Croydon is home to London's nicest people, according to a study on personality types.

The study, conducted by Cambridge academics, found that the nicest and most sympathetic people were more likely to live in Croydon, followed by Bromley.

Researchers suggested that more agreeable people were more likely to flock to neighbourhoods with lower population density, lower housing prices and those families with children.

Using data from the BBC's Big Personality Test, researchers analysed answers from over 590,000 people, based on personality traits such as life satisfaction or openness.

The study also found the most miserable people in London lived in Hounslow and Hillingdon. 

CROYDON University Hospital has hired a QC who charges between £4,000 and £5,000 a day to help appeal a tribunal's verdict that it sacked a senior doctor for whistleblowing.

Figures obtained by the Advertiser show Croydon Health Services, the trust which runs the hospital, has already spent more than £130,000 on legal fees relating to Dr Kevin Beatt's unfair dismissal claim.

He won his case in October after a judge decided he had been sacked for raising concerns following the death of a patient during a routine operation in 2011, rejecting the hospital's claim he had been guilty of gross misconduct.

The hospital continues to reject the tribunal's damning judgement and has instructed a top QC to work on an appeal alongside the barrister already working on the case, the Advertiser can reveal.

Leading silk Jane McNeill QC, of Old Square Chambers, commands between £50,000 to £60,000 to prepare a case up until the first day of a hearing and between £4,000 to £5,000 per day thereafter. Ian Scott, a junior also from Old Square, represented the trust at the tribunal.

Tony Newman, leader of Croydon Council, has called on the hospital to "take a long hard look" at whether the spending is appropriate.

Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central, said: "I will need to speak to the hospital, but at first sight I think my constituents will question whether, given the undeniable pressure the NHS is under, the hospital should be spending these sums of money on an employment tribunal, particularly when there has been a clear verdict." 

Hospital becomes first in London to declare major internal incident due to A&E demand.

Croydon Health Services said chief executive John Goulston was unavailable for interview when approached by the Advertiser this week.

Instead it provided a written statement in which it stood by its reasons for sacking Dr Beatt and did not respond to any questions about Ms McNeill or its legal expenditure.

According to figures provided to the Advertiser via a Freedom of Information request, the trust had spent £132,048 on the case as of December 11, including all solicitor and counsel fees since Dr Beatt submitted his claim after being sacked in September 2012.

He had alleged one of his patients, Gerald Storey, had died because a nurse had been suspended without his knowledge, meaning she was unable to help him during the procedure.

After informing the coroner and a senior GP the trust sacked him for gross misconduct, claiming his account was "unsubstantiated" and made to "serve an ulterior motive".

Those claims were rejected by the employment tribunal which found Dr Beatt, 63, raised "genuine" concerns - later substantiated by the coroner - only to be dismissed because he was a whistleblower.

The tribunal's lengthy report was highly critical of senior managers at the hospital, including Mr Goulston and Michael Parker, then the trust's chairman.

It alleged that one of Dr Beatt's colleagues - Dr Asif Qasim - was a bully and that he and another manager had pressured witnesses to change their statements about what had happened on the day of Mr Storey's death.

Speaking to the Advertiser this week, Dr Beatt said the final cost of the legal proceedings will far exceed the £132,048 bill the trust has accrued so far. The hospital should learn whether it has been given leave to appeal - or even go to a full re-hearing - within the week.

Dr Beatt said: "The hospital is spending huge amounts of public money, not to defend the trust or the clinical service, but to defend the reputation of its managers.

"The NHS has this vast budget and there's no accountability for how managers spend it. This couldn't apply in any other business where this amount of money would be at stake."

Cllr Newman said: "Having looked closely at this case, at a time when the NHS is under huge financial pressure, and its A&E is in crisis, I would ask the hospital to take a long hard look at whether spending tens of thousands of pounds, that the NHS does not have, on this issue, is the best use of the hospital's budget."

A Croydon Health Services spokesman said: "It is every employee's responsibility at Croydon Health Services to uphold great care for our patients and we take all concerns raised extremely seriously.

"Dr Beatt was not dismissed for whistleblowing and we stand by our reasons for dismissal. We have investigated his claims thoroughly.

