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Croydon bids farewell to PC Robert Brown, as country's longest serving police officer retires

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  • A CROYDON police officer hung up his hat and truncheon today as the country's longest serving police officer of 47

    years in the Met.

    PC Robert 'Bob' Brown, 64, was surprised by friends, family and colleagues at Croydon police station this morning to

    celebrate his retirement after joining the force in 1968.

    He was involved with the Carlos the Jackal and Baader-Meinhoff cases, spent 72 hours on duty in the 1980s Brixton

    riot and, in New Addington, witnessed the death of his partner, Sergeant Derek Robertson while on duty.

    After he arrived in a vintage Morris Minor panda car, he said: "I will miss the people of Croydon. I was born here on

    Albert Road and I moved back here about 15 years ago.

    "I will miss my friends terribly, but not the job. Enough is enough and the time has come for a change.

    "When I was 18, I was in a job I didn't like and a friend of mine joined the police service and I thought I always liked

    helping people, so I gave it a try."

    Last week, Bob was given the Queen's Police Medal at Buckingham Palace, one of the highest honours bestowed to

    police in recognition of his service in keeping Londoners safe over the course of six decades.

    Bob has served at Harrow Road, Norbury, Addington, and Sutton before joining Croydon station in 1999.

    Last February marked 20 years since the murder of Bob's colleague, Sergeant Derek Robertson in an armed

    robbery at sub-post office in New Addington.

    Bob, one of the three other officers on the scene, tried to give Derek first aid and save his life before he sadly passed

    away.

    "Sad things are the most memorable for me; Derek Robertson being killed, Brixton Riots, the miner's strike," he said.

    "I watch the young people in the job now who have got so much responsibility; much more than I had.

    "What strikes me is how they are carrying out their job fantastically and still in a very professional manner."

    His new northern home, in Hipperholme, Halifax, will be named 'Holme Lee' in memorial of his late son, Lee Brown,

    who passed away aged 35 from pneumonia.

    "He saw the house five times before he passed and it seemed appropriate.

    "I've been back to the house since he passed away and it felt very strange at first but then I felt at home again.

    "I will be relaxing when I can and after a while, try and find something to do.

    "There will be a couple of pints here and there."

    --

    Bob Brown is hailed to be the longest serving police officer in the country, equipped with only a wooden truncheon

    and a whistle on his first day 47 years ago.

    The bobby was one of the first officers on the scene when 'Carlos the Jackal' shot Joseph Sieff, the Marks and

    Spencer boss in 1973.

    He supported the Met's Special Branch during the arrest of Astrid Poll in 1978, an early member of the terrorist

    group Baader-Meinhoff Gang.

    In 1981, he worked for three days in the first Brixton riot and has been on duty at nearly every Notting Hill Carnival.

    Croydon Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Andy Tarrant, worked with Bob for seven months and has

    colleagues who said Bob has taught them a different way of thinking.

    "He is an amazing individual," he said.

    "He is so compassionate to victims. Everyone can learn something from him and how he deals with different things.

    "It is only fitting that Bob should complete his career in the area that he was born in.

    "Croydon Police Station won't be the same without Bob working here."

    Chief Superintendent, Carron Schusler said: "He had no idea about this surprise and just look at the amount of

    officers that have turned out today.

    "It shows how much he is loved and will be really missed by everyone.

    "He means something special to all the officers for all different reasons."

    Police Community Support Officer, Jacqueline Kufuor has worked with Bob for eight years.

    She said: "He is a lovely man and knows everything.

    "He is always there to help when you need him and if he can't help you, he will always point you in the right

    direction."

    --

    Family and friends travelled from all over the country to surprise Bob this morning, hiding at friends' house to keep it

    under wraps.

    Bob's sister, Pat Brown, 67, from Halifax, describes him as a caring man who always wanted to help people.

    "He was given an office as a sign of good will but even then he didn't want to be in there. He said he want to serve

    the public on the streets," she said.

    "It's going to be a massive change for him. The police have always been there for him and he's been through so

    much."

    Twin brother of Pat, Peter, from Bristol, is proud of what his older brother has achieved.

    He said: "It's really heart-warming to see this many people turn up; it makes me quite envious.

    "He is known by police officers all over the country. I even spoke to a policeman in Bristol who knew who he was."

    Brother-in-law, Bob Jones, a 63-year-old HCV driver said: "He is going to miss it big time.

    "But, I do think it's got to the stage where the force is not the same as it used to be for him and a lot is changing."

    Christine Grace, 68, from Halifax said how the police force has supported him through difficult times.

