A WOMAN claims she was attacked by her neighbour's dogs in her own garden.

Maisie Barratt called police on July 20 to report being savaged by two Staffordshire terriers who had made their way through her fence from a garden backing onto her own in Coverack Close, Shirley.

Her neighbour, Shandy Mehmet, 46, was arrested and bailed to return to Croydon Police Station on August 30, pending further investigations.

Ms Barratt said: "I noticed the noses of the two dogs poking through a hole in the fence."

She claimed the dogs got through the fence and attacked her, biting her arms.

She said: "I ran to the front of my house but I was trapped. One of the dogs had my arm in its mouth and was shaking it up and down.

"I was in shock, my heart was pounding and I was getting weak. It was a shocking experience."

Ms Barratt said her cries for help were eventually answered by neighbours and the dogs ran off when they arrived.

She was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to Croydon University Hospital.

Ms Barratt said she had been particularly upset by remarks made by the police who interviewed her.

She added: "I wanted the dogs removed but was told several times that nothing could be done until it happens again.

"I was really annoyed because it could have been much worse. The dogs could have grabbed my throat or it could have been a child involved."

She said since the incident, her neighbours had been round to apologise.

Ms Barratt added: "I adore animals but if you have them you must be responsible for them.

"If they are not cared for they should be taken away."

A Croydon Police spokesman said members of its dog control team had visited the Mehmet's house and confirmed the dogs were not on the banned list.

No action, he said, could be taken against the dogs while investigations continued.

Mrs Mehmet told the Advertiser said: "I was shocked when I heard what had happened.

"They are family dogs, not dogs that go out and bite people. I think they must have been provoked."

She added: "My five-year-old niece plays with them all the time and never has any trouble.

"The dog section people have also been round and said the dogs are not aggressive."

A MOTHER has spoken of her terror after her young daughter was flung to the ground when a park swing snapped mid-use.

Natasha Ankrah's daughter Kyemecey Mitchell-Ankrah was taken to hospital by ambulance after the incident on the public swings in the Shrublands Estate park two weeks ago.

The six-year-old was checked over and discharged, but is now too scared to use her local swings, her mother said.

Natasha, of Broom Road in the estate in Shirley, said her daughter was being happily pushed on the swing by another child when the chain's bolts gave way.

She said: "I saw my child flying through the air. Then she was just screaming and kept holding onto her ribs.

"The swing was still intertwined in her arms and her legs."

Natasha called an ambulance and staff checked Kyemecey over before taking her to Croydon University Hospital, fearing she may have cracked her rib. However, after a check-up she was found to have no internal injuries.

When the Advertiser went to press the swing had not been fixed nor any warning notice posted, despite Natasha, 24, telling the council what had happened.

A spokesman for Croydon Council said: "We carry out regular safety checks on all our play equipment, however, if anyone notices a potential fault we would ask that the call us immediately so that we can make an assessment and carry out any necessary repairs."

CONTROVERSIAL gas extraction technique 'fracking' could be on its way to Croydon after a licence was granted to hunt for potential sites in the borough.

Little-known company Northdown Energy Limited has been given permission to explore Croydon for natural gas and oil. These licences, under current regulations, allow the licence-holder to investigate opportunities for shale gas extraction, or fracking, across a 400 sq km area, including Croydon.

Fracking involves drilling down into the earth and directing a high-pressure water mixture at shale rock to release the gas inside. The process sparked controversy for its environmental impact as well as the potential to cause minor earthquakes. Dominic Shepherd, who lives in Kenley and runs the annual Kenley Fun Day on the Common said he did not think the area was suitable for exploration. He said: "Croydon to me is over populated and there are too many people to too few open spaces. "If it was in the middle of the countryside miles from anywhere it would probably be ok. "But Croydon is very suburban – they are saying it is safe but if there was ever an issue, a lot of people living here near these open areas would suffer. "We also don't have the open space to spare, however these companies pass it off. "We can't know what is happening underground, so what if something happens? "I appreciate we have to make use of scarce resources, but at what cost? "People live here for the countryside but it will turn into an industrial site with fracking."

