THE Advertiser is once again lending its backing to a scheme to reward Croydon's best pubs.

The nationally-recognised Best Bar None accreditation scheme, which promotes and rewards the responsible management of licensed premises, is back for its 12th year in the borough.

The scheme aims to cut alcohol-related crime and disorder by encouraging strong standards of management and good operational procedures.

Pubs and nightclubs are invited to apply for Best Bar None accreditation, after which their premises are subjected to a detailed inspection by Croydon Council's licensing team to check they are trading legally.

The scheme also ensures key procedures and practices are in place to support employees and customers.

This year, with the support of the Advertiser, members of the public are being invited to have their say by casting a vote in each of four People's Choice awards.

The aim of these categories is to identify the best pubs and late-night venues in the borough which bring their customers the best value for money.

The four categories are:

Best Bar Staff in Croydon

Best Customer Experience (including overall level/standards of service)

Best Family-Friendly Venue

Best Food in Croydon

Voting is open until Sunday, November 16, and venues are only eligible to win one award.

The Best Bar None scheme is sponsored by the Croydon Business Crime Reduction Partnership (CBCP) and Diageo, with support from Croydon Council and the Metropolitan Police.

CBCP chairman Nick Baker said: "These awards are a great incentive and Croydon's reputation can only be enhanced by local premises reaching and maintaining a standard of management which is nationally recognised."

Advertiser editor Glenn Ebrey said: "Croydon is full of some great pubs, clubs and bars.

"This is a great way of rewarding high standards while also giving a voice to the people who matter most – the customers."

Cast your vote in the four categories below...

A TODDLER needed hospital treatment after he was bitten by a fox as he slept in his bed.

The boy, 2, screamed as the wild animal sank its teeth into his heel – drawing blood – before the boy's parents heard his cries and ran upstairs.

The fox had managed to get into the house in New Addington through a damaged cat-flap in the kitchen when the incident happened at about 2am last Thursday.

The parents, who have asked not to be named, were still awake at the time and heard their child's shouts.

They found the fox sitting at the end of their child's toddler bed, which is low to the ground, before he ran off to the boy's older sister's room and hid under her bed.

The boy's grandmother Sharon Vaizey, 46, said she froze when she was told about the attack by her daughter.

Mrs Vaizey, a care worker, said: "When I heard my whole body went like jelly, I couldn't move. You think if they didn't hear the fox then it could have run off with him.

"You see it in the news and read about it in the papers all the time but you never think it's going to happen to you and when it's this close to home it's so frightening."

Her grandson was taken to Croydon University Hospital where he was checked out and given a course of antibiotics but no injections.

He has two bite marks on the end of his heel but is fine and is a "tough little boy" according to his grandmother.

Mrs Vaizey, who has four children and nine grandchildren, added: "He is the sort of boy that falls over all the time and has a laugh about it afterwards.

"But I just think it is so lucky they were still up at the time. They have put a panel on the catflap now so it shouldn't happen again but my daughter said she wanted to kill the fox.

"She said she never had a problem with them before but now she hates them. I'm in two minds with them really.

"She said this one looked really healthy and that he looked well fed so you do worry that he might have been able to take him away."

The UK urban fox population is now said to be around 35,000.

In February 2013, a fox got into the bedroom of a one-month old baby in Bromley, and bit the infant's finger off.

Police are appealing for information after two men were victims of an armed robbery in West Croydon.

The pair were approached by four suspects, described as black men, in Mead Place West at around 7.20pm on October 28.

Two suspects brandished a handgun, and robbed one victim of his Rolex watch, worth £6,000, as well as stealing their car.

The car, a black AMG Mercedes, was found abandoned in Eastney Road shortly after the incident. The watch remains missing.

DC James Marland from Croydon CID said: "We are keen to speak to those who may have information about this incident. Anyone with information should call us - we will treat all information in the strictest confidence".

Anyone with information should call Croydon CID on 0203 276 2248, police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A 14-YEAR-OLD boy had his brand new Playstation 4 stolen as he was waiting at a tram stop with his brother, 12, on the way home.

