Former IRA member back on Croydon Tories' front bench
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Police hunt man after four Croydon men arrested and bailed in connection with robberies on board Brighton-bound train
MP helps students pass exams
Police release image of man wanted in connection with burglary in Wickham Road, Shirley
Selhurst Road Post Office robbery causes commotion in South Norwood
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VOTE: Should Crystal Palace re-sign Wilfried Zaha from Man Utd?
Fieldway school's speech unit upgraded with a £500k refurbishment
A TEACHING unit for children with speech and language disorders has been revamped after a £500,000 investment.
The specialist unit at Applegarth Academy in Fieldway now has three large, modern classrooms, a therapy room, office, meeting room, toilets, changing room, and soft-play surface outside.
The investment from the council means children can now be taught separately in year groups, rather than all together in one room as the previous building required. The centre provides 18 places, from reception to Year 6, for children with severe speech and language disorders. They are supported by NHS speech and language therapists and assistants and are each part of a mainstream class.
Children are helped to develop the confidence to return to full mainstream education if and when they are ready.
Head teacher Zoë Harris said: "This is a brilliant new addition to the school and provides an excellent environment for children to receive the support they need to help them overcome speech and language difficulties.
"These sorts of problems can have a huge impact on children's future quality of life, so, by addressing them early on and providing children with the skills they need, we are helping them to reach their full potential."
Breast-feeding mother called 'slut' in Costa Coffee row
A YOUNG mother has spoken of her distress at being called a "slut" while breast-feeding her infant son in a cafe.
Rhea Holley, 27, says she was in "floods of tears" after the verbal abuse from a couple sitting nearby in Costa Coffee in High Street, Purley.
But the mother of one has praised and thanked the coffee shop staff, who supported her over the incident on Tuesday.
Mrs Holley, of Faversham in Kent, was visiting a friend and fellow mother in Purley with her son Arthur, 11 months, and the pair decided to take their babies to the cafe.
She said: "We had chosen Costa especially because we know it is breast-feeding friendly.
"Arthur was asleep at the time so I went in and ordered us some drinks and cake.
"While we sat there Arthur woke up and he was quite upset and so I started to breast-feed him.
"A couple were on a table that was facing in such a way that they did not have to look at me.
"I heard one of them say 'it is disgusting', that I know what time babies should be fed and should stay at home then, and that I was a 'slut'."
Mrs Holley said her friend spoke to the couple, thought to be in their sixties, who reiterated that they found it 'very offensive'.
The stay-at-home mum added she was "pretty distressed" by that point and went to talk to the one of the staff members making coffee. The barista immediately consoled her and also spoke to managers, who advised her to remind the offended couple that the cafe was breast-feeding friendly in line with company policy.
"It was so good of them," added Mrs Holley, "not only to stand by the law [on breast-feeding] but also to be so supportive of someone feeling so upset."
The Equality Act 2010 bans anyone asking a breast-feeding woman to leave a public place such as a cafe, shop or public transport.
Mrs Holley stressed it was important women were not made to feel uncomfortable.
She said: "Arthur is 11 months old so I can shrug this off but if there was somebody with a newborn it would be really damaging.
"Babies don't have a schedule – any normal person that goes out is not going to know when they will want a glass of water – why should a baby be any different?
"Women should not be made to feel like they have to stay in."
A spokesman for Costa confirmed the incident had taken place, adding: "Mothers bring in children of all ages to Costa and they are always warmly welcomed by us.
"We have always been very happy for mothers to breast-feed in our stores offering a family-friendly environment that is the perfect place for mums to relax with their children."
Man charged with attempted murder after alleged attack in Mango Bar, Coulsdon
PICTURES: Croydon residents celebrate the Big Lunch
THOUSANDS tucked into grub with their neighbours across Croydon at the sixth annual Big Lunch last Sunday.
There were a number of events organised, with one of the biggest taking place at Trumble Gardens in Thornton Heath.