"The trust is appealing the decision of the Employment Tribunal and we will not be commenting further on this matter until these legal proceedings are complete."

Croydon Harriers' Mike Fleet is set to complete his biography of quadruple Olympian Dorothy Tyler MBE (1920-2014), and he is looking for a quote or anecdote from some of Dorothy's former pupils when she was a games teacher in the area.

Dorothy was a member of the Mitcham Athletic Club, Croham Hurst Golf and a long time Sanderstead resident.

Mike is happy to be contacted by telephone or email, on 020 8647 1341 or mike@mafleet.co.uk.

PALACE midfielder Barry Bannan is enjoying life under Alan Pardew, after starting the last two games under the new manager.

Bannan started the game against Tottenham last weekend after an impressive display in the FA Cup against Dover Athletic, and even though he was substituted at half-time against Spurs, it didn't put too much of a dampener on the Scotsman.

The former Aston Villa man says Pardew wants him to "make things happen" and revealed the new boss wants Palace to be more offensive rather than soak up pressure from opposition sides.

"He also wants us to have a right go at teams," said Bannan.

"With the old manager it was more about keeping our shape and then pass to the wingers and hope they go forward and do something.

"That wasn't working so we've been trying to press teams and having teams defend rather than us sitting back.

"Everyone in the dressing room would rather do that and score goals. The gaffer just wants me to try and make things happen for the team."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

LOOK who we found at a West Croydon salon today (Wednesday) - none other than Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha.

Advertiser photographer David Cook spotted the familiar face while taking pictures at the Avant Garde Artiste salon, in London Road.

David's photo shows the England international - currently back on loan at Palace from Man Utd - being pampered by salon owner Marlanne Simons.

The Advertiser cannot confirm or deny rumours he still had Kyle Walker in his back pocket from Saturday night.

POLICE have asked the public's help to identify a man suspected of headbutting the driver of a 119 bus while he was on his break at Collonades Leisure Park.

They believe a passenger who had earlier stumbled as the bus pulled off when he got on board was responsible for the attack on November 1 at 3.45pm .

The Met says CCTV footage shows the suspect had left the 119 bus at Denning Avenue, but boarded another bus to the leisure park before headbutting the driver.

The suspect is described as a white man, aged around 40 to 50 years old, wearing a flat cap and dark-coloured jacket

The victim was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment to a cut on his forehead.

Anyone with information can contact DC Daniel Kelly on 07766 248282 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 163981.

After a magnificent win against Spurs last weekend Crystal Palace completed an excellent week when signing Arsenal's French U21 international Yaya Sanogo on loan until the end of the season.

Eagles' boss Alan Pardew must be delighted with the addition to his striking options business and he looks sure to go straight into the squad, if not the starting XI, for the trip to Turf Moor on Saturday.

BetVictor have introduced the loanee at 8/1 to be the Club's top Premier League goalscorer and I am convinced this is too big a price.

Crystal Palace top PL goalscorer prices from BetVictor:

F Campbell (3) 9/4

D Gayle (3) 9/4

M Jedinak (5) 11/4

Y Sanogo (0) 8/1

G Murray (0) 10/1

J Puncheon (2) 10/1

Yes, Sanogo is playing catch-up on the other principles in the market but Arsene Wenger wouldn't have allowed his player to go on loan unless he had received assurances from Pardew that his exciting young talent would get valuable playing time in the Premier League.

He has 17 games to make an impact for the Eagles. At 8/1 he could be a shade over-priced.

Burnley remain 8/11 favourites to be relegated at the end of the season after their own 2-1 win over QPR last weekend with Palace out to 9/4.

The Eagles are now unbeaten in four in all competitions and are 23/10 return from Turf Moor with all three points with the Clarets 29/20 and the draw at 11/5.

None of the last 16 league games between the sides has ended in an away win and Palace haven't won in their last eight PL games on the road so the stats don't exactly scream an away win.

That said, they will have few better opportunities. Sanogo is 7/1 to score the first goal of the game, 13/5 to score at anytime during the 90 minutes and 40/1 to score the only goal of the game on debut at Turf Moor.

I hope I'm not expecting too much from the 21-year-old but I honestly believe this could be an inspired signing by Pardew who has made such an impressive start to his second coming at Selhurst Park.

