A 93-YEAR-OLD man has had his treasured OBE, of "great sentimental value", stolen in a burglary.

Croydon detectives are appealing for information, especially from anyone offered an OBE to buy, after the treasured medal was taken during a burglary in Sanderstead on Friday, January 23.

A commemorative silver medallion coin from Korea and a gold cigar piercer were also stolen.

Trainee Detective Constable Nick Billing said: "The victim is understandably upset at the loss of his OBE and medal as these are of great sentimental value to him and his family. I would urge anyone with any information that may assist us to contact the police immediately".

Anyone with any information, or who has been offered these to buy, should contact Croydon Police's CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

OBE, or Officer of the British Empire, medals are bestowed by the Queen in the twice-yearly honours liststo recognise exceptional achievement or service.

ALAN Pardew says he and Crystal Palace are looking to "kickstart" Wilfried Zaha's career following his permanent move back to Selhurst Park.

The winger completed his move on transfer deadline day for a reported cut-price £3m deal and will be in Saturday's squad to face Leicester City.

Pardew also felt it was right for all parties and that the Eagles fans relate to him as one of their own having come through the Academy.

"I have spoken to Wilfried and the important thing is to have a hopefully have a player you can enhance and bring value to the football club, not for somebody else," said the boss.

"I thought it was an important deal we made and secure his future here. We have to kickstart his career somewhat.

"I think he's got fabulous technical ability and now he needs to bring that on a consistent basis to the first team.

"I felt it makes sense that he's here and he's our player. I have taken that opportunity and I think it's good for him, but certainly good for Crystal Palace as the fans really like him."

It turned out to be successful transfer window for the club, with Pardew managing to land a left-back in the shape of Pape Souare and an attacking midfielder in Jordon Mutch, alongside Shola Ameobi and also Yaya Sanogo on a loan deal.

"We felt we did some good business, we did most of it a bit earlier which is the best way if you can," added Pardew.

"We are very pleased with the incomings, we have a big and powerful squad to go forward for the next period.

"I thought there were areas we needed a bit more experience and a bit more quality.

"Pape Souare has arrived and he has a good track record in France. He's a player I know well from scouting Mathieu Debuchy and Yohan Cabaye out of Lille.

"Jordan Mutch has already played but there are few more to make their debuts, and hopefully sooner rather than later."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

CRYSTAL Palace midfielder Mile Jedinak will not travel to face Leicester City on Saturday.

Boss Alan Pardew confirmed the news this afternoon after the 30-year-old arrived back at the club's training ground in Beckenham.

Jedinak lifted the Asia Cup last weekend with Australia thanks to a 2-1 win against South Korea.

ALAN Pardew says Saturday's match at Leicester City is "crucial" to both sides as they look to move away from the relegation zone.

With six points separating the two teams, a win for the Foxes will give them a huge lift, while a win for Palace will make the gap even bigger ahead of next Wednesday's clash with Newcastle United.

And Pardew says no one at Palace believes they are safe and that they will be quite comfortably, with a little more than three months of the season to go.

"They're a tough team, they've done some business in January," said the manager.

"All the teams down the bottom can see the finish line is not that far away so points are very important.

"It's a game we can put great distance between us and them. On same token for them, it brings them really, really tight to us if they win. It's a crucial game in respect of that.

"There is not a feeling we are safe and I won't let that manifest itself. I think the team has good experience and ability, we potentially could finish mid-table if everything fell into place.

"I think we know we have a big battle on our hands as no one is falling away in the Premier League this year, so everybody and every game will be competitive.

"We have to make sure we are too."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

MY attempts to question a convicted conwoman about a dating website scam went "beyond what was reasonable" according to an internal police investigation.

In March last year I was given a prevention of harassment notice after Neelam Desai, who had pleaded guilty to a series of others frauds totalling £230,000, contacted the police to say she felt "persecuted" by the stories I was writing about her.

The warning was condemned by freedom of speech groups, international media organisations and legal experts. Solicitors instructed by the Advertiser contacted the Metropolitan Police to request the notice be rescinded and, after we received no response, I decided to submit a formal complaint.

This week I received a letter informing me the complaint had been assessed and then dismissed by an Inspector at Croydon borough.

The response displays the same lack of basic investigation and critical thought that was absent 12 months ago.