Police are trying to trace a man in a beanie hat they want to speak to in connection with the incident, which happened on Sunday, October 12, at Sandilands tram stop's southbound platform.

At around 1.30pm a man approached the brothers and demanded to know what was in the boy's carrier bag.

A scuffle then took place when the bag was torn open and the games console snatched, before the man fled down Havelock Road.

The console, with a retail value of more than £300, was bought just an hour earlier in Croydon town centre.

Detective Constable Denis Mahoney, leading the investigation, said: "This incident is especially concerning due to the young age of the victims' – just 12 and 14 – who were both left incredibly upset.

"Who is the man in the beanie hat? I need the public's help tracing him as I think he has crucial information. If you know who he is, or have any other information which could help the investigation, please get in touch."

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference S-SUB/B7 of 06/11/2014. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

SHE'S 21, she's from Croydon and she has been named one of the 100 most inspirational women in the world.

Eliza Rebeiro, who runs Lives Not Knives (LNK) from Croydon, features on the BBC's 100 Women for 2014 list along with female leaders like Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and comedienne Ruby Wax.

She started the charity in 2007 aged just 14 to give young people a support network after two of her friends were stabbed, one fatally.

The award is the latest in a long line of awards for Eliza, who was named one of the women of the future last year.

Eliza, who now runs the charity from a large base in Centrale Shopping Centre, said: "What these awards have done is given me a voice."

She added: "It is allowing me to speak up.

"I was young when I started so I didn't expect it, it has been a good few years for me.

"I have met a lot of people recently and it has been a lot of fun."

Among the speakers at a glitzy BBC bash launching the list last week were other nominees including Joyce Banda, Malawi's Prime Minister.

Eliza added: "There were four key speakers who were really inspirational; they spoke about how they had become strong leaders.

"The main thing I learned from it is that most women don't support other women and how difficult it is to do things when not even your own women support you.

"How can women become leaders if there is that negativity?"

Eliza said with all the names on the list, the one she admires most is Purley-based chef Pinky Lilani, who nominated the LNK founder for inclusion.

At its Centrale base, the charity is focusing on youth employability and Eliza hopes to do more to help improve women's rights in other countries.

Despite having shown considerable leadership qualities in the past, Eliza is certain she does not want to pursue one career – politics.

She said: "I was asked by the Conservatives if I would like to stand [in May's local elections] but I said no, thought I think it was good they asked me.

"It shows they are trying to reach out. Labour didn't ask me.

"I don't think it's for me. There's too much corruption out there. It's people who know how to say the right things. I can't imagine being in that world."

POLICE have arrested two men and are trying to find a third after a group ran off when officers approached them this afternoon (Friday).

The two men have been arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon after officers recovered a knife in the course of the chase.

A spokesman for the Met said officers approached the group of three on Abbey Road at around 2.45pm when they ran off.

Advertiser chief reporter Gareth Davies said he saw the police chase and apprehend one of the men on nearby Epsom Road.

Police were also outside a house in Borough Hill, near the junction with Epsom Road, at around 3.20pm.

A police helicopter was also involved in the search.

Croydon's Ben Haenow gives Advertiser readers an exclusive sneak peak behind the doors of the X Factor house in his weekly blog about life on the show...

It's very, very sparse in the house now after last week's double elimination [Lola Saunders and Jake Quickenden were voted out] – you get a lot more space on your own, which I suppose in some respects is a good thing, because you get to concentrate more on what you are doing.

However, you miss everyone who goes, and it's all my mates who appear to be getting voted out – I think I might be a bit of a curse.

It's a massive, massive house, six people have gone now and you do notice it a lot more.

The guys in the house are friends that hopefully I've made for life. Particularly Jake, Jack and Lola – they are three people I've really got on with.

They've been out doing gigs and they've been really busy, but when we get the chance we are always texting and checking up on each other.

I've been fitted for a new suit this week, and it's a really really nice one – I don't normally wear a nice suit, unless I'm appearing in court, which obviously I never have!

There's not been too much going on overall – we just been preparing for tomorrow night, and I got to spend some time with my family in Croydon, so that's been really nice.

I have been pampered – I've had my lashes dyed and everything – they needed to be a little bit darker and they certainly are now!