A debut goal for Sanogo at Burnley and he won't be still 8/1 on Saturday evening that's for sure!

For all your football odds check out BetVictor.com.

A DRUG dealer snared in a major police operation to tackle drug and gang crime in London Road has been jailed for supplying crack cocaine and heroin.

Jason Kissi-Brown, 34, from Bromley, was jailed for five years and four months at Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday, January 13, after he pleaded guilty to supplying crack cocaine and heroin on three separate occasions in November 2014.

He was one of 16 people arrested after a series of dawn raids at 15 addresses across south London on 11 December.

The Advertiser was present at one of the raids in Waddon, which were the culmination of months of work by police and Croydon Council to tackle drug dealing in London Road after complaints from residents and businesses.

Detective Inspector Guy Carmichael, from the Met's Trident Gang Command, said he hoped the conviction would be the first of many.

"This should send a strong and clear message out to people that if you get involved in drug dealing, then we will target you and we will put you before the courts

"Kissi-Brown now faces a considerable time behind bars and this is good news for the local community in the West Croydon and Broad Green area."

Specialist criminal finance officers are now also investigating Kissi-Brown's finances under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which could lead to them applying to confiscate any assets gained through his criminality.

Some 13 other defendants caught during the raids still face separate charges in the courts.

CRYSTAL Palace winger Jason Puncheon says nothing less than a win will do at Burnley on Saturday.

The matchwinner against Tottenham last weekend believes the Eagles need to keep the same approach at Turf Moor.

It has not been a happy hunting ground for Palace over the years but they will go there in confidence on the back of the win and also three clean sheets in their last three games on the road.

"Burnley is massive for us," Puncheon told the Advertiser.

"It was a big three points at home against Spurs and going to a team around us, we need to beat them.

"The gaffer mentioned we've had three clean sheets on the road recently. It can be hostile place up there.

"We can sit there and worry about different things but we don't need to with this group.

"I think we'll go there and play our own game do what we need to do, which is three points."

By Mark Ritson (Twitter @MR_LWMedia)

CROYDON South MP Sir Richard Ottaway has called Sir John Chilcot to give evidence to MPs on why his report on the inquiry into the Iraq War has been delayed.

Sir Richard, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told Sky News this morning (January 21) he believed the report was being delayed intentionally and said the reasons given by Sir John for the delay were "pretty thin".

It was reported yesterday that Sir John had written to Prime Minister David Cameron to say the inquiry had been delayed until after May's general election.

He said: I think [Chilcot's letter is] fairly light on reasons. Quite clearly, he's struggling with getting it out on time. And he's got a number of difficulties. But the explanation [for the delay] is pretty thin.

"I suspect the process - those involved would rather move on this, and sometimes it does not take two days to reply to a letter, it takes two months and then two months to reply to that letter. "Those of us who have seen this before - I sat on the original inquiry into the case for war in Iraq - we've seen how these things can be dragged out."

Sir Richard, who is due to stand down from his safe Conservative seat in May, also said he plans to call Sir John before the foreign affairs committee to answer MPs' questions on why the report had been delayed.

"It's very important that we get [the reasons for the delay] in the public domain," he said.

Explaining the delay in a letter to the Prime Minister, Sir John said those criticised by the report had not yet had enough time to respond.

The Chilcot inquiry, set up in 2009 was tasked with looking into the reasons for Britain's involvement in the invasion of Iraq, which toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, as well as the aftermath of the conflict. It finished sitting in 2011.

A man who went missing from Coulsdon on Tuesday morning has been found.

Richard Bosanquet, 65, went missing from his home at around 9.30am yesterday, but was found safe and well this morning.

Online columnist for the Advertiser and Palace fan Dan Gibbs reflects on a fantastic Question and Answer evening in Croydon with Eagles goalkeeper Julian Speroni to kick off his testimonial year…

NIGHTS like last night at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, make me realise how proud I am to be a part of such an amazing club.

Passionate, caring, family-orientated, humorous, adoring, fanatical, optimistic, dedicated, obsessive; words that could be used to describe the Palace faithful.

Words that also wouldn't be out of place when describing the man of the moment at last night's event.

