A COURT was told yesterday (Wednesday) that a dad forced his son to perform oral sex on him while another man raped the boy.

Lewes Crown Court heard how Arthur Blackman, of Forsyte Crescent, South Norwood - who is claimed to have been friends with the dad - stands accused of historic sex offences in Crawley between January 1, 1961 and January 1, 1964.

The victim, who is now 59, told the jury he suffered physical, mental and sexual abuse from the age of about two and-a-half and described his late father as "the major perpetrator of these crimes".

He told the court his father had been a Scout leader in Crawley and that 72-year-old Blackman was also involved in Scouting in the town.

The victim, whose identity is protected, claims Blackman was also involved in two incidents of abuse.

In the first, which happened when he was about five years old, he said that his father called him downstairs and made him walk naked in front of about five men, one of whom he claims was Blackman.

He added that he recalls men putting their hands on his thigh.

In the second incident, which is said to have happened about two years later, he described how his father came into his bedroom, made him undress and led him to the bathroom where he alleged the accused was present.

"I remember my father saying 'Arthur is here," he said.

He told the court he was pulled down to have oral sex with his father and felt the arms of the accused around his ankles.

He said the pulling of his legs caused him to fall and hit his head on the bathroom sink before the accused "forced his way into me".

The witness, who cried while giving the evidence via video, told the court he bled as a result of the rape, was cleaned up with a towel, taken to the bedroom and given some money.

He said he was aware of the smell of motorbike oil and thought the person who raped him had a dark and murky tattoo on his forearm.

He claims he knew it was Blackman because he rode a bike and did not live in Crawley.

The witness said he had struggled with what happened for a long time and has been dealing with it with therapy for the last 18 months, undergoing 93 sessions to date.

But Tanya Ossack, defending, said that Blackman denies being involved in the attacks.

She said: "Can I make it clear on behalf of Arthur Blackman that I don't accept that he was there; that he didn't do anything of a sexual nature (to you).

"I am not suggesting that this (the abuse) did not happen. I am saying that it was not him."

She referred to a claim in his evidence that when he was six or seven he was introduced to a Scout master called Arthur Blackman who was a biker.

"If you knew him at the naked parade (the first incident) when you were five, why did you have to be introduced to him two years later?" she asked.

She also referred to his claim that his father had introduced him to a man and said: "This is Arthur."

She said: "I am trying to get (from) how he said 'This is Arthur' to how you are now asserting that it was Arthur Blackman.

"I am going to suggest to you that you have got the wrong man."

The jury also heard evidence from the alleged victim's wife who also cannot be named for legal reasons.

She said they married in 1981 and that it was about 20 years ago that her husband told her about the sexual abuse.

The revelation was triggered by an extreme reaction he had to an episode that occurred when her late father-in-law came to live with them when he was unwell.

Her husband had confessed to her how as a young boy he had lived in mortal fear.

She told the court: "He had said to me 'I didn't know what was being done to me. I just felt this searing pain. I thought they were going to tear me into two pieces and kill me'."

Blackman has pleaded not guilty to a count of buggery on a boy between the age of five and eight and also denies a charge of gross indecency against a boy under the age of 14.

The trial continues today (Thursday).

A TRIBUNAL'S verdict that health chiefs sacked a doctor who raised concerns following the death of a patient marks another low in what has been a desperate few months for Croydon University Hospital.

The trust, which is appealing the judgment, has barely been out of the headlines since August, when it emerged that an elderly patient had died after being given a drug she had a documented allergy to.

In September, health commissioners raised serious concern over cancer waiting times, with one in three patients waiting at least three months for treatment after seeing a GP, and how long it was taking ambulances to respond to life-threatening calls.

A month later a senior member of staff leaked evidence to the Advertiser exposing a series of food related incidents, including the death of a patient fed solid instead of liquid food by staff.

Later that month more than 100 people protested outside the hospital angered by its refusal to treat 22-year-old Marcus Campbell, a demonstration exacerbated by a visiting ban imposed on the critically ill father-of-two's family following an altercation which occurred when they were told he would not be resuscitated if his heart stopped.

November brought little respite, with the London Road hospital making national news when Thornton Heath mum Leanne Bilon called on Croydon Health Services to admit mistakes which caused her to lose four babies in less than two years.

