CRIMEWATCH is to air a reconstruction of a brutal gang attack which left a father-of-three from New Addington with devastating head injuries.

Gary Hayward, 29, was hit with baseball bats and metal poles while trying to protect his father from a gang of youths in Central Parade, New Addington, in October 2011.

He is now blind in at least one eye, unable to talk and, 18 months on, requires full-time care in a specialist rehabilitation centre.

No one has been charged over the attack and the police investigation has met with a wall of silence from the community.

Last Thursday the BBC's Crimewatch programme recorded a reconstruction for an appeal to be aired later this month.

New Addington councillor Tony Pearson believes renewed publicity may persuade someone to come forward with vital information.

He told the Advertiser: "It's right we do everything we can to give what happened a high profile.

"The community came together for Tia Sharp and during the riots but on this they have really closed up.

"I don't know whether it's because the people involved wield some sort of power, whether they think they are above the law or people are scared.

"They need to be shown they aren't untouchable. Crimewatch becoming involved will show them that the police aren't giving up on it."

Gary was ambushed after he came to the aid of his father John, 54, who had been confronted by the 30-strong gang as he made his way to the shops on Central Parade at 8.45pm on October 2.

Film crews recorded scenes in the Booze Bank and then in the car park by the leisure centre where the attack took place, with actors in hooded tops playing the gang members.

The police base on Central Parade was opened for several days and though officers received information from several members of the public, they declined to reveal whether the reports related to the Hayward investigation.

Following the attack that left him in a coma, Gary was taken to King's College Hospital where he underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from his brain.

He appeared to be making a recovery but in November he fell out of bed while in Princess Royal University Hospital, Bromley, and his condition deteriorated.

Gary underwent an operation to remove fluid from his brain and since then he has been "asleep", his brain having shut itself down due to the trauma. Police have asked Gary's family not to talk to the press until after the April 29 broadcast.

Zowey Hayward, Gary's sister, told the Advertiser on the anniversary of the attack: "No one is stepping up because they are scared of a bunch of children. People need to be as brave as he has been and speak out."

This week Cllr Pearson reiterated this message. He said: "It only needs one person, one bit of information, to crack the case."

Anyone with information should call Croydon CID on 020 3276 2172 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Campaigners in Sanderstead are preparing for battle again as the supermarket giant Lidl submits a new plan for an old pub site that will have a "devastating" impact on the area, they claim.

The chain bought the Good Companions in July last year and drew up a hugely unpopular planning application that involved demolishing the derelict pub in Limpsfield Road and replacing it with the store as well as a 68-vehicle car park.

In August 2012, more than 200 people gathered to oppose the application by the German supermarket because they feared it would cause traffic chaos, threaten independent businesses, lower property prices and affect the local post office, as well as being an eyesore.

After mounting pressure and an indication from Croydon Council that the plans would be rejected, Lidl withdrew its application in January.

However, less than two months later, another proposal has been submitted to the council.

Paul Redington, who is a leading member of the community action group opposing the development, said: "They have looked at the design but completely ignored the access issues and the fact a major supermarket here will completely devastate the area.

"There will be traffic, congestion and parking problems. More than 2,000 children use the two schools next to Hamsey Green – and the road is already dangerous with regular accidents.

"Five shops on Hamsey Green parade have closed down since Lidl bought the site. They are already vulnerable and will only be hit further if the supermarket is successful.

"The Post Office, which is a vital resource for the elderly in Sanderstead, will also be threatened – it will not survive with Lidl there."

Mr Redington added: "The supermarket says it will bring more footfall to the area but the people who come to Lidl do all their shopping there and leave straight after.

"This is also a gateway to Croydon and an arterial route. Lidl did a traffic survey in the summer but the schools were shut and they did not hold it at rush hour so it is nonsense. We will do all we can to make sure this application is also unsuccessful."

Dennis Eldridge, chairman of the Sanderstead Residents' Association, said there were some improvements with the building's appearance but that the south side was a "completely blank and characterless wall facing people entering Croydon for the first time. I believe they should go back to the drawing board".

Councillor Yvette Hopley, who supported the campaigners last year, said she had delivered a leaflet to residents and shops with information about the new application while soon-to-be chairman of SRA, Dennis King, was more positive about the new plans, saying: "It won't win a design award, but it does tick the right boxes."

Mr King also said it was questionable how much trade Lidl could take from the area because "their range of goods is not that of a major supermarket".

BELEAGUERED Roke Primary has announced its head teacher will not be returning to the school after her period of ill-health.

