SOUTH Norwood is the third worst place in Britain for food hygiene, according to Which? magazine.

The watchdog found that the SE25 postcode has an average rating of 2.65 out of 5 – below the "satisfactory" rating of 3.

A number of cafes and takeaways in the area bring the average rating down with ratings of 0 or 1, although there are restaurants such as Mantanah Thai Restaurant, in Portland Road, which have the top rating of 5.

The revelation comes after a takeaway owner received a fine of £21,614 for a catalogue of food hygiene offences.

Leroy Houslin, the owner of Yard Style Kitchen, also in Portland Road, was given the hefty fine for offences ranging from lighting his shop with candles to having a fridge dirtied by congealed raw meat.

Staff at the takeaway also refused entry to Croydon Council food safety officers when they visited for inspection.

Three further visits were made by officers from May to October, but no attempts at improvement were seen.

However, Croydon Council said the rating systems may just be punishing businesses which do not sort out their paperwork.

A council spokesman said: "We have also found many smaller businesses that are well run, but have not prepared proper written systems. This prevents them scoring more than one on the hygiene rating system, regardless of how good they are.

"In these cases we visit them more frequently and we try to spend the time advising owners on how to comply."

Nevertheless, the council said it will clamp down on businesses with filthy premises.

The spokesman added: "What it's important to emphasise is that while those premises with low scores do have things that they should improve they are not considered to be an immediate health risk. If the council does find such risks we always take immediate steps to close a business down until problems have been remedied."

However, there seems to be confusion over what is required of businesses.

Ayham Kurt, the owner of Portland Café, which currently has a hygiene rating of 3, said he did not know what rating his business had, adding: "You never know when the inspectors will come and they haven't been in three years but you have to keep on your toes.

"It requires a lot of everyday sort of jobs but we do it and we never have any complaints."

Liz Ismail, of People for Portland Road, defended the area's cuisine.

She said: "There are lots of good places to eat and I think it would be unfair to tar the good ones with the same brush as the others."

But Ian Bone, an associate of the South Norwood Tourist Board, who said he normally eats in Wetherspoons, believes it is detracting from the area.

Mr Bone said: "We don't want people to come to South Norwood and have a bad time so we hope these businesses have a good look at their levels of hygiene.

"But it might be just as well that Thomas Crapper, the inventor of the toilet, is buried just round the corner in Beckenham."

MARLAND YARDE said it was an unbelievable feeling to score a try on his England debut.

The former Whitgift School pupil impressed on his first appearance for the senior England squad on Sunday, having a hand in the first-minute try against the Barbarians at Twickenham, before going on to score a try himself later in the game with a great burst through the Baa-Baas defence.

And the London Irish man said it was a special day for him to walk out at Twickenham in front of a crowd of 60,601, and then to cap it off with a try.

He said: "It was an unbelievable feeling to make my first appearance for the senior side and I was really happy I could contribute to a win.

"It is an honour to play for England at any age group, but it was massively humbling walking out and I felt a lot of pride.

"The crowd were fantastic and it was a really special day for me. I can't wait to play again now."

Yarde was a star of the Whitgift side that lifted the Daily Mail RBS National Schools' U18 cup at Twickenham in 2010, with the South Croydon school becoming the first London-based team to win the trophy.

And Yarde said he owed a lot to the staff at the school for helping him get to where he is today in rugby.

He said: "It is a massive rugby school there and that was a great stepping stone for me.

"I am grateful to everyone who has helped me to get to where I am now, but I can't rest on my laurels and I am just looking forward to the next game now."

Yarde is part of the England squad to tour South America, where they will take on a South America XV in Montevideo, Uruguay, before two Tests against Argentina.

And he said that will be a good test for Stuart Lancaster's side.

He said: "We are all looking forward to it, but we know that it will be tough. We are expecting a hostile crowd out there and Argentina are a tough side.

"We will have to be at our best to win the games and for a lot of us, who have come through the system, it is a good chance to stake a claim for a spot in the future squads."