Inspector Claire Robbins writes that, after reading the crime report, accounts given by Ms Desai and the police officers involved in the case, she feels "the contact made by Mr Davies towards Ms Desai did go beyond what is reasonable".

"An approach to a suspect in a news story, to get their account, is a logical course of action to round off the story.

"However once Ms Desai made it clear of her wishes, the repeated texts, emails and even alleged visits to Ms Desai's home address serve no obvious purpose.

"Ms Desai made it clear she was not going to give Mr Davies an interview and at this point his role should have been that of an observer and reporter of a news story."

I would like to correct some of the inaccuracies that now appear to be the formal account of the "harassment" Desai was subjected to:

• I went to Desai's home on one occasion - on March 4 - to give her the chance to respond to allegations she had tricked a man out of £35,000 through an Asian marriage website. This is responsible journalistic practice, especially as I had no other way of contacting her at that point. There were no other "visits".
• Desai called the police while I was at the door then made entirely false allegations that I impersonated a police officer and assaulted her. She later dropped the allegations without explanation.
• At no point did I send a text message to Desai, let alone "repeated text messages".
• I contacted Desai (and her solicitor) twice via email, on March 18 and again on March 25. As the investigation developed, more victims had come forward and these polite emails detailed new allegations and gave her the chance to respond.
• At no point did Desai respond to say she did not want to be contacted again.
• In fact, at the same time as she claimed I was "harassing" her, Desai made repeated calls to my office and mobile phone pretending to be her cousin. This included calls in the hours after I went to her house on March 4. Despite recorded evidence of these calls, at no point is this mentioned in Inspector Robbins' report and there is nothing to suggest they were considered.

I was told at the time that when police receive an allegation of harassment they are not required to carry out an investigation to discern the validity of the claims.

As ridiculous as that seems, I had hoped they would at least investigate as part of the complaint I raised. Instead it seems they have again taken the account of a convicted fraudster and serial liar at face value. Here is Inspector Robbins' explanation:

"The police do not have to investigate the matter but that is not to say that police did not know the history of this allegation and that it stemmed from a legitimate news story.

"PC Coman [the investigating officer] was fully aware from whence the harassment stemmed.

"The harassment warning was decided upon based on the full facts recorded on the CRIS around contact made by Mr Davies and the effect this was having on the victim".

Part of why I complained was that harassment notices appear on criminal record checks. I am not reassured by the response I received about that concern. 

The letter said it was "unlikely" the harassment notice would be disclosed during a criminal records check but "stressed" there were "no guarantees".

When three police officers visited my office to give me the harassment notice, warning me I faced arrest if I continued my "behaviour", I tried to explain I was doing my job. One of the officers, PC Chapman, relied: "That's what the News of the World phone hackers said."

Referring to that remark, Inspector Robbins wrote:

"PC Chapman replied that he appreciated the frustration of Mr Davies but that journalists did not have exemptions from the law and then referred to the Rebecca Brooks story saying those journalists thought they were just doing their job.

"While it was not the most useful of analogies to make, as phone hacking is clearly not in anyone's job description, the [phone hacking] case has probably been the most infamous of stories about journalists in recent years.

"I cannot see how this is politicising the harassment warning.

"I also cannot see any other purpose of the harassment warning beyond a way of highlighting to Mr Davies that his approaches to Ms Desai had gone beyond a reasonable course of conduct."

So, in contacting a criminal at her home on one occasion then sending her two emails over the space of a fortnight, I had "gone beyond a reasonable course of conduct". If that were true then every journalist in the country should be given an harassment warning.

Inspector Robbins sought to clarify what such a warning means, before concluding that the conduct of the officers in question had "met the minimum standard required".

"The warning is simply a warning to inform Mr Davies that his behaviour is not welcome and that he is advised to desist or there may be further investigation by police which could result in an arrest.

"To proceed to an arrest without giving a warning is not only a breach of policy but it does not give the perpetrator time to reflect and take stock of their actions."

I shouldn't be surprised by the results of my complaint - the Met demonstrated its aversion to being scrutinised by the press only this week in its response to Press Gazette's RIPA questions.

But I won't be dropping the issue either. The letter is currently with our solicitors and we have 28 days to ask the Independent Police Complaints Commission to investigate.

Desai was arrested last April on suspicion of ten counts of fraud by false representation as a direct result of our investigation. She is due to answer bail later this month.