    "He has had so much trauma in his life.

    "When his wife was in hospital, the superintendent came down to hospital to be by his side.

    "They are true friends."

Croydon bids farewell to PC Robert Brown, as country's longest serving police officer retires


MP brands Croydon Council poster campaign 'propaganda' which is 'blatantly' designed to influence elections

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A COUNCIL has been accused of using public money to print election "propaganda" after paying for a poster campaign about a cut in government funding. 

The posters, on billboards in prominent locations in the town centre, feature a picture of Big Ben alongside the words: "Government is cutting its funding to you by £100 million over the next 3 Years."

It adds: "Your council is doing all it can to protect local services. 

"Our services will have to change to cope with the funding cut. 

"We are working hard for you, our residents."

Gavin Barwell, Conservative MP for Croydon Central, said public money "should not be used for propaganda" and called for the posters to be taken down, adding that the figure used "isn't true". 

As well as a looming General Election in May, where Mr Barwell faces a battle with Labour's Sarah Jones to retain his seat, the town is also weeks away from a by-election in Selhurst on March 5, following the death of councillor Gerry Ryan. 

Councils must follow strict guidelines as to what information they publish in the run up to elections. 

Indeed, the press office has already told the Advertiser it is in 'purdah', a period during election campaigns where policy announcements stop so as not to influence the vote, ahead of the by-election. 

Councils must also abide by a code of practice for publicity more generally. 

Mr Barwell claims it is an "open and shut case" as to whether the rules have been breached. 

"There's a genuine debate to be had about the funding formula and whether that treats Croydon fairly," he said. 

"But to launch this campaign at this point clearly has nothing to do with changing the government's mind, because the funding settlement has just happened. 

"The only reason for this timing is because there is an election coming up. It's blatantly obvious."

Responding to Mr Barwell's criticism on Twitter, Tony Newman, leader of the Labour-run council, said: "The council has a duty to inform residents that your Tory led government has chosen to cut Croydon Council's funding by 40 per cent."

He later added: 

Mr Barwell said he had checked the figure with the House of Commons Library.

"The truth is the Government hasn't even decided how much funding it will give to Croydon Council for the next three years," he wrote in an email to constituents.

"It has announced what is known as the Settlement Funding Assessment for 2015/16 and that involves a cut of £21 million, but it hasn't yet announced all of the other specific and special grants the council will get next year and it hasn't announced any figures for 2016/17 and 2017/18, so who knows how the council came up with the figure."

He added that the council's total expenditure had increased under the Coalition, from £577 million in 2010/11 to £615 million this year, although it has fallen by £7 million if inflation is factored in. 

The council announced a series of measures to meet this year's funding cuts, including closing Purley Pool, though this decision has since been reversed. 

Mr Barwell said the posters should come down. 

"A Labour voter said I was just complaining but imagine how they would feel if the government bought billboard advertising in Croydon Central boasting about reducing the deficit.

"They would be would be rightly outraged that the government was trying to interfere in a marginal seat. 

"It's inappropriate. If I was just a Conservative voter in Croydon, I pay my council tax for local services. I don't pay for the council to take sides in an election."

What do you make of the posters? Let us know below, on our Facebook page or on Twitter by tweeting @croydonad. 

MP brands Croydon Council poster campaign 'propaganda' which is 'blatantly' designed to influence elections

Ledley could hold the key for Crystal Palace against Liverpool

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JOE LEDLEY could be key to Crystal Palace's hopes of winning their FA Cup tie with Liverpool, if the statistics are anything to go by. Since Mile Jedinak left for the Asian Cup at the turn of the year the Crystal Palace captain has missed a total of eight matches in the Premier League and FA Cup and it has been the responsibility of his midfield partner Joe Ledley to guide the side through his absence. Ledley has not disappointed with the Eagles winning five, drawing two and only losing one of their games since Jedinak's departure. Next up for Crystal Palace is a tough battle with the in-form Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Opta powered fantasy football game www.oulala.com have taken a detailed look at Ledley's performance stats against those of his midfield opponents on Saturday, Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson, and it makes good reading for Palace fans, however Liverpool fans should look away. Of the main performance criteria attributed to central midfielders the only one that the Liverpool pair excel over Ledley at is passing. Gerrard has completed 86 per cent and Henderson 82 per cent of their passes made, Ledley falls just short with 80 per cent. However, for every other criteria it is the Crystal Palace man that leads. Ledley has won 56.8 per cent of his tackles this season compared to the Liverpool midfielders who both fall below half with Henderson winning 48.3 per cent and Gerrard 44.7 per cent. When it comes to take-ons, Ledley shines again. The Palace midfielder has won 52.6 per cent of his duels with Henderson and Gerrard again coming up short at 49.7 per cent and 45.1 per cent respectively. For interceptions, blocks and clearances Ledley has outperformed his opponents even further (see graphic). And with Palace coming out on top after a convincing 3-1 Premier League home win in November against Liverpool, the stats show that the away side has a difficult midfield battle at the weekend in their fight to make the FA Cup sixth round.