This week is Michael Jackson or Queen, and I'll be singing Man in the Mirror by the King of Pop himself. I'm a big fan of Jackson and I really like Queen as well, so it was quite a difficult one for me to choose.

I did a really rocky number last week (Back in Black by AC/DC), and I thought it would be a good idea to really strip it back this week and do something a little bit different.

Simon has said that I should try and connect with the lyrics and make it more of an emotional performance. Jealous Guy was quite a swaggery and groovy song, obviously Back in Black was a rocky one and Aerosmith's was a rocky ballad.

But this week we wanted to make it a bit different, and that's really the reason for stripping this one back and trying to get a bit more emotion out of the performance.

Last week was probably my favourite show – I enjoyed it the most, and to get the four good comments and no real bad feedback was brilliant, and that's obviously what we're aiming to do week after week.

But this week I'm getting back to showing off my voice, rather than belting the song out and running around the stage.

On a local note, I found out this week that a local guy has created a special sausage and named it after me!

I love sausages, and that's definitely something I can get on board with, and from someone from the local area to do something like that, it's absolutely brilliant.

The Advertiser spoke to journalist and Manchester United fan Frank Foster ahead of tomorrow's clash at Old Trafford…

Fair to say United still haven't got going yet?

A disappointing 13 points from ten games would suggest that is an understatement. Discounting the last two games - against Chelsea and Man City - the opening fixtures were kind to Louis Van Gaal but our season has been punctuated by the same inconsistencies that blighted David Moyes' tenure. We are without an away win but despite our performances improving at home any momentum has been lacking.

The new signings – on paper – have been impressive. Do they need more time to gel?

As Spurs found last season and Liverpool are discovering this year, a glut of new players often take time to function in tandem. Southampton are proving an exception but despite the new faces, the amount of injuries at United has left the squad threadbare at times. If Van Gaal can get everyone fully fit over Christmas we will have a better idea of the team's capabilities.

Louis Van Gaal, do you think he'll get it right?

Although the statistics tell a different story, the level of our play has improved from last year and the fans' confidence in Van Gaal remains resolute. To Moyes' lament, that is what a Champions League trophy and league titles in Holland, Germany and Spain will buy you.

Which Palace players have caught your eye?

Yannick Bolasie is an exciting player who will be a threat as we have seen previously with players prepared to run at our inexperienced defence. Palace have pace across the forward line with Dwight Gayle, Fraizer Campbell and Jason Puncheon but the Congolese is the pick of the bunch.

Wilfried Zaha can't play obviously. What's the feeling among United fans on him?

United fans love players who excite the crowd and I had high hopes for Zaha. He is young, English and Sir Alex Ferguson rated him so everything seemed in place for him to succeed at Old Trafford. Against Palace last season Moyes brought on Adnan Januzaj instead of him and Zaha never really got a sniff after that. With Angel Di Maria added to the squad I would be very surprised if he had a future under Van Gaal, although I would love to be proved wrong.

And finally, a score prediction?

Seeing as we are likely to field a back four containing two 19-year-olds in the shape of Paddy McNair and Luke Shaw - and two midfielders in Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia – the chances of United keeping a clean are pretty slim. However, if Falcao returns I can see us bagging a few ourselves. I'm going for 4-2 to United.

CROYDON'S borough commander has promised to increase police presence on London Road by opening new contact points.

Chief Superintendent Andy Tarrant made the commitment at a public meeting held by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) on Tuesday, for residents to have their say about policing in the borough.

Ganapathy Kasinathan, chairman of London Road Business Association, raised concerns at the meeting about the impact criminality in the area was having on traders.

Mr Tarrant said he was planning to open new police contact points on the road – at Croydon University Hospital and the Croydon Voluntary Action centre.

At the meeting residents and volunteers questioned a panel, also including Deputy Mayor for Crime and Policing Stephen Greenhalgh, Croydon GLA member Steve O'Connell, and the Met's Assistant Commissioner Helen King, on a wide range of crime issues.

They raised concerns about the housing of alcoholics in Croydon town centre, closer integration with Neighbourhood Watch volunteers, and a rise in domestic violence in the borough.

