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Fraudsters pose as Coulsdon Lottery winner Neil Trotter in money scam attempt
FRAUDSTERS are impersonating Coulsdon Lottery multi-millionaire Neil Trotter in order to con victims out of cash and personal details.
Scam e-mails pretending to be from the EuroMillions jackpot winner tell recipients he will give them "One Million Great Britain Pounds" and asks them to respond to an e-mail address.
Action Fraud has warned any response could be used to commit identity fraud, while the scammers will also likely demand a "fee" to transfer the fictitious money.
Mr Trotter, 41, of Chipstead Valley Road, went public with his £107.9 million on the EuroMillions in March, saying the sum was simply "too large" to hide.
An Action Fraud spokesman said similar scams exploited previous lottery winners, including record winners Colin and Chris Weir.
Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting centre, is asking anyone who has received the e-mail to delete it and report it to them, via www.actionfraud.police.uk
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Crystal Palace stars present awards to Croydon University Hospital lifesavers
HOSPITAL staff deal with life-threatening emergencies every day, but rarely are their colleagues the ones at risk.
But that was the situation facing Mellisa Gavin at Croydon University Hospital, when a fellow worker collapsed in the hallway.
Thankfully, the phlebotomist kept her cool and was able to calmly do the right thing, helping to save his life.
"It was just a normal working day," she recalled.
"My colleague had been unwell. He said he had gone to the toilet but he had been a long time. I went to see if he was OK.
"I realised that someone had assisted him from the toilets to the chair. I called for assistance and a nurse helped me and we put out a crash call.
"The crash team took over and he was taken to resuscitation and then to St George's Hospital."
The hospital declined to give further details about the colleague and his condition, but Ms Gavin said she and others had seen him regularly since.
Ms Gavin, whose day-to-day work mostly involves taking patients' blood, was one of several staff honoured on April 23 at the hospital trust's staff awards. Nominations came from patients and colleagues.
She won the 'Amazing Achievement' award from Croydon Health Services for her efforts in helping her colleague.
The prizes were presented by Crystal Palace footballers Dwight Gayle and Jerome Thomas, at a ceremony in the hospital restaurant.
The 31-year-old said: "I am proud of it and I am proud of everyone that assisted, really and truly and I can honestly say they are all stars.
"I thought it was very nice to win an award, to have some recognition for good work."
Her colleagues recognised at the 'Croydon Star' Awards included Dr Reza Motazed, acute medical unit consultant, for leadership; and Dr Nima Hashemi, care of the elderly consultant, for customer service.
The acute-neuro-rehabilitation service won two awards, for teamwork and listening. Georgina Parker, project manager of Listening in Action (LiA), won the LiA Champion Award.
Dr Nima Hashemi was praised for his "excellent bedside manner." A junior doctor also spoke highly of the help he had given her.
Dr Motazed was described as "an inspirational leader" who was is "continually striving to make the AMU department a successful one".
Long-service awards were also presented, for the first time, to CHS volunteers.
Arthur Robinson, who helps the trust's medical photographer, and Glen Urquhart, who helps the cardiac support group, were acknowledged for their 25 years of service.
John Goulston, CEO of the trust, praised his staff, adding: "Our staff are the reason why CHS is an organisation that is changing for the better.
"We have come a long way over the past year, and there are still challenges ahead, but these awards are our opportunity to celebrate and say thank-you to our Croydon Stars."
Ms Gavin added: "I think all the staff at Croydon University Hospital staff are stars."
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How is he Ghana explain this? Labour councillor in Croydon avoids being deselected despite being exposed as member of conservative party
A LABOUR councillor has avoided being deselected from standing in this month's elections, despite being exposed as a member of a conservative party.
An emergency meeting of Labour members in Thornton Heath was called last week to decide whether Matthew Kyeremeh should be taken off the ticket due to his involvement with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana.
The right-of-centre NPP is allied to the Conservative Party in the UK and even congratulated David Cameron on his election victory in 2010.
Cllr Kyeremeh was secretary of the party's UK branch until March this year and took trips to Ghana which coincided with Presidential election campaigns in 2008 and 2012.
A revealing letter, leaked to the Advertiser, shows Labour's branch secretary in Thornton Heath has "serious concerns" about Cllr Kyeremeh's political leanings.
Adrian Dennis fears if Labour "scrape" a victory on May 22, Cllr Kyeremeh could be offered a deal by the Tories to switch allegiances, handing them control of the council.
These concerns prompted an urgent selection meeting on Tuesday last week where Cllr Kyeremeh managed to persuade members not to deselect him.
In a statement e-mailed to the Advertiser this week, Cllr Kyeremeh said: "I'm glad I had the opportunity to explain to ward members why I joined the NPP in Ghana, and that [they] saw no contradiction with my membership of the Labour Party in Croydon.