Although on Tuesday parents initially received a letter saying the head, Caroline Phillips, was "absent due to ill-health and unfortunately, she will not be returning this term", the Advertiser was told the day after that Ms Phillips had decided to "move on".

The letter was written by Christine Barry, who will be taking over as executive head teacher in the interim, supporting the assistant and deputy heads, Katie Turner and Elizabeth Vincent, in running the school.

On Wednesday, the chairman of governors, Malcolm Farquharson, said: "We are entering a new phase in the life of Roke Primary School as we move into the formal stage of the process to become an academy.

"It will be a period of rapid change, and our head teacher, Caroline, has decided that now is the right time for her to move on to face a new challenge."

Ms Phillips, who has worked in Croydon schools for nearly 20 years, joined Roke as deputy head in September 2001 and was appointed head teacher at the beginning of 2009.

During her time at Roke, the school was graded "outstanding" by Ofsted in November 2003 and again in March 2009. This was followed up by a further "outstanding" for IT tuition in October 2010.

However, the Kenley primary is currently in the midst of high-profile controversy over the Government's intention to turn it into an academy under the control of the Harris Federation, with more than 200 parents starting up a "Save Roke" campaign.

The plan was triggered by a damning Ofsted report last summer, although campaigners claim this was purely the fault of senior management and had nothing to do with the standard of teaching.

Despite an expressed wish by the school to have nearby Riddlesdown Collegiate to act as a sponsor, the Government continues to insist on Harris.

Since then, the Save Roke group has sought legal advice, marched on Whitehall with a petition of more than 2,000 signatures opposing the change, and visited the Harris headquarters in Croydon.

Becky Carrier, a leading member of the campaign group, said: "I think her departure will boost the campaign a lot.

"Many parents are relieved she has gone. It was a stumbling block for the campaign as people thought if they went down the Harris route, at least she would not be head. I think it stopped a lot of parents joining.

"I don't know if what we do will make a difference, but there are a lot of us who are really opposed to this idea to turn the school into an academy.

"Even if they don't listen and force the change anyway, we will definitely not go quietly."

The deadline for the public consultation is today (Friday) with a report on the process expected in three weeks.

THE secretive owner of a notorious block of flats which has stood unfinished for five years is a businessman who owns three hotels and two golf courses.

An Advertiser investigation has unravelled the complex web behind the 20-storey IYLO building, tracing the ownership of the tower in West Croydon from a tax haven to a million-pound house in Redbridge, east London.

The trail ends with Stephen Hung, the owner of two plush country club and golf courses in Hertfordshire, and another hotel in Newbury, Berkshire.

This week we tracked down the 62-year-old but he refused to answer questions about the IYLO, including why he has left it to become a graffiti-covered eyesore.

The Advertiser has also discovered that the development is being marketed to investors in Hong Kong under the name of London Island, with a completion touted as the end of 2014.

Mr Hung purchased the building for £10million in October 2011 via Minerva Trust, an asset management company based in the tax haven of Jersey. It is held under subsiduary Rosefair.

Records from the Jersey Financial Services Commission list Rosefair's nominees as Derek Vernon Le Brun, the director of Minerva Middle East with contacts in Dubai, and Sylvie Pierre, the an associate director at the company.

Minerva told the Advertiser it was not company policy to communicate with the press and did not respond to requests to speak to the real owner.

Mr Hung owns the Manor of Groves hotel and Shendish Manor Hotel and golf course in leafy Hertfordshire.

His third business is the four-star Regency Park Hotel, near Newbury, in Berkshire. The hotel made a loss of £357,867 between March 2011 and January 2012.

The Advertiser contacted Mr Hung at his home in Wanstead, east London, to ask why he has been so secretive about his Croydon investment and why no work been carried out on the site since June 2011.

In an e-mailed reply, Mr Hung said: "Please kindly excuse that I could not comment at present, nor am I willing to give an interview.

"However, I believe some PR will be announced soon. Thanks for being patience [sic] for a little bit longer."

Paul Scott, Labour spokesman for planning on Croydon Council, said: "How would this bloke feel if someone built that next to his house and just left it there half-finished, gradually getting more and more dilapidated, with the knowledge that the person who owned it used as much secrecy as possible to ensure he couldn't find out who actually owned it and what was going to happen? I think he would be pretty cheesed off.

"People in the immediate area have had to live with it for years. Quite frankly it's disrespectful and rude to leave them in the dark.

"Then you have the offshore issue, of which this is not an isolated example. It's appalling that some of richest people in our society are able to have the benefits of owning property in this borough while contributing as little as possible to it. These loopholes have to be closed."