Mr Kasinathan said traders in the London Road area had "lost confidence" in policing because of gangs, drug selling, car theft and burglary in the area.

He said: "We have been working with Croydon Council in the last two years to bring some regeneration and investment to London Road and bring betterment to the traders, but these kind of incidents, it really makes us wonder.

"Especially at late nights and from the morning onwards, there's gangs around selling drugs openly on the road."

Responding to Mr Kasinathan's concerns, Chief Supt Tarrant apologised if traders felt they had lost confidence in policing and said regeneration would help.

As well as the new contact points, he also said he would look at getting officers with particular backgrounds to work with communities relevant to them. A Sri Lankan officer is already working with the community in London Road, he added.

There are currently six police contact points across Croydon, open from 7-8pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 2-3pm on Saturdays, set up after five of the borough's six police stations were controversially closed last year.

In the wake of the August 2011 riots, an independent judge-led panel recommended a new, full-time police station be built on London Road.

ELEVEN primary schools in Croydon fell below the minimum expected results in this summer's SATs exams.

Each failed to meet the government's increased floor standard of at least 65 per cent of pupils achieving Level 4 in English and maths. Children who do not meet this benchmark are said to have fallen behind.

The results would not usually have been released until early next year but were published in Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell's election manifesto.

The data has yet to be fully validated as some schools are appealing individual results.

While some schools appear to have struggled, the figures suggest the overall picture in Croydon may have improved from 2013, when 74 per cent of pupils left Year 6 with Level 4 grades in the two core subjects.

Those that fell below expectations told the Advertiser they are making every effort to improve.

Ryelands Primary School, in South Norwood, posted the worst results in Croydon, with only 39 per cent of pupils meeting the required standard.

The school has since become part of Oasis Community Learning group and has a new executive head, Diana Morgan.

She said the renamed Oasis Academy Ryelands is an entirely different school from the one she took over in March.

"It's a completely different place," she said. "When you walk around the kids are quiet and learning – it's great."

Ms Morgan, an Ofsted inspector and local leader of education (LLE), said she has a track record of improving struggling primaries.

She said her main challenge since arriving at Ryelands has been restoring the school's shattered confidence.

"The staff here had, understandably, totally lost confidence. As a result the children had lost their way," she said.

"When I came here I had to win hearts and minds, particularly with the parents, who didn't trust anyone."

South Norwood Primary, whose 2013 results were annulled due to an admin error, is among the schools to have appealed some of this year's scores. The table published in Mr Barwell's manifesto put its benchmark figure at 56 per cent. Head teacher Della Williams expects that to rise to 59 per cent because three children arrived in the UK from a non-English speaking country and should be "discounted".

She explained the school's results were reflected by the departure of the Year 6 coordinator midway through the year and the higher proportion of pupils who had either learning, medical or emotional difficulties.

"This year's results were due to extenuating circumstances and we do not expect a repeat of this in the future," said Mrs Williams.

Croydon's top-performing primary was New Valley where every pupil achieved at least a Level 4 in English and maths. The school – previously called Wattenden Primary – has significantly improved since being placed in special measures in May 2013.

New Valley was also the borough's most-improved school, with results up 42 per cent on 2013. Other schools on that list include Harris Primary Academy Kenley (+29 per cent), Wolsey Junior Academy (+24), Selsdon Primary (+21) and Kingsley Primary (+19 per cent).

FAILING SCHOOLS PROMISE TO GET BETTER

THE schools that failed to achieve the minimum requirements have vowed to make improvements.

Only 58 per cent of pupils at All Saints CofE Primary, in Upper Norwood, achieved Level 4 in English and maths.

Head teacher Jane Elliott said: "We have analysed carefully the factors that might have contributed to these results and have put robust measures in place to ensure 2015's SATs reach the targets set."

Another school to have struggled was Winterbourne Junior Girls' in Thornton Heath, where less than half of pupils made the grade.

Head teacher Mary Berkeley-Agyepong, appointed in September, said the school was "extremely disappointed" by the results but was now endeavouring to make rapid improvements in training and learning.