Last May she was jailed for 30 months after admitting four counts of fraud and one of doing business while bankrupt connected to her discount travel business. 

THE Whitgift Centre will close completely for almost three years if Westfield/Hammerson's scheme is given the green light by planning inspectors.

The Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) inquiry into the proposed £1.5 billion development heard today (Wednesday) the phased construction plans had changed.

The Croydon Partnership now hopes to commence demolition works on the Allders site and the towers above the Whitgift Centre in 12 months' time.

It then plans to close the centre completely some six months after these initial demolition works and remain closed for 34 months, with no access to shoppers.

John Burton told the inquiry this was partly because opening the new development in one go had "the maximum impact".

Only Marks and Spencer would remain open while other tenants within the centre will be offered help relocating, either to Centrale or other parts of the town centre.

This is a change from what was previously thought would be a phased demolition of the centre, allowing parts of it to remain open for business while construction took place.

The objection of Jonathan Graham, head of Sainsbury's location planning department, was read out at the inquiry today.

It states that the new phasing is significantly different to what was in the original planning document, which indicated it would be possible for Sainsbury's to be relocated within the Whitgift Centre.

The tentative opening date for the new development is October 2019.

THE Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan faced a grilling from headteachers and pupils on a visit to Croydon today.

Ms Morgan was ambushed by year seven pupil Mahamed Abdulle on a visit to Quest Academy, South Croydon with Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell this morning.

The 11-year-old, who hopes to be a maths teacher, asked Mrs Morgan what the Conservative government will do about GCSEs and university tuition fees - but he only got half an answer.

While Mrs Morgan praised Mahamed's ambition and encouraged him work hard in his GCSEs, she did not say what the Conservatives plan for tuition fees.

She said: "We want people to work really hard, more people are going to university now and that's really good."

Mrs Morgan popped into a couple of lessons and spoke to a number of students on the visit. But it was Mr Barwell who proved to be the local celebrity, with one child excitedly recognising the MP as having knocked on his parent's front door.

And Mahamed wasn't the only one with questions for Mrs Morgan as headteachers from across the borough sat down with Mrs Morgan and Mr Barwell to discuss the issues facing their schools.

Glenn Lillo, associate principal for primary phase at Oasis Academy Shirley Park, said: "When you look at the amount of funding we get per pupil it's interesting to see our colleagues in Enfield almost get double what we do, and they're still outer London. It makes the system so unfair."

Mrs Morgan said making progress on funding has been difficult due to the economic climate, "but there is more money just about to start coming into Croydon", she said.

Edenham High School headteacher Richard Rudd said the lag in funding for children coming into Croydon from other countries also puts a strain on schools.

"Although we have the challenges of those children we don't have the resources to help them," he said.

Mrs Morgan said the government provide lagged funding because it is difficult to predict what will happen in the future.

"Whether there is something more flexible in recognising schools that take on those children we are happy to look at that," she added.

In June 2013 Quest Academy, which is sponsored by Coloma Convent Girls' School , was deemed by Ofsted to "require improvement". But Mrs Morgan praised the leadership of the school and said getting better takes time.

She said the school had a clear plan for improvement but if this was not effective new sponsors for the school could be sought.

"Leadership and management have a very good clear plan of where they want to be and they are predicted to get very good exam results. They have improved hugely since the trust took over the school," she said.

And Mr Barwell said nothing beats bringing a Government Minister to meet people "working on the front line".

"I know Nicky really enjoyed the visit and found talking to staff, students and other heads an incredibly valuable experience," he said.

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder after an axe attack outside a nightclub in Croydon town centre in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Joshua Streeks, 22, of Croydon was arrested at Gatwick Airport today by police from Sussex acting on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.

Officers were called to the incident outside Bad Apple nightclub, on Park Street, at 1.15am yesterday morning, where a man had been hit on the head twice with an axe.

Streeks was charged later today and will appear at Croydon Magistrates Court tomorrow. 

STEVE Parish was a happy man after Palace secured the permanent transfers of Wilfried Zaha and Lee Chung-Yong ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.

The Eagles co-owner saw both players complete their medicals at the club's training ground in Beckenham to add to the recruitment of left-back Pape Souare, midfielder Jordon Mutch and striker Shola Ameobi at the end of last week.

