U21 Development League 2

Swansea City 3-3 Palace

CRYSTAL Palace's U21 side played a six-goal thriller away to Swansea City on Monday night and had to thank Connor Dymond for rescuing a point with a last-gasp equaliser.

Fisayo Adarabioyo had put Gary Issott's side ahead before a brace from Kenji Gorre helped the Swans to half-time in front. Captain for the night Kyle de Silva then slotted in a penalty but Josh Sheehan had looked to hand the home side a vital win, before Dymond popped up to snatch a point.

Palace took the lead early on against a Swansea side who had been on a 12-game unbeaten run, when Fisayo Adarabioyo slotted past Swans goalkeeper David Cornell after a pass from Sonny Black.

Ten minutes before the break, the hosts equalised when Kenji Gorre fired past David Gregory after getting beyond his marker.

And it didn't like for Gorre to grab his second and put Swansea ahead when his long range effort managed to beat Gregory.

As the hour-mark approached, Palace equalised from the penalty spot through Kyle de Silva, who had been fouled inside the box by Cornell.

At 2-2, there were plenty of chances at either end but Swansea took the lead again when Henry Jones went down the right and crossed for Josh Sheehan to finish off the post.

But Dymond had the final say in the outcome, as he headed past Cornell from a delivery to make sure of point.

Palace: Gregory, N'Diane, Magri, Croll, Dymond, Boateng, Black, Allassani, Adarabioyo (Anderson 62), de Silva, Berkeley-Agyepong. Subs not used: Comins, Bissaka, Phillips, Ferrier.

A YOUNG footballer who was left in a coma after suffering a head injury during a match has regained consciousness. 

Kariym Irving, 22, was involved in a clash of heads while playing for Redhill FC reserves against Knaphill on Saturday.

The former John Fisher pupil played on but, later that evening, he collapsed and was taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting, where he was initially placed in an induced coma.

But on Monday night Redhill manager Mike Maher revealed Mr Irving had regained consciousness.

He tweeted: "Great news that @redhillfc player Kariym Irving has regained consciousness. Keep fighting big man. Thanks to everyone for their wishes."

Irving is a keen sportsman who also plays rugby as well as representing Surrey in athletics, specialising in the discus.

The 6ft 8in sportsman used to compete regularly against fellow Croydon Harrier Lawrence Okoye, who went on to reach the 2012 Olympic discus final.

Here's a dip back into our archives from February 2012, when the Advertiser caught up with the man whose voice greets thousands of tram passengers every day....

THIS famous face has been a fixture on TV news bulletins for decades.

But did you know that BBC newsreader Nicholas Owen is also the man whose dulcet tones welcome you on to the tram each morning?

Mr Owen's voice is heard by thousands across Croydon's tram network day in, day out, announcing arrival at stations far and wide from Addiscombe to Ampere Way.

But there is one gap on the network not yet filled by the sounds of the veteran news anchor.

He told the Advertiser: "One of the few stops I am not the voice of is Centrale, as that was brought in after my recordings.

"I would love to re-record the newest stops and the ones due to come to town."

The 65-year-old said his love of the trams was further fuelled when he was given the "prestigious role".

"I have always been interested in trains, ever since I was a very small boy," he explained. "So when they asked me if I would be the voice of the trams I was delighted. I said yes almost immediately."

Mr Owen, who lives in Reigate, says he can remember the exact time when his tram fascination started.

He said: "I was five years old and I was on one of the old-style trams which were around years ago. It was 1951.

"I was with my mother and we were travelling through South Croydon, and I was just infatuated with how they worked."

It was a passion that was re-ignited when it was announced trams were making a comeback in the borough at the turn of the 21st century.

He said: "When it was announced the trams were returning I was incredibly surprised and excited.

"Before any of the tramline work started, I remember walking along where some of the routes were planned for with my friends, wondering how it was all going to work." He added of the recording link-up: "They asked me to be the voice of the trams about five years ago and I said yes. I was very pleased to be asked.

"Recording took quite a while. I kept talking too fast and had to keep re-recording it so I was talking a lot slower.

"They explained to me that, for many using the tram network, English may not be their first language.