In 2011, a shale gas drilling rig near Blackpool was blamed as the seaside resort was hit by small earth tremors, while similar incidents have occurred in areas of the United States and Canada. Several states in the US have banned fracking.

Although undertaking the controversial drilling programme would involve Northdown Energy Limited having to seek a further licence, the current situation allows exploratory work to uncover reserves of shale gas that could be used in the future, subject to planning permission. Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Tony Bosworth has warned that setting up fracking sites in urban areas "could wreck communities' quality of life".

Concerns have also been raised by Water UK, who represent all major UK water suppliers, that the process could lead to drinking water aquifers being contaminated and result in water shortages because of the huge amounts of water used in the process. Protests against fracking have been on the rise since Chancellor George Osborne announced a 50 per cent tax break for fracking firms in an attempt to attract investment to the fledgling energy industry in the UK. In Balcombe, West Sussex, 23 fracking protesters have been arrested.

A SOUTH Croydon woman has spoken of her close relationship with a life prisoner who is now having a sex change while in jail.

Pamela Stockwell, of Elm Close, has been writing to Alan Baker for the past 23 years while he serves a life sentence for the attempted murder of a rapist who he said bullied him in prison.

During that time Baker, from Thornton Heath, escaped and fathered a child with another penpal. Now back in jail, he has started a sex change and calls himself Sarah.

Mrs Stockwell is currently helping the 43-year-old write his second book – an autobiography to follow the guide on surviving life imprisonment which he published this year.

She supports his parole appeal, saying he is "a different person from the teenager who was convicted. Mrs Stockwell, 74, started writing to Baker when he was volunteering with probation more than 20 years ago and now feels like he is "a second son".

Baker has had an unusual stint in jail. In April 2007, he escaped from Leyhill open prison in South Gloucestershire and spent about 100 days on the run before police captured him. In that time, he met up with a woman who later gave birth to his only son. Mrs Stockwell said: "I felt very maternal towards him and didn't really enquire into his crimes for a long time. I have only found out about them quite recently. "My son was a young man at the time and it seemed so shocking to me that Alan had such a different life. Alan is like a son to me now. The first time I visited him was extraordinary. He was suspicious and quite nasty and then got upset and agitated. "I changed tack and showed him some photos I had of fox cubs on our lawn at home and he was suddenly a different person. "We soon started getting on so well, I made up my mind – if he asked me to do something, I would do it for him." During Baker's stay in one prison, Mrs Stockwell regularly bumped into Lord Longford, there to visit serial killer Myra Hindley. She also tracked down Baker's mother, who from then on visited her son regularly until she died last June.

AN ULTIMATE fighter from Croydon says he will not stop until he is the "very best in the world".

Jimi Manuwa, 33, has made serious waves in the mixed martial arts world and is undefeated in 13 fights, with 12 of them through stoppages.

He signed a contract last year with the multibillion-pound Ultimate Fighting Championship, recognised as the pinnacle of his sport.

He has won his first two fights in the promotion and is now preparing for his next bout, which he expects to take place later this year.

Jimi, who still lives in Croydon, said: "I won't stop until I'm the best in the world. That's what you've got to aim for. I think I can be.

"My whole life is geared towards training to be the best. If you are not prepared to make the sacrifices and change the way you are, then you won't make it.

"You have to eat very well, train in lots of different disciplines, learn the mental side of it. It's the hardest part about it, no doubt."

The hardman, formerly of Thornton Heath and South Norwood, owns a Croydon gym, Lions Pride MMA, on Tamworth Road.

He credits MMA for changing his life, admitting he was "not a saint" as a teenager.

Jimi added: "I certainly wasn't good but I wasn't the worst. I had to move schools a lot.

"I wish I had got into martial arts when I was a teenager. It would have given me something to work towards.

"There are some real young talents we train at the gym. It's great for them to be able to channel that aggression.

"I came into this very late but I've still got plenty of time."

In February, Jimi fought in front of a hometown crowd of more than 10,000 UFC fans at Wembley Arena.