The Eagles also signed youngster Keshi Anderson for the U21 side from non-league side Barton Rovers and midfielder Andreas Breimyr from Byrne FK.

And the latest window has been dubbed by many as Palace's most successful so far since their time in the Premier League, with the club as a whole brimming with confidence under Alan Pardew, too.

"It has been a lot easier probably than the others I've been involved in so far," said Parish.

"Alan has been good to work with and he's embraced our recruitment department.

"He has his own contacts to which has been very easy, in terms of when he's had options presented he's given us an order of priority of the ones he likes.

"Certainly this time has been a lot more organised and we just had about enough time when Alan came in."

For more from Parish, don't miss Friday's Croydon Advertiser.

THE man attacked with an axe outside a Croydon nightclub posted a smiling 'selfie' hours later bragging how "hard" he was. 

A picture was also posted on Liam O'Brien's Facebook page which included the words: "Hit with an Axe!!?!? Felt like a pillow!"

He told the Advertiser on Friday his injuries were "not as bad as my hangover".

Mr O'Brien was attacked outside the Bad Apple at 1.15am on Wednesday while waiting to speak to the owner about lifting his permanent ban. 

The altercation is understood to have started earlier in the evening and was not connected to the venue.

He was hit from behind and suffered two lacerations to the head, police said.  

Mr O'Brien said: "I was literally just standing there and got hit from behind then he ran off."

 A 2.31am Mr O'Brien, in his 20s, posted a photograph of his bandaged head on Facebook. 

He wrote: "Just got smacked over the head wiv an axe... Hard."

A photograph of Liam in the style of an internet meme was also posted online claiming the attack "felt like a pillow". 

Mr O'Brien, a former Riddlesdown Collegiate student, has been following coverage of the incident on the Advertiser's Facebook page and commented under one story: "Loool I still got a headache!!!"

The posts have since been deleted from his Facebook profile. 

Detectives from Croydon CID are investigating the incident.

Joshua Streeks, 22, of Croydon was arrested at Gatwick Airport on Thursday by police from Sussex.

He was charged with attempted murder and is due to appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court today (Friday).

A WOMAN who tricked her way into a vulnerable 85-year-old man's Croydon home and stole more than £1,200 has been jailed. 

Rochelle Palmer, 25, called at the victim's flat, a sheltered housing complex in Eden Road, Croydon, on December 11 last year and asked to use the toilet.

Once inside she asked for a coffee but, while the man was in the kitchen, she stole his bank cards, two rings and £85 in cash.

Later that evening she used the bank cards to withdraw £500 and make purchases totalling £440.

On December 21, Palmer returned to the man's flat and when the front door was opened she pushed the pensioner causing him to fall. 

She then stole £180 in cash from a coffee table. 

Palmer was linked to the scene by forensic investigators and CCTV footage from the area showed her withdrawing money and using the victim's credit card.

She was arrested at her home address on December 26.

Palmer, of Oakfield Road, Croydon, pleaded guilty to theft, fraud by false representation and robbery at Croydon Crown Court yesterday (February 5) and was jailed for 16 months. 

Detective Constable Robert Jamieson, from Croydon Police's CID, said: "This was a cowardly crime, targeting and attacking an 85-year-old man in his own home resulting in the victim losing £1205 and his rings.

"Palmer initially denied stealing the bank cards, however once shown the overwhelming CCTV and forensic evidence against her she had no option other than to plead guilty to the offences."

FORTY-TWO businesses – from restaurants and takeaways to discount stores and halal butchers – were rated as ZERO for hygiene when they were inspected last year.

Each food outlet was told to make urgent improvements after being given the lowest possible rating in 2014.

However, the council's most senior environmental health inspector maintains Croydon's eateries have not become less healthy, despite the number scoring zero out of five rising from 27 in 2013.

In total 152 businesses scored zero, one or two – judged by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to be a fail – in 2014, up from 105 during the previous 12 months.

This week, the Advertiser contacted outlets given the lowest grade, including eight which got zero in both 2013 and 2014.

A business can fail an inspection even if it has a clean kitchen, if inspectors do not have confidence in the management to adhere to hygiene standards, including correctly completed paperwork.

Some of the businesses that agreed to speak to us said they were under new management and hoped for an improved score when next inspected. Mr Kebabish, in London Road, West Croydon, is a repeat offender, receiving zero in April 2013, and again a year later.