Julian Speroni is celebrating ten years at the club this year and it's incredibly rare in today's game to have a player become a loyal servant to one club.

We all know what Jules is about on the football pitch. He's not the loudest, or the most commanding goalkeeper I've seen in my honest opinion, but he is an incredible shot stopper and all round keeper who has saved us too many times to recall.

Last night, Palace fans got to see the Jules off the pitch. Many have said "Julian is the nicest guy in football," and to be honest you can't disagree with that.

Even when Eagles midfielder and Wales international Jonny Williams (who paid for his own ticket and attended the event as a fan) stood up and asked Julian, "How much do you love me out of ten?" Jules was the first to reply with "Ten! He is the nicest guy in football."

That was a common trait of Julian's throughout the night. While the majority of football players are media-trained robots who offer no personality in front of a TV camera, Julian is different. Shy, with a sense of humour that people can warm too.

And even if he is quick to shy away from his own achievements and instead praise his team, it's not the usual bulls**t that comes out from the PR-trained drones; it's from his heart.

Even when talking about his record four Player of the Year Awards he has won, a humorous story about coming home to find his wife using one as a door stop; the Speroni credits his defence with the award too, consistently saying "we" won this.

A footballer so modest, yet so professional, is quite a humbling experience to observe and take in.

Julian also showed his sense of humour throughout the evening, having the fans laughing throughout the night – and that was before Paddy McCarthy's story on 'poogate'!

When asked about his son becoming a footballer he responded with: "If my son wants to play football, he can't play for anyone other than Palace."

Another great answer when asked about the best piece of advice he's ever received, he said that Iain Dowie gave him the best advice - 'Don't you ever try and take on a player again!," referring of course to that Everton mistake.

Towards the end of the evening, when co-chairman Steve Browett stood up to thank Jules for his services to the club and clearly stated he believes he's the best goalkeeper the club has ever had, Julian's eyes began to tear up. I don't think he realises the impact he's had on our football club.

Julian has had more ups and downs with Palace than most players have in their entire careers. From surviving relegation on the final day, to play-off triumphs to going into training one day knowing it could be your last in times of administration.

He jokes that he could have gone elsewhere, the truth is he so easily could have turned his back on Palace after three years on the bench and gone on to achieve, perhaps, even bigger things than he has done now. Yet he chose to stay because of his love for the club.

The 35-year-old is the ultimate role model to any footballer who wants to do the footballing career properly. He trained hard, was patient for his opportunity, and when it came along he took it; and now he reaps the benefits of his loyalty at Palace.

In the final quarter of the evening, the team for Jules' testimonial was announced. As a white shirt with bits of black was pulled from a hat, a fan behind me speculated Juventus, others thought it was going to be an Argentine XI. But of course, it was Dundee, the club that gave Julian his chance over in the United Kingdom, and knowing Julian's humbleness it should have been a fairly obvious choice.

While it's not the glamour tie some Palace fans were hoping for, it means a lot to Julian – who spoke very fondly of his time there – and that's enough for us.

It could have been a local school team for all we care, the Palace supporters will still be there to support their hero.

If I had a choice between Manuel Neuer, David de Gea, Thibaut Courtois, you name them; or Julian Speroni, I wouldn't have to think twice about who I'd have between the sticks.

Some may laugh their heads off with that statement but Jules is Palace through and through and for me, that's enough.

Thank you for your services to our football club, Julian. Hopefully this isn't your last season.

But whatever happens, you'll always have a place in our hearts here at Palace.

Follow Dan on Twitter @gibbsyy

AT 12.50pm on Tuesday students at Archbishop Tenison's school released dozens of balloons into the sky to mark exactly a year since the death of their friend and classmate Daniel Spargo-Mabbs.

Tied to each ribbon was a message of condolence and the contact details for the drug awareness foundation set up in the 16-year-old's name.

Daniel collapsed at an illegal rave after drinking ecstasy mixed into a bottle of water and died in hospital three days later on January 20, 2014.

His family, who spent the day in private mourning, were touched his friends had chosen to include the work of The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation in the memorial.

"They asked us to come to the balloon release, and we love to do things with the school, but we felt we needed to be together as a family, and I knew I needed private space," said his mother Fiona.