"I am personally looking forward to the challenges and have every confidence in the school's ability to meet and conquer them," she said.

Alex Lundie, head teacher at Broadmead Primary, said that while results for Level 4 in reading, writing and maths combined were lower than the target, taken individually each subject was higher.

"Although disappointing, the results represent very good progress made during the year in each subject, as a result of really good teaching in Year 6, although the progress in previous years for some had been limited," she explained.

Ann Cooksley, Davidson Primary's head teacher, said the "dip" in SATs results (the school fell by 23 per cent) had been predicted and that data suggests the school will be above the floor target next year.

Anne Pindry, the head of St Mary's Roman Catholic Junior School, said her staff are working hard to improve on this year's score of 52 per cent.

"As the results refer to one cohort of children, it would be inappropriate and insensitive to comment in any more depth about this matter," she added.

Norbury Manor's new head teacher Iffat Fariduddin said pupils had shown very good progress and that the school would strive to make "every moment count".

Simon Wood, executive head from Reach2 Academy Trust, said it came as no surprise that Castle Hill Primary School's results would, "for the last time", be below the floor standard.

The school, which became an academy in November 2013, needed to be "wholly rejuvenated" upon being taken over by Reach2, he said, and significant improvements are now being made.

The results published in the Conservative manifesto suggested Ark Oval Primary Academy, in East Croydon, also fell below the minimum standard, with 64 per cent achieving Level 4 in English and maths. When contacted by the Advertiser, head teacher Sonia Rutherford said an appeal had lifted the score to 66 per cent – above the floor target.

MUST DO BETTER

Schools that fell below government's floor target of at least 65 per cent of pupils achieving Level 4 in English and maths (% difference from 2013)

Norbury Manor Primary

64 per cent (-8)

St Mark's Church of England Primary (CofE)

61 per cent (+2)

All Saints CofE Primary

58 per cent (-15)

South Norwood Primary

56 per cent

Winterbourne Junior Boys

54 per cent (+18)

St Mary's Roman Catholic Junior

52 per cent (-32)

Broadmead Primary

51 per cent

Davidson Primary

51 per cent (-23)

Castle Hill Primary

49 per cent (+5)

Winterbourne Junior Girls

49 per cent (-23)

Ryelands Primary School

39 per cent (-20)

*Data yet to be fully validated 

IT HAS been 25 long years since Crystal Palace last tasted league victory at Old Trafford.

In December 1989 - the days Sir Alex Ferguson (or plain old Alex, as he was then) was fighting for his job, rather than league titles - a Mark Bright winner earned the Eagles a 2-1 win over struggling Man United. 

More of the same please this weekend!

C roydon rolled out the red carpet on Saturday as the town welcomed a host of celebrities for a very special Frozen spectacular, writes Sam Foster.

To mark the venue's new digital cinema system, Fairfield staged a sing-a-long screening of Disney's Frozen – the highest grossing animated film of all time.

A host of top name celebrities and their families attended, including X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, The Only Way is Essex stars Leah Wright and Frankie Essex and Croydon-based pop star Dane Bowers.

Other star names on the list were Birds of a Feather actress Linda Robson, chart-topping singer Javine Hylton and Radio One DJ Nihal.

Frankie said: "I love Frozen so much. I've lost count of how many times I've seen it.

"Elsa's definitely my favourite character but we like Olaf as well as he's so silly and his song's my favourite. I once watched Frozen three times in one day."

Linda added: "I'm here with my granddaughter, my daughter and son-in-law and we're all excited to be here.

"We're probably the only people here who haven't seen Frozen though."

Croydon-born Dane said: "Obviously I'm a Croydon boy so I've been here many times.

"Usually when you come to an event like this for kids it's clear that not a lot of thought has been put into it but this is so great.

"Frozen is a great film – I must have seen it about 20 times. When you've got kids you have a great excuse to love films like this. I must know all of the film off by heart!"

THE latest selection of musings and mirth from Croydon's Twitter users...

@TonySafc1973

Get to experience the Croydon ultras tonight, hopefully minus the sunglasses #safc

@GhillyFlower

@chrisphilp4mp Retired Croydon South MP Richard Ottaway in news for his dog in Westminster dog show. What a hard act to follow!

