THESE new CCTV images show how a buggy carrying a baby fell onto a railway line.

The pushchair rolled down a slope on the London-bound platform at Whyteleafe Station, despite a mother's frantic efforts to halt it - narrowly missing the live rail.

With the help of other passengers she managed to rescue her baby, just before a train pulled into the station.

Rail investigators are pressing for action after the near-miss on September 18 last year, with these images made public today.

BREDE HANGELAND says he is fit and up for selection this weekend for the Premier League opener at Arsenal.

The former Fulham star has only played a couple of games in pre-season since signing for the Eagles a little more than two weeks ago, but he had been training on his own prior to his move to Selhurst Park.

The 33-year-old says Palace have "nothing to lose" in north London despite the hosts having the odds stacked in their favour.

Speaking earlier this week, before the departure of Tony Pulis, said: "We are definitely hungry, everyone is looking forward to Arsenal.

"We know it's going to be a really, really tough game and they will be favourites, but as Palace showed many times last season you can cause an upset if you work really hard, being well organised and take your chances.

"We go to Arsenal with nothing to lose. I am ready to play. It's been a short and sharp pre-season for me but I kept fit over the summer and there's no problem on that front.

"I am ready for selection should the manager choose to pick me.

"It's the same for every game in the Premier League. This is one of the bigger teams playing one of the smaller ones, but there are no easy games.

"If we manage to play well and stay compact and work really hard, it's possible for us to get a result. Anything is possible."

The Norwegian international was happy to see a number of Eagles supporters make last weekend's trip to Germany.

"It's one of the great things about this club - lots of people talk about how good they are," said Hangeland.

THE same company which runs five of Croydon town centre's biggest car parks is charging almost half the price for short stays in neighbouring towns.

NCP is hitting shoppers where it hurts with its charges – especially in the two car parks which flank the Whitgift Centre.

In the Whitgift, Croydon Central, and Fairfield car parks, drivers are charged £4.20 for one to two hours, whereas in NCP's car park in Bromley town centre, the same time is only £2.30.

While you can park in The Mall for up to four hours for £4.30, in Croydon Central and Whitgift the price is £6.40 for a limit of three hours.

In Fairfield, it is £8.20 for anything from two to four hours.

The pricing structure in NCP's Kingston town centre facility is slightly more than Bromley but only marginally.

Jeremy Frost, chairman of the Croydon branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said it would put people off shopping because most have a problem with paying for parking.

He said: "If you go shopping in the town centre or a shopping centre then you don't mind paying a bit extra for goods but people do have a problem paying for parking.

"People don't feel as if they get anything for their money. Even people with a lot of money don't like paying for it.

"I think the reason it is so high is because of the amount of people that live in Croydon. It is a purely commercial decision by NCP."

The other two NCP car parks are further out of the centre in Dingwall Road and Wandle Road and represent similar value to the Bromley and Kingston car parks.

The Labour-controlled council sold the car parks to NCP in 2006.

Tony Bull, who owns Zucchi shoe stores in the Whitgift Centre and in Bromley, believes the hefty parking charges in Croydon have added considerably to a downturn in trade.

He said: "The prices are crazy, it is enough to stop people coming to Croydon. I know the council and the Government have always wanted to deter the car but serious shoppers want to come to Croydon by car.

"You're not seriously telling me if people are going to buy five or six even medium-sized things they're going to want to lug it back on the bus or the train?

"It's not even as if NCP are keeping these car parks in a good condition."

A spokeswoman for NCP defended the pricing structure of their car parks, saying fees were judged on the costs of each site rather than the whole company's profits.

She said: "NCP is a commercial business and aims to provide car parks that have sustainable revenues, that allows us to keep sites viable for the long term.

"Our car park prices do vary from region to region, as each car park's pricing policy is based on the business costs incurred on the individual site.

"For instance, our property costs that we pay in Bromley and Kingston are significantly different to those at Whitgift and Centrale in Croydon.

"Also each car park will have different requirements. Some have a much higher number of customers visiting them, which means that the operating method that we offer at each car park incurs different costs."