Ledley could hold the key for Crystal Palace against Liverpool

Mahmood back at Surrey for T20 Blast

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SURREY County Cricket Club have announced that all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has re-signed with the club for this summer's Natwest T20 Blast. Mahmood, who rejoined the club in 2013 having previously played for Surrey between 2002 and 2007, was an ever-present for the county last year in the competition, performing well with bat and ball. And now he is back for this summer's competition, much to the player's delight. "I'm really excited to be back playing again for Surrey in front of packed crowds at the Kia Oval in this year's T20 competition," he told the club's website. "I can't wait for the Natwest T20 Blast to begin." Meanwhile, Surrey's director of cricket, Alec Stewart, said: "We're delighted to have Azhar on board again for this season's T20 Blast campaign. "To have his wealth of experience and skill levels is a huge bonus."

Mahmood back at Surrey for T20 Blast

Croydon College submits plan for 'state-of-the-art' £3 million expansion

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CROYDON College has submitted a plan for a major £3 million expansion project to transform the Park Lane end of its campus.

The college submitted an expression of interest to the Derpartment for Education last year but has now put together a more detailed plan for its 'state-of-the-art' innovation and enterprise walk.

The college has already raised £2 million from the sale of adjacent land and has now submitted a £1 million funding bid to the London Enterprise Panel for the rest of the funds.

The proposals would see 2,000 square metres of college land refurbished to create learning space for digital, creative and technological, customer service and retail skills.

There would also be space for pop-up shops and businesses as well as an employment agency.

Frances Wadsworth, college principal, said: "If we get the full funding required, well that would be amazing news. The development will allow our students to learn using new, cutting-edge facilities, in collaboration with employers and partners, using the latest technology, giving our students a real advantage as they start and progress their careers."

Croydon College submits plan for 'state-of-the-art' £3 million expansion

Croydon was deadliest area of London for road collisions between 2010 and 2013

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CROYDON recorded the highest number of road deaths in London between 2010 and 2013, an Advertiser study has found.

Thirty-three people died on the borough's roads in that four-year period, with the youngest victims both 14 years old, and the oldest aged 88.

The graphic on this page maps every fatality and serious injury during that timescale, showing which of the borough's roads and junctions are the most dangerous.

Learn About Tableau

Another interactive map, which can be viewed below, shows 304 people were injured on roads in the town centre, including the High Street and South End, between 2011 and 2013.

Police recorded 250 incidents involving injuries on the busy Fiveways junction and surrounding roads in Waddon, and 234 in the area including Wellesley Road, Poplar Walk, Sydenham Road and Lansdowne Road.

The Advertiser's study is based on figures for road casualties published by the Department for Transport.

Austen Cooper, from the Croydon Cycling Campaign, said the research should prompt a review of the borough's outdated roads and junctions.

He explained: "The maps show that while traffic collisions of varying severity can and do happen on roads throughout the borough, there are clusters on the busiest ones and at junctions, particularly those designed with a 1960s mindset – to enable traffic to pass through swiftly."

As an example, Mr Cooper pointed to data uploaded to website Crashmap which shows a number of incidents along the one-way systems around the residential areas in Newgate and Hogarth Crescent, in Croydon.

Protests after cyclist deaths in central London in recent years have prompted the Mayor of London Boris Johnson to promise improvements to the capital's 100 worst junctions.

Mr Cooper wants to see this sort of remedial action here.

He said: "We need a similar programme in Croydon, with the council working in partnership with Transport for London to be proactive and identify the most dangerous places for all road users and make them safer.

"Failing to act – or waiting for fatalities and coroners' complaints – means people are put off walking and cycling and others are killed or injured, with us all paying the financial costs of that."

Calls for action over road safety followed a number of deaths 

The map on this page highlights examples of tragic incidents that have prompted safety reviews, including an assessment of the tram network following the death of cyclist Roger de Klerk on November 12, 2013.

The death of two pedestrians at virtually the same spot in Cearn Way/Coulsdon Road in 2013 led a coroner to issue a similar call for action.