Construction of the 182 mainly one and two-bedroom apartments, which began in 2007, was initially hampered because developers Phoenix Logistics fired contractors Lancsville for poor performance.

Then, in June 2011, St James's Croydon, a subsidiary of Phoenix, went into administration.

Mr Hung purchased the building from administrators Lloyds Bank four months later, after paying a £100,000 exclusivity fee to secure the deal.

Last July the council said Rosefair had indicated that work would resume by the end of the year, only for that date to pass without any update.

THEY are famous for closely guarding their mysterious rituals, but now Croydon's aging Freemasons are on a publicity drive in a desperate search for young blood.

In an unprecedented move, one of the borough's long-established lodges has decided to open its doors to "a new generation" fearing their secrets may die out.

The Croydon Lodge of Freedom was established during the Second World War, and along with other lodges throughout the world, has flourished in the shadows.

One-time Master David Dawson, 82, has been a member of the Croydon Lodge of Freedom for 50 years in September, and has told the Advertiser just what a young man could expect if he joined the group.

"People used to find out about us through word of mouth but that seems to have faded, as it has with many clubs and societies nowadays.

"We are an aging group and we don't have enough young people joining; we want a new generation of Freemasons to carry on our rituals. To my knowledge we haven't publicly recruited in this way before; it is unprecedented."

Freemasonry is often quoted as a closed society, but Mr Dawson said that this is not the case.

"We don't like to use the word secret, but we have certain private matters which we keep to ourselves, although they are only relevant to ourselves and they are no threat to society.

"There is knowledge and information we have that has been passed down the Freemasons through hundreds of years.

"There have been books written and every now and then someone will make a TV programme, not all being correct.

"There have been times where people have got themselves some infamy from publishing our secrets.

"Anyone around the age of 25 or over would be perfect. I have enjoyed my 50 years here and made many friends.

"We can offer comradery, brotherly love – you always have someone there to support you.

"It is also very social; we have four dinner events a year and a formal ladies night as well. But it is necessary for our members to believe in a supreme being, no matter what their faith. It is a commitment in some aspects, especially if you want to progress, but it will give you confidence."

The Freemasons are also known for their charity work, with the United Grand Lodge of England having donated £75 million last year, beaten only by the National Lottery.

Mr Dawson said: "That money all comes out of our pockets and one of the things I have most enjoyed is seeing my donations to charity being well used.

"I have loved my time as a Freemason, I was Master of the lodge at one point and it is good to know I am part of something that is hundreds of years old.

"We are looking for a new generation of Freemasons; our group is getting too old and we want the young men to come through before we fade off."

David believes he is the oldest freemason in the group, while the youngest is Jamie Arnold, 36, who was initiated in September 2011. He told the Advertiser: "As a young, new Freemason I have found it challenge but it has helped my confidence grow and created a desire within me to learn and fulfil my potential.

"I have made a number of new friends and am enjoying the experience; I would encourage other young men to join us."

The annual membership fee is £205 and this includes four evening dinners.

To learn more visit the Masonic Centre in Oakfield Road, Croydon, on April 27 from 2 to 4.45pm.

Refreshments will be provided.

A tour of the centre will be arranged and wives and partners are also welcome. Free car parking is available in Stanton Road.

Visit www.freedom5878.org.uk for more information.

• Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that initially arose from the loose organisation of medieval stone workers working in the medieval building industry.
• Early organisational forms included "lodge" incorporations and craft guilds.
• Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with membership estimated at around six million.
• There are approximately 150,000 members of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and Grand Lodge of Ireland, more than a quarter of a million under the United Grand Lodge of England, and just under two million in the United States.
• The first Grand Lodge, the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster (later called the Grand Lodge of England), was founded in June 24 1717, when four existing London lodges met for a joint dinner.
• Masons conduct their meetings using a ritualised format.
• Candidates for regular Freemasonry are required to declare a belief in a supreme being.
• The discussion of politics and religion is forbidden within a Masonic Lodge.
• In the ritual, the supreme being is referred to as the "Great Architect" of the universe.
• Freemasons use signs, grips or tokens, and words to gain admission to meetings and identify legitimate visitors.
• Some examples of Masonic charities include homes that provide sheltered housing or nursing care, education with both educational grants or schools, such as the Royal Masonic School, which are open to all and not limited to the families of Freemasons, and medical assistance.

THE brother of a rapper murdered in a drive-by shooting has recorded a song in which he blames himself for what happened.