Short stay parking prices

Kingston St James Road

1 hour – £1.80

1-2 hours – £3.30

2-3 hours – £4.80

3-4 hours – £6.30

Kingston Fairfield

1 hour – £1.50

1-2 hours – £2.80

2-3 hours – £4.10

3-4 hours £5.10

Bromley The Mall

1 hour – £2.30

1-2 hours – £2.30

2-4 hours – £4.30

Croydon Central

1 hour – £2.40

1-2 hours – £4.40

2-3 hours £6.40

Croydon Whitgift

1 hour – £2.40

1-2 hours £4.40

2-3 hours £6.40

Croydon Fairfield Halls

1 hour – £2.20

1-2 hours – £4.20

2-4 hours – £8.20

Croydon Wandle

2 hours – £2.10

2-4 hours – £4.10

4-6 hours – £6.10

Croydon Dingwall Road

1 hour – £1.30

1-2 hours – £2.30

2-4 hours – £4.30

JULIAN SPERONI hopes to be selected ahead of Wayne Hennessey at Arsenal today (Saturday) - having come off the back of what he calls the best season of his career.

The 35-year-old, who is about to enter his tenth season with Palace and is due a testimonial during the next year, wants to continue to be the club's first choice goalkeeper after keeping 13 clean sheets last season.

"I thought I had a fantastic season last year, probably the best of my career," Speroni explained.

"I would love to continue with that, and I know Wayne wants to play as well.

"That is part of the game, we are a Premier League club now and there is always going to be competition for places.

"If someone is playing and not performing well then somebody is going to have a chance.

"Every player is the same, we all want to play. We have been playing even minutes in pre-season. Most of them have been 45 minutes each.

"No player is going to be happy if they're not playing. If you're not performing then someone else will have the opportunity. It's always the manager's decision.

"I have always had the backing of the supporters throughout my time at Palace.

"If I lose my place because I am not performing, then fair enough I will help Wayne and I will do the best for the team. It's not about me, it's about the team. That is normal."

The Argentine, speaking to the Advertiser before Tony Pulis' exit, wants to better last season's 11th-place finish too so that Palace can continue to build their status as a top flight club.

"To have success you need a strong squad, not just 11 players," said Speroni. "Things happen, you have suspensions and injuries. The stronger the squad is, the better chance there is to have a great season.

"We will welcome whoever comes in and we look forward to working with them.

"We are going to try to have a better season than the last one. You always want to improve and do better.

"For us, you need to establish yourself as Premier League club and stay in the league for two or three seasons. If we finish 17th, it will not be a bad thing. But that's not the idea to begin with, we want to have a better season."

A FAMILY with a holiday curse to match the McCallisters in Home Alone had their second nightmare trip to the same location in under a year.

Martin Pitchley, 48, was just 15 minutes from his Purley home with his pregnant fiancée Zoe Moore, 36, her father Leonard Moore, 79, and his four kids on their way to a caravan park in Camber Sands when a tree was struck by lightning and landed on their car.

The bolt-from-the-blue came during a freak 20 minute storm at around 2pm on July 25 along the Caterham By-Pass in Whyteleafe and, although luckily no one was hurt, the family's simple two-hour journey turned into a 12 hour trek.

Both Zoe and her father – who has recently suffered a stroke – were badly shaken up by the incident although Martin's children Abbi, two, Ellie, seven, Karl, 14, and Kirstie, 17, were "alright".

Mr Pitchley said: "The weather was terrible so I was driving very carefully and probably only doing about 25mph. If we'd have been going any quicker I might not be here to tell the story.

"The tree just slammed onto our bonnet, then bounced up and hit the top of the car where we had all our luggage. I think the luggage probably cushioned some of the blow.

"I kept going instead of stopping because I didn't want to cause a pile-up and I just had to focus on that, but my family were very shaken by it."

They did not arrive back at their home until 5.30pm, before Mr Pitchley sent his family on a train down to Camber Sands while he sorted everything out.

Delays and problems with taxis meant they did not arrive at the campsite until midnight that evening.

Last September, the Advertiser reported Mr Pitchley's family misery when a toy bought in Camber Sands exploded over his baby Abbi.

Mr Pitchley added: "We like to go on holiday just for the kids really. But what with last year and now this, I might not bother next year."

CROYDON College is giving its degree students the right skills and experience to get them jobs, according to a report published yesterday.

Inspectors from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the higher education equivalent of Ofsted, visited the college in May to assess whether the college's university centre delivered national standards of education.

