CRYSTAL Palace Diving Club's Georgia Ward insists she is aiming to make an even bigger splash as she returns down under for this month's Australian Youth Olympic Festival.

At just 17, Ward missed out on the London 2012 action, but she ensured it was still a year to remember as she claimed the 1m and 3m synchro gold at the National Elite Junior Diving Championships.

But it was not just Ward's domestic rivals that showed what she is made of, as she went on to finish seventh at the European Junior Diving Championships and 15th at the world equivalent, the latter taking place in Adelaide.

The Uxbridge College pupil is returning to Australia this month after earning a spot on Team GB's 120-strong Australian Youth Olympic Festival squad, a competition that will see 1,700 athletes from 30 countries compete across 17 sports.

And Ward has set her sights on a final spot this time around.

"I am definitely looking forward to getting out there now as it is something I have been working hard towards for quite some time now," she said.

"I am just really excited about testing myself against some of the best divers and I am buzzing about the competition really.

"I have been to Australia before because I went out there to compete at the Junior Worlds and that was a good experience and I am really looking forward to doing it all again.

"I don't really have any set targets but I just want to go there and enjoy it and do the best I can and see how that goes for me.

"But I am always looking to improve so hopefully I can reach a final and maybe even contest for a medal – that is always the aim."

With Tom Daley having claimed 10m platform bronze at London 2012, as well as never being too far away from a camera, diving in Great Britain has never been more popular.

And former Cardinal Wiseman School pupil Ward admits she is hoping to continue the feel-good feeling down under.

"Competition-wise, 2012 has been a really good year for the whole GB junior squad in general and it has been a really positive season," she added.

"The Olympics were really inspiring and it was a good push for the younger guys and it gives us something to aim for.

"It has helped everyone look forward to future events and of course Rio in 2016 and hopefully I can help continue that out in Australia."

The British Olympic Association prepares and leads British athletes at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games.

It works in partnership with sport national governing bodies to enhance Olympic success and is responsible for championing the Olympic values.

Visit www.olympics.org.uk for more information.

PARTS of Coulsdon high street will be shut for three weeks while Croydon council fixes a bungled paving project.

The authority plans to close Brighton Road in the town centre in sections during the day while it repairs the crumbling central paving strip.

A spokesman said on Tuesday that residents were due to receive a letter "shortly" telling them of the disruption due, between January 28 and February 18, from 7.30am to 9pm.

Traders have criticised the short-notice works, which they fear will deter shoppers from visiting the town.

Vijay Upadhyaya, owner of Marsh's Stationers in Brighton Road, said: "That is very bad timing, because that is when Valentine's Day is coming and we are going to lose trade.

"A couple of years ago, when they were putting the paving in, we all struggled.

"I have not had a letter or any information, nothing at all."

The road will be closed in sections of 100 to 150 metres at a time, "with every effort made to maintain access to premises", a council spokesman said.

Gary Beckett, owner of Advanced Print, also in Brighton Road, said: "It needs to be done, but they did not consult the traders and there was no public meeting or anything.

"If they close the road there will be no customers and we are already struggling after Christmas.

"They should have found out from the traders when their quietest days are."

The paving strip is being replaced with asphalt, after the stones started cracking and sinking into the ground.

They were laid as part of the £3million town centre improvement works that got under way in 2009, funded by Transport for London.

The Advertiser revealed last year the paving had cost around £350,000, not including design costs.

Diversions will be routed via The Avenue, where parking restrictions will be put in place so wider vehicles can pass.

A spokesman for Croydon Council said: "This is to allow essential work to be carried out to the central strip, which needs to be replaced with a material that will require less future maintenance.

"We have planned this project so that access to shops remains as easy as possible.

"By working on the road in sections we will keep disruption to individual premises to an absolute minimum."

Transport for London (TfL) said the bus routes affected by the work would be the 60, 166, 404, 405, 434, 463 and N68.

A TfL spokesman said it is still in the process of working out diversion routes and they would be finalised before the work starts.

CROYDON has been the butt of many a comedian's jokes in the past - but now a trio of local funnymen are proving our comics are able to raise a laugh or two of their own.