Humail, the manager's son, said the kebab shop is being run by new owners who hope to get a three or four-star rating when environmental health officers return.

"The old owner left the electrical wiring in the kitchen, main hall, and where customers sit and eat hanging out," he explained. "The kitchen was dirty and tiles were falling apart on the counter.

"It was very slippy on the steps going down into the basements and one of the workers had fallen down them. We have repaired everything and put mats on the steps."

Chihetos, in Selsdon Road, South Croydon, also has new owners since being rated "bad" structurally and "poor" in food hygiene and safety last March.

Moaz, the manager, said: "The previous owner told me the rating was four but then I found out it was zero. There were rats and no working freezers.

"A lot has changed since then. We are cleaning, everything is working properly and we have temperature charts. I've asked for a reinspection so we are just waiting now."

Mohamed Faraz who works at South Norwood Halal Butcher, in High Street, blames their zero rating on bad timing.

"The inspector came on a Friday which was a busy day and we were starting to get Christmas orders ready so our back room was full of goods from a delivery. It was the wrong time for us," Mr Faraz said.

"Also, certain things weren't clean that should have been. We needed to separate the coriander away from the meat produce."

Delight Express, in Thornton Road, Thornton Heath, received a zero rating in February last year and is awaiting another inspection.

"We didn't deserve zero," said manager Emrah. "Last year we got three stars and nothing much has changed, so it's unacceptable. We have done some cleaning, of course, and we will take other action in the near future if it's necessary."

During spot-checks, food safety officers assess businesses in three areas: hygiene and safety, structural compliance and confidence in management. Outlets are then given ratings on a scale of zero to five, with zero meaning "urgent" improvements are required.

Offenders can be shut temporarily while improvements are carried out and, in the worst cases, can be prosecuted. The onus is on the businesses to ask to be re-inspected if they think progress has been made.

Perfect Fried Chicken, in Whitehorse Road, received a zero rating last April.

Manager Gow Ramanathan said the shop was in bad condition when he took over. "I didn't know much about food hygiene but my dad knew about what standards I should aim for," he said.

"There were problems with the general hygiene, how we handled the food and the tiles were in bad condition.

"The tenant living upstairs had issues with the landlord and he turned on the tap and left it running to annoy him. It would leak through and cause damp on the ceiling."

He added: "I am more confident with the kitchen and if anyone came to visit I would be 80 to 90 per cent sure we'd do well."

Karachi Halal Meat and Grocers, in Thornton Heath, was given the lowest possible rating for the second year in a row. The manager said they have made improvements since their May inspection. "They asked us to make improvements like getting hot water and I'm about 85 per cent of the way there. through them I hope we should have a better rating now," he said.

Spice Land, in London Road, had to make basic improvements after receiving a zero rating. Vasdaran, the assistant manager, said: "We are waiting for a reinspection after recording temperatures, cleaning the kitchen and painting."

A deep clean of the kitchen and painting of walls was needed at The Coriander Takeaway, in Croham Road, said the manager.

A spokeswoman for Fiveways Fish Bar, Waddon, also rated zero, told the Advertiser: "We hadn't filled out the food hygiene booklet that we were supposed to. We have begun using it and the kitchen needed general cleaning so we now hope for a higher rating."

STEVE PARISH was a happy man after Palace secured the permanent transfers of Wilfried Zaha and Lee Chung-Yong ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.

The Eagles co-owner saw both players complete their medicals at the club's training ground in Beckenham to add to the recruitment of left-back Pape Souare, midfielder Jordon Mutch and striker Shola Ameobi at the end of last week.

The Eagles also signed youngster Keshi Anderson for their U21 side from non-league outfit Barton Rovers and Andreas Breimyr from Norwegian side Bryne FK.

And the latest window has been dubbed by many as Palace's most successful since their return to the Premier League, with the club as a whole brimming with confidence under Alan Pardew, too.

"It has been a lot easier, probably than the others I've been involved in so far, as in the Championship we didn't really buy that many players," said Parish.

"Alan has been good to work with and he's embraced our recruitment department.

"He has his own contacts too, which has been very easy, in terms of when he's had options presented he's given us an order of priority of the ones he likes.

"That gives us the flexibility then to go and do the best deals we can for the club.

"I never mind if we're up until 11pm to get a player if they end up being good for us. It's one of those things where the outcome is probably more important than the process.