Another Whitgift School pupil to impress in the fixture at Twickenham was Yarde's former team-mate Elliott Daly, who scored a great solo try towards the end of the game for the Barbarians, who lost the match 40-12.

Daly, who now plays for London Wasps, is not in the England squad for the tour, but after the game England head coach Lancaster said he was "next on the list".

He said: "He was very unlucky to miss out on the tour party, but he is definitely a player for England for the future.

"I was delighted to see him play for the Barbarians and, in a perverse way, I was pleased he scored a try, even if it was against us."

IF there is a word to emphasise the overriding emotion of Monday's play-off final, it would be bewilderment. How could a team that was on the verge of relegation and oblivion three years ago suddenly find itself catapulted to one of world football's most prominent competitions? How could a club that only last season finished 17th change so much to become a play-off winning side?

There isn't a single factor that made it happen. The outcome came from hard work and plucky decision-making.

The club's success can, in part, be traced back to the draw at Sheffield Wednesday to secure Championship safety. With that result, CPFC2010 opted to buy the club. With their decision to buy the club came the fans' involvement to help secure the stadium. With that decision to purchase the stadium came security. With security came positivity. And with positivity came a squad capable of winning promotion.

And what a squad it is. Rightly, the headlines will focus on the role that Wilfried Zaha played – but there are players throughout the team that have played their part in securing the incredible feat of winning promotion.

Kevin Phillips didn't just secure promotion with his penalty against Watford; he did it with crucial goals against the same opponents, Middlesbrough, Hull and Peterborough.

Julian Speroni didn't just save the game when he closed down Troy Deeney – he did it with incredible saves throughout the season. Our defensive unit performed admirably when it mattered. Our midfield, led by the indomitable captain Mile Jedinak, played its part in preventing and creating goals.

There should also be pride in the fact that, when compared alongside the outlay of clubs like Leicester City and Brighton, the amount paid by the owners to build this squad wasn't excessive.

In fact, basic calculations suggest the club spent less than £2 million in transfer fees when constructing this team.

With promotion comes the inevitable talk of the club having to spend money to secure safety next season – but as Palace have shown this time round, there is no shame in being frugal and, with the right characters, the unlikely can be achieved.

Whatever happens now, Palace fans can enjoy the summer knowing that promotion has been secured; that the club's future is guaranteed with a huge potential windfall and that the squad's hard work this season has ultimately paid off.

Glorious bewilderment.

Robert Sutherland is editor of the Five Year Plan fanzine

PALACE boss Ian Holloway could not hide his delight after the Eagles secured a Premier League place following Monday's 1-0 win over Watford in the Championship play-off final.

Despite losing midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi early on to injury, the manager hailed veteran forward Kevin Phillips for ending his play-off hoodoo with the winning penalty in extra-time.

"We had a tough few weeks before we got into the play-offs, but this group have been fantastic," said Holloway.

"I'm so proud of them and so proud of the club, we're in the Premier League – God help us.

"It's absolutely massive. We've got plans to change the ground, it's getting a bit old in places, so I'm just delighted for everybody connected with the club.

"Obviously, with the injury to KG, that really did rock my boat because there was such a long time to go.

"But in the end, what a wonderful story it is. Kevin Phillips hadn't won a play-off final but he has now. He's never been on the winning side.

"Wilfried got the penalty, and it was a penalty, which was a relief because you don't want the referee making a bad decision and ruining a game like that.

"I'm delighted for everybody connected with the club."

Palace were much the better side in the second half and were denied time and time again by Hornets goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, while Holloway also paid tribute to Zaha on his final game for the club.

"Games like that are won and lost on moments of genius and I think Wilfried's little run was almost unplayable," said the boss.

"I knew that it could go either way, I knew we had to be at our best and I hoped the lads would be.

"It looked like we'd missed a few too many chances, to be honest. Their goalkeeper made some brilliant saves but I was just really pleased that the boys settled so well.