Next month a new drug-driving offence, making it illegal to drive if you exceed limits for illegal and certain prescription drugs, will come into place in England and Wales.

The law change was prompted by Lillian's Law, a campaign launched by the Advertiser and the family of Lillian Groves after the 14-year-old was knocked down and killed outside her home in New Addington in June 2010. She was killed by a speeding driver who had taken cannabis before getting behind the wheel.

The Advertiser has mapped figures for 2010 to 2013 because those periods are covered by the most in-depth data, but there were also a number of serious incidents and fatalities in 2014, including the death of John Maguire, 53, and his 15-year-old daughter Enya in a car crash on Purley Way on December 29.

Interactive map of road injuries (all types) in Croydon, 2011-13 by Lower Super Output Area (LSOA)

Despite the high number of deaths, the number of people suffering any form of injury on Croydon's roads has fallen in the last decade, from 1,412 in 2015 to 1,092 in 2013.

Many of the borough's busiest junctions are managed by TfL while other roads are overseen by the council. Next month, the authority will launch its bid to lower the speed limit in certain residential roads to 20mph.

"We expect that reducing speed will cut accidents and the severity of those that still occur," said Kathy Bee, the council's cabinet member for transport and the environment.

"Road safety is a really important; a serious accident can be devastating and every accident that is prevented is a good thing.

"My understanding is that it is usually the more deprived areas where there are more accidents, and Croydon is not unusual in this. Our more deprived areas are more likely to have housing in the vicinity of busy roads.

"Some of our 'hottest spots' are busy junctions on main roads managed by TfL and we are lobbying for improvements on these roads."

Croydon recorded the joint most road deaths in London between 2010 and 2013, with Enfield also experiencing 33.

Croydon was deadliest area of London for road collisions between 2010 and 2013

Palace handed defensive boost as new signing granted work permit ahead of Liverpool FA Cup clash

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CRYSTAL Palace will have new signing Pape Souare in their squad for Saturday's FA Cup tie with Liverpool.

The Senegal international completed a move to SE25 at the end of January and has been waiting nearly two weeks for a work permit.

And it seems that is now the case, as assistant manager Keith Millen confirmed in Palace's pre-match press conference this afternoon.

Souare may have to settle for a place on the bench, with Martin Kelly continuing at left-back against his former club.

Palace handed defensive boost as new signing granted work permit ahead of Liverpool FA Cup clash

New injury blow for Crystal Palace ahead of Liverpool FA Cup tie with Adlene Guedioura a possible replacement

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CRYSTAL Palace midfielder James McArthur is a doubt for Saturday's FA Cup game with Liverpool.

The Scottish international has a thigh problem following Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.

Palace are still without Mile Jedinak, who is nursing an ankle injury from the Asia Cup.

Jason Puncheon was utilised in the middle of the park in the latter stages of Wednesday's match, but it could mean Adlene Guedioura is given a rare start.

New injury blow for Crystal Palace ahead of Liverpool FA Cup tie with Adlene Guedioura a possible replacement


DATA BLOG: People in Croydon speak at least 85 different languages

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THERE are at least 85 different languages spoken in homes across Croydon.

Despite what people of a certain political persuasion might think, English remains by far the borough's most spoken main language, with 296,232 (85.5 per cent) speakers.

50,219 people listed a language other than English as what they speak at home, some 14.5 per cent of the borough's overall population.

The figures are taken from the 2011 Census, when Croydon's population was recorded as 346,451.

Other than English, the most commonly spoken main language is Tamil (5,172), Polish (4,940), Gujarati (4,214), Urdu (3,906) and French (2,408).

Less commonly spoken primary languages include Romani (7), Caribbean Creole (4), Pakistani Pahari (8), Hebrew (10) and Slovenian (10).

No one in Croydon said they spoke Yiddish as a main language.

The figure for the total number of different languages spoken in Croydon is likely to be higher than 85 as the Census groups some dialects together.

The borough's population has also increased significantly since the Cenus was compiled.

In November 2012 the Advertiser produced a feature about Oasis Academy Shirley Park, a secondary school where pupils speak 69 different languages. 

DATA BLOG: People in Croydon speak at least 85 different languages

Crystal Palace will not rest players and 'not just concentrating on league' ahead of Liverpool FA Cup clash

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CRYSTAL Palace will not rest players for tomorrow's game against Liverpool.

Palace assistant boss Millen, who was standing in for a poorly Alan Pardew at his pre-match press conference, confirmed Yannick Bolasie was ready to start the game after coming off the bench against Newcastle on Wednesday.