"I watched the video of it on their website. They had put the song Brandon Billy [a student] sang for the foundation over the top of it. It was really moving, really lovely that they did that."

Archbishop Tenison's CE High School, in Selborne Road, held a midday prayer with students shortly before they made their way to the playground to release the green balloons.

Emmanuel Church in Normanton Road, South Croydon, was open all day to allow visitors to light a candle in Daniel's memory. The church hosted a remembrance service later that evening for Fiona and her husband Tim, Daniel's brother Jacob, and their wider family and friends.

Friends and classmates of Daniel Spargo-Mabbs release balloons into the sky to mark a year since his death

"Tuesday was about the loss of Dan," said Fiona. "It was a day of complete mourning.

"We've now begun year 2. Life goes on. That there has been such a commitment to stopping this from happening to anyone else, and that they are doing it Dan's name, has helped.

"We're doing what we wish we could have done for Dan. There's a lot of energy behind wanting to make the difference we could have made for him if we had known."

Head teacher Richard Parrish was full of praise for how students had coped with the tragedy

Richard Parrish, head teacher at Archbishop Tenison's, said students wanted to celebrate Daniel's life after a difficult year.

"They suggested the balloons because they wanted to do something to mark the moment Daniel died," he explained.

"There was a period of silence and then the balloons disappeared off into the sky. It was a very powerful moment.

"As they floated away, pupils on the courts playing football stopped and gave a round of applause. It was lovely."

The balloons were attached to messages promoting the work of The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation

Next week a tree will be planted in the school grounds as a lasting memorial and, later this year, students will take part in a fundraising event for the foundation. Mr Parrish is proud of how they have dealt with the tragedy.

"I think they have coped amazingly, but it has been really difficult," he said.

"Like all grief it comes and goes. They have very difficult days and we will have more of them.

"The grief was very raw last year, but Tuesday was more of a celebration of Daniel's life."

Mrs Spargo-Mabbs said: "We've been blessed with so much support from so many people. I don't know how we would have coped without them."

The service began with a midday prayer in memory of Daniel

A play based on Daniel's life, commissioned by the foundation to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs, is being written and is due to premiere in March 2016. The charity is also working on a teaching package to help spread its message in classrooms.

Nicqueel Pitrora, 18, was jailed for five years in August for supplying the drugs which killed Daniel. An inquest into his death will be held at West London Coroner's Court on February 12.

AN "UNRESERVEDLY admired" Addiscombe doctor who was expected to die in 1944 from injuries sustained in the Second World War, has passed away aged 90.

Dr Leonard Williams joined the GP practice at number one Morland Road in 1955 on a six-month contract but ended up staying for almost 30 years until 1984.

His lengthy career in medicine almost never materialised, however, as he was shot in the chest with a machine gun bullet in Montescudo in Italy in 1944.

The bullet entered the 2^nd lieutenant Dr Williams' left chest below his armpit, traversed his left lung and carried on into the right lung, ending up below his 12th right rib.

It missed his heart, main arteries and veins – but was not to be his last brush with death on that day. The hospital he was treated at was hit by a German shell just after he had left – killing all the patients and medical orderlies.

As fate would have it, his three month spell in hospital and the interest he showed in his own medical condition would lead to his doctors recommending a future career in medicine.

Despite being born in Plymouth and growing up in Portsmouth as part of a very poor family, his intellect helped him obtain a scholarship to Portsmouth Grammar School.

He eventually began his training at St Thomas' Medical School and then did a series of junior jobs including a stint at Mayday Hospital in 1954 before joining the Addiscombe practice on a short-term contract in 1955.

Nick, his son, 61, said: "One of Dad's favourite sayings was 'expect nothing and accept everything' and he lived his life by this maxim right to his last day.

"Lucid to the very end, he was aware that he was very unwell but his concern even then was for the well-being of those round him and that they were not troubled or worried by the fact he was so poorly."

Dr Williams lived in Elgin Road, Addiscombe, when he moved to Croydon before moving to the Park Hill area in his later years.

He is survived by his wife Jean, 87, his three sons, Nick, Andy, 59, and Roger, 53, as well as eight grandchildren aged between ten and 31.