Three Croydon comics have made it to the final of a renowned comedy competition, previous finalists of which include Catherine Tate, Russell Brand and Harry Hill.

Paul Taylor and comedy ensemble Four Screws Loose, two members of which are from Norbury, will take part in the final of the 30th New Acts of The Year Showcase (NATYS).

The comedians were selected from 175 entrants.

Thom Ford and Conan House live together in Norbury, and are one half of the physical comedy act Four Screws Loose, along with Joseph Elliott and Richard Caine, who live in Mile End.

The ensemble, who have gained a credible reputation thanks to performances at the Edinburgh Festival as well as other appearances around the country, are looking forward to their five-minute spot in the show.

Conan, 24, who like all of his cast mates is a special needs teacher, said: "I don't know about the others but my long-term goal is to be able to do this full time.

"The guys really are my best friends. I love working with them and making people laugh. We decided to enter the competition because it is quite prestigious and if we win another good thing to put on the CV.

"I think Croydon has a lot of young creative people out there. It is such a diverse place and with many sorts of different people, of course comedians and artists and that kind of thing are going to come from here."

The comedy troupe will be doing a routine that they know gets the crowd laughing every time – a five-minute music mash-up telling the story of the Titanic.

Thom, 24, said: "Some of the people who have performed and won at the NATYS before are legends, which is why it was so exciting for us to get picked.

"We all enjoy our day jobs, we wouldn't do them if we didn't, but the real dream is to be able to perform with my friends full time. We are also writing television shows which we are really hoping will get picked up, and this can only help. We aren't traditional comedians so to speak, we are very physical and think out of the box. I hope everyone enjoys it."

Four Screws Loose are up against Upper Norwood's Paul Taylor, who has described his routine as "a little bit out there and abstract".

Paul, 34, is so committed to his art that he will gig up to five times a week and does odd jobs here and there to keep himself afloat. He said: "I know a lot of comedians come out of Croydon, I'm not sure why but I love living here. I can see all over London from where I live.

"It is a renowned show so to be a part of it is really exciting, though I've been doing this for five years now so I don't know if I will be nervous.

"I just always wanted to be a comedian but I got a normal job as everyone does and I just wasn't satisfied. I got to 29 and I thought well, I'm getting older, so if I don't do it now I never will. I'm really hoping this will help me in the future."

The Croydon comedians will perform along with the other finalists at the Bloomsbury Theatre on January 27.

An industry judging panel that includes programmers, reviewers and bookers will declare one act the 2013 winners.

BRITAIN's first crowd-funded theatre is to open in Croydon after the public backed the project based in Matthews Yard.

Owner Saif Bonar turned to website Kickstarter to raise £5,000 needed to transform the rear of the cafe and co-working space in Old Town into a resource for theatre groups.

The project, called The Studio, exceeded that goal this week and, with the deadline on Monday, Mr Bonar will have even more funds at his disposal to realise his idea.

He said: "We've had a lot of help from Twitter. People have seen that others are backing it and so they have too. It all snowballed from there.

"It's really good to see so many people and small businesses get behind it. It's great that even some business which you could say were our competition have also helped out.

"They've recognised this is something for the community which could bring tens of thousands of pounds to Old Town, so everyone will benefit."

Mr Bonar will use the money, likely to be released two weeks after the deadline closes on Monday, to transform a 100 square metre space at the back of Matthews Yard -off Surrey Street - into a theatre capable of hosting live performances, rehearsals and films.

The money would fund installation of a stage, green room and seating.

Having exceeded the target, Mr Bonar aims to buy better lighting and a public address system as well.

From next week, the space will be used for rehearsals by two Croydon-based performance groups; Zoom! Arts and Big White Light, with the theatre potentially opening in March.

Mr Bonar hopes the studio will go some way to filling the culture gap left by the closure of the David Lean Cinema and the potential loss of The Warehouse.

He said: "There's clearly a desire for the arts in Croydon and a sense of belonging. Hitting our target is a lot to do with the sense of community which has built up over the last six months."

AMBITIOUS plans to revive Surrey Street market, which could involve its operation being taken over by expert private managers, have been published this week.

Breathing new life into the flagging market is a key element of the overall business plan produced by the Old Town Portas Pilot Town Team, intended to boost the regeneration of the historic quarter of the town centre.