A fortnight later Sumeya Mirchie demanded similar answers when her unborn baby died three days after doctors said her ectopic pregnancy was a cyst.

Then, on Wednesday, the hospital's A&E department was labelled one of the worst in the country by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

At some point in the last few weeks the hospital's PR team appears to have come together to discuss what could be done to stem the relentless tide of bad news.

The result was a double page advert, taken out in this week's Croydon Guardian, telling readers how improvements to care are changing perceptions about the hospital. 

Unfortunately it appeared in an edition which had the tribunal's findings as its front page story.

While the juxtaposition was out of the hospital's control it was the wording of the advert which was far more difficult to explain.

A column under the headline "Changing perceptions" begins: "For years the hospital formally [sic] known as 'Maydie' has been trying to shake off its past poor reputation."

For some inexplicable reason, the hospital has paid to put their notorious nickname into a newspaper. That's the same toxic moniker Mayday attempted to escape by spending thousands of pounds on a name change.

The Advertiser has asked the hospital whose idea this was and who signed it off. Whoever came up with it presumably took inspiration from the self-deprecating advertising techniques of Skoda, forgetting the hospital deals in people's lives not cr*ppy Czech cars.

Maydie. May Die. You may die if you go to Croydon University Hospital. Why would you start a passage about changing your reputation by reminding people of a slogan like that?

The staff must despair. The advert lists valid examples of how things are getting better, such as falling mortality rates and increased nurse and senior doctor numbers, only for the message to be undermined by the latest example of the hospital's car crash PR.

Take its handling of the Marcus Campbell campaign. The hospital took what was essentially a tragic story in which its staff had taken an extremely difficult decision, ultimately found to be in their patient's best interests, and managed to blow it out of all proportion through poor communication with his family and the press.

The frustration this created led family and friends to stage an emotional protest outside the hospital on October 22, during which the trust refused to send chief executive John Goulston, or another senior member of staff, to speak with his mother Sandra and sister Siobhan.

When someone eventually met with them they did so in the entrance to the hospital, in full view of the crowd, who became incensed when, having been refused access to Marcus, Siobhan collapsed on the floor and Sandra became distressed.

The situation was not helped by mixed messages from the hospital's press office, which varied from a few lines of text to far more information than given out about other patients (suddenly no reminders about data protection), and off-the-record briefings which appeared to contradict the official line.

A quick glance at the stories listed at the beginning of the article might lead some readers to point out, not unreasonably, that the best PR machine in the world would struggle under the weight of so much negative publicity.

While the Advertiser is confident they were all in the public interest, we are aware a balance needs to be struck and sometimes we do not get that balance right.

We do report on the positive things happening at Croydon University Hospital - such as in August when two sets of triplets were born in the maternity ward just 24 hours apart - but we want to do more.

Sadly that article is an isolated example of the hospital working with us to produce a genuine human interest story.

I have been a reporter for the Advertiser for six years and, during that time, I have lost count of the number of occasions we have asked the hospital's press office to let us know about the great things its staff do on a day-to-day basis.

Instead we are met with obstacles and excuses. Last year, for instance, we were offered an interview with Mr Goulston about the trust's plans for a new £17.5 million A&E only to be told, after six months of pestering, that the conversation was no longer on the cards.

Last year one of its cardiologists, a leading expert in his field, spoke to the Daily Mail and other national newspapers about what he called the saturated fat heart disease 'myth'. It was a perfect opportunity for us to show the hospital is leading the way in a particular field but, when the Advertiser asked the press office for an interview, it never materialised.

More recently one of our reporters expressed an interest in speaking to a nurse for a story about organ donors only to be told it would take a long time to arrange because staff would have to be "briefed" on what they could or could not say.

The hospital is far from the only public service dogged by obstructive and unhelpful PR. Nor would I suggest the barriers are, necessarily, deliberately created.

But, if it really wants to "change perceptions" it will not do so with poorly worded advertising campaigns.

Firstly, and most importantly, it needs to continue to make improvements to care, while building its new A&E, so that standards speak for themselves. 

While there have been horror stories over recent months, there are signs that patients are beginning to notice a difference. That must continue until the CQC returns and beyond if the town is to have a hospital with a secure future. 

Secondly, it needs to be far better at giving people real examples of the great work its staff clearly do under ever increasing pressure.