He said: "That was brilliant especially because I was the only London fighter on the card. The support was fantastic. MMA is massive business in this country."

Nicknamed 'Poster Boy', Jimi believes his strengths are striking, knockout power and explosiveness, adding: "I'm also good at grappling and I work on my wrestling all the time but I think it's better for the crowd to see two fighters stand up and fight each other properly.

"That comes from people like Mike Tyson, who is my biggest influence as a fighter."

TOP brass at a major hotel chain are claiming Croydon Council is in danger of pricing them out of the borough.

Paul Harvey, Travelodge's managing director for development, has said new charges introduced by the council are making the company think seriously about abandoning plans to open new hotels in Purley and Norbury.

Council leader Mike Fisher has, however, hit back, claiming the new charges are about half the London average and that the borough still represents good value for money for developers.

At the root of the clash is the change in the way developers pay for improvements to the infrastructure of an area – such as new schools and better transport facilities – and an improved environment.

The charges are levied as a condition for granting planning permission. In the past year the long-established Section 106 agreements covering these payments have been replaced by the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

Travelodge is claiming that under the old system the contributions due as a result of developing two hotels would have been about £286,000.

Under CIL, Croydon is charging £120 per square metre for developments and added to this, according to Travelodge, is another £35 per square metre for the Mayor of London's office.

This, it says, would bring the total development charges for the hotels to £952,000, making them potentially unviable.

Mr Harvey said: "Instead of supporting the growth of the hotel industry in Croydon, the council is setting such high costs on development that they will actually lose out on long-term growth, revenue and job opportunities.

"If we opened two new hotels in Croydon then we would create 50 jobs, with all entry-level roles going to the long-term unemployed thanks to our partnership with Jobcentre Plus."

He added: "Croydon needs a good mix of hotels, due to many of the existing B&Bs and hostels offering inadequate accommodation, poor value and extortionate prices.

"Unfortunately the high level of the proposed tax means the borough will miss out on the benefits that additional hotels would bring."

Councillor Fisher said it was difficult to comment on the costs stated by Travelodge, because the council was not aware of the size of the proposed hotels and Section 106 agreements were also tailored to individual developments.

He said: "We are charging £120 per square metre across the board, except for a zero CIL for residential developments in the town centre and office developments outside the centre.

"The average CIL across London is £241 and our charge is the third-lowest in the capital.

"If they are looking for this kind of quality elsewhere in London, in most cases they are going to have to pay more in CIL."

NOSTALGIC Crystal Palace fans have jumped at a unique opportunity to purchase a little piece of their club's history.

The antique seats that make up the Selhurst Park's main stand were installed in 1924 and will be replaced as the ground is spruced up in time for the impending Premier League season.

Supporters were offered the chance to buy each of the historic, wooden seats for just £20, a deal 250 fans have so far snapped up.

Andy Burton, who has been Palace-mad since he was a small boy, said it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

The 54-year-old said: "It's just a part of Palace's history that I couldn't miss out on. When I heard about the offer, I bought it as a little bit of a joke, but the more I think about it, the better it is.

"It's a real antique, and for £20 it's a bargain. It could be worth something in the future but I am going keep it as a souvenir."

The seat will come in its whole form, although Selsdon resident Andy is not sure what exactly he would like to do with it yet.

He added: "I might stick it to my garden decking or I might put it in the loft, who knows?

"I've sat all around the ground, but obviously some parts don't quite have the charm that the main stand does.

"It's a shame, because some of these modern grounds are quite soulless, but I think Palace will probably tear the old stand down soon so I'm glad to get this opportunity."

Some of the Eagles younger fans are also appreciating the chance to grab this precious memorabilia.

Liam Giles, 27, said: "It's to do with the sentimental value attached to the seat. I have grown up with Palace since 1992.

"This is probably one of the oldest remaining stands in Britain, so it's got a lot of history attached to it.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with it but in the future, hopefully I can give it to my kids, who will definitely be Palace fans."