"Certainly, this time has been a lot more organised and we just had about enough time when Alan came in.

"He gave me a clear idea of what he wanted to do. Everyone has to settle in and do well for the club, so if that happens it will be an ultra-successful transfer window."

The signing of Zaha was pretty comfortable in the end, with the winger undergoing the necessary tests and signing the paperwork with his agent.

But Parish believes it's time to get the academy product "back on track" after 18 months out of favour at Old Trafford.

"It was clear things weren't going to work out for him there and the manager hadn't even seen him," said the supremo.

"I think it has suited both clubs. We came up with a plan with Man United where we could take him back and get them as much money back for the long-term.

"Hopefully we can get him back on track and get him showing why Man United signed him in the first place.

"Obviously, a year of not playing and not getting that experience in the Premier League is not great for him. We feel Palace is the right place for him and he feels that right now."

And on the acquisition of South Korea international Chung-Yong, Parish revealed his admiration for the attacking midfielder, who is currently nursing an injury.

The co-owner believes he will excite the fans once fully fit and play a part towards the end of the campaign.

"I think he's a lovely footballer," said Parish. "He comes to us with a slight hairline fracture on his shin that he got in the Asia Cup but it shouldn't take too long, hopefully four or five weeks.

"Then he's got to get himself fit but we certainly see he can make a contribution until the end of the season.

"He's an exciting player and was very highly-rated by Bolton in the Premier League.

"Maybe he got lost with all the changes in the Championship and the adjustment, but we've been watching him for a long time and he's been in good form.

"He's an excellent player and we're very excited to have him at the club."

A 22-YEAR-OLD accused of attempting to murder another man with an axe in Croydon town centre appeared in court this morning (February 6).

Joshua Streeks,of Morland Road, Addiscombe, allegedly hit Liam O'Brien over the head with the axe in Park Street, outside the Bad Apple nightclub during the early hours of Wednesday, February 4.

He faces one count of attempted murder and another of possessing an offensive weapon, an axe, in a public place.

Streeks, who goes by the nickname 'biscuit', entered no plea to the two charges before the bench at Croydon Magistrates' Court and was remanded in custody.

Karem Hamali, chair of the bench, declined jurisdiction in the case, which means it will next be heard at Croydon Crown Court on February 20.

Streeks was arrested by Sussex Police at Gatwick Airport yesterday.

LABOUR has chosen the son of the Church of England's first black bishop to be its candidate in the Selhurst by-election.

David Wood, 42, is the son of Wilfred Wood, who was Bishop of Croydon from 1985 to 2003.

Mr Wood is expected to win the seat left vacant after the death last month from cancer of Gerry Ryan.

There has been some controversy and accusations of disrespect in political circles after Ukip called for the by-election before Cllr Ryan's funeral.

However, as the by-election will be held on March 5, Selhurst's Labour members were forced to make the choice between Mr Wood, Patsy Cummings and former West Thornton councillor Paul Smith this week.

Mr Wood, who has mainly worked in community engagement and relations, has lived in Selhurst ward for nine years and been a governor at Whitehorse Manor Primary School for five years.

He fought and lost in Fairfield ward, where he grew up, in the 2014 election.

He said: "I feel very honoured. It was a tough process given that Gerry is a tough act to follow. He was exactly what a councillor should be."

JAMES MCaRTHUR knows Palace will be in for a tough afternoon when they take on struggling Leicester City on Saturday.

The Foxes sit 20th in the Premier League but have won two and drawn one of their past six games.

Their home form is not so great – only one win in six – whereas Palace have lost only once on the road in that time.

Midfielder McArthur pulled no punches when saying just how tough this weekend's vital clash would be.

"There is no time to feel sorry for ourselves [after losing to Everton], I think we can take positives into Leicester and that's a big, massive match for us," he said.

"The best way to bounce back? Win, simple as that. We need to go in, play well and do the right things. It'll be tough, we know that. I played there last year in the Championship and it's a tough place. But we are in decent form on the road so it should be an interesting game.

"The manager is very good, knows all games are different and will change it if necessary. He knows how to play against different teams so he won't be rigid. If something needs to be changed then he will do that.

"He will react to this loss as well, he wants to put it right against Leicester.

"We know, in the Premier League, you won't be winning every week but it's about bouncing back."