Exchange Square in Croydon, Edward Road in Addiscombe, Whitworth Road in South Norwood and Broom Road in Shirley all held feasts of their own too.
Andrea Wallace, organiser in Vicarage Road, Waddon, said: "It's about developing a sense of community and being there for each other.
"Our event today was jam-packed with activities including Zumba, a bucking bronco competition, face painting, a bouncy castle, a performance from UFO Steelband as well as a visit from Irish dancers who performed and then taught people some key steps of Irish dancing."
The Big Lunch, now in its sixth year, is led by the Eden Project and funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
A Big Lunch can still be organised until the end of June on a date to fit your community. For more information, visit www.thebiglunch.com
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Coulsdon town centre's only butchers closes
COULSDON'S only butcher appears to have closed for good.
A notice on the door of award-winning Martyn James, in Brighton Road, on Saturday said simply the butcher had "ceased trading" in Coulsdon.
The Advertiser was not able to reach the owners for comment or explanation as we went to press.
The closure would mark a further blow to the town's mix of independent shops and fresh goods, after the last remaining greengrocer closed in 2010.
Charles King, chairman of the East Coulsdon Residents' Association, said footfall in the town would need to increase if shops were to thrive.
He added that the council needed to invest in more parking and the forthcoming Aldi development should provide a welcome boost.
Mr King said: "I think [the poor footfall] is a combination of changing shopping habits and also home deliveries.
"If you want a town centre that is attractive in the 21st century it has got to be more attractive to people, and you need more people about, which is why the [forthcoming] Cane Hill development is important."
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New crackdown orders litterbugs: 'Don't mess with Croydon'
A MUCH-PROMISED crackdown on fly-tipping is being launched this week by Croydon's new Labour council.
The campaign's title, Don't Mess With Croydon, has a double message – combining a tough warning to fly-tippers that the council will prosecute if they are caught with a more gentle call to residents to take pride in their borough.
Beating what Labour sees as the curse of fly-tipping, particularly in the north of the borough, was a major plank of the party's pre-election manifesto.
Now, after Labour formally took control of the council on Tuesday, the newly appointed cabinet member for a Clean Green Croydon, Councillor Stuart Collins, has been quick to act.
The campaign was officially launched yesterday (Thursday) and full details of the programme will be reported to the council's cabinet at the end of this month.
But, talking to the Advertiser earlier this week, Cllr Collins said: "We hope this is going to be a deal between us and the residents of Croydon. We want the council and residents to work hand in hand to take a pride in Croydon."
Cllr Collins said the intention would be to introduce an education programme, to inform people about the recycling and green services the council provides.
Importantly, he added, there would be a clear message to residents to report fly-tipping to the council.
A new dedicated hotline for reporting incidents is expected to be in place by the date of the cabinet meeting and residents are also being urged to e-mail the council or use its phone app for reporting fly-tipping.
On the back of the reporting initiative, the council, alongside its waste contractors Veolia, is to introduce three trucks that will be dedicated to patrolling the borough and clearing up reported rubbish.
The crews will also be scouring the roads for other incidents on their patrols.
Cllr Collins said: "We will be asking our staff who are regularly out on the ground, like enforcement officers and traffic wardens, to report any fly-tipping problems."
He said enforcement would play a vital role in enabling the council to get on top of the problem.
Cllr Collins added "We will use the reports we receive to gather intelligence on fly-tipping hot spots.
"This will enable us to establish covert CCTV coverage and be a start to getting some prosecutions.
"The message we will get out to these people who fly-tip is, 'If you mess with us you will get prosecuted and we will press for the severest penalties'."
Cllr Collins said existing budgets were being used to meet the costs of the campaign.
It is likely to be a precursor to a wider review of street cleaning, recycling and refuse collection services once the new administration has had time to study the council's finances, look at ways of using existing resources more efficiently and hold detail discussions with Veolia.
Cllr Collins said: "Any changes we may consider will be subject to consultation with residents.
"As we have always said, we will manage services for the whole of borough."