They found the college met those standards in all of the areas examined and singled out its "strategic approach" to giving students the skills for jobs.

They also said the tutorial system helps make a "significant contribution" to students' achievements and the college was good at supporting applicants with non-standard qualifications.

Around 700 students take degree-level qualifications at the university centre every year, which is run in partnership with the University of Sussex.

The college's new Employability Hub, where students can search for job vacancies, meet employers, access careers advice, get help with their CVs and receive coaching for job interviews, was also hailed.

The hub was launched earlier this year and students are given the opportunity of work experience placements.

Among those working with the scheme are John Lewis, Butlin's, Gatwick Airport, L'Oreal, Toyota and Crystal Palace Football Club – where 90 students recently found jobs. But the college was told to make sure all students were given proper inductions and the opportunity to engage in student representation by next year.

Frances Wadsworth, principal at Croydon College, described the report as "enormously valuable".

She said: "Job opportunities are fiercely contested, and at Croydon College we are working to ensure that our degree courses are a real investment, and are much more likely to lead our students to realising their dream career."

BORIS Johnson is coming to Croydon to publicly launch Gavin Barwell's election campaign.

The Mayor of London, who recently announced his own intention to return to the Commons, will speak at a high-profile event at Fairfield Halls next month.

Mr Johnson will urge voters in Croydon Central to opt for his Conservative colleague next May, in what is likely to be one of the closest-fought seats in the country.

Mr Barwell's campaign is being launched on the backdrop of May's local election, which saw Labour retake the council and make significant gains in his constituency.

The results gave heart to the party's candidate Sarah Jones that she could not only wrestle the seat away from the Tories, but also become Croydon's first ever female MP.

Mr Barwell told the Advertiser: "There's no panic, but there absolutely is a recognition that this is going to be a close election and [the voters] are going to see a much better campaign from me than maybe we put up in the local elections."

The party has sent out thousands of leaflets featuring a letter from Mr Johnson, in which he plays up both Mr Barwell's, and his own, role in helping Croydon "recover" from the riots in 2011, attract Westfield and Hammerson, "increasing the capacity" on the tram network and get "more police officers on Croydon's streets".

"He is a strong voice for Croydon both at City Hall and in Parliament – we could do with more MPs like him," added Mr Johnson.

In contrast to the Conservative's local election literature, the leaflet does not mention the threat from Ukip, whom Mr Barwell was quick to credit for Labour's election win.

The party damaged Conservative support in wards like Ashburton, which had previously returned three Tory councillors.

Mr Barwell said winning back those voters would be part of his focus.

He said: "It's clearly the case with the local elections that Ukip took more from the Conservatives than they did from Labour.

"Part of the campaign will be about addressing that particular group of voters and get them to think about the consequences of how they vote.

"However, there's an even bigger group of people in the middle who are swinging between the two main parties, so it's not all about trying to win back Ukip voters. It's also about winning floating voters."

Mr Barwell has been canvassing in Heathfield and Fieldway since the local elections in May, helped by hundreds of party activists, in an acknowledgement that both wards had not received enough attention from the Conservatives during that campaign.

He added: "I'm absolutely not taking the result next year for granted. Unlike Labour I've been out canvassing every single weekend since I got elected. It's not something they do. They tend to just work at election time."

COULD caretaker boss Keith Millen be handed the full-time Crystal Palace job?

Comedian James Daly thinks so and, in the latest of his song parodies which have become a hit with Eagles fans, he makes a simple call - 'give Keith a chance'.

Croydon-born Millen is in caretaker charge of Palace for this afternoon's visit to Arsenal after the departure of Tony Pulis - the second time he's stepped into the breach in less than a year, after Ian Holloway's exit last autumn.

Watch the video of James' song here.