It doesn't have to give us those stories, but we definitely want to tell them. 

PALACE midfielder James McArthur says he and his team-mates "have to win" at Tottenham on Saturday following their narrow defeat to Aston Villa.

The Scotsman impressed in the middle of the park and helped stem a number of attacks through to Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha out wide.

"It was really gutting – the boys were really gutted," McArthur told the Advertiser.

"I felt the game was there to be won and we've conceded a poor goal on our part.

"We are in an OK position in the league at the moment – it could be better but it could be a lot worse.

"We know we have to start getting clean sheets, and we've been so close to it. Villa's only real chance is the one they scored.

"They didn't have many more chances but at the end of the day they have been clinical. We got to Spurs now and we have to win."

For the full interview, don't miss Friday's  Croydon Advertiser.

By Mark Ritson (MR_LWMedia)

NEIL Warnock has revealed why he didn't make a substitute earlier than he did in a bid to get something against Aston Villa on Tuesday.

The boss was forced to take off Dwight Gayle through illness and replace him with Fraizer Campbell at half-time, but some fans have questioned why another pair of fresh legs weren't thrown on with the game entering its final quarter or so.

It wasn't until the 89^th-minute that Jason Puncheon came on, and Warnock has defended his tactics, stressing his players were giving their all to grab an equaliser.

"You couldn't get any more out of the players on Tuesday apart from goals," he told the Advertiser.

"It was disappointing and I guess nothing is going to be straight-forward for us.

"I thought we created enough. If I didn't think we were, I would have brought Jason Puncheon on a lot sooner, and by that time we had four forwards on.

"The only other thing  is would I have taken Wilfried (Zaha) off? Or Yannick (Bolasie) off? Both looked like they could create something.

"The only other option would have been to bring a defender in maybe to knock some balls in to the danger areas."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

A CRIMINAL investigation has been launched into three immigration officers who were accused of tampering with evidence by a judge during the collapse of a sham marriage trial.

Reverend Nathan Ntege, 55, from Thornton Heath had been accused of presiding over a "conveyor belt" of hundreds of bogus marriages at the Church of St Jude's with St Aidan's, also in Thornton Heath.

A church volunteer from Selsdon, Brian Miller, 81, along with five others, were also accused of aiding Ntege, though the case against all seven was thrown out on October 22 at Inner London Crown Court by Judge Nic Madge, who cited "serious misconduct" on the part of the investigating officers.

He had been presented with evidence the officers had concealed evidence and lied under oath.

Mr Miller described the home office investigation into him as a "total balls-up" in an exclusive interview with the Advertiser on the trial's collapse.

Today, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) announced it would examine the conduct of the three immigration officers during the course of their investigation, which started in 2011, and the trial, including their handling of exhibits, documents and their disclosure of evidence.

Investigators have begun looking at more than 100 boxes of evidence, gathering trial bundles and transcripts and considering Home Office policies, the IPCC announced.

IPCC Commissioner Jennifer Izekor said: "We will be conducting a thorough, independent investigation into the serious matters the collapse of this trial has raised. We are assessing a substantial amount of material as part of our initial enquiries."

CRYSTAL Palace boss Neil Warnock says he won't need to have a pep talk with Jason Puncheon ahead of Saturday's trip to White Hart Lane.

The winger returns to the ground where he suffered a horror penalty miss for the first time since January, and following the game there was a spat between him and Warnock over its lack of quality.

The manager, who was conducting media work at the time, says he was mis-quoted and that Puncheon is working hard at the moment to rediscover his form.

That miss in north London was the catalyst behind the Croydon-born man's resurgence last season, as he went to score important winners against Stoke City and Hull City in particular later in January.

"I'll be ribbing him in training!," Warnock joked to the Advertiser. "In all seriousness, it has long gone and Saturday doesn't worry me in the slightest with Jason.

"He's done brilliantly for me so that's all I care about. It won't be in his mind and I won't need to talk to him, not at all."

For the full interview with Warnock, do not miss the back page of Friday's Croydon Advertiser.

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

POLICE are appealing for help to identify a man wanted in connection with an assault in Purley earlier this year, featured on the BBC's Crimewatch this evening (Thursday).