Amir Tufail's feud with rival gangster Sanchez Thomas led his innocent older brother Umar, 25, to be shot in the head.

In an emotional tribute recorded after the murder, Amir, 18, wished he had been shot instead.

He sang: "Tears fall from my eyelids because you died over my ****... I wish it was my wig that got hit."

Thomas and best friend Kyrone Daley, both 19, were jailed for a total of 47 years on Wednesday, after being found guilty of murder following a month-long trial at the Old Bailey.

The court was told that Thomas, known as Limitz, had "history" with Amir, known by the street name Renz and a member of Croydon's Block Cartel gang.

Their feud began when Amir threatened Thomas, a member of rival south London gang Squeeze Section, with a knife in Regina Road, South Norwood, in October 2011.

He then stabbed his rival in the arm during an incident in Tooting in March 2012, in an attack which had fatal consequences for Umar, who was a delivery driver with no involvement in gangs.

Thomas did not seek medical attention or report the attack to the police. Instead he resolved to get even with Amir.

Umar was sitting in his car outside his home in Wharncliffe Road, South Norwood, on July 15 last year when a silver Vauxhall Corsa pulled alongside. Thomas was driving and Daley was sitting in the front passenger seat.

The teenagers gave conflicting accounts of what happened next, but according to Daley, Thomas repeatedly accused Umar of "being Renz".

Even after establishing that the man in the car was not his bitter rival, he pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.

Thomas claimed he had stopped the car to "make peace" with Amir and that a third man, a member of Croydon's Don't Say Nothing (DSN) gang called Pauser, had carried out the killing, a claim Judge Stephen Kramer described as "pure invention".

In the minutes after the killing, Amir told a police officer the bullet had been meant for him, adding: "I have a lot of enemies."

In a video posted on YouTube, which shows him rapping a musical tribute in front of his school friends and teachers, Amir says the tragedy convinced him to change his ways.

"You're the only one who had faith in me changing, so look at the change I'm making," he sings.

"He understood I was young, lost and mistaken. Why did he have to be taken? He wasn't a part of the pavement.

"Take into consideration that he was there when I needed saving."

Sajid Tufail, the boys' father, is convinced Amir is no longer a member of Block Cartel.

"Amir has completely cut his ties with those people and detached himself from that culture," he explained.

"He has learnt a very painful lesson at a high expense. He now needs to show others that they should talk to the police rather than let these things escalate and that there's a way out of this lifestyle."

Amir and his friend Stephen Crawford, 18, were playing computer games in an upstairs bedroom when they heard a gunshot.

Crawford went to the window and saw a grey car drive away. They rushed outside and found Umar slumped over the wheel of his car with a gunshot wound to the side of his head.

Umar was taken to King's College Hospital, in Denmark Hill, but died the following day.

THE shock is, this run we're on is all happening right now after a decent season.

You never know how a group is going to handle it, but we need to start handling it because that's all that matters.

We have got to keep going, dig ourselves out and get a goal from anybody – it will be a defender to score a goal, a bit like Peter Ramage did at Watford.

We do everything together and when criticism comes, you have to be strong enough to take it and try to improve.

We've still got three games after Leicester, but they've gone and beat Bolton when they hadn't won for a while.

For me, it's all there to play for but we've just got to play better as a group – what we've been doing isn't good enough so we've got to fight and battle as a club.

I thought the fans were brilliant at Ipswich and that's what the lads need, they need the fans to be with them.

It would have only taken one goal or a decent pass in and around the box from our play, and Jonny Parr going off injured is a massive blow.

It's not looking good for Saturday against Leicester but hopefully the crutches he was using were just precautionary.

It looked like a nasty tackle on him and he hurt his ankle.

Jonny Williams is also a definite doubt for Saturday, while Dean Moxey isn't available either.

I've got to have a really big think who can handle playing and who needs a rest, and maybe we need to freshen it up with someone with a different mindset.

I can take criticism, I've got no problem with that. The lads have got to be realistic and we've still got a fantastic opportunity to achieve what we want.

No one can believe we could be lifting our hands at Wembley in the play-offs apart from me.

I've got to pick the players up and I'm going to need some help with that – I want the fans to get behind them even more.

If we can get a win on Saturday, that would get us back in track, maybe not for automatic but for the play-offs.

We have got to go for it and I need our fans to help us.

To be honest, I'm disappointed with Aruna Dindane's fitness. I watched him in the U21s game on Monday, and the difference between the U21s and the first team is world's apart.

He managed 55-60 minutes and his fitness has been a concern to me all along.