A FORMER foster child with a troubled history says he stands little chance of getting his life back on track while trapped in an environment where drugs are rife..

Jonathan Seymour has been living in supported housing schemes since leaving foster care at 16. It is Croydon Council's duty to provide former foster children with varying degrees of support until they reach 21.

The 20-year-old says his experience of those homes is of being surrounded by people relapsing into the drug and alcohol abuse and violent behaviour he is trying to escape.

Jonathan, who is staying with his natural father in Old Coulsdon after leaving a home in Auckland Road, Upper Norwood, earlier this year, said: "I used to smoke cannabis which I got myself off, I'm a recovering alcoholic, trying to change my life around and asking them to help me find a one-bed studio flat.

"But they are saying they want me in shared accommodation or supported accommodation, and the reason I do not want to go into these is because there are drug users there."

The council currently has 731 care-leavers on its books, and said they are generally provided accommodation through the housing department's landlord bond scheme.

A council spokesman said he could not comment on Jonathan's case, but added that tenants with "complex needs often have difficulty managing a tenancy".

He added: "In such cases we may identify a suitable shared property that includes a degree of support. This assessment is based on individual personal needs.

"Assessments take into account recent history and behaviour, as well as a range of other needs-based factors, and the Landlord Bond Scheme will not accept a referral if there is a history of criminal damage and irresponsible behaviour."

Jonathan admits that his track record includes mental health problems, violence, and drug and alcohol abuse. He is attending treatment programmes, but fears going back into supported accommodation will push back his progress.

Speaking of one hostel into which he was placed, in Forest Hill, he said: "That place messed me up – there are 125 rooms in that place, you can find crackheads, heroin addicts, prostitutes, murderers.I saw two people who died through drug overdoses."

Jonathan, who has catering qualifications, says he wants the chance to prove he can cope in his own place.

He said: "I think I will be ok. I have grown up a lot. I am clear from drugs and have a clear mind. I am able to take care of my responsibilities."

His father, Brian Seymour, said: "The system needs to be reviewed because it is letting youngsters like my son down."

CROYDON'S music scene has become a thriving, eclectic and popular part of south London's musical landscape in recent years.

The Brit School is a production line for musical talent, with the likes of Adele, Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash, The Kooks and Lily Allen – to name just a few – pass through its doors in recent years.

On top of that, "Croydub" is revered as the birthplace of dubstep. But on a local level, there is a close musical community and some thriving venues propped up by the community.

Rick Hicks, who runs Croydon-based Frantic Promotions, said Croydon had always been strong, if perhaps a little under-estimated in musical terms.

He said: "We've got some great bands here and a group of people who all want to help each other.

"It's always been a tight-knit music community. There are a number of popular venues in the town centre, including the Scream Lounge, which also has a studio where bands can record and practice.

One of those is heavy metal band Mordecai, who played at the Download Festival at Donnington Park in June. Their lead singer Dan Hicks initiated the Croydon Clean-up Crew in the aftermath of the riots.

Mordecai guitarist Andy Short, 26, said: "We've always been Croydon through and through. We love the area and love playing in our home town."

One of the reasons Croydon is most definitely not crap is its diversity and its music is no different, covering all spectrums and genres.

Chris Syrus, who works in youth services, said said: "It's surprising how many talented musicians there are in Croydon.

"It's almost impossible to make it these days and that's why our independent scene has to pull together."

And the whole of Croydon has a chance to pull together for a big knees-up in October with the annual CROxjam festival.

Organiser John Bownas aims to have more than 100 acts play this year at venues across the town.

He said: "I've been talking to other Oxjam organisers from across the country and I know how some struggle to find enough bands.

"Our problem in Croydon is different – there's so much talent out there we don't have room for everyone, even spreading the festival over three days.

We want you to lead the fightback and tell us why Croydon is a great place to live. E-mail newsdesk@croydonadvertiser.co.uk with your comments. Anyone who wants to be considered for CROxjam should e-mail croxjam@gmail.com

THE derelict site of the former DHSS offices in South Norwood is to get new owners, the Advertiser understands.