The assault took place on March 29 at 10.30pm outside a restaurant in Purley High Street. The suspect is said to have approached the victim, 49, who stood smoking in the street, and asked him for a cigarette.

When he was told he didn't have one for him, the suspect then punched the victim in the face, causing him to fall on the ground.

Police are urging anyone with information on the identity of the man to call 101 or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting 147417.

CRYSTAL Palace striker Marouane Chamakh has expressed his disappointment of not taking at least a point against Aston Villa on Tuesday.

The Moroccan admits the Eagles may have suffered a taste of their own medicine for the way Paul Lambert's side won, pointing to the way Palace played last season at times.

"We should have got something," said Chamakh.

"I am really sad because I thought we could have done better than we did.

"I remember last season we won games similar to the way Villa did. We may have had two or three chances and then after the game we won 1-0.

"But this season that has changed and we had more shots, more dangerous situations and finally we leave with no points."

Don't miss the full interview with Chamakh in today's Croydon Advertiser.

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

CROYDON Council has mistakenly published a list of roads where residents have expressed an interest in turning them into play streets.

The list of 11 roads, all in the north of the borough, was published in response to a written question from an opposition councillor submitted ahead of Monday's full council meeting, who had asked for an update on the policy.

Play streets involve restricting vehicle access to allow youngsters to play outside their homes on evenings or weekends.

Cllr Kathy Bee's written reply to the question, in papers distributed to councillors, the public and the press before the meeting, contained a table listing the streets below a paragraph beginning with "not to be included in published response".

Cllr Bee told the Advertiser the list had been published due to "human error".

She stressed the scheme would only be introduced in streets where residents backed the idea.

The streets named have not been approved as play streets, and consultation with residents who have applied for theirs to become part of the scheme will take place before any are set up.

The written reply also said publication of the streets would "make the consultation more difficult".

The idea involves closing streets to through traffic for a period of around three hours at the weekends or after school, allowing children free access.

They would be overseen by stewards provided by residents, who would also supply someone to shepherd residents' cars in and out of the road at a speed of no more than five miles per hour to ensure safety.

In those streets where residents decide to adopt the scheme it would be introduced as a pilot, for three sessions initially, so they can identify potential problems before a longer-term arrangement is put in place.

The plan was passed by the council's cabinet back in July and it is expected children will be playing in streets under the scheme by next spring.

The streets where residents have expressed an interest in the play streets scheme:

South Vale, Upper Norwood

Queen Mary Road, Upper Norwood

Shelford Rise, South Norwood

Stambourne Way, South Norwood

The Dell, South Norwood

Turkey Oak Close, South Norwood

Crescent Way, Norbury

Wharncliffe Gardens, Thornton Heath

Clifford Road, Woodside

Pitville Gardens, South Norwood

Braemar Avenue, Bensham Manor

THE campaign to move Croydon into public transport Zone 4 has been dealt a blow.

Croydon North MP Steve Reed raised the issue in parliament last week, but was told the Government could not back the proposal because it was a matter for Transport for London.

The Zone4Croydon campaign was launched by Mr Reed and the party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Croydon Central, Sarah Jones, in October.

More than 1,000 people have signed their petition supporting the change, which could save commuters to central London £336 on their annual travelcard.

The idea was debated in the House of Commons last Tuesday (November 25) after a question from Mr Reed to Robert Goodwill MP, parliamentary under-secretary of state for transport.

Mr Reed called on the Government to offer backing to the campaign, which he said would help support ambitious plans for redevelopment in Croydon, including the Westfield-Hammerson development.

He said: "Re-designating Croydon's two central stations in the heart of this regeneration zone as travel Zone 4 would help underline how close the area is to central London, as well as making Croydon more attractive to investors, businesses, home buyers, workers and visitors."

Mr Reed also said there was "ample precedent" for stations being rezoned if a "persuasive" social and economic case was made and pointed out that there were several stations further from central London than East Croydon that were in a cheaper zone.

"There will be much-needed savings for people travelling into central London, but no increase in fares for people travelling into Croydon from further south," he added.

But Mr Goodwill did not commit to backing the proposal, saying it "was a matter for Transport for London and the train companies".

He also pointed out eight stations in Zone 5 were closer to central London than East Croydon.

It would "not be appropriate for the Government to comment at this stage" on the merits of rezoning Croydon, he added.