@SteveHef

I'm in a shopping centre in Croydon. So many Ugg Boots and neck tattoos.

@thejclarkson

Picture a tenement in Croydon, with Mother Monkey crying: "Pigsy! Your tea's ready! It's kippers! And tell Tripitaka to take my dress off!"

@jaymacthebigmac

Morning fry up and a trip into Croydon.... OMG this is what I need in life....complete zen.....totally relaxed

@subtopian

I love the way my SatNav says 'the Croydon Flyover!'. She's genuinely excited.

@kevinhunterday

I've just seen an American billionaire running for the Gatwick train at East Croydon shouting "no, I wanted to buy Buckingham Palace" #cpfc

@danebowers

ah thanks...so only two local displays actually ON bonfire night?? That's rubbish! Ha

CRYSTAL Palace were narrowly beaten 1-0 this afternoon against Manchester United, thanks to Juan Mata's long range strike.

The Eagles were under the cosh for the opening 20 minutes but fought back well and deserved to go into the break level.

Neil Warnock's side threatened in spells, but in fairness the hosts dominated possession from start to finish.

It took them 67 minutes to break the Palace defence, when substitute Mata beat Julian Speroni from outside danger area.

Adnan Januzaj had a go with a dipping shot from the edge of the box inside two minutes but it went over Julian Speroni's crossbar.

The hosts kept up the early pressure inside the opening ten minutes, pinning the Eagles back and winning a couple of corners in quick succession.

Angel Di Maria gave Speroni his first real save with a shot from distance, while Jason Puncheon's free-kick at the other end nearly fell to Marouane Chamakh, only for the ball to strike Marouane Fellaini and United cleared.

There was no doubt that Louis Van Gaal's side had dominated the opening 15-20 minutes but sloppiness began to creep in, and that allowed Palace to get into the game more.

Wayne Rooney curled an effort way over the bar on 27 minutes, and then Luke Shaw went on a marauding run into the Palace box and drove a low shot inches wide. Speroni may have got fingertips to it, as a corner was given.

With eight minutes until the break, Palace had their first real chance when Yannick Bolasie stormed down the left and delivered perfectly for Fraizer Campbell, but the ball came off Paddy McNair and out for a corner.

And moments later Campbell should have given the Eagles the lead. A mistake in the United defence allowed the striker to control the ball, and with David De Gea racing out, Campbell lifted the ball over him and the crossbar.

Palace finished the half strongly, indeed, and Puncheon sent in a brilliant free-kick only for a United player to nod away for a corner, before referee Chris Foy blew for half-time.

Van Persie tested Speroni early in the second period, with the custodian getting down well after the Dutchman's effort went through a sea of players following a free-kick.

Palace had a chance to silence the home fans when Campbell held the ball up well and spread wide to Puncheon, who ran at the home defence but produced an air shot on the edge of the box, and United cleared.

Rooney was inches from breaking the deadlock when he curled just past the post with Speroni beaten, and then James McArthur was in the right place at the right time to clear Fellaini's header off the goal-line.

Adrian Mariappa provided good support for Campbell down the right and delivered a decent ball to the back post, but De Gea claimed with Chamakh lurking.

And then the full-back played a fantastic ball across the face of goal which found Bolasie flying in but the ball was slightly too high for him.

United brought on Juan Mata, and within five minutes he opened the scoring. Picking up the ball from outside the box, the Spanish star beat Speroni with a shot. Some might say the custodian could have done better, but on the balance of play United had probably deserved the lead.

With ten minutes or so remaining, Neil Warnock sent Dwight Gayle and Barry Bannan on for Chamakh and Bolasie.

However, United were close to doubling their lead when Mata's strike deflected on to the post, and then Van Persie was unable to finish the follow-up.

Palace had simply run out of ideas, with United threatening to kill the game off.

Warnock sent another striker on in the shape of Kevin Doyle as three minutes were added on, but the Red Devils were comfortable and held on to the points.

By Mark Ritson at Old Trafford

Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Delaney, Dann, Ward, Puncheon, Ledley, McArthur, Bolasie (Bannan 80), Chamakh (Gayle 80), Campbell (Doyle 90).