"In fact, it has been a running joke with some of my friends who ask why I am talking so slowly."

Mr Owen admits his tram role attracts almost as much attention as his day job.

He added: "There have been a few times when people have come up to me on the street and asked if I was the tram man. I am always surprised they realise.

"I have a friend called Tony Dyer who lives in Shirley and was once a tram driver. He would joke that he used to get annoyed with my voice."

Croydon people are among the most generous in the world, according to figures released by fundraising website JustGiving.

In 2014, more than 13 million people raised £358 million for 13,000 causes via the website.

And the amount raised by Croydon donors placed the borough in the top three per cent of JustGiving fundraisers in the world.

Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the council, said: "This is a tremendous achievement, underlining the spirit and generosity of the people of Croydon.

"To make the top three per cent of donations in the world is truly remarkable and I take my hat off to everybody who took part in the events, and to all those who dug into their pockets to offer financial help to those in need."

One notable example is the story of Scarlett Hewitt, a New Addington girl with cerebral palsy, who needed £65,000 to fund surgery in America so she could walk again.

Such was the generosity of the Croydon community, the family smashed their target within a few months after launching their appeal in March last year, and little Scarlett underwent the procedure just before Christmas.

CAMPAIGNERS are hailing victory after the speed limit along much of Coulsdon's bypass was bumped up to 40mph this week.

Since the road's construction in 2007, the limit along the northern half of the bypass was 30mph, leading to complaints the police were using the road to snare drivers with 'unfair' speeding tickets.

Transport for London announced last year they would look again at the limit on the 400 yard stretch of the A23, and the increase was finally put in place yesterday (February 9).

Charles King, chairman of East Coulsdon Residents Association, was delighted with the campaign's success.

"It's a real positive. We got there in the end, and people said we'd never do it," he said.

"It's past time for all the people who have been done for speeding in the years the bypass has been open."

When the Advertiser first reported the campaign to raise the limit in April 2013, Mr King said the plans made sense, as the road was quite wide and pedestrians had no reason to cross, while most vehicles tended to travel at 40mph.

"Of course, they are surprised when they are stopped by the police for speeding," he added.

At the time, local roads enthusiast and UKIP activist Peter Morgan said the speed limit "brought the law into disrepute".

He said: "It is not a sensible use of resources. "It is perfectly sensible doing 40mph from the top of the hill to the traffic lights, and it is bringing the law into disrepute when the police conduct these regular speed traps and catch people."

But Green Party GLA member Darren Johnson objected to the plan.

He said: "This sends a terrible message of tolerance for those who break the rules on our roads."

Earlier today, Steve O'Connell, Conservative GLA member for Croydon and Sutton, greeted the new speed limit via Twitter.

Pleased that the 40mph speed is now in place on Coulsdon By Pass.

— Steve O'Connell (@SteveO_Connell) February 10, 2015

IF YOU are looking for love this Valentine's weekend, you could do worse than come to Croydon, it seems.

A dating website has released data showing it has more singletons on its books from Croydon than anywhere else in the UK.

Croydon comes in ahead of fellow London boroughs Ilford and Mitcham, for the number of people signed up to singlesnearme.com A quarter of the website's members are from London.

THREE people were arrested on suspicion of benefit fraud in a council and police raid of two Croydon homes early yesterday morning.

Both households are suspected of falsely claiming their marriages have separated, entitling the women to claim more benefits.

One of the houses targeted is home to a family with two children in their early teens. The mother, 37, has told the council that she and her husband, 35, are no longer with each other and, despite still living together, lead separate lives.

Croydon Council's investigations officer Gail Campbell said this means the father's income would not be included in the mother's benefit claim, entitling her and the two children to more income support.

The council hoped to pounce early and catch the family in their morning routine.

On arriving at the house at 6.30am, a dozen police and riot officers take their positions around the property before pounding on the door.

The mother answers and, within moments, the officers have swept through the house. As soon as they have secured the property, council officers look for evidence the parents are still living as a couple.

"We expect to see Mr has spent the night in the same bed as Mrs," said Ms Campbell. "We'll be looking for photos and things like his clothing lying about and where his belongings are kept.