CRYSTAL Palace were denied a battling point away at Arsenal this evening, when Aaron Ramsey popped up with the winning goal in added-on time. It was a gritty and plucky display from the Eagles, who were still getting over the shock of Tony Pulis' departure 48 hours ago. However, under caretaker boss Keith Millen, they looked bright in the first half and shocked the Emirates with the opener. Laurent Koscielny brought the scores level on the stroke of half-time, and despite having most of the possession in the second half, Arsenal struggled to break down a resolute Palace defence. But their hearts were broken in the first of five added-on minutes when Aaron Ramsey tapped home from close range. Palace nearly shocked the Emirates inside just ten seconds from kick-off, when Yannick Bolasie attacked down the left and played in Fraizer Campbell, but Laurent Koscielny got across in time to snuff out the danger. Arsenal soon got into their stride and were denied a penalty claim when Aaron Ramsey went down under pressure from Scott Dann. Palace hit back though when Jason Puncheon fired in a cross towards the near post for Campbell, only for Szczesny to gather in the nick of time. The Eagles began to get into the game as Arsenal's fast start was slowed down significantly, with the likes of Mile Jedinak and Joe Ledley working their socks off to nullify Ramsey and Santi Cazorla. Julian Speroni, given the nod ahead of Wayne Hennessey, was called into action on the half-hour mark with a good save down to his right to deny Jack Wilshere. But several minutes later, the Eagles shocked north London by taking the lead thanks to superb glancing header from Brede Hangeland on his debut. Getting away from Alexis Sanchez, the centre-back got past another two Arsenal players to rise and head home into the far corner. With Palace looking to take their lead into the half-time break, they were brought back down to Earth when Laurent Koscielny equalised in added-on time. The Frenchman got in behind the Palace defence, notably Hangeland, to nod into the bottom corner, with Speroni helpless. Into the second period and the Eagles started brightly. Arsenal continued to attack only to be thwarted by Palace's continued doggedness. Puncheon scuffed a shot on goal after excellent play from Marouane Chamakh to turn Callum Chambers on the edge of the box, but then the Gunners penned Palace back for a good 20-minute spell. However, despite the majority of possession in their favour, they couldn't break the Palace defence. Speroni got down to save from Sanchez and Ramsey, while Palace assistant manager Keith Millen could be seen mulling over whether to make a change, possibly to pack the midfield. Instead, he had to replace the injured Scott Dann with Damien Delaney as the clocked neared the 80-minute mark. Debutant Martin Kelly went into the referees' book for a late challenge on Sanchez, and from the Chilean's set-play, Arsenal couldn't convert at the back post. The Eagles just couldn't get out of their own half with ten minutes remaining, as Arsenal looked to stretch them left and right. Olivier Giroud nearly created a winner when he delivered a fizzing ball across the six-yard box but luckily for Palace no one was there to convert. Dwight Gayle replaced Camobell with five minutes remaining, and the striker nearly set Chamakh and Bolasie away with a fine ball, but Nacho Monreal got back to head back to Szczesny. And with a minute to go, Puncheon was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence, this time going late on Monreal. It got worse as Arsenal popped up with the winner in 90th-minute. Speroni pulled off a fine reaction save, but the ball fell to Ramsey to tap home and send the Emirates crazy. A cruel, cruel blow for the Eagles, who probably deserved to take away a point after a battling display, just 48 hours after their manager departed.

Palace: Speroni, Kelly, Ward, Hangeland, Dann (Delaney 75), Jedinak ©, Ledley, Puncheon, Bolasie (O'Keefe 90), Chamakh, Campbell (Gayle 85).

Subs Not Used: Hennessey, McCarthy, Bannan, Murray.

Sent off: Puncheon

By Croydon Advertiser Sports Reporter Mark Ritson

CARETAKER boss Keith Millen was disappointed to see his Crystal Palace side concede two sloppy goals in the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

The Eagles put in an impressive defensive display but switched off at the end of each half, to allow Laurent Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey to score from close range - both from set-pieces.

Millen, who took charge of Palace after Tony Pulis' departure on Thursday, told Sky Sports: "The biggest disappointment was the manner of the goals [we conceded]. We pride ourselves on being organised from set pieces."

Asked whether he'd still be in charge for next weekend's first home game,a clash with West Ham, Millen added: "I'm in charge on Monday as far as I know.

"I think the chairman will be keen to get a manager in as soon as possible."

CRYSTAL Palace put a turbulent 48 hours behind them to turn in a spirited, but ultimately losing, display at Arsenal on Saturday.

Here's five things we learned from the 2-1 defeat at The Emirates...

1. Julian Speroni is still the number 1 keeper at Palace

The Argentine club legend got the nod to start ahead of Wayne Hennessey and justified his selection with a typically solid, unfussy display between the sticks. Left badly exposed by his defence for both goals but otherwise, it was the same old Jules. Should keep his place without any further debate now, no matter who the new manager is.