It's about him catching up to play at our level. When our lads can do 2000m in specific run and he can only do 600m, there's a lot of catching up to do.

I always said he was a gamble and most of his game is about his strength and power, so it's all right having a very good reputation, but is he able to take someone's place?

I personally don't think he's that close to coming off the bench for us either, that's how concerned I am, so to say I'm disappointed is a big understatement.

The Construction department at Carshalton College held an inter-house football tournament on Wednesday 27 March 2013. The tournament was organised by construction tutors, Matthew Proctor and Daren Hull and involved nine teams taking part with only those students with an 85% attendance rate participating.

The tournament was organised as an end of Easter term activity for the department. Each of the nine teams were divided into three groups and all got to play four games within their group. The winner of each group then went through to the semi-finals.

The semi-finals were a close competition and all four teams upped their game in an effort to secure their place in the final. After two tense matches Carpentry Level 1team A and Carpentry Level 1 team B were our finalists.

With an all Carpentry Level 1 final the two teams really wanted the win and the honour of the victory over their classmates. It was a close match but team B were named the first winners of the Construction Football Tournament.

Following their victory, Finola Fitzgerald, Director at the College awarded the players in both the finalist teams medals and the winning cup.

To add some more fun to the tournament the construction tutors agreed to play the winning team. It was an interesting game with the scoreboard fast changing. As the full time whistle blew the students celebrated their second victory at the tournament.

The organisers of the event would like to thank all the construction students who took part and the staff who refereed and kept the scores etc.

A team of 3 students from the Catering & Hospitality department at Carshalton College are taking part in the Nestle Toque D'or competition.

Jose Queirdo, Jamie Wewman & Louis Benjamin made up the team of 1 chef student, 1 front of house student and 1 student acting as a commis assistant. The team presented their 2 course lunch menu to judges from the competition on Wednesday 17 April 2013 at the in-house fine dining restaurant at the College, Nightingales.

The team started off with a small presentation to the judges about the concept of the lunch, the products and the business plan and costing. The team then presented the lunch to the judges for tasting. The lunch menu was a Peruvian style steak with hand cut chips and a thyme infused tomato salsa with a herb dressing, followed by a five layer chocolate orange cheese cake with orange areos and a Spanish coffee with a caramel syrup base.

College tutor, Anthony Dunball said "The students have worked really hard on designing, preparing and producing the lunch for the judges. They displayed a high level of skill in their catering and hospitality understanding."

The judges will select the 8 top teams to go forward and take part in the final in May 2013.

Carshalton College offers students a variety of Hospitality & Catering courses including Certificates, Diplomas and City and Guilds qualifications in an Introduction to Hospitality, Food and Drink Service and Professional Cookery.

Nightingales is Carshalton College's on-site training restaurant. Meals are prepared and served by our enthusiastic students under the supervision of experienced chefs. The restaurant is open to the public during term time for coffee mornings, lunch, dinner, functions and business events plus our special themed evenings.

For further details on the Nestle Toque D'or Competition please visit their website - http://www.nestle-toquedor.co.uk/competition.aspx

A FATHER whose eldest son was "executed" because of a gangland feud involving his brother has told the Advertiser: "My boy is not to blame."

Umar Tufail, 25, was shot in the head outside his home in South Norwood in revenge for his brother Amir stabbing rival gangster Sanchez Thomas.

Thomas and his best friend Kyrone Daley, both 19, were jailed for a total of 47 years on Wednesday after being found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey.

Following the life sentences, Sajid Tufail said Amir's role in the lead-up to the killing had been exaggerated, adding: "I don't blame him for what happened – he's carrying enough guilt."

But he admitted there was a long-running "history" between his son - who goes by the nickname Renz and was a member of Croydon gang Block Cartel - and Thomas.

Their feud began when Amir threatened Thomas, known as Limitz and a member of rival street gang Squeeze Section, with a knife in Regina Road, in October 2011, before stabbing him in the arm near the sports shop where he worked in Tooting in March 2012.

"I know my son – he doesn't have it in him to stab anyone," said Sajid.

"The problem is the victim or victim's family don't get a say in the court process. Instead the criminals get to make the allegations and Amir can't defend himself. Sanchez Thomas obviously said a lot of things. But let's look at the facts. It was in broad daylight. Tooting is an extremely busy place. It was near where he worked. It was near the hospital and there was lots of CCTV. Amir wouldn't do anything like that. He didn't have any weapon.

"Amir has been honest with me and admitted he had a run in with Sanchez Thomas a few times. He beat him up once because he started on him. But that doesn't give him the right to execute his brother."