"We don't expect to find he's slept on the sofa," she added.

As this is happening, another police team knock on the door of the second couple, a husband aged 70 and his 65-year-old wife, suspected of almost 15 years of benefit fraud.

Again, officers knock and enter the property to arrest the couple, before council officers search the property.

Officers are also looking for documents like bank statements that suggest the couples are still together.

Mary Clark, from the department of work and pensions (DWP), is working with Ms Campbell on the second search.

She said in their pension applications the second couple, who both claim state pensions, state they live together but the wife has not declared that her husband works full time.

But, according to Ms Campbell, the wife claims to live alone on her council forms, and her husband is not mentioned at all.

"You tend to find people who forget, for some reason, that they have married and got a husband sitting on the sofa," said Ms Campbell.

By 7.50am, the husband and wife have been arrested on suspicion of benefit fraud and taken to Croydon Police Station for questioning.

The father from the first raid was also arrested on suspicion of benefit fraud and possessing cannabis.

See all the pictures of the morning's operation here.

EMERGENCY services have been called to a traffic collision involving two cars in Coulsdon Road. 

London Ambulance Service (LAS), police and firefighters from Croydon station attended the scene following the incident at the junction with Tollers Lane at 4.20pm.

A police spokesman said people were treated for minor injuries not believed to be life changing.

One witness, who saw the aftermath of the collision, said people were being cut from the cars by fire crews.

"There were a few ambulances, a few fire engines and a lot of police. It looked very serious - I was only going to the shop and couldn't believe my eyes," they said.

THOSE hoping to see the Tramlink extended down to South Croydon are likely to be disappointed for a good while yet.

The woman in charge of Croydon's iconic mode of transport has driven the idea of a new southern route firmly off track.

In a Twitter Q&A on Tuesday, the Advertiser asked Sharon Thompson, director of Tramlink, whether an extension down the Brighton Road, towards the Restaurant Quarter, might be considered.

But she replied: "Feasibility work was done years ago, there are currently no plans for this project."

The Advertiser was also told there is no intention to widen the recent experiment which involved a tram being painted yellow, to raise awareness of the need to be vigilant when crossing tram lines.

"The yellow tram is part of a safety campaign and there is currently no plans to increase the number," Ms Thompson added.

The Tramlink chief answered queries from the public during the social media session, with questioners using the hashtag #asktrams

She restated a previous commitment that, by early 2016, there would be four extra trams on the network, and revealed work was in progress to make sure all tram ticket machines were set up to accept Oyster and card payments.

Mrs Thompson was also asked the age old question of when the Tramlink would be extended to Crystal Palace – an issue which Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has been accused of breaking his promises on.

She suggested this proposal was some way from becoming a reality, saying a design was in place but there was no money available or a business case on the table at the moment.

Mrs Thompson also hinted the possible redevelopment of Crystal Palace Park could be a key factor in deciding whether or not the extension happens.

Crystal Palace have now picked up more points in four PL games (9) since Alan Pardew returned to Selhurst Park than they had in their previous eleven (8) after another excellent win on the road this time at the King Power Stadium Leicester last weekend.

The Eagles entertain Newcastle United on Wednesday evening as Alan Pardew goes head-to-head with his former Club for the first time since returning to Palace in December. It is sure to be an emotionally charged atmosphere and this is the third time the sides have met this season.

Palace had failed to score in seven games in a row against the Magpies before the start of the current season but the sides have already met twice this season sharing six goals at St James's Park in August before Palace lost 3-2 to Alan Pardew's Newcastle in the Capital One Cup the following month.

Palace are 7/5 at BetVictor to keep all three points with the draw 11/5 and the visitors 12/5; I expect to see goals and the 4/1 for an Eagles win and both sides finding the back of the net is the recommendation.

Dwight Gayle, Marouane Chamakh and Yaya Sanogo are 7/1 co-favourites to grab the opener alongside Newcastle's Ayoze Perez who has been in excellent form for the Geordies of late. I am sure Alan Pardew, if his side are successful, will say it is just another three points but deep down he must want to show his old club just what they are missing after four often turbulent years at the Club.