Mr Goodwill said a "robust business case" would need to be put forward by the train operating companies, including Southern.

"Reducing the cost of travelling from a station reduces the revenue brought in by that station, and that can add up to millions of pounds a year," he added.

"Ultimately, those costs would be covered by the taxpayer. A loss at Croydon might need to be compensated by raising fares elsewhere."

MAROUANE Chamakh is "fired up" to take on Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday following his previous connections with Arsenal.

The 30-year-old is still a popular figure with Gunners fans and looks out for their results regularly, and Chamakh admitted he doesn't like Spurs too much either.

When asked if he ever gets a good reception against the Lilywhites, he gave the obvious response.

"Not really, never at Tottenham, but it's OK," said Chamakh.

"Before I didn't like this team and so it's an opportunity for me and for Palace to do something very good there.

"It fires me up all the time (to do well against Tottenham)."

For the full interview with Chamakh, don't miss Friday's Croydon Advertiser. 

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

COLUMNIST Robert Sutherland is upbeat about Palace's recent performances, despite the 1-0 midweek defeat to Aston Villa...

TUESDAY'S game made painful viewing. Not because of the level of performance, but because the result was unjust – and the atmosphere at the game had a tense, expectant hint to it which (by my reckoning) contributed to the sense of frustration.

The performance itself was one of attacking intent from Palace. Wilfried Zaha, Yannick Bolasie and Marouanne Chamakh all did their bit to force chances, but as the game went on, the intent contorted itself into something a lot more desperate, and at 1-0 down from a defensive error, that desperation filtered through the crowd.

These kind of games will cloud judgement. They'll upset supporters because they expect to get something. All too frequently, I heard fellow supporters bemoan the fact that we won 3-1 against a poor Liverpool side and couldn't beat an even poorer Aston Villa. But it wasn't for the want of trying.

So the question is, what more could Neil Warnock do to secure a win against that team? Of course, it could – perhaps should – be argued that the lack of composure at times (such as Scott Dann's when he was confronted by Christian Benteke, or Martin Kelly when he initially passed the ball into Dann) comes from our management. The fact that we'd tried and failed to repeatedly score, the lack of calmness in key situations, could also come from Warnock and co.

But what a manager does on the training ground will only work so much on the pitch. You can prepare the squad throughout the week in the build-up to a game, but once the players step on to the Selhurst Park field, the influence a manager has will be limited. Of course, Warnock could have brought a substitute on earlier in the game. Perhaps he should have done when it became clear that Joel Ward's corners were not as effective as had been hoped. But to the sacrifice of what?

Our wing players were causing problems. Our midfield was dominant – James McArthur looks an excellent acquisition to complement the midfielders we already have – but when it came to scoring goals, we struggled. And that doesn't take the luck (or bad luck) that came into play when Palace peppered the Aston Villa goal just after conceding. Palace weren't helped by Michael Oliver's odd bias towards whatever Brad Guzan did during the second half.

Tuesday's game was one that I came away with having been frustrated by the lack of goals and the disappointment of the result, but it didn't leave me as dejected as the Sunderland game did, and it certainly wasn't the worst I'd seen us play.

Sometimes things just don't work out as we hope they will – the result against Villa is exactly one of those instances.  

CROYDON politics is often compared to a Punch & Judy show but for the last few weeks, it has been more like a panto, with a cabinet member saying the council was thinking of building on school playing fields only for his boss to respond: "Oh no we aren't."

Spinderella began last month when the council published a report saying some fields were "excessive" and could be used for housing or extra classrooms. Simon Hall, cabinet member for finance and panto star, backed the idea, saying all school sites would be reviewed.

The production then played two nights at the town hall, starting on November 17 when council leader Tony Newman and his cabinet – including Cllr Hall – declared they had no intention of doing it, only to vote through the report without amendment.

The confusion led to boos and hisses from the audience, led by Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell, who set up a petition calling for the show to be cancelled.

Yet on it rumbled until a return to the town hall on Monday produced another plot twist. This time, the Conservatives put forward a motion calling for Labour to reword the report to prove they had no intention of concreting over green space.

Up shot the hands of the cast of Spinderella and the motion was unanimously rejected, only for one of the protagonists – a cabinet member – to tell a member of the public minutes later they would, in fact, amend the document.