"It's horrible for Watford, I had it last year (with Blackpool), but it's all about taking it in the right way and being dignified, which they were.

"I'm going to scratch my head and wonder how we're going to stay in the Premier League."

On a wonderful day for the boys in red and blue in front of more than 30,000 Palace fans, the big moment came in the 104th minute when Zaha was brought down inside the box by Marco Cassetti, leaving veteran forward Phillips to smash into the top left corner.

Aaron Wilbraham, who began the game on his own in attack, had Palace's first glimpse of goal after eight minutes when Jonny Williams fed the ball into him on the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked.

Zaha picked up the loose ball and beat a couple of Watford players on the right but the ball just went out at the byeline as he looked to cut it back.

The Hornets' Joel Ekstrand was the first player to enter referee Martin Atkinson's notebook soon after for a lunge on Wilbraham, while Mile Jedinak did well to cut out a low cross at the other end from Almen Abdi.

However, Palace suffered an early blow after just 16 minutes when Dikgacoi was forced to go off with an injury. The South African fell to the floor with no one around him, believed to be a calf problem, before hobbling off to be replaced by Stuart O'Keefe.

Zaha did well to run rings around the Watford defence again down the right before cutting the ball back to Owen Garvan, but the midfielder's shot was blocked inside the box.

Jedinak received a booking just before the half-hour mark for blocking off Abdi, but the Hornets went close to opening the scoring moments later when Matej Vydra received the ball on the edge of the box in a bit of space, and just as he was about to pull the trigger, Damien Delaney put in a superb tackle.

Ikechi Anya was causing a few problems for Palace down the right with his pace, and the winger carved out Watford's first shot of the game after 43 minutes but it went way over Julian Speroni's crossbar.

The Hornets, who brought on Alex Geijo for the injured Vydra at the break, conjured up the first effort of the second period when Nathaniel Chalobah had a go from long range but the ball flew well wide.

Wilbraham also had a great chance to draw first blood when his shot on the turn was blocked from close range from Delaney's knock-down.

And then the former MK Dons and Norwich City man found himself bearing down on goal on the right, but as he got to the danger area he decided to hold the ball up before shooting tamely at Almunia.

Holloway brought on Phillips for Williams in a bid to support Wilbraham up front, and they should have taken the lead when the latter was denied by Almunia again, this time from three yards out following a corner.

Danny Gabbidon also found himself completely unmarked at the back post from the resulting set-play but his first touch was far too heavy and Watford cleared their lines.

Zaha continued to pose big problems down the right and did well to deliver a couple of crosses into the box just after the midway point of the second half, but no one was on hand to finish.

With ten minutes remaining, the Eagles had three more chances in quick succession to score first. The best came when Wilbraham found himself in space in front of goal but again Almunia saved Watford by sticking out a leg to deny the forward.

It was agonising for the Palace fans to watch as they had witnessed their team dominate the majority of the second period.

Zaha was also thwarted on the left side of the box by a Watford defender in the second of three added-on minutes, and from the corner, Jedinak rose above his marker to power a header towards goal, but Almunia held on with a flying save.

So, to extra-time, and it was a big moment for Speroni early on when Deeney got round the back of Ward inside the box but the custodian stuck out a hand to superbly palm the ball away from further danger.

But in the final minute of the first half of extra-time, Palace took the lead from the penalty spot after Zaha was tripped on the left side of the penalty area by Cassetti, leaving Phillips to emphatically send the ball into the top left corner to put one foot in the Premier League.

Holloway's men stood firm at the back, and they could have added a second with a number of counter-attacks but unfortunately to no avail.

However, despite a late wave of Watford attacks and corners, they were greeted at the final whistle by wild celebrations before lifting the play-off trophy in front of an ecstatic crowd of cheering Palace fans.

Premier League football is back at Selhurst Park.

THE £16 million rebuilding of the Quest Academy in Selsdon has been given the green light.

The scheme, which will feature a theatre and community sports facilities, was granted planning permission by the council's strategic planning committee last Thursday.