The team has been given £100,000, under the pilot scheme being run by TV retail guru Mary Portas.

In the heyday of the market, 20 years ago, prospective traders could expect to wait ten years to get a prime spot in Surrey Street.

These days the message from the council is: "Fill in an application form and you can start as soon as you like."

Even that has failed to fill large gaps in the market, but the Portas team believes that by working closely with the council and the existing traders, it will be possible to bring in a whole range of new stallholders.

Team member Paul Collins said bringing in an expert market management company was thought to be one way that plans for a revamp and expansion could be best implemented.

He added: "It is important, however, that we keep the traders on board to help make the decisions about what they want for the future.

"We want to bring in something which is going to complement what is already there and improve the opportunities for the market."

The idea of promoting the heritage of the ancient market, which was founded in 1271, and that of the surrounding area – which includes the Minster and Old Palace – is included as a part of the Portas team's desire to see Old Town thrive in its own right.

Mr Collins said: "It is very clear that through Portas we have to promote a district which is very different from North End."

This, he said, would mean concentrating on marketing Old Town as a special area in which independent small businesses would be the core.

It would also mean offering a mix which is not readily available in the rest of the town.

A community hub in Surrey Street has been suggested as a radical way of creating a unique atmosphere.

It would provide an area in which people would be able to sit and enjoy food produced by market traders, a show kitchen for cooking lessons and performance space for entertainers.

Free wi-fi would also be laid on for businesses and visitors and empty properties could be used as "pop-up" spaces for new firms to test their ideas and products on a short-term basis before hopefully making a long-term commitment.

Mr Collins said everyone involved with Portas and the Old Town Business Association was passionate about leading the revival of the area.

He added: "I wouldn't want to condone anything that went on during the riots but the fact is, we wouldn't have the funding if they had not occurred.

"It is important we now make the best of the situation."

• Creating a management system to operate Surrey Street market on a day to day basis;
• Establishing a community hub, under cover, in the centre of the market providing eating and entertainment areas;
• Introducing wi-fi and high-speed internet access for businesses and visitors in an area taking in Surrey Street, Church Street and part of Frith Road;
• Spending £33,000 to provide micro loans for existing businesses in the area that want to expand or for new enterprises that want to move in;
• Setting aside £2,500 for a distress fund to provide small one-off payments to help businesses pay for small items to keep trading; and
• Appoint a project coordinator to oversee the administration, operation and marketing of the business plan.

A FITNESS instructor has been signed up by Jamie Oliver to take part in his food revolution.

Sam Markey, 43, owner of Shape Back Boot Camp in Selsdon, has joined forces with the celebrity chef to help to fight the obesity epidemic in the UK and to highlight the world's food issues on Food Revolution Day, which has been launched by the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation.

Mrs Markey said: "Food Revolution Day had an incredible start in 2012 with fantastic events all over the world.

"In 2013, I will be doing everything possible to make it an even bigger success and I'd like to ask anyone from the community who cares about our food and our future to contact me to find out how they can get involved."

The Food Revolution is to take place all around the globe to help people share information to highlight the obesity crisis.

Sam hopes schools, businesses and restaurants in Croydon will get involved.

She said: "We want to inspire change in people's food habits and to promote the mission for better food and education for everyone."

Jamie Oliver said: "Ambassadors like Sam are doing an incredible job and I can't wait to hear about what everyone's doing on May 17.

"This is all about people power. If enough of us stand up and say that we care about where our food comes from and that we demand better food education for our children, then the governments of the world will start to listen."

Anyone interested in getting involved should e-mail Sam at fitnesscroydon@aol.co.uk

A MAN killed by the burning wreckage of a helicopter crash as he walked to work has been named as Matthew Wood from Sutton.

The 39-year-old was making his way to the Vauxhall office of Rentokil when the helicopter hit a crane and crashed into the street.

An investigation is now under way into why the helicopter hit the crane at One St George Wharf, in South Lambeth, on Wednesday morning. The crash, in heavy fog, also killed pilot Pete Barnes and injured 12 people.

Cars and two buildings caught fire after the helicopter wreckage and part of the crane fell into Wandsworth Road. Mr Wood was walking to his office in Wendle Court, when he was killed.