A Labour source described the report as a "big cock-up" and claimed the bit about school playing fields had been mistakenly included by a council officer.

"What we wouldn't do is make it appear we were doing a U-turn," the source said. "The reality is, it was never going to happen. There are loads of us on this cabinet who would never allow things to be built on our playing fields."

Two days after the council meeting, a note appeared on its website saying Cllr Newman had amended the Asset Strategy, using his executive powers, "to clarify the wording".

Cllr Newman deleted the entire paragraph which mentions "excessive" playing fields but he left in a reference to reviewing "school sites" in order to meet "pressures" including the need for housing and school places.

Tim Pollard, opposition leaderr of the opposition, heckled him for being "either duplicitous or incompetent" and called on Labour to reword the report again, this time with a specific line committing the council to protecting school fields.

Cllr Newman rejected suggestion that changing the document in secret called into question his commitment to making the council as transparent as Cinderella's slipper. He said he had done so to avoid "another two weeks of scaremongering" before renewing his social media campaign to deflect attention away from a shambolic few weeks for Labour.

Mr Barwell failed to get the message and described the affair as a "clear U-turn". He added: "In line with the incompetence of

this story, they haven't done the amendments properly, and there is still a line in the report that does imply housing development. They should take that out as well.

"As it stands, it's a very good thing for politics that, after thousands of people signed a petition, the council has changed its position."

Edward Handley, chairman of Croydon Playing Fields Association, who was "horrified" by the building plan, described his "relief" at the decision but added: "We need to be vigilant because it could rear its head again."

Cllr Hall, who faced calls from the Conservatives to resign, did not respond to the Advertiser's calls this week. He has yet to explain his change of heart.

He and his party will hope the only panto in Croydon from now until Christmas will be the one starring Gareth Gates at Fairfield Halls.

TIMELINE OF SPIN:

NOVEMBER 11: The council publishes a report, Asset Strategy: A New Approach, ahead of the following week's cabinet meeting. It contains a review of the authority's school 'estate' which states there are schools in Croydon which have "very large" playing fields which might be considered "excessive" and could be used to build houses on.

NOVEMBER 14: The Advertiser publishes a story about the report, including an interview with Simon Hall, the politician behind the plan, who says all school sites will be reviewed to find "surplus" land. Croydon Playing Fields Association and the Conservative opposition criticise the idea.

NOVEMBER 17: Despite the report and Cllr Hall's comments, the Labour cabinet denies it has any intention to build on school playing fields. It then approves the strategy without making any amendments. Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell starts petition against the plan which eventually attracts more than 1,000 signatures.

NOVEMBER 22: Former England cricketer and Croydon schoolboy Mark Butcher says the council should forget about building on school playing fields. Butcher said there was "no justification" for doing so and that development on "surplus" land would set a dangerous precedent for the future.

DECEMBER 1: The Labour group rejects a Conservative motion calling on them to amend the strategy. Cllr Hall accuses Advertiser of "sensationalising". A cabinet member later tells a member of the public they will, in fact, change the wording.

DECEMBER 2: After the Advertiser publishes transcript of the original interview, the Conservative group call on Cllr Hall to resign. A Labour source admits the report will be changed and tells Advertiser building housing on playing fields was included in the document due to a "mistake" by a council officer.

DECEMBER 2: Council leader Tony Newman himself amends the Asset Strategy, deleting the reference to building homes on playing fields

MAROUANE Chamakh says he will play anywhere that boss Neil Warnock wants him to and hopes Palace can win at home against Stoke City next weekend for the fans.

The Moroccan was a frustrated figure on Tuesday against Aston Villa, mainly due to the decisions from man in the middle Michael Oliver.

At one point in the second half, the official had to call Mile Jedinak over to calm the 30-year-old down, too.

"When you are on the pitch, sometimes it's difficult to have an understanding with the referee," said Chamakh.

"I know sometimes when I play I am not normal because I have a lot of stress and I am maybe nervous, so sometimes I don't understand the referee's decisions.

"I hope next time we can win at home and for the fans. We need to win games at home against teams like Villa.

"Dwight (Gayle) wasn't 100 per cent. Maybe the plan was to see how he got on for 45 minutes this time, I am not sure. But we had to change it, and I like to play everywhere.