Subs Not Used: Hennessey, Kelly, Fryers, McCarthy.

Attendance: 75,325

Referee: Chris Foy

CROYDON'S Ben Haenow went a cappella for his latest X Factor performance - but it wasn't enough to satisfy the, as ever, hard to please Mel B.

The 29-year-old sang with accompaniment for most of his take on Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror, allowing his searing vocals to take centre stage.

But though Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell were rich in their praise for Ben's performance, the former Spice Girl was underwhelmed, saying she preferred his effort the previous week and felt the performance could put him "in trouble" for this weekend's public vote.

However, with a flurry of supporters took to Twitter to defend the van driver -as he trended nationwide on the social media site.

@melharrison85 wrote: "Is mel B watching the same singers as we are??? Wasn't impressed with Fleur BUT Ben Haenow was just awesome! #xfactor"

Harriet Thornton added: "Ben Haenow was truly amazing!!!! Such an amazing talent! I would see him in concert."

Comedienne Dawn French has cancelled her sellout show at Fairfield Halls tonight after contracting an inner ear infection.

The actress, star of the Vicar of Dibley and French and Saunders, has pulled out of her show, 30 Million Minutes, after falling ill with Labyrinthitis.

A statement from the Fairfield Halls website read: "We are extremely sorry but Dawn French has unfortunately had to cancel her show on Saturday night (8th Nov) at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon in addition to another show at another venue.

"This is due to becoming ill with Labyrinthitis." 

The venue added it was in the process of contacting people who had booked tickets, and anyone wanting more information should visit the Fairfield Halls website.

"You will be entitled to a full refund or, if you wish to maintain your seat, please hold on for a week until we can see if there will be rescheduled date," the statement said.

"Phil McIntyre Entertainments, the promoter of the show, and the Fairfield Halls offer their sincere apologies for any inconvenience and disappointment caused."

CRYSTAL Palace manager Neil Warnock felt Fraizer Campbell's failure to convert a first half chance was a crucial turning point in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Campbell finished poorly, over the bar at the Stretford end when clean through, and Warnock admitted things might have been different had the former Cardiff man found the net, rather than the stand.

"We're having that kind of spell at the moment, with nothing going right for us," Warnock said post-match.

"We had a great chance at nil nil with Fraizer, you don't get many of hose. If he'd put that in it would've put a lot of pressure on them and made the come out more."

Warnock also admitted he felt Julian Speroni should have saved Juan Mata's deflected second half winner.

"There was a slight deflection but I think Julian will be disappointed," he said.

A VOLUNTEER has stepped down as a senior member of a community group after sharing an online message that compared Muslim immigrants and asylum seekers to armed "invaders".

Croydon Communities Consortium (CCC) said vice-chairman Clive Locke's departure was prompted by pressure from the council, claiming it had threatened to withdraw "funding, support and engagement" unless he resigned.

In September, the council – which provided the group with a one-off grant of £5,000 in 2013 – received a complaint about an offensive message Mr Locke had shared on social media network Twitter.

Mr Locke, also the chairman of Broad Green Business Forum, had re-tweeted a post saying "Tick-Tock" alongside a picture of a bearded man pointing a handgun next to the words: "It's not immigration. It's not asylum seeking. It's an INVASION."

When asked about the message by the Advertiser, Mr Locke apologised and said he had been trying to start a "debate".

The council passed the complaint on to the police – who took no further action – and wrote to Elizabeth Ash, chairman of Croydon CCC, to say it would be "inappropriate" for the authority to continue to have "dealings with him in his capacity as a community worker". It added that it would not tolerate harassment, victimisation or unlawful discrimination of any kind.

Mr Locke, who said he had been "incredibly naïve" and insisted he was not Islamophobic stepped down in October.

His resignation was confirmed in a statement on the organisation's website this week, which also included a swipe at how the council had handled the situation.

The CCC said Mr Locke was a man of "unblemished character" who had met with "widespread support from across the diverse communities in Croydon" following the allegations.

It said the group had been told by the council on October 13 that it had four days to "insist on Clive's resignation or they will withdraw all funding and any support or engagement with CCC".