The Eagles are out to 9/1 to be relegated and cut to 10/1 for a top half finish. We have been banging on for months about the likelihood of the three promoted sides from last season being relegated back to the Championship this campaign. The trio were cut from 5s to 2/1 after the weekend losses of Leicester and QPR and the home draw of Burnley who once again let slip a two-goal lead this time against the Baggies.

Liverpool are the visitors in the FA Cup 5^th Round on Saturday in a repeat of the 1990 FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park when Alan Pardew scored an extra time winner in a famous 4-3 success for the Eagles. All talk of the Reds and the Cup is on the back burner, however, until after the visit of Newcastle and if you told the Eagles boss he could only win of the games this week I wonder which one he would choose?

A win against Newcastle will certainly do for starters.

For all your sporting odds, head to Bet Victor online.

A THIRD of secondary school pupils in Croydon have smoked shisha, a survey has found.

The "alarming" findings show shisha - or waterpipes - are gaining popularity among young people even as smoking rates are falling, a council report said.

The Croydon Secondary School Health and Lifestyle Survey 2014 asked 2,325 year 8 and 10 students about their smoking habits.

While just 14 per cent of the 13 to 15-year-olds who took part said they had tried a cigarette, 32 per cent said they had smoked shisha.

Public Health Croydon intends to produce a tobacco plan in order to address the issue.

Shisha, also known as hookahs, are used to smoke tobacco in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, but have become increasingly used in Western countries.

They can be used to smoke a number of substances including tobacco and herbal mixes, which may be flavoured with fruits or sugar syrup. 

 A report by Director of Public Health Mike Robinson, published ahead of Health & Well-Being Board meeting on Wednesday afternoon, said there are "common misconceptions" about health risks of shisha, including that they are safer than cigarettes because the water filters harmful substances.

"There is also some evidence that sharing a waterpipe mouthpiece poses serious risk of transmission of communicable diseases, including tuberculosis," the report added. 

It cites a study which found machine-smoked waterpipes contained five times the amount of ultrafine particles, four times the carcinogens and 35 times the carbon monoxide than regular cigarettes. 

The council estimates shisha is sold in around 15 premises in Croydon, a figure it says it "likely to increase".

That includes new venue, purported to be London's biggest shisha bar, set up in South Croydon in the former Royal Oak pub by 18-year-old millionaire Hashim Haq.

The study of year 8 and 10 pupils in Croydon showed cigarette smoking in decreasing. 

Only 14 per cent said they had smoked and just four per cent said they had done so in the past seven days.

"Alarmingly, 32 per cent responding [sic] that they have smoked sisha," the report said. 

"The suggestion is that shisha as a niche or novel tobacco product is gaining popularity among young people even as cigarette smoking rates are diminishing."

The report does say the figures may have been influenced by a variety of e-cigarette branded "shisha-pen". 

"Though these products have nothing to do with waterpipe shisha, it is possible that children or young people may use the term shisha in regard to these devices, which are on sale in Croydon and have been discovered in secondary schools.

"That said, there are signs that youth shisha use is increasing nationally with one cross-sectional study in the UK finding younger adults were more likely to have ever used a waterpipe and to more frequently use a waterpipe than older adults."

Seven per cent of pupils who took part in the survey said they had tried e-cigarettes. 

"However, anecdotal reports from secondary schools suggest staff are concerned and confiscations of the devices are relatively common," the report added.

Public Health Croydon says it will produce a tobacco plan and work with the Health Schools Network to provide advice and training to teachers. 

Schools will be encouraged to report confiscations of illicit tobacco from pupils to the council's Trading Standards team.

The council will also provide information to those operating shisha bars to encourage them to work with the authorities. 

Has you child or daughter smoked shisha? Let us know what you think below. 

JOE Ledley says Palace need to get a win against Newcastle United to improve their home form.

On the road recently, the Eagles have been excellent, and Ledley hopes the club can move on to 29 points come 10pm tonight.

"It will be massive to get a win but we treat every game like it's a cup final," he said.

"It doesn't matter who we play, hopefully we just go out there and perform and get the three points.

"Home form this season has changed from last season. We haven't been that good so let's try and change that with a win."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

CRYSTAL Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni is hoping the club's fans put in another "good display" and create a hot atmosphere for the visit of Newcastle United tonight.