Alan Brown, CEO of Rentokil Initial, said: "Matt was 39 years old and had worked for Rentokil as an administrative team leader since 2003. He was well known to all of us who visited the Vauxhall office, including myself.

"He was in every respect a warm and generous man and the cornerstone of our team in Vauxhall.

"We extend our deepest sympathy to Matt's family and our colleagues in Vauxhall who will be deeply affected by this accident."

Mr Wood's sister Amanda told the Daily Mail: "He was a big friendly giant, the nicest possible guy. He would always put people before himself. Although he didn't have children of his own, he had many godchildren who he loved.

"Matt was going to turn 40 in April and was planning his birthday celebrations. We're all in shock, we lost our father this time last year so my mother is struggling."

The pilot, Capt Pete Barnes, 50, had flown for Redhill firm Rotormotion for 15 years. Colleagues described him as "highly skilled". He had asked to be diverted to a nearby heliport because of bad weather in the lead-up to the crash.

A BENEFIT cheat who conned taxpayers out of thousands of pounds while selling £125 burgers in a luxury gastropub begged not to be jailed – because he is too fat.

Bentley-driving Stephen Sussams, 59, who swindled nearly £15,000 in housing and council tax benefit, appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Friday, where his lawyer claimed he should not be jailed because he is obese.

But Judge Peter Gower ignored the plea and ordered Sussams, who also stole £17,000 from a dead man's bank account, be jailed.

Sussams, of Marston Way, Norbury, denied four counts of benefit fraud and one count of theft, but was found guilty after a trial.

Matthew Groves, representing the swindler, told the court a custodial sentence "would be a great burden for him to carry because of his ill health", which includes "diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, obesity and depression".

"Given his ill health and positive aspects of his character, action doesn't [need to] involve a third period of custody," Mr Groves added, referring to his client's convictions for producing cannabis in 1996 and for possession of the drug in the 1980s.

Sussams, who owned The Royal Dart in Dartmouth – which boasted a champagne-marinated burger meal with black truffle costing £125 – began scamming £17,600 from the account of an elderly man he used to care for the day after he died.

He withdrew funds from Keith Dickenson's account in five instalments following his death in 2008, before taking over the tenancy of his house which he fraudulently claimed housing and council tax benefit for until September 2011.

Carers' supplements continued to be paid into Mr Dickenson's account, for which Sussams was a signatory, after he died because the benefit cheat did not inform the authorities he had died.

As Sussams continued to withdraw funds from the dead man's account, Croydon Council grew suspicious and investigated.

Sentencing Sussams to eight months' imprisonment for the count of theft, Judge Gower said: "It is clear from the outset that you knew full well that that was money that the council had mistakenly paid into the account of Keith Dickenson after he died.

"I have no doubt that you knew that money was intended by the council to cover the cost of providing care services to him appropriate to the level of his disability and knew it was no longer needed for that purpose.

"Instead of returning these you applied them in accordance with your own wishes."

Sentencing him to a further four months for the counts of benefit fraud, he added: "Your claim for these benefits was fraudulent from the outset."

DO YOU recognise this face?

Police have released this CCTV image of a man they would like to talk to following the theft of a collection box from inside a funeral directors, as reported in last week's Advertiser.

The charity tin was swiped from Rowland Brothers in Central Parade on December 27.

The box contained £85 donated in memory of lost loved ones, for the company's annual Christmas collection.

Funeral arranger Angelia Jordan said it had been stolen while she was discussing funeral arrangements with a family.

The money was due to be shared between the Woodside Bereavement Service, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and the estate's Brenda Kirby Cancer Centre.

Mrs Kirby is the former New Addington councillor in whose honour the centre was established.

She said last week: "Nobody is hugely well off around here but it is a really strong community and what they have they share.

"I just hope whoever took it was desperate, but nothing excuses interrupting a bereaved family.

"If anyone knows anything, tell us. Tell anybody. I am sure it will get through to the right people – they can do it anonymously if they want."

If you have any information contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Quote reference number 113418.

THE UK's first professional Michael Jackson impersonator - also once hailed as the country's 'dad of the year' - has been accused of beating his wife.