The court heard how Thomas pulled alongside Umar, who was sitting in a car outside his home, at around 4.30pm on July 15 last year.

According to Daley, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, Thomas repeatedly accused Umar – who looked strikingly like his brother – of "being Renz".

Even when Thomas established the man in the car was not his rival, he pulled a handgun from underneath his seat and shot him in the head.

Umar, who worked as a delivery driver and had no involvement in gangs, died the next day in hospital.

Amir, who was playing computer games in an upstairs bedroom, immediately believed he was the intended target, telling a police officer in the minutes after the killing: "I have a lot of enemies".

Daley and Thomas, both from Unity Close, West Norwood, were found guilty of murder under joint enterprise. Thomas was ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years and Daley will spend at least 22 years behind bars.

Sajid told the Advertiser after the murder that he would forgive his son's killers but has now changed his mind due to their lack of remorse.

He said: "I shall never forgive and never forget them. I didn't invite them into my life but they came in anyway and destroyed it.

"In some ways I wish they had the death penalty, but perhaps it's better for them to suffer in prison."

THE council will press ahead with spending more than £3 million on moving to its new headquarters and buying new furniture.

Labour councillors failed to convince the authority to think again about making do with old furniture at a time of biting austerity.

The Tory-controlled council is due to move from Taberner House to the new Bernard Weatherill House, next door, late this year.

Councillors voted last month that it was best in the long run to spend more than £3.14m on a six-week move, including buying the new tables and chairs.

A report to cabinet claimed the other option was bad value for money at £2.12 million, taking 18 weeks and moving old furniture that would soon need to be replaced.

Labour councillors called the decision in for review. Scrutiny and strategic overview committee vice-chairman Cllr Sean Fitzsimons said the spending jarred at a time of savage cuts.

He told the committee on Tuesday: "At this moment in time should we be spending all this money? And could we just defer some of that expenditure to a later date and use some of that borrowing capacity to provide services to residents, rather than putting the needs of the organisation first rather than the people?"

But acting council chief executive Nathan Elvery argued that moving furniture risked disrupting the council's services, saying: "This is a conversation about service risk, not a conversation about furniture."

He added he did not want to "compromise" the benefits of the modern work environment in the new HQ, aimed at boosting council workers' productivity.

He said: "It is undebated that if you put them in a different environment they will think differently, and I would not want to compromise that environment by putting them in a state-of-the-art building and then putting their old desk in front of them and saying 'get on with it like you did in Taberner House'."

Mr Elvery said the 18-week time frame for the discarded option was because moving could only be done at weekends to lessen disruption, but that time frame was challenged.

Councillor Fitzsimons said: "You have a history of reports which take the worst case scenario [...] Frankly, you are taking us for fools that we are going to believe that it will take 18 weeks."

Speaking after the meeting, half of which was held in private as it dealt with confidential information, Cllr Fitzsimons said he felt officers had been "open and honest".

He added: "The argument is if we are cutting funding to social services – we have less social services but nicer chairs, so they have fewer workers but they have nicer chairs.

"I am sure officers will enjoy their new chairs but whether the voting public will think it is right."

The Tory-majority scrutiny committee voted against a motion to review the decision to buy new furniture.

The meeting heard the fate of the discarded furniture has yet to be finalised.

Another bubble I'd like to burst, as sadly it's heading into dangerous territory now.  There is a lot of hatred out there on this subject, and I'd like to try and get some accuracy& clarity back into this debate.  Let's talk Benefits Culture.

Obviously I've previously blogged on Philpott & those supermassive families ( more than 4 kids etc etc ), but what I want to make people aware of is the actual spend.

Much as Jobseekers is not supposed to be fun you'll find the bulk of Benefit spend is NOT on Jobseekers. This might surprise some.

Most of the Benefit spend is on The Disabled, The Elderly,& those in work.  Yes, a huge chunk of Benefit spend is on those who are working. They use Housing Benefit, Tax Credits, & Child Benefits typically.

Now if we ignore The Disabled & Elderly ( they can't change their plight really ) what can we do to get spending down on those in& out of work?

More jobs is a good start. When Labour left power in 2010 growth ( Job Creation ) was at 3%.  The Con-Dems then made their adjustments and growth shifted to about 0.5% over the past 3 years.  And this is extremely serious.  Our population is still growing, and yet our job supply is not keeping up.  Which is why we now have mass-unemployment issues comparable to the 1980's ( growth needs to be high enough to keep up with population growth or unemployment will rise ).  But if there are no jobs out there then how can this be fixed? Education is the answer.  Teach people how to do stuff, so that they stand a better chance of creating their own jobs.