However, there are doubts about the fitness of Yaya Sanogo, who had to go off against the Magpies with a tight hamstring, and James McArthur, who is struggling with a thigh problem.

Despite this, Millen said he is confident of Palace pulling off a result and said there would be no resting of players or excuses about focusing on the league.

He said: "We will pick a team that's fully fit and hopefully able to win it. It's a big game for us, it really is. We're not going to be resting players.

"We're going to be looking at Liverpool and looking at their strengths, at the moment playing well. So we've got to look at what they do so the manager will pick a team that he feels will win the game.

"But the beauty of the squad we've got now is we've got real competition for places and so there might be some changes to freshen it up as it's a big ask to keep the same team to go Wednesday and Saturday."

Crystal Palace will not rest players and 'not just concentrating on league' ahead of Liverpool FA Cup clash

Crystal Palace assistant boss says squad is 'strongest he's ever known'

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CRYSTAL Palace assistant manager Keith Millen says the current Palace squad is 'the strongest he's ever known'.

Millen believes after the transfer activity in January and Alan Pardew's arrival as boss has filled the club full of confidence.

He said: "The confidence has grown since Alan's come in. We've had a great run of results and we've had players come back.

"Mile Jedinak's back, Yannick Bolasie's back, so it's good to have them around. We've added players in the transfer window and the squad is without doubt the strongest I've ever known it since I've been at the club."

Crystal Palace assistant boss says squad is 'strongest he's ever known'

Crystal Palace manager loses voice before Liverpool game but will regain it to remind players of 1990 exploits

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ALAN Pardew has lost his voice before tomorrow's FA Cup game but will find it again to remind the players of his exploits against Liverpool in 1990, according to his assistant boss.

The Palace manager, who scored the famous winner in the 4-3 FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Villa Park, was unable to make the pre-match press conference at Selhurst Park today.

But his assistant Keith Millen is confident Pardew will make the game but said he has been unable to speak about his extra-time header to the players.

Millen said: "He hasn't [said anything about the 1990 Liverpool match) yet. He was quite quiet this morning.

"He was limited in what he was saying. We did the important work but I'm sure he will remind us about it tomorrow."

Millen, who missed the 1990 final but attended the replay against Manchester United, said the FA Cup had special memories for the club.

He said: "I'm sure it does for Alan and the fans. The fans will remember getting to the final. That's the emotions you go through in the FA Cup and we want to have another day like that [game against Liverpool] tomorrow.

"I was watching. I was cheering Palace on and I'll be doing the same tomorrow. I remember the occasion and getting to Wembley.

"We're getting closer now and each round that goes by you're getting closer to Wembley so it's a big incentive for us."

He added: "For them [the fans] to start dreaming of getting to Wembley. That's what we feel as staff and players, the excitement is there now and we're looking forward to it."

Crystal Palace manager loses voice before Liverpool game but will regain it to remind players of 1990 exploits

Thornton Heath mum to climb Kilimanjaro for Marie Curie

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A MUM of four will take on the highest mountain in Africa this weekend as she climbs Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.

Jacqui Smith, a teaching assistant from Thornton Heath, takes on a charity challenge every two years to "give back" after all the help she received when her disabled son Jake, now 24, was a child.

Jacqui, 52, has raised over £4,000 for Marie Curie, who she flies to Tanzania with today along with 26 other volunteers.

She said: "Marie Curie is a good cause. I ran the London Marathon for Whizz-Kidz two years ago and raise money for a different charity each time.

"Now my children are older and I have more time I want to put something back into the community because of all the help Jake received from charities and organisations."

Jacqui, who lives with partner Clive Davies and children 18-year-old Amber and 13-year-old Paige, and has a 21-year-old daughter Jordan, has been training for the climb for a year. It will take the group four and a half days to scale the mountain, and a day and a half to come back down.

"It's hard to do proper altitude training here but I have kept running since the marathon and been for long distance walks to make sure my fitness levels are high so I can deal with all the walking," she said.

And the climbing won't be the only test for Jacqui, who doesn't like flying.

"It's so far away but it's about facing my fears," she said. "It's a challenge in itself to get on a plane and go all that distance."

Thornton Heath mum to climb Kilimanjaro for Marie Curie

'We want to turn Croydon into a great place' - development chief

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TURNING Croydon into "a great place" is at the heart of the council vision to regenerate the town, executive director of development and environment Jo Negrini told the inquiry on Tuesday.