With manager Alan Pardew set to face his former club, Speroni has described the evening as "emotional" for the 53-year-old and that he and his team-mates will be looking to get three points for him.

"It will be emotional playing against his old club as he spent so many years there. It will be special," said the shot-stopper.

"Every point is important to us in the Premier League. We'll prepare right for the game, it's another important one so hopefully we can get some more points.

"We don't need to play against any special team to have a top atmosphere at home. The fans have been unbelievable for us and I am sure they will put in another good display.

"It will be good for the manager to get a win against anybody. Newcastle won't be an exception."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

THE dawn raids which led to the arrest of three alleged benefit cheats in Croydon have provoked a huge online response, with many people questioning whether the police were heavy-handed. 

Council staff were joined by police in 'riot gear' - including protective helmets - during the operation in West Croydon, in the early hours of Monday morning. 

They searched two households suspected of falsely claiming their marriages had separated, entitling the women to claim more benefits.

The story and images have sparked debate, with readers contrasting the scale of the police response with the reaction to the news, which broke on the same morning, that HSBC helped wealthy clients evade hundreds of millions of pounds of tax. 

Mark McGowan, the 'artist taxi driver', posted a video about the raids on his hit YouTube channel, which is followed by 42,000 people. 

In the recording 'chunkymark' cites the Advertiser's story about police 'gangs' with 'riot helmets, balaclavas and battering rams' raiding two homes of suspicion of benefit fraud. 

"The police have sent two squads of police, with balaclavas and battering rams, and they are going through the door. Because they want the evidence. They want to catch them...in bed...together!

"It doesn't matter if there are children in the house they will be scared, they will be shaking, they will never forget the day when the police knocked at their door because that's how Croydon deals with fraud!

"Which is in stark contrast to David Cameron, George Osborne, the HMRC, the Crown Prosecution Service [and] how they have dealt with 7,000 potential tax evaders...hiding millions, hiding billions."

The contrast has also been made by a number of people on Twitter. 

'Suspected benefit cheats raided by police Croydon' Will this happen for those implicated in #SwissLeaks#HSBCFileshttp://t.co/DXWVhj7h3b

— Ben Lucas (@benjameslucas) February 11, 2015

Suspected benefit cheats arrested in early morning Croydon raid << riot police? Is that necessary?! http://t.co/XBHR3hrFck

— Antonia Bance (@antoniabance) February 10, 2015

Croydon riot police early morning raid on OAP's for Housing benefit fraud WTF ! HSBC defraud billions not a fkn peep pic.twitter.com/tbjipWkD4g

— 45% VSS (@billyjYES) February 10, 2015

1,100 HSBC rich income tax thieves let off - but Croydon send FULL RIOT POLICE after 2 benefit fraudsters. http://t.co/fzC3htZ2ci

— RogueCoder (@RogueCoder250) February 10, 2015

The story has also prompted dozens of comments on the Advertiser's Facebook page. 

LadyJean Duke posted: "MPs don't get treated like this when they rob the treasury. Disgusting."

Sade Chantal Shariff wrote: "Go and arrest the tax evading millionaires."

Peter Reeds said: "When will they do this to the people who really defraud the country? The big corporations stealing billions from us."

Stacy Humphris Blackley said: "There is a better way of dealing with them. I just feel for the kids."

A CROYDON fly-tipper has been brought to book after his crime was witnessed by a resident who mentioned the incident on his Facebook page.

Amir Ben Malik, of Kidderminster Road, Broad Green, admitted the offence at Croydon Magistrates' Court yesterday.

He was fined £110, and ordered to pay costs of £200 and a £20 victim surcharge, the total of £330 to be paid before May 1.

The court heard that Malik, at the time a driver for Merton-based BMS Transport, was spotted in Kemp Gardens, Broad Green, in July fly-tipping a quantity of furniture from his company van.

The act was brought to the attention of one of the company directors, after word spread on social media, who immediately contacted Malik who admitted responsibility.

The director told Malik to return to the site to collect the waste he had dumped and he was sacked.