Sadly this govt have cut colleges, English Language schools, and trebled University Tuition Fees.  And there is still a huge shortage of Apprenticeships out there.  So it's not easy to get an education at present.  If a Student ends up £40,000 under with Student Debt the BBC Accountants worked out they'd have to pay back£80,000 if they score an average job for their degree.  Only the rare few will now see major increases in income from getting a Degree.  Which really doesn't help.  So it's not easy out there.  Education opportunities are suffering due to funding cuts.

This will be an important issue come Election 2014 ( the local Councils ) & Election 2015 ( The Nationals ).

But what about those still in work?  Why on earth are they getting Benefits as well?  Surely that is a waste of money?

The Tax Credit system was brought in under New Labour to help small businesses struggling with the new Minimum Wage.  It was set up as some small firms could only afford to pay minimum wage, and still needed to employ staff.  Like with Housing Benefit it tops up your income so you can afford to live near your job. It's a subsidy for small firms basically.  It was accepted the larger firms would pay a fair wage, and as such their workers would not need extra help.  This might have been the first mistake by New Labour, being honest.

Some big firms soon started paying minimum wage whilst announcing bumper profits for their shareholders.  They saw a legal way to boost their profits ( by lowering wages ), so did just that. They exploited the generosity of the previous govt.

So it's pretty obvious some of these big firms can afford to pay a higher wage, and simply don't.  I think it's safe to say the In-Work Benefits System needs a review.  Is it wasteful of Taxpayers money to hand over benefits to people working for firms that can afford to pay higher wages and simply don't? This is a major decision voters will face.

The Con-Dems are happily cutting these benefits at the minute, so it's going to get tougher for the low paid.  All you have to do is read the papers to see that.  And seeing as the low paid spend 100% of their income in the local shops & businesses for them to take a pay cut is serious for their community as well.

Are you happy with this? This is the dreaded Benefits Culture that people seem to loath.  A system designed to help small business that is not perfect and is being exploited by some larger firms.

I would hope it also obvious that leaving the Disabled alone is reasonable, as there are much more serious fish to fry.  Disability Benefits have a fraud rate of about 0.5%.  Most people are VERY honest,& the tests are already pretty tough. It's the same with Employment & Support Allowance.  The fraud rate, in reality, is actually VERY low.  Only a few people are lying when they claim to be on the sick.  Not the vast armies that some papers would like you to believe.

So, how do we get this in-work Benefit Bill down?  Both major parties are putting out solutions.  The Conservatives are relying on the Minimum Wage and market forces alone. When firms can't get quality staff they'll have no choice but to pay more.  Well, that's the theory anyway.  This idea has some merit sure, but what about those who don't want to move around the country ( leaving their friends & family behind )?  Is the Market really as mobile as The Govt believe?

Also, rents are uncapped under the Conservatives ( and have been uncapped since Thatcher removed the caps to allow competition in to 'lower prices' ).  Again it is simply left to the market to do it's thing.  When was the last time you had a rent cut due to the supposed competition out there?  In reality Croydon Wages are low and Croydon rents are high.  And that means in-work Benefits payments will remain high. Or these workers will either starve or end up homeless.

Labour are pushing for The Living Wage.  This is a pay rise for many low-paid workers ( like people working in Care Homes ), so that they can live on their wages and not need to claim Benefits as well.  Even Boris likes The Living Wage.

It forces the Private Sector to pay up, instead of exploiting like I previously mentioned. It's still early days, but this could be a viable solution for reducing the in-work Benefits bill.  If the Private Sector pays up more ( possibly by force if they won't do it voluntarily ) us Taxpayers won't get hit for the difference.  Many people are growing to like this idea.

Obviously those small firms who can't afford The Living Wage will need some kind of assistance still. But if it stops the bigger firms lying & exploiting their staff then surely that is a good thing?

One other thing to remember. Even the Disabled can work.  Some of them can't do much sure, but others can do a lot if properly supported.  This is what Disability Living Allowance does ( soon to be changed to the Personal Independence Payment ).  Motability is a big one here.  Motability is a part of DLA which allows people to hire cars so they can get to & from work.  There are many Disabled workers who work, don't need to claim much in the way of Benefits due to this, & simply use their DLA to cover the car to get them about.

The Govt is cutting this Motability bit.  So some people won't be able to get to work anymore. So will have to jack it in.  Is this the right thing to do?