The last time Palace went to the King Power Stadium, the hosts were flying high at the top of the Championship on a seven-match unbeaten run.

But the Eagles ended that with a superb performance, thanks to first-half goals from Peter Ramage and Damien Delaney, before Andy King scored a late consolation.

Eight of Palace's starters that day in October 2012 are still contracted to the club.

Alan Pardew will fancy three points on the road, based on their recent form away from Selhurst, but then for Leicester it's a must-win clash when you look at the fixtures coming up.

Chamakh will be assessed after his nose injury against Everton and could play with a protective mask, if selected.

There have been some calls online this week for Wayne Hennessey to start instead of Julian Speroni, but it seems unlikely that a change will be made.

Joel Ward, Scott Dann and Damien Delaney should start at the back, and it remains to be seen whether new signing Pape Soaure will be given his debut at left-back. Otherwise, expect Martin Kelly to keep his place.

In midfield, Mile Jedinak returned to training on Thursday and, like Souare, he will be match-fit to take part but Pardew may keep the skipper fresh for Newcastle United on Wednesday.

That means James McArthur and Joe Ledley will most likely partner each other in midfield.

Out wide, permanent signing Wilfried Zaha was harshly left out last weekend after an impressive January, but he could come back into the fold, with Jason Puncheon on the opposite side.

Jordon Mutch looks set to be included in the squad and will be pushing for a start. Depending on what formation Pardew plays, the new signing could play in behind a loan striker.

Yaya Sanogo will probably be given another chance to get his first Premier League goal and, as mentioned above with Chamakh, Pardew could play Dwight Gayle instead if he decides on two up front.

Shola Ameobi is not yet ready to feature as he improves his fitness, while Lee Chung-Yong is not expected to be involved for up to six weeks due to injury after his deadline-day signing.

As for Leicester, midfielder Matty James is available again after suspension, while veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer may keep his place after starting against Manchester United in their previous match.

Paul Konchesky may also come into the fray after being dropped, but the quicker Ritchie De Laet could be preferred again, this time to stop Zaha potentially.

The experienced Esteban Cambiasso will probably partner James or Danny Drinkwater through the middle, while Marc Albrighton is pushing for a start.

In attack, former Brighton striker Leonardo Ulloa looks set to partner big-money signing Andrej Kramaric, whom we have picked out as the dangerman.

Three points for Palace will be huge and make the gap much bigger to the Foxes.

And, with Newcastle on the horizon at Selhurst next week, it's a great chance to take a minimum of four points before facing Arsenal and West Ham, which next weekend's FA Cup clash with Liverpool.

As part of the Metropolitan Police's ongoing London-wide Operation Hawk, a drugs raid was carried out in New Addington this week. Reporter Andrew Jameson and photographer Grant Melton were invited along to see the police in action...

AT 2:05pm, three police vans pull up on Homestead Way having calmly driven through New Addington.
By 2:07pm, 17 police officers are in a property having battered their way through the suspects' front door and detained four men suspected of drugs offences.
It's quite a thing, not just to watch the speed at which the operation is carried out but at how much careful planning has gone into its execution.
The Advertiser arrived just an hour before this, but there have been months of work put into this blink-and-you'll miss it police blitz.
Police received intelligence in the summer that the address maybe being used to push drugs.
Another couple of reports and the police sent neighbourhood officers to give the place a "reccie". Confirming there may have been an issue, police decided to act and obtain a warrant from the magistrates' court under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
This can take about around a month and by the time this one was it is obtained and enough officers are booked to carry out the job, it was Wednesday (February 4).
The briefing takes place at Addington Police Station, in Addington Village Road, which is now a base for most of the police in the south of the borough and non-regular contact point for the public.
New Addington Sergeant Glenn Williams is the lead for the raid. He reminds the 17 officers, three special constables and one community support officer on the job "to take nice deep breaths because the adrenalin will be going".
He later tells the Advertiser: "What I am really trying to ensure is we keep that balance, because if anyone is doing the job then you have that adrenalin running but then we have a duty of care to those people we have detained."
Officers are reminded it is their own individual decision as to whether they handcuff the suspects, because of dangers over use of force.
Detailed intelligence is shown of the suspects and then different officers are told their duties for the raid. A PC on the team tells us the police would be carrying out these raids all the time if the public were willing to provide more information about criminality.
When we arrive at Homestead Way, we exit the vans as soon as the foot is off the pedal, lining up behind bushes out of the line of sight. Some officers were dropped off earlier in various locations in the roads surrounding to make sure the exits to the suspects' property are covered – a hazard of New Addington's rat-run layout.
The rest of us scuttle along behind the bushes before officers get out the battering ram to break the door down in seconds.
One of the suspects – hearing noise – swings the upstairs window open and shouts but is detained within seconds along with three other men in the house. Drugs are found in the property almost immediately, with a full search taking place afterwards.
The four men, aged between 18 and 23, were still in custody at a south London police station.
Sgt Williams explained the importance of these raids: "It comes down to the whole criminality element. There is a link to drug use and other types of crime and the impact on the community can be huge. We rely on people ringing Crimestoppers and we would urge people to do so."
To ring Crimestoppers anonymously You can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A MAN connected to the stabbing of a 17-year-old on a night bus in Thornton Heath has been given a further jail term for a separate assault.