"If I have to play right-back, I will do. I will look to play anywhere the gaffer tells me to."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

LIDL is coming to South Croydon after the council gave the discount supermarket permission to build a store on Brighton Road.

At a planning committee meeting last night the food retailer were given outline permission to construct the shop as well as flats and car parking, bringing 40 jobs to the area.

The £12milion development will go up on a derelict site at 375-401 Brighton Road, next to the Honda garage and backing on to South Croydon Recreation Ground. It was previously a car sales room, petrol garage and multi-storey car park.

Lidl want to knock these down and put up three, four and five storey buildings. These will include a 1063 sq m food shop, 12 one-bed flats, 25 two-bed flats, five three-bed flats and 105 parking spaces.

Lidl currently have one Croydon shop on Church Street in the town centre.

Maria Gatland, councillor for Croham, said residents in the area were split in support for the development.

She praised Lidl for engaging residents in the planning process but expressed concern for the residents of Wyche Grove, which backs onto the development.

Cllr Gatland said the flat's balconies would overlook the gardens of Wyche Grove, and that there would be a loss of amenity.

She said: "There is a 50/50 split of people who want it and don't want it. I am concerned it will destroy local businesses and suck the life out of the area.

But she added: "There are many people who have contacted me and are keen to have it there."

Of 39 responses to the planning application only five people objected, including cllr Gatland.

Chris Young-Wootton, Lidl property director, said the housing will include 16 affordable flats.

"This recognises Lidl's recognition of what is important to the council and to providing affordable housing in the borough," he said.

Mr Young-Wootton added the structures had been designed to blend in on Brighton Road.

Council planning officer Pete Smith said alternative locations for the supermarket had been looked at but there were none.

He said there will be a reasonable distance between the development and Whyche Grove and that overlooking would be minimal.

Councillors agreed unanimously to give Lidl outline planning permission..

Councillor Chris Wright said: "The site desperately needs developing and I am sure it will be beneficial to many people in that area.

"I am sure the appearance will be better than the multi-storey car park. It couldn't be worse."

Councillor Paul Scott, meeting chair, said the matter will be brought back to the council if they are unhappy with how it progresses.

He said: "It is positive the developer and Lidl are working together. I am happy with the way the scheme is going."

Police are appealing for help in findin a missing pensioner who has not been seen since yesterday(ThursdayDecember 4).

Sandhor Molnar, 81, of Bensham Lane, Thornton Heath, was last seen yesterday at 7pm at his home address.

Mr Molnar, is a white man of Lithuanian origin. He is 5ft 7ins tall and has scruffy white hair and a scruffy white full beard.

He was last seen wearing a black overcoat, black trousers, black trainers, blue cardigan and a striped blue shirt.

Mr Molnar has health problems and officers are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare.

Anyone with information is asked to call Croydon police on 0208 649 0145 and 02086490231 or the police non-emergency line on 101 quoting reference 14MIS043830

A CARE worker from Thornton Heath has pleaded not guilty to laundering £1.3 million. 

Abayomi Adeboye, 36, appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Wednesday and denied three counts of money laundering and a fourth of possessing a fake Nigerian passport. 

Adeboye, of Beechwood Avenue, Thornton Heath, will stand trial on March 9, 2015. 

He is charged with entering into or being concerned in the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property, namely £1,350,380, on behalf of persons unknown, on or before December 23, 2012.

He is also charged with two counts of concealing, disguising, converting, transferring or removing criminal property, specifically £25,711.50 by means of bank transfers and withdrawals on or before December 23, 2011.

The third charge is one of concealing, disguising, converting, transferring or removing criminal property, namely £24,102, through bank transfers or withdrawals between December 23, 2011 and January 9, 2012.

They laundering charges refer to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Finally, he is charged with possession of identity documents with intent on or before September 9, 2012, relating to a Nigerian passport which he knew to be false and intending to use the document to establish, ascertain or verify the personal information of A Kayode Olaniyi.

A 15-year-old schoolgirl who received a grant from a multinational company will use the money to set up a food bank in Coulsdon.

Grace Jones was selected by Unilever to speak about her passion to end food waste for TV advertising campaign, Bright Speeches, now on air.

Along with the other young campaigners who featured in the advert, Grace received a 10,000 Euro grant to help her realise her dream of bringing about change in her community.