Time and again she said the Westfield/Hammerson partnership's redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre would be a catalyst in bringing about that regeneration adding that, since the mid-1990s, it had been acknowledged the council needed to reverse the perception of the town as being outdated and help halt its commercial decline.

"Croydon town centre continues to suffer from a poor image, both regionally and nationally. The Whitgift Centre has suffered from limited investment since the early 1990s and continues to underperform, with a high level of vacancies."

The Westfield/Hammerson scheme, she said, would lead to the comprehensive redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre and surrounding land "to transform the status of Croydon as a major retail destination."

The £1 billion scheme would bring with it an improved retail offer, 5,000 new jobs, between 400 and 600 new homes, and improved pedestrian routes.

But she warned that if the scheme did not go ahead, the regeneration of Croydon would suffer. Ms Negrini said the benefits of the scheme were already being felt as investment interest grew among other developers.

"The jobs that will be created as a result will have a catalytic effect, particularly for the long-term unemployed. In terms of investment coming through, developers know about the partnership's development and what it is achieving, and are talking to us on the back of the fact that if Westfield/Hammerson is investing £1 billion, they would like a piece of the action. There is an absolute correlation between the partnership's plans and other investment."

Ms Negrini claimed the "game changer" in the new development was the retail and leisure element. She said giving people more to do would make the town more attractive to residents and therefore residential developers. Companies would also be keener to relocate to Croydon when they realised there were plenty of good facilities for their staff.

Urging the inspector to confirm the CPO, Ms Negrini said: "The scheme is of very significant benefit to Croydon and its economic, social and environmental well-being and improvement."

'We want to turn Croydon into a great place' - development chief

Ephraim Norman admits killing Andrew Else in frenzied Selsdon attack which saw father-of-three stabbed 200 times in seven minutes

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A MAN has been detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act after admitting stabbing a father-of-three to death in a frenzied attack in Selsdon.  

Ephraim Norman, 24, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Andrew Else in an alleyway near Selsdon Park Road on April 24, 2014.

The Old Bailey heard today (Friday) that Norman, a paranoid schizophrenic, stabbed the 52-year-old from Pixton Way, Forestdale, more than 200 times over seven minutes.

Norman, of Kensington Avenue, Thornton Heath also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of a 15-year-old boy in Beulah Hill on April 6, 2014 - just weeks before the attack on Mr Else.

That attack left the victim, now 16, with a knife blade embedded in the bottom of his skull. Miraculously he survived.

He was detained under section 37 of the Mental Health Act, with a further requirement that he cannot be released without the consent of the Home Secretary.

Alan Kent QC, prosecuting, told the court Norman was hearing voices in his head which told him to kill. 

When one knife he was carrying bent, Norman used another to continue stabbing Mr Else, who pleaded "Why are you doing this?"

The court heard he had stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication because the side effects "made it difficult for him to maintain an erection".

"He wanted to to have sex with a girl or girlfriends but it wasn't possible so he stopped taking the medication," said Mr Kent.

Referring to the attack on Mr Else, he added: "On evening of April 24 the defendant left his home address with two knives.

"He boarded a bus and in due course saw Mr Else on the bus.

"Mr Else was a complete stranger to him. This was a completely random attack on a stranger to this defendant.

"As the defendant was to later say to police in interview, he chose Mr Else because the voices were telling him to kill somebody.

"When the bus stopped at the place where Mr Else wanted to get off, he did get off, the defendant followed him.

"The defendant goes to the area next to Selsdon park Road, where the attack on Mr Else started and finished.

"The defendant stabbed Mr Else forcing him to the ground.

"Once Mr Else was on the ground the defendant repeatedly stabbed him.

"His actions were seen by two members of the public who were from a vehicle recovery company.

"They were driving slowly along Selsdon Park Road and saw the defendant attacking Mr Else."

One of the men phoned the police.

Mr Kent said: "During the period, he [Norman] continued to stab Mr Else.

"He looked up occasionally and saw that he was being observed. It didn't stop him from stabbing Mr Else. He continued even after police arrived."

The witness was on the phone to police for seven minutes, the court heard.

Judge Anthony Morris ordered that Norman be detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act. He may only be released with the consent of the Home Secretary.

"This is a tragic case in every sense of the word," he said. 

"This defendant, who is now 24 years of age, appears to have been in reasonably good health until the age of 20 or 21 when he started to develop paranoid schizophrenia.

"Since then he had had three episodes which have led him to be admitted to a mental hospital, of which the present one is by far the most serious."

Norman was under the care of South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Trust at the time of both attacks.