Malik initially stated he had acted for another man but later changed his story, saying the fly-tipping had been his own idea. He claimed that waste was already there, but accepted that, even if this were true, it was neither mitigation nor a defence.

Malik took the waste home and claimed to have booked a bulky waste collection with Croydon Council. But there was no record of the booking and Malik again changed his story, saying he had arranged for a man with a van to take the waste away.

Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the council, said: "This man went along to a residential street thinking that he'd be able to commit his crime unnoticed under cover of the night, but he was wrong, and he now has a criminal record.

"Thanks to the power of social media, which so often gets a bad press, many people, and eventually his employer, learned of what he'd done and he was made to account for his horribly antisocial act.

"This is a great example of the need for residents to speak up if they see anything like this going on. If the resident in this case hadn't acted, Malik would have got away with his crime, leaving Croydon council taxpayers to pick up the tab for clearing his mess.

"Other would-be fly-tippers should take note, and be aware that the council will prosecute. They must realise that they shouldn't mess with Croydon."

The crackdown on fly-tipping is part of the council's Don't Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign, aimed at combining the help of volunteers with council action to encourage recycling and lead enforcement against the worst offences.

Since launching the initiative last June, the council has:
• signed 184 volunteer community champions;
• issued about 150 fixed penalty notices of up to £80;
• carried out around 250 business licence inspections;
• cleared 88% of reported fly-tipped waste within 48 hours; and
• seen more than 4,000 people report fly-tipping issues

Dumped waste can be reported via the council's dedicated fly-tipping hotline on 020 8604 7000, the council's My Croydon smartphone app or by emailing flytip@croydon.gov.uk

For more information, visit www.croydon.gov.uk/environment/do

THE Ministry of Defence has confirmed it does not have plans to sell Kenley Airfield after announcing land across the country would be sold to save money.

At the end of January Michael Fallon, Secretary of State for Defence, announced that the MOD would consider whether it needs 57 sites within the M25, and what the right number of airfields is.

He said: "Every year we should be looking to take out unnecessary cost, to improve productivity, to sweat our assets so that we can better support the frontline."

But today a spokeswoman for the MOD said: "The MOD does not have any plans to sell Kenley Airfield."

The MOD owns the airfield within the perimeter track, while the City of London owns the land outside the track.

Steve O'Connell, Kenley councillor and member of the Greater London Authority, has written to Mr Fallon to remind him of an agreement that should the MOD no longer want the airfield ownership must be passed to the city of London.

"We want to make sure they don't even think about selling it," said Mr O'Connell.

Alan Morgan, chair of Kenley Airfield Friends Group which is applying for an £800,000 Heritage Lottery Fund to preserve the site, said he was not alarmed about the land's future.

"We are alert but think it's a low level risk at the moment," he said.

CRYSTAL Palace midfielder James McArthur believes tonight's clash with Newcastle United will be a "heated affair" as Alan Pardew comes up against his former club.

The boss quit Tyneside after four years to take up the hotseat at Selhurst Park at the star of the year and has guided Palace to five wins out of six in all competitions so far.

McArthur believes Palace will have the upper hand with Pardew's knowledge of the Toon and says the Eagles will be gunning for all three points to go within a point of the Magpies.

"We will be confident. It's going to be a heated affair but we know it's going to be a tough test as Newcastle are top quality," said McArthur.

"We've got a performance level up at the moment and hopefully we can get another victory.

"Hopefully it helps that the gaffer knows Newcastle. It will be an extra special occasion for him and we'll try to get him a win.

"We want to win every single match, no matter who you're playing against whether it's top or bottom or you're rivals, you want to do whatever you can do to win that match.

"I think it's important you approach every match the same."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

SOUTH Norwood police station will not be opening as a school in September after the group behind the plan pulled out. 

The building, in Oliver Grove, was due to become STEM Academy Croydon Gateway later this year. 

The 16 to 19 college had been approved by the Department for Education (DfE), appointed a head teacher and received more than 50 applications from prospective students.

Last month head Adrian Miller spoke to the Advertiser about his ambitious plans for the school. 

But Stem Academy Education Trust has now scrapped the plan in order to concentrate on its other academy in Islington. 

