villa was our best," he said. "You have contextualise it as well. It was a nothing sort of game, he comes on, a long ball down the pitch and it was Ian Wright-esque. "There was nothing on, oh well, I'll just stick it in the top corner. What a wonderful story. "And that third goal against Liverpool, it was Wright and Bright when Glenn Murray chested it down for him. "I think he deserved the accolade for Goal of the Season at Villa. He has played more than his part this season, even though he hasn't had that many minutes on the pitch. "When he put it down for the free-kick at Fulham, I did think he was going to score as well. "Give him a chance and he will score. I was actually disappointed he didn't get a hat-trick against Liverpool too!"

Westfield development to omit word 'Croydon'?

May 31, 2014, 11:00 pm

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THE partnership behind the £1 billion regeneration of Croydon has refused to confirm whether the word "Croydon" will be in the name of the new development.

The Advertiser understands there is a strong possibility the name of Westfield and Hammerson's new shopping centre may not include the town's name.

The suggestion is that it may become Westfield South London, in a similar fashion to the Australian retail giant's development in Shepherd's Bush, Westfield London.

But there are also suggestions the new shopping centre could retain a link to the town's heritage by being called Westfield Whitgift.

A spokesman for Westfield/Hammerson categorically denied a name had been chosen for the new centre but would not be drawn on whether the word 'Croydon' would be included.

Jeremy Frost, chairman of the Croydon branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the town's name should definitely be included but admitted he doubted whether this would be the case.

He added: "They might think it will be detrimental on a national level to have the word Croydon in it.

"They are going to take a purely commercial decision.

"If they thought that by calling it Westfield Timbuktu instead of calling it Westfield Croydon they would get one more customer through the doors, then they would call it that.

"I think they quite feasibly could call it Westfield South London and I think that would be a massive shame because a lot of people are getting very, very miffed about everyone outside of the town doing it down.

"If Westfield is going to come here, then they should be proud to be here."

Advertiser readers almost all suggested Westfield Croydon when asked what their preferred name would be.

Weronika Pomiechowska, 17, from Shirley, said: "It should be called Westfield Croydon because it will help change the negative perception of the town and help to make it better known."

But Annabel Fogden, general manager of the Croydon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, does not believe it would be a disaster if the development did not have the town's name in it.

She said: "It is an interesting one because we want to put Croydon on the map. It would be good to have Croydon in the name and it would make sense.

"But I think the name of the development doesn't have to carry the name Croydon with it as long as it is something that will be associated with Croydon when people hear about it.

"Westfield Whitgift would be quite nice because that would remind everyone of the history of the area and keep the Croydon link."

Woman treated in hospital after central Croydon flat fire

June 1, 2014, 12:24 am

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A WOMAN in her 20s was treated in hospital for burns to her hand after a fire in the kitchen of her flat in Wellesley Road, Croydon this morning (Sunday). The small fire broke out at 5.30am as the woman was cooking her breakfast and fat in a pan caught alight. A firefighter at Croydon fire station said the woman had tried to put the fire out with water which caused it to spread. Occupants of three other flats in the former IYLO tower were evacuated after they were alerted by smoke alarms in the building. No-one else was hurt. The firefighter said: "We would remind people never to try to put out a fire involving fat with water. "The fact other people were alerted by the smoke alarms is also a reminder of how important it is to have an alarm installed."