"This is such a fantastic opportunity to get my voice heard and to let people know that food waste is a really important issue that I think should be recognised," said Grace, a pupil at Woodcote High in Coulsdon.

"I hope knowing these problems are right on our doorstep will help people to become more involved. I think the food bank will really bring this issue into the community."

Recycling, composting and minimising waste has always been the norm for Grace but she soon discovered through her school friends that this was not the case for everybody.

It was this that first inspired Grace to bring home the issue of hunger.

"The fact that it is such an unknown issue is actually what shocked me the most," she said.

"At home we would always recycle and try not to buy too much and give to food banks as much as we could."

In Britain 11,500 tonnes of food is thrown out from homes every day yet at the same time, one in five families lives in poverty.

The use of food banks for emergency meals has tripled in the UK over the last year.

"Having a food bank in Coulsdon is going to help to build community strength and allow everyone to see that some people here are struggling," Grace said.

The TV adverts coincide with the #ClearAPlate movement which urges people to show their distaste for food waste by sharing pictures of their empty plates.

Unilever spokesperson Jon Goldstone said: "We wanted to give children like Grace, the opportunity to speak out on an issue that mattered to them."

COLUMNIST Dan Gibbs thinks Crystal Palace need to do some work on their crossing...

We take three points at home to Liverpool, gain a huge point away at Swansea and then lose to a poor Aston Villa side at Selhurst Park. 

All in all, the standard Palace fortnight.

Tuesday night's defeat against Paul Lambert's side was another one that left me agitated, frustrated and irritated; yet I was pleased with our performance.

I thought we dominated play right from the off, and while having less possession we looked much more likely to score. We bossed the midfield with Mile Jedinak and James McArthur playing superbly and we created plenty of chance.

'Chances' being the key word here. With the wingers we possess, we should be creating so many decent opportunities for the strikers in the box.

Wilf and Yannick are as good as anyone in the league when it comes to beating a full-back but some of their crossing has been terrible of late. As for the corners on Tuesday, Joel Ward was awful.

If we could sub Barry Bannan on and off for every set piece we are given, our problem would be solved.

If we know we're going to struggle to get it past the first man then why don't we put someone on the front post to flick it on? Brede Hangeland, at 6ft 6in, should be getting a header away at every set piece we have, but because the delivery is so bad he doesn't have the chance.

Aside from the set pieces, we actually played really well. A few clumsy mistakes and cheap giveaways were always going to happen, it's just a shame that one of those proved costly.

It was very unfortunate that on the night Scott Dann reportedly had some of the England national team staff observing him, he gave the ball away in the lead up to their goal.

Having watched the extended highlights after the game, an expert finish from Christian Benteke was the difference. Had we taken our chances and delivered better balls into the box, by the law of averages we would have got a goal.

There's still no need to panic, luckily the other teams below us aren't faring much better, but these are the types of games we need to win.

We play Villa again on New Year's Day and hopefully we can have a bit more luck and get a decent result.

Before that though, a small matter of 15 points up for grabs in 22 days, starting at Spurs on Saturday; who are definitely nothing to be scared of.

We're in for a rollercoaster 22 days, Palace fans.

An emergency reservoir to increase protection to homes vulnerable to flooding is now as big as three Olympic swimming pools.

Croydon Council has finished the £250,000 expansion of the Purley Oaks depot reservoir, meaning it can hold 8,250 cubic metres of floodwater.Last winter, hundreds of households in Purley and Kenley were flooded after the Caterham Bourne overflowed.

At the time, the council installed emergency measures to limit the flooding impact, including preventing the Kenley waterworks, which serves 46,000 local properties, from shutting down.

The Kenley project will add more drains, clear ditches in residential areas and designing a permanent flood storage area off Godstone Road. 

The backup A235 floodwater storage area will be installed between the town centre and Purley Cross, with the exact location and size to be decided in the coming weeks.

Councillor Kathy Bee, Croydon Council's cabinet member for transport and the environment, said: "The council has been working for many months on improving the borough's flood protection in case there is a repeat of last winter's record rainfall.

"We're not only ready to respond to immediate flooding, but we're also investing thousands of pounds in long-term measures that will help our residents and businesses in future."

For more information, visit the council website's flooding pages at http://www.croydon.gov.uk/environment/flood-water/