Davenand Jaipaul, 20, was sentenced to nine months in a young offender institution for attacking a 40-year-old man outside The Money Shop, in Mitcham Road, Croydon at 1am on September 2 last year.

Jaipaul, of Tankerton Terrace, Mitcham Road, was part of a group of men who confronted the victim as he was walked down the street with a friend.

Jaipaul pushed him and, as the man turned away, punched him in the face, causing him to need hospital treatment.

When police arrived the victim pointed out Jaipaul at a kebab shop on the opposite side of the road and he was arrested.

Jaipaul denied the offence despite being identified by witnesses and having a cut on his hand from the assault.

He was found guilty of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and was sentenced yesterday (Thursday) at Croydon Crown Court.

The thug was previously given a nine month sentence on January 9 after being found guilty of affray in connection with the stabbing of a 17-year-old boy on a N109 bus in London Road, Thornton Heath, on April 27, 2014.

Shomari Davis, 18, and a 17-year-old accomplice stabbed the boy three times during an attempted robbery. Davis was jailed for eight years and the teenager was sentenced to 13 years. 

HOUSEHOLDS in the most affluent areas of Croydon earn up to three times as much on average than those in the poorest parts of the borough.

Figures for the total median annual household income in Croydon also show the stark contrast between the north and south of Croydon. 

Those differences - in health, politics, education and living standards - are well documented. 

But the map below, created by the Advertiser, sheds new light on the gulf in earnings between certain sections of the town. 

Croydon's highest earners live on the exclusive Webb Estate in Woodcote, with households there earning an average of £61,490.

In contrast, people living in the area of New Addington around Dunsfold Way and Castle Hill Avenue earn the least, with an average total income of £18,572.

Put another way, it would take a family in Dunsfold Way 806 years to earn Manchester United stay Wayne Rooney's annual wage, according to the BBC's online calculator. 

The median income in the UK at the time the statistics were compiled was £21,326.

Our map shows the average earnings of all households within each 'Lower Super Ouput Area' (LSOA), which each include an average of 1,500 residents and 650 households. Following changes introduced in 2011 there are 34,753 LSOAs in England and Wales.

It charts median household income in 2011/12 from data put together by the Greater London Authority. The raw information can be found here. 

Other affluent areas of Croydon include parts of Kenley and Coulsdon, as well as Sanderstead and the homes around Lloyd Park. 

In contrast the highest earners in the north of the borough are those living in Upper Norwood, where the median household income is £43,502.

THE owner of Mirch Masala in Norbury sacked the takeaway's manager after its latest zero star hygiene rating.

For the last two years, the Norbury Indian takeaway was given the lowest possible score following inspections by food standards officers.

After receiving 'bad' in food hygiene and structure and no confidence in management, the owner fired the manager of ten years and promoted Tasawwar Iqbal to improve standards.

"Having a zero rating is having a big effect on our business," said Mr Iqbal. "Many customers are e-mailing and calling to ask why we are rated zero. The previous manager did not keep up the standards so I am in charge of keeping ithe restaurant hygienic now.

"The pipe from the sink was leaking and the seals on the fridges were broken and dirty. We fixed these now and have a new oven, new microwave, new fridges and a clean floor.

"We have spent between £10,000 and £15,000 and now thoroughly clean the kitchen every day.

"Customers have been to look and said that the kitchen is very clean and excellent now. Anyone can come and see for themselves."