Keith Preddie, who was crowned Britain's Best Dad by GMTV in 2010, is alleged to have carried out the attack at the family home in Clifton Road, Coulsdon, on December 19.

The 41-year-old, who also enjoyed low-level fame following an appearance on Channel 4's Come Dine With Me in 2011, denied a charge of "assaulting Emma Preddie by beating" when he appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Thursday last week.

Asked how he pleaded to the charge, a teary-eyed Preddie, dressed in grey trousers and a fleece, told magistrates: "Not guilty."

Despite giving his address as Clifton Road, the court was told he was no longer staying there because of his police bail conditions.

Preddie was again granted bail on the condition he did not return to the family home or approach his wife, whom the Advertiser understands he has been married to for about two years.

When approached after the hearing, Preddie, a former Edenham High student, said he was unable to comment due to ongoing legal issues.

And he covered his face on leaving the court to shield himself from our photographer.

Preddie first performed as Michael Jackson in 1986, making him the UK's first professional impersonator of the superstar and securing him a number of TV appearances and top-billings in shows.

Since 2003 he has worked at the Family Centre in New Addington, where he was instrumental in setting up the It's Time For Dads support group.

It was as a result of this - and his dedication to his children - that he won breakfast TV programme GMTV's Britain's Best Dad award three years ago.

But since his appearance in court, a message has been posted on the father-of-three's Facebook page saying: "It is with huge regret that due to personal circumstances there will be NO 'It's time 4 dads stay n play' until further notice."

During his appearance on Come Dine With Me, Preddie repeatedly used the his idol's "Shamone" catchphrase, to the irritation of his guests.

But his TV bow proved a hit with some viewers and spawned a song of the same title, which became a minor hit in Germany.

Preddie also runs a mobile disco business, KP Discos.

A trial will be held on March 18 at Croydon Magistrates' Court.

A WOMAN has been found guilty of assaulting a four-year-old girl after a quick-thinking passerby flagged down a police car.

Sharon Bailey, of Morland Road, Addiscombe, was given a conditional discharge after being convicted at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Witness Adam Benoit told the court he had heard the child crying as the pair walked down the road in Clapham on the evening of July 22 last year.

He said he saw Bailey, who knows the child's mother, slapping the tot on the back as they walked.

He claimed at one point he saw her twisting the little girl's hand so hard that she was lifted off the ground.

"I thought maybe she had kidnapped her," he added

Mr Benoit flagged down a passing police car and officers immediately arrested the woman.

Bailey, 39, denied slapping the child but said she was pushing her along as they hurried to catch the bus following a visit to her boyfriend's house.

She told the court: "I was not slapping and I could never slap her. I was hurrying her because of the time.

"She was not crying in pain; she was crying because she never wanted to leave the household with the cat.

"I was pushing her – you know when you are walking and the child does not want to go. I was pushing her; I was not slapping her."

The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, didn't sustain any obvious injuries and a medical didn't take place because her mother could not be reached to grant consent.

But judge Robert Hunter said Mr Benoit was an "independent and credible witness" and the case proven.

He told Bailey: "Children are sometimes recalcitrant and it may have been [she] was being recalcitrant about leaving and may even be that she needed some forceful persuading, but in my view you overstepped the mark."

PALACE boss Ian Holloway says he was "saddened" and "offended" by claims Wilfried Zaha is a cheat after the winger was given a yellow card for an alleged dive at Stoke City on Tuesday night.

The 20-year-old looked to have been clipped inside the box, but referee Anthony Taylor saw different, and Holloway, who was furious with the decision, says it's about time something is done about it – especially in the Premier League.

"There was only one thing that saddened me and that's the referee dishing out a yellow card to my player, who beat someone and got caught, and I had to take him off because his ankle was hurting – did he make that up as well?", he said following the 4-1 defeat at the Britannia Stadium.

"I've been labelled a cheat, and Wilfried Zaha's been labelled a cheat. That referee was so quick to make a decision and he says he was close enough and he sees it week in, week out in the Premier League, where people do cheat and dive.

"Both of us have been labelled a cheat - I know he's not.

"I was called a cheat because the referee has told my player that he dived. And if I see any of my players dive, I'll fine them – and they don't dive.