Tony Sewell, the school's chairman of governors, said in a statement sent to the Advertiser today (Wednesday): "We have taken the decision not to continue with our proposal to open STEM Academy Croydon Gateway, our planned 16-19 academy for Croydon.

"This has been a very difficult decision for the Trust to make. 

"However, setting up a free school is a major undertaking and at this present time we feel that we are unable to commit the level of resource required to successfully launch a new academy whilst also fully supporting STEM Academy Tech City, our existing 16-19 academy in Islington."

STEM Academy Education Trust's decision to back out of the school comes weeks after Mr Miller spoke publicly about how it would help to address a skills shortage in specialist industries based on science, technology, engineering and maths. 

He spoke with enthusiasm about how the former police station would make an ideal home for a school, including plans to convert the holding cells into robotics laboratories. 

It is understood he will now work with the pupils who applied to the school to help find alternative STEM courses outside Croydon. 

The police station closed in 2012 as part of budget cuts and was later put up for sale. 

It is unclear what will now happen to the building. 

STEM is the second proposed school in the north of the borough to collapse in the last year. 

In June 2014 the group behind Advance Free School mysteriously pulled out of plans to open on Highbury Playing Fields in Thornton Heath, having already spent £84,000 of public money on the proposal. 

A CHRISTIAN pastor accused of child abuse as well as sexual and indecent assaults against three girls under 16 denied all the charges against him in court today (February 11).

Howard Curtis, 72, pleaded not guilty to 13 charges put to him at Croydon Crown Court this morning.

Those charges include two of sexual assault against a girl, once between January 2009 and December 2012, and again in July 2013. The girl was aged 13 at the time of the second assault. He also pleaded not guilty to a more serious charge of assault by penetration for the earlier of the two offences.

Curtis is also charged with two indecent assaults on another girl, under 16, between August 1, 1991 and April 1, 1996.

He denied two further sexual assaults against a third girl, again under 16 at the time, which are alleged to have taken place between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2009.

As well as those, he faces six counts of child cruelty against five youngsters - three boys and two girls. Those offences are alleged to have taken place on several dates between January 4, 1969 and May 17, 2008.

None of Curtis's alleged victims can be named for legal reasons.

Until May 2012, Curtis was the leader of Coulsdon Christian Fellowship, a church in Chipstead Valley Road. He remained in a senior role at the church until June 2013.

All the offences are alleged to have taken place in the borough of Croydon.

Curtis, of Bloxworth Close, Wallington, was released on bail on condition that he not contact any of the victims, prosecution witnesses and reside at his home address. He also must not visit Coulsdon Christian Fellowship.

Judge Daniel Flahive adjourned the cause until September 14 this year, when Curtis is now due to stand trial.

A MAN punched a young mother in the head during an unprovoked attack outside a doctors' surgery in Croydon.

Cyril Atula, 20, attacked the woman as she left St James Medical Centre, in St James's Road, with her baby and three-year-old son at 4pm on August 8 last year.

Atula, of Tressillian Cresent, Lewisham, initially denied assault but changed his plea to guilty before his trial began at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Clare Carey, prosecuting, told the court that the victim, who was 24-years-old at the time, was on the phone to her mother discussing her son's medical condition when Atula confronted her.

"He said: 'What did you say?' She replied that she was talking to her mum at which point he launched an unprovoked attack and punched her in the neck.

"She was scared for herself and her children. He was rambling and swearing. He hit her in a swinging action, like he was doing the front crawl. She screamed and so did her children."

The woman, thinking she was being robbed, tried to give Atula her phone but he continued to "slap" her.

He then ran away and she was able to flag down a passing police car. Officers took a witness on a drive to see if she could spot the attacker and, when she did, Atula fled.

The police helicopter was called and Atula was found hiding in a shed in a nearby garden. He has previously pleaded guilty to causing damage to a fence.

Vinesh Boodhoo, defending, said Atula suffered from severe depression and anxiety. He deserved credit for pleading guilty, he added.

The hearing was adjourned until Thursday at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court, in north London, so a probation report can be compiled before Atula is sentenced alongside another matter, in which he admitted possession of a knife and theft of a bicycle.