"I'm looking forward to continuing to work for a Labour victory in Thornton Heath in May."
The 16-page letter passed to the Advertiser, understood to have been written by branch secretary Mr Dennis, shows he has grave concerns.
Mr Dennis said Cllr Kyeremeh's "extraneous political activities" have the potential to do "serious reputational damage" to the party, would "adversely affect the election campaign" and risks Labour's ability to "operate confidently and efficiently after the elections".
"The party needs to act quickly to manage and avoid these unacceptable risks," wrote Mr Dennis, who could not be reached for a comment this week.
Cllr Kyeremeh has held a senior position in the conservative NPP since at least 2007 and evidence of his involvement in Ghanaian election campaigns since then is readily available on the internet.
"In recent years Matthew has taken a number of long absences from Croydon to visit Ghana," states Mr Dennis's report.
"Each time he informed us that this was solely to visit his father who was ill and, in 2014, to attend his funeral.
"It was later brought to our attention that these departures coincided with the Presidential election campaigns in Ghana.
"It was possible to see from the NPP website in Ghana that Matthew had taken part, as the delegate from the UK, in the election campaigns."
"We do not know if this is mere coincidence," the report later adds, "However the impact is clear enough. His absences reduce Labour's voting power in the chamber."
Cllr Kyeremeh's time off has meant he missed votes at full council meetings. During one absence in 2012, Mr Dennis said party members were "surprised" to find Cllr Kyeremeh, a learning assistant at Coulsdon College, had rented out his home.
He believes Cllr Kyeremeh could be persuaded to "cross the floor" by the promise of a paid position within the Tory party.
He wrote: "What has brought urgency to these concerns were comments earlier this year about the likelihood of Labour scraping a narrow victory. What would stop the Conservatives, who know of his involvement [in the NPP], offering him a modest special responsibility allowance to give them the double whammy of control over Croydon and a foothold in Thornton Heath?
"When considered in the context of his often claimed lack of money...the likelihood of him 'crossing the floor' would seem less in doubt."
Labour leader Tony Newman said there were "lots of reasons" to believe Cllr Kyeremeh's trips to Ghana were to visit his father rather than to campaign for the NPP.
He said he was satisfied that the positions of the two parties were compatible and that his councillor would not join the Tories.
He said: "Matthew has made it crystal clear that his loyalties are to the Labour Party both in the country and in Croydon."
Last month a special report by the Advertiser exposed infighting within the Labour group, including the leak of documents to the Conservatives and a serving councillor taking the party to court.
'If the Tories offer me a deal, I will say no' MATTHEW Kyeremeh defended his involvement with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and insisted his trips to Ghana were to see his family. He told the Advertiser he had not mentioned membership of the NPP during or after being selected because he was "not asked". "I did not consider the information necessary as I did not find anything wrong with my membership of a political party in Ghana, which [is as] democratic and progressive as the Labour Party is here," he said. Cllr Kyeremeh said he visited Ghana about "once a year" to see his family and that, in 2012, his father – who passed away in February - had become seriously ill, leading to several absences while he returned home to spend time with him. Asked how he responded to claims he had been campaigning for the NPP, he replied: "When in Ghana I do what any political activist and a member party will do, depending on what is happening at the time." Cllr Kyeremeh added that branch secretary Adrian Dennis's claims that his financial situation could motivate him to join the Conservatives were "unfounded" and the product of a "wild imagination". Cllr Kyeremeh said he would reject any offer of a deal, adding that there was "emphatically no risk" in his selection. When asked about a potential deal, Conservative council leader Mike Fisher said: "Matthew is standing as a Labour candidate and I can only assume he believes in the ideals of the Labour party. "I just find it incredible that information was freely available, and plenty of other people knew, but they didn't pick up on it until the last few days. I've known for two or three years. "Then again, it's indicative of the fact that Labour are fighting like rats in a sack at the minute."Toilet pervert who pretended to be in Turkey to skip sentencing avoids jail
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South Norwood man ready for charity bike ride after double lung transplant
NEXT month, 25-year-old James Collins will cycle 15 miles to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
But what may seem a standard story of a young man raising money for charity will actually be the latest milestone of a remarkable recovery.
Five months ago James, who has the life-limiting disorder cystic fibrosis, underwent a double-lung transplant.
The life-saving surgery – made possible by an anonymous donor – has transformed James.
Where once he could barely walk ten metres without becoming severely short of breath, he now expects to complete the sponsored cycle on May 18 without running out of puff.
As well as raising money for a great cause, James, of Annsworthy Crescent, South Norwood, hopes his efforts highlight the life-changing potential of being a donor.
"I've written to the parents of my donor a letter," said James, who knows only that his saviour was a 40-year-old man.