"In the Premier League, I see people diving and cheating to get things. My player was given a yellow card and it wasn't at all. If you look at it, he was actually caught so that's what's ruined it for me.

"Some people need to realise when someone flicks it past someone and they do get brought down, you shouldn't brandish a yellow card and call someone a cheat."

Holloway also believes it's about time people started to openly admit if a player has dived instead of using another term to describe that particular action in the game.

He said: "Simulation? What a load of rubbish. Why don't you say it how it is – they're cheating.

"I have never met a referee yet who hasn't made a mistake. I don't think they make as many as others but I think he made a mistake against us.

"That hurts me. That offends me. Wilfried is not like that and he hasn't got that cynical side which is everywhere in the Premier League – it's everywhere.

"And until we start to clamping down on it, the game is in jeopardy I think.

"That's the honest truth, and if you look at that, Wilf was upset. And after that, he did give a penalty; and he got that one right.

"The Stoke fans thought he dived again. Seriously? Our fans sing 'he's just too good for you', because how many people does he beat?"

Meanwhile, after the game on Tuesday, the media further questioned the current situation surrounding Zaha's future at Palace, which Holloway didn't take too kindly to.

"He might be out for about six months to stop you (the media) talking about him all the time – he's going to be out for months and months," he said sarcastically.

And at that particular moment, Holloway's mobile phone started ringing.

"Ah, that's probably Arsene Wenger now! Well, knowing the media, it would be him calling.

"Why should I give a straight answer because I'm sick and tired of reading about him. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't.

"How many hours and days until the end of this stupid, pathetic transfer window that forces people to do things – it's not very good.

"And there's a mad rush in January. So, all the media wait until there's a mad rush and they start speculating who's done any good in the window and you're all talking about them before it closes.

"How boring is it? Let's turn over and see some real life. Why do people put speculation on things when it hasn't happened yet?

"If it happens, great, we'll tell you about it. In the meantime, what about the rest of my team?

"If the media had an accurate story, it wouldn't be bad, would it? I know they're trying to do their job but at the end of the day, what is speculation?"

BEAMING his "heartbreaking" smile, blue-eyed Rio Redwood looks a picture of happiness in his beloved Tottenham football kit.

Now his mum says her seven-year-old is "looking after his family from above" after he died from meningococcal disease, a bacterial infection.

His death has shocked pupils and staff at Woodside Primary School, where he was in Year 3.

"I knew Rio was a popular boy, with those bright blue eyes and heartbreaking smile, but I only realised how popular since he passed," said his mum Jo Wadley.

"He was loved by all and, it seems, he touched many, many lives."

Rio's classmates and teachers arrived at school last Monday to be told the football-mad pupil had died. The Tottenham fan, who loved to wrestle with his older brother Taylor, first fell ill with a temperature and a headache in the early hours of January 5.

When his condition deteriorated, Rio was taken to the Evelina Children's Hospital in central London, where he was diagnosed with meningococcal disease, a serious bacterial infection which can cause meningitis and septicaemia.

He was placed in an intensive care unit but passed away on January 6. Rio was never able to return home with Taylor, his sister Sienna and his mum and dad, Jo and Jay.

"I am proud of every single thing Rio did," said Ms Wadley.

"He was, and still is, along with his older brother and younger sister, my absolute world, although he did like to test my patience once in a while.

"He loved to play football at every possible opportunity and he loved wrestling, which he and his brother quite often used to practice.

"He will be missed by a lot of people, especially myself and his siblings."

Pupils at Woodside Primary were informed of Rio's death in a special assembly on January 8.

A number of teachers also took time out to discuss what had happened with their classes, and executive head teacher Claire Howarth sent a letter to parents.

"Our hearts go out to Rio's mum and dad, his brother and his sister. They are understandably in deep shock," she said.

"It is hard to appreciate their emotions at this present time but the school and community are doing everything we can think of to support them."

Ms Wadley wanted to thank the "fantastic" staff at Evelina's, whom she "couldn't praise enough".

She added: "We are all in shock and miss Rio terribly, every second of the day.

"He is my soldier, my angel and most of all my shining star, looking after us from above."