2. Marouane Chamakh is no longer a joke figure

Not that he was  joke among Palace fans, who saw first-hand the outstanding contribution he made to last season's survival effort. But now, even the hyper-critical pundits have stopped bringing up that goal at Stoke, instead praising his contribution to the Eagles cause in the link role between midfield and attack. At the Emirates Stadium where he so often flattered to deceive in an Arsenal shirt, Chamakh played like a cross between David Batty and Teddy Sheringham, combining a delicate touch with tough tackling and a tireless work ethic. Palace's best player on the day.

3. Palace have signed three good players

Tony Pulis might have wanted more, but the three players he did manage to bring in all look to be excellent additions to the squad. Martin Kelly looked solid at the back and energetic going forward, Fraizer Campbell played the lone striker role with a perfect blend of workrate and clever movement, and Brede Hangeland bagged a debut goal. The only blemish was the big Norwiegan's error in losing his man for the Gunners' equaliser before half-time.

4. Palace need to keep the ball better

A negative. Yes, Arsenal are a fine team who should monopolise the ball at home. But 76 per cent possession is arguably too much, while Palace unarguably gave the ball away too often. Mile Jedinak, for all his battling qualities and excellent defensive positioning, needs to take more care with his distribution, while Bolasie and Puncheon ran down too many blind alleys.

5.  The new away kit is lovely

Much better than the black stripey one from last season, isn't it?

CRYSTAL Palace chairman Steve Parish says he is looking to make a quick managerial appointment – and the chosen man will have Premier League experience.

Speaking on tonight's Match of the Day, Parish also said he didn't feel let down by Tony Pulis but added he couldn't have people that "aren't 100 per cent with us" at the club.

The chairman told Gary Lineker: "There was a good transfer budget agreed but there was a lack of targets that the manager was happy with

"I can't have people at the football club that aren't 100 per cent with us so I had to let Tony out of his contract.

"I can't be let down for what he achieved for us. He doesn't owe us anything and we don't owe Tony anything."

On Pulis' replacement, Parish said he wouldn't want a repeat of the month it took to recruit the former Stoke boss as Ian Holloway's successor, citing the transfer window as a reason to make a quicker appointment.

And with names like Malky Mackay and Tim Sherwood linked with a move to SE25, the chairman admitted Premier League knowledge would be a big priority.

He added: "Obviously we're looking for experience again. There are lots and lots of candidates .

"We won't be straying too far from someone who has an intimate knowledge of this league, either as a player or a manager."

A FAMILY that raised £65,000 to fund life-changing surgery for their disabled daughter has welcomed news the procedure will now be available on the NHS.

Later this year, seven-year-old Scarlett Hewitt, who has cerebral palsy, will undergo a specialist operation in the US to help her walk unaided.

Her parents, Lisa and John Hewitt, launched a campaign to raise money to fund the procedure after being told it would not be funded by the NHS.

This week, barely a month after they reached their target following donations from more than 1,000 people, NHS England announced that Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) will be made available to 120 children a year.

It said the surgery had not previously been funded because, although it is a "promising" treatment, "current evidence about its effectiveness... is limited".

Five hospitals across the country will now carry out the surgery in order to assess the benefits to children with cerebral palsy, a condition which can lead to difficulties in movement, balance and posture.

Scarlett, from New Addington, cannot stand without help, suffers painful cramps and struggles with routine tasks such as getting dressed.

Mrs Hewitt told the Advertiser she was pleased that children will not have to travel half way across the world to access SDR. "Dealing with a child with a disability is hard enough, let alone then having them accepted for an operation only to be told the funding isn't available," she said.

"We then had to go through the struggle and stress of worrying how we were going to raise the money.

"Now other families in the same situation won't have to go through it too."

Despite the surgery now being available in England, Mrs Hewitt is confident things have worked out as well as they possibly could for her daughter, who will undergo SDR at St Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri.

"Scarlett's going to the top neurosurgeon in the US, who has had nearly 3,000 patients and has 30 years' experience," she explained.

"Given that it will be available to only 120 children in the England, part of me wonders how many more years she would have had to wait, because she may not have been selected in the first round."

The campaign took just four months to reach the £65,000 target after it was launched in March, receiving 1,211 donations from friends, well-wishers and even Premier League footballers. Mrs Hewitt said the generosity had "restored her faith in humanity".