He denied murdering Mr Else and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) accepted his guilty manslaughter plea. 

Judge Morris continued: "The main feature of his mental disorder is auditory hallucinations, or voices in his head, commanding him in this case to kill members of the public.

"Tragically for Andrew Else, a respectable man, he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"The defendant followed Mr Else when he got off his bus and then carried out the most savage imaginable attack on him, inflicting more than 200 stab wounds in his back, sides and chest.

"I recognise that his family must find it impossible to come to terms with the fact that Mr Else became the victim of such a terrible crime."

In her victim impact statement, Mr Else's wife described her husband as a "kind, generous man who can never be replaced".

She added: "He would have helped anyone if they had asked for anything. He would have given his last penny."

Ephraim Norman admits killing Andrew Else in frenzied Selsdon attack which saw father-of-three stabbed 200 times in seven minutes


Whitgift Trust loses fight against Westfield/Hammerson redevelopment as 'final' appeal rejected

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THE Whitgift Trust has lost its fight against redeveloping the Whitgift shopping centre to make way for the £1.5 billion Westfield/Hammerson redevelopment

The Court of Appeal has stopped the Trust from appealing the High Court's dismissal of its claim for a judicial review of planning permission.

The council granted planning permission and conservation area consent, allowing the shopping centre and surrounding land to be redeveloped, in February last year.

In November, a High Court judge dismissed the Trust's claim for judicial review of this decision and refused the Trust permission to appeal.

The Trust then asked the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal and, after an initial refusal, a hearing was held yesterday. But permission to appeal was again refused.

Yesterday's announcement means that the Trust has no more rights to appeal the High Court's decision.

Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the council, said: "The council is delighted that the Court of Appeal has refused the Whitgift Trust permission to appeal against the High Court's decision.

"This is good news and confirms that planning processes were followed correctly when granting permission and leaves both the planning permission and conservation area consent intact."

Whitgift Trust loses fight against Westfield/Hammerson redevelopment as 'final' appeal rejected

Horrific X-Ray shows how close Ephraim Norman came to killing teenager weeks before stabbing Andrew Else to death

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THIS chilling X-Ray shows how close Ephraim Norman - who stabbed Andrew Else to death in an unprovoked attack in Selsdon - came to killing a 15-year-old boy several weeks earlier. 

Norman, of Kensington Avenue, Thornton Heath, was detained under the Mental Health Act at the Old Bailey today after admitting killing Mr Else, 52, on April 24, 2014. He also pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the attack on the boy.

Mr Else was stabbed 200 times by Norman, a paranoid schizophrenic, in an alleyway near Selsdon Park Road.

While being interviewed by police about the attack he admitted stabbing a teenager in Beulah Hill at the junction with Norbury Hill on April 6. 

Police were called to the scene at 00.21am and found the boy, now 16, had been stabbed with such ferocity at the base of his skull that the knife went straight through, just missing his spinal column, and snapped away from its handle.  

Norman stole small change from the teenager and took his mobile phone, before handing it back and urging him to call the police. He then fled the scene.

Judge Anthony Morris said: "It is a miracle no vital organs for were affected and the boy has made a reasonably good recovery from what must have been a terrifying experience."

Horrific X-Ray shows how close Ephraim Norman came to killing teenager weeks before stabbing Andrew Else to death

Opposition View: Liverpool fan says Reds will forget 2014 at Selhurst Park and win FA Cup tie on Saturday

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The Advertiser spoke to Liverpool fan and sports journalist Stuart Ballard about this Saturday's FA Cup clash…

Liverpool don't like Selhurst Park, do they? Bad memories in 2014.

I saw we haven't beat Palace at Selhurst since 1997 which I thought was unbelievable but it's one of the hardest grounds to go to because the fans there act as a 12th man throughout all their home games. That 3-3 draw was unbelievable last May but I saw the 3-1 defeat coming in November because at the time we had gone back into that 'transitional period' we've been in for too long and with seemingly no confidence in the squad and goals hard to come by, it seemed inevitable.

Saying that, you have picked up some form since the turn of the year?

It had to happen at some point and although we lost the game, the match against Manchester United changed our season. Brendan Rodgers finally found a system to accommodate his best XI and apart from a couple of off-days, we've looked like an exciting team again. Emre Can has been a breath of fresh air at the back with his confidence on the ball while Lazar Markovic has looked really dangerous in the right wing-back position but the form of Phillipe Coutinho has been immense. His form has enabled Raheem Sterling to find his shooting boots in an unfamiliar striker role and their partnership has been really hard for teams to deal with in the new system.