"I thanked them for the lungs and for keeping me alive. Words cannot describe how much I have to thank them for.
"I wish there were more people like them to keep people like me alive."
As a baby, James nearly died several times and then struggled with the genetic condition, which affects the lungs, pancreas and liver, until the age of eight, when his health improved to a level where he could take part in physical activity, though not for sustained periods of time.
This remained the case until he was 23, when his lung capacity deteriorated dramatically, falling to 11 per cent in the months before his transplant.
"The thing with cystic fibrosis is that it just comes on like a tonne of bricks," he said. "It got to the stage where I couldn't walk ten metres without feeling like I was going to die. I was in and out of hospital for years."
Around a year ago James, a former pupil at St Joseph's college and primary schools in Upper Norwood, was told he would require a double-lung transplant.
Luckily his common blood type made finding a donor a realistic possibility. Even so, James spent six months on the waiting list before a match was found.
The surgery usually takes between seven and nine hours, but James's procedure was completed in three. "They said I was one of the quickest ever," he said.
"Apparently my body is very fit and easy to operate on. The way they put it was that it went exactly like the textbook."
You could say the same about his recovery. A few months after the procedure, James was back in the gym.
He now goes three times a week and takes his doctor's advice about keep fit extremely seriously.
James said: "I can't explain to you how good I feel. I only get out of breath if I push myself to the limit.
"The doctors described my lungs as 'prestige'. The surgeon said they expand so big they must be from an athlete. I don't know if he was saying that to make me feel better, but that's how it feels to me."
While James has been lucky, many others are not. Currently one in three people with cystic fibrosis die while on the lung transplant list. He hopes his story will encourage others to give the gift of life.
"The way I see it, by donating his lungs to me, my donor is still alive," said James. "Why not treat someone else to a lovely life like he did for me?"
To sponsor James, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/jamescollins1988
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Andrew Else: Selsdon stab victim was 'knifed 100 times'
A FATHER of three knifed to death in Selsdon last week was stabbed around 100 times, the Advertiser understands.
Andrew Else, 52, was killed in a sustained and frenzied attack at around 10.30pm last Thursday (April 24) in Selsdon Park Road, Selsdon.
A postmortem revealed Mr Else died of multiple stab wounds, despite lengthy attempts by paramedics at the scene to revive him.
It is thought Mr Else was walking to his home in Pixton Way when the apparently random attack took place, close to an alleyway linking Selsdon Park Road with the Forestdale estate.
Residents have this week spoken of their shock that such an horrific attack could take place in what is a usually quiet area.
One woman in her 40s, who lives opposite the spot where the stabbing took place, said she had witnessed the attempts to revive Mr Else from her bedroom window.
She said: "The paramedics were pumping at his chest for what seemed like a very long time; it was shocking. I have heard that it was a very frenzied attack.
"This is a peaceful area and we never really get any trouble. I would certainly never think twice about walking on my own, night or day, to the shops at Featherbed Lane."
She added: "If it was a young lad on another young lad it wouldn't have been so surprising but for it to be a 52-year-old man – I just can't imagine what happened."
A man in his 50s, who lives near the scene but asked not to be named, said: "We get the odd problem from the students at John Ruskin College but this is a generally friendly place where people say hello and pass the time of day, even if they don't really know each other.
"The first I knew of it was when I heard the commotion when the police turned up. It is a shock."
Phyllis Keene, 70, of Heathfield Drive, said: "It's scary but I thought it might be a fight between young people.
"We have had a few car smashes down here but nothing like this that I can remember."
Chief superintendent David Musker, Croydon borough commander, said this week: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the victim's family and friends at this time.
"Alongside the murder investigation, our priority is to reassure the local community in the area and we fully recognise the impact that this incident will have on local people."
Safer Neighbourhood officers have been carrying out extra patrols in the area to talk to any people who have concerns.
Ephraim Norman, 23, of Kensington Avenue, Thornton Heath, has been charged with murder, in connection with Mr Else's death.
He appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday and spoke only to answer his name. He was remanded in custody until August 1, when he is due to enter a plea to the charge of murder.
Close shave helps to raise funds for New Addington boy Aaran Arslan
IAN Hopcraft looks a fright as he prepares to have his locks shorn off for charity.
Mr Hopcraft is raising money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity in honour of his shaver-wielding friend Aaran Arslan.
Nine-year-old Aaran is currently being treated at the Royal Marsden, in Sutton, for a brain tumour.
His mother, Kellie Arslan, is also planning fundraising events including running the Cancer Research UK Race for Life this summer and a sponsored charity jump.
Mrs Arslan, of New Addington, said: "I really admire him for doing it. People have starting donating now, so it is great."
If you want to donate to the cause, visit Kellie's online fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/childrenscancerfund