Martin Benson was granted planning permission in 2010 to convert the building into flats, but since then nothing has happened.

He was served with a tidy-up notice by the council in February after the authority received complaints about the site's shoddy appearance.

However, the notice has now expired and nothing has happened, leaving the council with the option of fining the owner or carrying out the work themselves and sending him the bill.

But it appears Mr Benson, who was considering selling the site in February, is close to a deal to sell it on.

He had been granted permission to build 22 flats on the site, which is very close to Norwood Junction station.

South Norwood councillor Wayne Lawlor had previously expressed fears the building could attract squatters.

He said: "It still looks like a war zone. It presents a hazard to people walking past it.

"If there was a strong wind and glass was knocked out it could hit a passer-by and kill them.

"I wish the council would stop procrastinating over this issue. If it has served a notice for someone to tidy it up, then it should follow through with it."

Mr Lawlor also expressed fears about the site being transformed into housing, saying he would like the owners of the site to consult with the local community.

He added: "We need quality housing, no one is denying that – my concern is just overcrowding in the area.

"If that is what local people want, if that is what is borne out of a consultation, that is fine."

A spokesman for Croydon Council indicated it would take action to clean up the building in the next few weeks if it did not see any movement from the current owner.

He added: "The council has used its legal powers to request that the owners tidy up and secure this property.

"The notice has now expired on this request and we are now considering which of several possible courses of action to take to make sure that the necessary work is carried out."

The Advertiser contacted Mr Benson's agent, JDW Architects, but did not receive a response.

CROYDON's affordable housing shortage has reached such a crisis point, a family of five has been forced to share a single room.

A lack of housing, the impact of welfare reforms and the rising number of homeless people is piling the pressure on private lets.

According to the 2011 census, 19.8 per cent of Croydon's residents live in private rents – more than 4 per cent higher than the national average.

There are currently almost 7,000 people on the waiting list for social housing which houses only 9.8 per cent of Croydon's population.

On average, a private four bed property in Croydon is priced at £323 to £433 a week and has increased in price by 10 per cent in the last year alone.

According to the council's borough profile from 2009, the barrier to housing was one of the "most pressing issues in Croydon. Unlike other forms of deprivation, areas in the south and centre of Croydon fall into the 20 per cent most deprived in England".

On top of this, the last set of data on private lets, from 2008, found 37 per cent of private housing falls below the decent home standard.

Of privately rented houses, 15 per cent were classed as "unfit" because of dangerous structures or kitchens not fit for preparing food.

In converted flats, the rate was 16.8 per cent.

Many families are forced to "choose" overcrowded or sub-standard private rents because a shortage of money and the failure to move up the social housing list.

Andy*, from South Croydon, told the Advertiser how he had been forced to house himself, his wife and three children in one room above a shop.

They share a kitchen and a bathroom with the tenant in the next-door room.

Andy said: "It is very hard. There is one bed in the room and I have to push the sofas together so we all have somewhere to sleep.

"My children are small and my wife gave birth to a baby only three months ago.

"It is not a good way to bring up your children and my wife is constantly scared for them.

"I worry for their health. There is nowhere for them to go. In this heat, we can barely breathe."

Andy pays £120 a week for the room and has recently had to claim housing benefits after his work shifts were reduced a month ago.

"I am down at the job centre every day but nothing is coming up and I had to claim benefits to help pay the rent. I feel very responsible for my family.

"We have been on the waiting list for social housing for two years but the council says it is fine for five people to live in one room so we get no help."

The family's landlord, Alan*, said his tenant had originally lived there alone but could now find nowhere else to go.

He said: "The council have too many people to deal with."

Any house with more than five unrelated people living together needs a HMO (house with multiple occupancy) licence. The council has estimated there are 2,800 houses in multiple occupation in Croydon, but only 800 are known to the council.

A spokesman from the council said it "carried out spot checks to find out if properties are being used as HMOs and would therefore require a licence."

According to the council's housing strategy, it would cost £227 million to improve all private homes, including non-rented properties, to a decent standard.

*Names have been changed to protect identities