SDR is a complex procedure which involves opening up the bones of the spine and lower back to operate on the nerves to improve mobility.

James Palmer, clinical director of specialised services at NHS England, said SDR "shows real promise" and needed to be explored further.

He added: "Not only will this enable a number of children to have potentially life-changing surgery, improving their mobility and independence, but this provides a real opportunity to get the vital evidence we need on the effectiveness of the procedure."

Mrs Hewitt said: "There are a lot of people out there with cerebral palsy who could benefit from this operation. Good luck to everyone who is in this situation.

"If there's any chance their child can get more independence in the future then I hope they all succeed."

A SINGER who started out busking on the streets of Croydon said it was "surreal" to be rubbing shoulders with the stars last week when he appeared on Chris Evans' Radio 2 breakfast show.

Si Cranstoun spent years performing in North End, often with his brother Tyber, and met his wife Tamu at that time.

But success evaded him until he landed a £1million record deal with music giants Warner in April 2013.

In June, the first single from his new album was playlisted by the BBC, with DJ Evans so impressed that Si was invited to perform live on his show last Friday.

"It was amazing, going in the BBC building and just experiencing all that is there and meeting Chris Evans," said Si, 38, who lives in Caterham.

"All of a sudden he's sat with headphones on at a desk over from you, it's kind of surreal actually. He was really nice, and, more importantly, a big fan of my music, I was flattered."

Friends and family have all been congratulating him but Si said he now feels the pressure to deliver for them.

"My mum was in tears when she heard me on the radio," he said.

"My parents are very chuffed for me and proud. But I guess with that comes the pressure; I don't want to let them down."

Si, who performed in duo The Dualers with brother Tyber, added he couldn't quite believe how his career has taken off over the past few months.

He said; "It's completely surreal, I keep getting out of bed in the morning and pinching myself.

"At the same time, having a record deal doesn't guarantee anything. All I wanted to do is get out there and perform and not have to worry about getting the bills paid. Hopefully I'm one step closer to that."

Despite finding stardom, Si refused to rule out a return to performing on the street one day.

"People think that busking is a dirty word, as if you're down in the gutter, scrabbling for change, but it's not like that at all," he said.

"I loved busking and there is a magic about going out to the streets.

"I'll always have a soft spot for doing that kind of thing. I certainly don't feel I've got too good for it now.

"I met my wife, I met my manager doing it; it's always been a part of my life."

Si, who cites Jackie Wilson and Elvis Presley among his influences, is now putting the finishing touches to his album Modern Life, which is due out on October 13.

"I'm really proud of it," he said. "There's not one duff tune on there."

A WOMAN accused of antisocial behaviour at her mother's sheltered housing has vowed to fight an injunction which bars her from the premises.

Erika Riddell said she, along with her daughter and dog, had to move in to her 74-year-old mother's bedsit, because she needed to provide 24-hour care.

But Sanctuary Housing, the company which runs the sheltered accommodation at Shaftesbury House in South Norwood where Erika's mother Barbara Williams lived, said the bedsit was overcrowded and the family were causing a nuisance to other residents.

On one occasion, Ms Riddell's daughter is said to have put their dog into a tumble dryer.

Sanctuary were granted an antisocial behaviour injunction against Ms Riddell at Croydon County Court last Friday, which forced her to leave the flat the following Monday.

"The whole idea of mum, who uses a wheelchair, moving there was to regain her independence, it was a step forward," explained Ms Riddell.

"But due to her health I had no choice but to move in, my mother couldn't use the commode, get to the kitchen or wash herself," she said.

Ms Riddell added that she had spent so much time caring for her mother, who has kidney cancer, diabetes and blood clots around the heart, she was forced to neglect her own South Norwood home to the point it is no longer suitable to live in.

She is now staying with her brother in north London and has "no idea" what she'll do when her daughter has to go back to school in South Norwood next month.

A Sanctuary spokeswoman said they ended Ms Williams' tenancy because of the overcrowding, and discovering she had moved to a retirement home some months ago, while Ms Riddell continued to occupy the flat.

She also described the family's occupation of the bedsit as "a very real health risk" and "completely inappropriate" for the retirement flats.