Is the FA Cup more of a realistic target than a top four finish?

I don't think so, we're only a couple of wins away from the top four and like years gone by it's going to be a really close fight for the Champions League places. Obviously with Chelsea and Manchester City being knocked out of the FA Cup, it has lit up the competition as a possible saving grace but that only adds more pressure. We've got the Europa League to come as well so I think there's plenty more to fight for than one or the other and we should really be aiming for the top four and a trophy.

Which Palace players are you cautious of?

Dwight Gayle has been a thorn in our side since he broke onto the scene and he's the kind of striker that could cause problems for our defence. His pace matched with his composure on the ball makes him a deadly striker which he has proven on many occasions, most recently at Burnley. Wilfried Zaha has obviously 'returned home' and will be hoping to regain the type of form that earned him a move to Manchester in the first place. He has no fear with the ball at his feet and has the talent to take on the best defenders in the league at times, and Alan with Pardew at the helm he seems to have a manager that trusts him to do the job.

And finally, a score prediction?

If this was a couple of months ago I would have been very concerned. However, Palace have reached some good form to move clear of the relegation zone so it will be a tough game as last time out proved. Saying that, I think we're playing with confidence at the moment and if Coutinho and Sterling can produce the kind of performance that they've shown in recent weeks then I think they'll be the difference. I do think Palace will score but I'm going for 2-1 Liverpool on the basis that we've found a system that works really well and with it being the FA Cup we can't to be knocked out.

Opposition View: Liverpool fan says Reds will forget 2014 at Selhurst Park and win FA Cup tie on Saturday

Man appears in court accused of raping a 12-year-old boy in Croydon

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A 43-YEAR-OLD man appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court today (February 13) charged with two counts of raping a 12-year-old boy.

Marlon Llerena, of Yeldham Road, Hammersmith, entered no plea to the two charges, which relate to acts of oral sex on a boy at a Croydon address.

Llerena, whose first language is Spanish, spoke only to confirm his name and address.

He also stands accused of sexually touching the youngster and inciting him to perform a non-penetrative sexual act.

All the offences are alleged to have taken place between New Year's Eve 2013 and January 19, 2014.

Districh Judge Richard Inyundo bailed Llerena to appear at Croydon Crown Court on February 27.

The terms of his bail mean he must not have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18. He is also prohibited from contacting the alleged victim and members of his immediate family. Finally, Llerena must reside at his home address.

Man appears in court accused of raping a 12-year-old boy  in Croydon

'Forgotten' council estate residents vow to take on careless mess-making motorists

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A GROUP of residents who say they live on the "forgotten council estate of the borough" have formed an action group to improve their area – and tackle motorists who are ruining it.

Parts of Tollers Lane estate, in Old Coulsdon, have been described as "looking like the Somme", because of motorists cutting corners and driving over grass verges.

The estate's particularly narrow lanes, which are more than half a century old, are contributing to the problem, those living there say.

Elizebeth Brooks, 61, who previously campaigned to get an improved 466 bus service, has been instrumental in setting up the new group.

She said: "We are really serious about what we're doing. We want to try to get work done that's not getting done.

"We're so fed up with the state of the verges. Some residents, delivery vans and other vehicles drive all over them.

"We want something done to stop it, so the estate looks nice like it used to all those years ago."

Among the solutions proposed at the first Tollers Estate Residents Action Group meeting on Monday evening were the construction of bollards, road widening and reminding neighbours to stay on the road with a letter campaign.

One member, Joe Saubolle, pointed out that the estate was never designed with the traffic it faces at the moment in mind.

"A big part of the problem is because the cars are now multiple times s bigger than what the estate was designed to cope with.

"It wasn't built for all these cars."

The fledgling group's chairman, Rafe Stewart, said he was in favour of posts that could stop the problem once and for all.

Most of those in the group agreed that issues on the estate, located at the southern tip of the borough, were in danger of being forgotten about.

"It's the forgotten council estate on the edge of the borough," said Lisa Goold.

"Because we're in Coulsdon, there's an assumption that the area is affluent, but we're just like anywhere else."

Coulsdon East councillor James Thompson met with the group earlier this week to discuss their concerns and told them he'd ask officers to look into the problem.

A spokesman for Croydon Council said: "The council would ask residents of Tollers Estate to get in touch with their concerns so we can look at ways of addressing them."

The group will be holding an EGM at the Tollers Estate community room on March 9, all living nearby are welcome.

'Forgotten' council estate residents vow to take on careless mess-making motorists

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