The new premises will replace the existing Selsdon High School buildings which have exceeded their expected 20 to 30-year lifespan by around 20 years.

The rebuild became necessary when the former high school became an academy in 2010.

In presenting its case to the strategic planning committee, Quest said then existing buildings were in poor condition, inefficient, required high levels of maintenance and were unfit for delivering the academy's curriculum.

The approved scheme will see the demolition of the existing school.

The new building will include a state-of-the-art theatre, improved learning areas and new IT facilities.

The proposals will also result in a new sports hall and a community centre.

There will be joint community and school use of these new facilities.

The new school will have the potential to accommodate just over 1,100 pupils, with 215 of them in a sixth-form facility.

A HOMELESS charity is urging Croydon residents to open up their spare bedrooms to provide shelter and support for street-living youngsters.

Croydon has one of the highest numbers of young homeless people in London – more than 250 16 to 24-year-olds were accepted as homeless and needing support between 2011 and 2012.

Centrepoint has launched its Supported Lodgings Scheme, to ask households to take in a homeless youngster and provide them with a family environment and learn life skills vital to independent living, such as cooking and cleaning, which are normally passed on by a family member.

Sky Aimez-mo, 17, who is currently staying at a Centrepoint hostel, has helped devise the scheme.

"Young people need options, it helps empower them," he said. "If I'd had the choice of staying in supported lodgings I'd have probably gone for it. I was used to living in a home."

Placements would last between three months and two years – in that time, the host would receive £50 a week to cover household costs and Local Housing Allowance for a single room in their area, as well as support from Centrepoint.

For more information or to register, visit www.centrepoint. org.uk/supportedlodging

A NEW report on modern slavery in the UK has found what it describes as a "clueless" and "shocking" response from the authorities towards trafficking.

"Our research has uncovered an underworld in which children and adults, many of them UK citizens, have been forced into lives of utter degradation," the report by the Centre of Social Justice says.

"Yet the authorities are either failing to understand the nature of this abuse or turning a blind eye to its existence."

The police, the UKBA and the judicial system are criticised for treating trafficking victims as immigration criminals, while social services do not protect the victims from the perpetrators.

The report found that 60 per cent of trafficked children put in the care of local authorities go missing again shortly after.

A large trafficking network within the UK was also discovered in which British girls were being moved and sold off around the country, mainly for sexual exploitation.

In one case, the report cites a girl who was taken into captivity by a group of men and allegedly raped 90 times over the course of a weekend.

The report has demanded change to combat trafficking by removing responsibility for the crime from immigration to criminal justice, appointing an anti-slavery commissioner, passing a Modern Slavery Act, creating a strategy for rebuilding the lives of victims and challenging international businesses to work against trafficking.

A FOOTBALL fanatic schoolboy from Purley was given the opportunity of a lifetime when he was chosen from among 30,000 fans to be a mascot for his favourite team last week.

Christopher Finch, an eight- year-old from Brancaster Lane in Riddlesdown, is a "Junior Gunner" – belonging to Arsenal's young supporters club – and was drawn out of a hat to be the team's mascot at their 4-1 victory over Wigan Athletic on May 14.

At the match, he walked his heroes out onto the pitch for a kick-off at Emirates Stadium in a brand new Arsenal kit.

Not only that, but Christopher got to kick around on the pitch with the players and bagged their autographs.

"It was brilliant to have been chosen to be the mascot and to walk the team out onto the pitch, especially for our last home game of the season," said the delighted youngster, who attends Gresham Primary in Sanderstead.

"Getting to see all the players was the best part of the evening though, especially having the chance to meet Santi Cazorla!"

Arsenal player Santi Cazorla said: "It was good to meet Christopher ahead of the match with Wigan Athletic and to give him a behind the scenes look at how things work on a match day.

"I know I'd have loved to do something like that when I was a kid so I hope he had an evening he'll remember for a long time to come!"

A PURLEY-BORN actor who starred as Emmerdale's longest-running character has died at the age of 81.