The statement added that, without further information it had requested from the council, the group had been placed in an "impossible position". Mr Locke, it added, had felt he had no choice but to quit.

He had not responded to requests for a comment as the Advertiser went to press on Thursday. It is not clear whether he has retained his position on Broad Green Business Forum.

The statement concluded that both organisations were "extremely unhappy with the council's handling of this matter and will continue to work together with others to get to the bottom of how this has come about".

A council spokeswoman said: "The council could not ignore this issue and took appropriate action. The council is now satisfied that the matter is closed."

THERE have been five failed police investigations in the 27 years since Daniel Morgan's murder, all of which failed to achieve a single conviction and have yet to bring a suspect to trial.

Private investigator Jonathan Rees has been charged with the murder twice – once in 1989 and again in 2008 – but both cases collapsed before they came to court.

It was at about 9pm on March 10, 1987, that Mr Rees left his business partner Mr Morgan at The Golden Lion pub, in Sydenham.

He says he left to meet a business acquaintance at another pub, closer to home, for a few drinks before he got a takeaway and went home.

About three hours later, he received a knock on the door from the police. Mr Rees was told Daniel, 37, had been found "fatally attacked" in the Golden Lion's car park and asked if he would be able to accompany them to the police station for questioning.

Father-of-two Mr Morgan, who worked with Mr Rees at their Thornton Heath-based firm Southern Investigations but was primarily a bailiff, had been found with an axe embedded in his head.

The Yorkshireman may never have been convicted of the murder, but his life since 1987 has been plagued by the case and an inability to clear his name.

He still holds a faint hope the killer will be found but believes that because the Metropolitan Police settled on him as the chief suspect from an early stage that is now unlikely to happen.

He says there are more than 20 other suspects who were not properly investigated by officers in the aftermath of the crime, adding that police decided to pursue him due to circumstantial evidence that was later discredited.

Mr Rees, now 60 and living in Weybridge, Surrey, said: "The difficulty we've always had with this case is they've had bundles of hearsay - theories, local gossip, urban myths – they've never had any evidence.

"They decided in the early days that I was involved in Daniel's murder and they become blinkered on that; they become obsessive about that."

Although it has become an increasingly complex case as the years have gone by, recent media reports seem to have settled on the narrative that the investigations were mired by corruption from the outset. Mr Rees feels this deliberately points the finger of blame at him even though he has never been convicted.

The first investigation, Mr Rees argues, was hampered because of the "incompetence" of the officers involved. This was corroborated by a Hampshire Police review, seen by the Advertiser, which branded the initial forensic investigation as "pathetic".

He was due to stand trial in 2011 with four other men – Glenn Vian, 56, from South Croydon; Garry Vian, 54, from Croydon; James Cook, 64, from Kingswood, Surrey; and Sid Fillery, 68, from Norfolk.

These men have now launched a £4 million compensation action against the Met based on false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, malicious falsehood and misfeasance in a public office.

The serious allegations levelled at police officers in the lawsuit have prompted the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) to launch a criminal inquiry into Mr Rees' official complaint to the Met, called Operation Megan.

Mr Rees, who says the Met have made him "virtually unemployable" as a result of successive investigations and prosecutions against him, spent 23 months in custody in 2008 and another ten on "oppressive" bail conditions waiting for a trial which never came.

"My saving grace that I think stopped me from going mad over the last 27 years, is because it made me mad," he said.

"I don't know if it's my stubborn northern streak but I dealt with them [the police] head on, aggressively, the same way they were dealing with me.

"I confronted them and I got angry about it and it kept me going."

The private investigator is also fighting to have a previous conviction from 2000 overturned.

He served three years of a seven-year jail term after being found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice for conspiring to plant cocaine on a woman to discredit her in a custody battle. He maintains he was set-up by a secret police informant and is innocent of the crime.

And Mr Rees is in no doubt about wanting his pound of flesh in return for having his name dragged through the mud during the various police investigations without any credible evidence against him.

"At the moment, I'm still angry and I still want blood," he said.

"I want them gripping the rails. I want to see them suffer for what they did to me and my family."