I'd also like to point out how under the new Sickness Benefits cuts brought in by this Govt if you are on them & marry you lose all of your Benefits and your partner has to pay for EVERYTHING if they earn a low wage or more.  So Disabled people will need to be able to work or no-one will date them ( who on earth will give such a huge bill a chance when it comes to the ol' love-life.  Try following your dreams with zero cash as your ill partner is so expensive ).  And I'm not the only one worried here.

The Disabled are typically at the bottom of the pile in the dating game anyway.  We can't up & leave for Australia, are usually not that wealthy, and can't dance all night like healthy people can.  So it's much harder to score a date anyway.  Now add to that us now being a lot poorer and it, well, it's gonna get pretty lonely for us.

Is this fair?

With the Spare Bedroom cuts to benefits, nick-named the Bedroom Tax, we also have a problem.  2/3 of those effected are Disabled.

The Disabled use these spare rooms for a variety of reasons:  From having a place for their partner to sleep in as they can't share a bed, to storing vital life-saving equipment.  The Govt are ignoring this and are cutting their benefits anyway. Some disabled will starve if they do not move, and there is nowhere to move to.

It is recognised that there is a massive shortage of places to move to for those being forced to down-size. Hence why I say there is nowhere to move to.  Gavin Barwell has admitted that The Govt need to do better here.

All the time this benefits cut happens the Disabled will either get hungrier or build up rent arrears ( that could lead to eviction ).  Is this fair?

The Elderly are being let off on the Bedroom Tax, even though many are under-occupying ( they have spare bedrooms ) for real.  Is this fair considering what's being done to The Disabled?  Should the elderly be let off instead of being moved to Granny-flats?  Should the Disabled be let off as well?

So that's the evil Benefits Culture.  Not so evil is it?  It's actually pretty fair.  Well, it was before the current Govt came in.  It needs some work sure, but many who get Benefits actually deserve it.

With the elections coming it's important people know the truth on this one.

Christian Wilcox is the Chair of the Croydon Mental Health Forum ( politically neutral ), an NHS Executive ( Advisory ) for the South London & Maudsley ( politically neutral ), and works for the Labour Party privately.

A MAN woke up to find his kitchen and ground floor ablaze in Thornton Heath on Friday night.

The man in his 50s had put the oven on and then fallen asleep on the sofa in his Thornton Road home.

Fire crews sent two pumps and arrived at around  9.30pm and brought the fire under control and the man was treated by London Ambulance Service.
 
Tom Atkins, at Norbury Fire Station, reminded people of the importance of smoke alarms.
"It caught fire quite substantially and set alight the kitchen and some of the groundfloor," he said.
"Luckily he woke up and managed to escape the blaze and call 999. 
"The gentleman did not have smoke alarms in the property. If he had, they could have alerted him sooner, limiting the damage."
 Mr Atkins said they provide free smoke alarms and advice on fire safety.

For more information, visit your local fire station or www.london-fire.gov.uk

I WOULD not say the Bristol Rovers versus Bristol City is the most friendly situation, but I certainly wouldn't say it's bordering on hatred and evil.

We all need challenges and bounce things off each other, but what you don't want to see is what's creeping back in on the terraces at the moment of people fighting.

I never, ever understand that. For the life of me, what is that all about? It's lack of respect, discipline and human courtesy.

One bloke at the Newcastle United versus Sunderland match last weekend punched a horse, good gracious me.

I just do not get why it's acceptable. Maybe some people aren't satisfied with how their lives are going and they want to take it out on someone else.

Just because you go to a football ground, does that give you the right to do that?

You wouldn't do it in a queue at Sainsbury's, why do it? At the end of the day, do they want us fighting on the touchline as well?

Did they want me to beat up Mick McCarthy last night and call him a lucky pig and all this nonsense?

Life is about improving yourself and you shouldn't get given anything, I never did when I was young, you've got to earn it.

Meanwhile, I wish Cardiff City all the best in the Premier League, that's all you can do.

They suffered for seven years and now they've changed their kit and got a new stadium, so good luck to them.

They will need immense luck and fortune to survive, and about £60m might help!

I don't know Malky Mackay that well but congratulations to him, he's done a great job.

I'm sad to see Bristol City drop out of the Championship – it's a Bristol team so of course I would be even though I was at their rivals, Rovers.

Someone drops out of the Championship every year, but Cardiff have spent a fair amount of money since their new owners have come in.

I'm sure Bristol City have spent an awful amount as well, but it's not always about money – it's about the right attitude and spirit at the club.