Richard Thorp was famous for his role as Alan Turner, the landlord of the programme's pub, The Woolpack.

His career began with the 1948 film Melody in the Dark.

He then secured a breakthrough role in 1955, playing Squadron Leader Henry Maudslay in The Dam Busters, a part reportedly given to him because of his physical similarity to the real Maudslay.

The actor then played Dr John Rennie in the ITV soap, Emergency Ward 10, which he joined in 1957 and left 10 years later.

He joined Emmerdale in 1982 as a 50-year-old boozing his way through wives and mistresses, until he settled down to become the pub's landlord.

In his most dramatic storyline, his on-screen daughter tried to kill him by pushing him down the stairs in order to get her inheritance.

Although he continued to work, Mr Thorpe suffered a serious heart attack in 1994 and was then diagnosed with leukaemia. He broke from Emmerdale briefly in 2009 to undergo knee replacement surgery.

The soap star was married and divorced three times and was once engaged to Babs Beverley of the Beverley Sisters. He leaves behind two sons and two daughters.

POLICE are asking drivers to remain vigilant after a spate of spare wheel thefts from under vans.

It comes after nine spare wheels were stolen across Sutton over the last three weeks.

Six of the nine thefts were from Ford Transit vans. The other vehicles targeted include a Mitsubishi, Mercedes and VW Caravelle.

The thefts took place at Bute Gardens, Wallington; Wandle Bank, Beddington; Richmond Road, Coulsdon; Oakhill Road, Sutton; Collyer Avenue, Beddington; Darcy Avenue, Wallington; Fairview Road, Sutton; Redford Avenue, Wallington; and Tharp Road, Wallington.

A Sutton police spokesman said: "Even when vehicle owners have alarms, these are generally only triggered when the vehicle is entered – not when the spare wheel is stolen from underneath the vehicle.

"You may want to consider putting the spare wheel inside the vehicle. Alternatively, you may wish to consult with your vehicle manufacturer or a local locksmith about how your spare wheel can be secured, such as using locking wheel nuts or lockable wheel restraints.

"In addition, you may want to look at parking in well-lit areas, and backing up your vehicle close to walls and fences to restrict access to the underside of your vehicle," he said.

Police are urging the public to report any suspicious behaviour.

Comment on Palace in Wonderland from pull-out supplement

CRYSTAL Palace's victory over Watford was epitomised by the sight of Damien Delaney after the game.

The big Irish centre-back was overcome by emotion and needed comforting by his teammates in the tunnel.

He quickly recovered and took centre stage in the celebrations, which inevitably went on long into the night, both around Wembley and back in Croydon.

But the tension of such an occasion is hard to measure until it arrives. Despite the boisterous build-up in London before the game and in the stadium, there were genuine nerves as Palace missed a host of chances.

The relief, then, when the evergreen Kevin Phillips stepped up to bury a blatant penalty, was palpable.

A play-off final is not a game for losers, as was evidenced by the Watford fans who traipsed their way back down Wembley Way.

But for Palace, promotion beckons. And with it comes a chance for owners CPFC2010 to do what their predecessors have failed to do – keep Palace in the Premier League.

This is not a task anyone is taking lightly or even necessarily expects, but it seems that the club is the most stable it has been for years.

With the estimated £120 million coming into the club, there is a chance to build something similar to what has been seen at Swansea City.

The FA Cup victory by a Wigan side who will now pass Palace on the way up to the Premier League, will also give hope that a fat chequebook is not the only route to silverware.

There will be no bold claims that Palace will definitely stay up.

In fact, quite the opposite, Ian Holloway said this week that his side are on a "hiding to nothing".

Is this the sentiment of a manager who wants to keep expectations in check, or the reality of life in the Premier League where the gap between top and bottom is far greater than the 20 places set out in the league table?

It is a cliché that has been rolled out countless times, but this will be an adventure for a side currently put together for just a few million pounds.

And we will be there, glad all over, every step of the way.