The spokeswoman said: "Despite repeated requests, Ms Williams' daughter continued to live in the property, including when her mother was not at home. Following numerous complaints from neighbours, we took the difficult decision to apply for an antisocial behaviour injunction.

"We would not have taken these steps if it were not for the extreme nature of the situation, but we have a duty to protect our residents and needed to take account of the full effect that Ms Riddell, her daughter and her dog were having across the scheme."

According to a witness statement, given by scheme manager Kim Carim to the court last week on behalf of Sanctuary, Ms Riddell's daughter Hannah, 5, tried to put their dog into a communal dryer.

Other residents reported being disturbed by the dog's barking and one was nearly knocked down by her daughter riding a bike in a corridor.

But Ms Riddell said there had been no such antisocial behaviour and neighbours had been fine with her living there.

Though the injunction technically prevents her from going near the property, the Sanctuary spokeswoman said they would be happy for Ms Riddell to return to collect her belongings, which she had been unable to take with her.

Ms Riddell said she is planning to mount a legal challenge to get the injunction lifted.

AS A child, I enjoyed climbing trees. Yeah, it wasn't easy as a fat kid – bullies were always waiting at some dingy corner to poke fun and make all the other kids laugh. But there was one place they never got to me. Sitting in my tree.

Alright, it wasn't exactly mine, it was situated in a wood not far from my childhood home. Officially, it was the council's tree, but as far as I was concerned the fact I knew the branches by heart made it mine.

After a particularly "challenging" week at work, topped off by a string of online abuse underneath my weekly column, I got that fat-bullied-kid feeling. Unsure of myself, worried and a bit sad. I decided that introducing my kids to my tree was the probably only place worth going – fun for them and probably good for me.

I'm not sure why I never took them before. I guess the older I get, the less I care about the playground bullies and the name calling. For a frumpy fat kid I had managed to do OK, brilliant in fact. A handsome husband accompanied by my gorgeous kids and a career(ish) so I knew there were worse ways to live.

So there we all stood under my tree, with the kids unsure of my intentions. I had warned them today I was going to show them something. Something great.

Daughter looks at me as if I had lost my mind. The opposite I thought... just a few branches up and my mind was exactly what I was intending to find.

I told them to just watch for a minute. I had forgotten the excitement and fear that clambering up gave me. I clearly also forgot I am 20 years older than the last time I climbed.

After a bit of a shaky start, I'm up. Suddenly my memory is back. My feet are a little bigger and my tree is a little older but we are still the same really, just both of us a little "weathered".

I get up to my favourite spot. Looking down, I can't help but laugh, preteen son and toddler daughter are standing open mouthed. Even husband looks up in fear. They didn't think I would do it.

I take a deep breath and look out through the leaves. My Tree, my place, and thankfully my mind is restored. How had I forgotten how great this feels? I shout down for them to trust me.

I spend the next hour bringing up each of my babies, coaching them through the slippery bits, helping them secure footing. Each of my little ones enjoy the achievement of finally getting to discover what mummy can see, alongside making it up alive. My heart almost bursts with pride. Carefully, we all make it down one by one unscathed with only the odd scratch and little bruise.

Dodging broken branches and nasty splinters has been the story of my life.

REPORTS this evening suggest Tim Sherwood is emerging as the favourite for the Crystal Palace job.

The Guardian says Palace chairman Steve Parish today (Sunday) met the former Spurs boss, who is said to have made a favourable impression at his interview.

The report also claims ex-Cardiff manager Malky Mackay is still very much in the shake-up, with his former colleague Iain Moody already in place at Selhurst Park as sporting director.

In an interview broadcast on last night's Match of the Day, Parish said he was looking to make an appointment this week and added he wanted someone with an "intimate knowledge" of the Premier League "either as a player or manager".

Sherwood, 45, only has the last six months of the previous campaign in charge of Spurs on his managerial CV but he played most of his career in the top division, lifting the Premier League title as Blackburn captain in 1995.

Mackay managed Cardiff for the first half of last season in the Premier League, having got the Welsh side promoted, but was sacked at Christmas by owner Vincent Tan.

Parish's premium on Premier League experience could also see the likes of Steve Clarke, Chris Hughton, and Neil Lennon - all currently out of work - enter the running, but would appear to rule out current caretaker boss Keith Millen, who hinted after the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal that he'd like to be considered for the post.