Dr Williams' dedication to medicine never erred and he read the British Medical Journal right up until the week before he died.

His son added: "I have received so many messages from medical colleagues saying what a wonderful doctor he was and in the case of young GPs who he had trained; how much they had learnt from him.

"He seems to have been unreservedly admired and loved by his many patients, several of whom have also been in touch."

A private funeral is being organised by Rowland Brothers but a memorial service takes place at St Mildred's Church, in Bingham Road, Addiscombe on February 16 – which would have been Dr Williams' 91st birthday – at 11am. All are welcome to attend.

Former Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis has compared his West Bromwich Albion midfielder Claudio Yacob to Eagles star Mile Jedinak.

Jedinak, renowned for his robust play in the middle of the park, has developed into one of the Premier League's best anchormen.

Yacob earned rave reviews for his display at Everton on Monday night and Pulis hopes he can have the same effect Jedinak had for him at Selhurst Park.

"He sits in front of the two centre-halves and he knows that position," Albion boss Pulis is quoted by the Express and Star.

"We had a lad at Palace, Jedinak, who did exactly the same for us.

"Claudio is a good lad. He knows the position and he's a solid citizen.

"I saw him play when my teams at Stoke played against Albion and former managers always played him."

THE head teacher of a school based in a former police station plans to turn the cells into robotics training labs.

Adrian Miller is to lead STEM Academy Croydon Gateway, a new college to open in South Norwood police station in September.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths, and Mr Miller hopes the 16 to 19 school will help address a skills gap in those specialist industries.

In his first interview since being appointed, Mr Miller told the Advertiser the police station, which closed in 2012 as part of funding cuts and was later put up for sale, is an ideal location.

"Say 'police station' and one might not think 'college' but there's quite a lot of overlap," he explained.

"For instance, it has a canteen which is important because it's very helpful for the students not to have to leave the building for refreshment when doing the kind of work they will be doing.

"Because it was a police station it had lots of computers and monitors, so we're well placed with cabling and other technical requirements.

"I'm also quite excited about the custody suite being transformed into a robotics training lab.

"An industrial robot turns in 350th of a millisecond. If you're in the wrong place, you've had it.

"But, if you have a robot in a custody cell, then you can view it without having to be close to it."

Croydon's post-16 sector has expanded significantly in recent years, with sixth forms now attached to the majority of secondary schools alongside more established institutions such as Croydon and Coulsdon colleges.

Mr Miller believes STEM Academy will compete because it offers specialist, hands-on education and a 'tech-level' in mechatronic engineering, a new qualification not offered in the nearby area.

He has extensive experience in STEM education having worked at the Samuel Whitbread Academy, until recently a specialist engineering college, and then at Kimberley STEM College, both in Bedfordshire.

He also sat on the Perkins Review committee which advised the Government as to how to address the skills shortage in the UK's engineering industry.

Mr Miller was persuaded to move after reading about the borough's up-and-coming technology sector. He hopes STEM Academy students will one day work for the businesses involved in Croydon Tech City.

"I haven't had the chance to meet the group yet, though I do have an appointment," he said.

"I was certainly aware of [Croydon Tech City] and that's what influenced me to be prepared to move from Cambridgeshire to Croydon.

"One of the big problems facing tech start ups is being able to find the right manpower. My students have been very good, in the past, at working with businesses like that on afternoons and evenings."

The Gateway school is run by STEM Academy Education Trust, which opened an academy near Silicon Roundabout in East London in 2013.

It will be fitted out with the sort of robots used in the car or aerospace industries so students get direct experience of the equipment they will use in later life. They will also be asked to alongside companies on live business and engineering projects.

"There's nothing that motivates students more than to work on something that's of value to a company rather than something out of a text book," explained Mr Miller.

"For instance, one of my former students worked with a business which specialised in the lubrication of wind turbines. He came up with an algorithm which could calculate when the bearings where worn down. He was able to improve the productivity of the turbine."

Mr Miller said he is "hopeful" the former police station will be ready to take its first intake of 230 students in September. The college has already had 50 applications and, in time, he believes STEM Academy will establish itself in a crowded marketplace.

"I'm focused on getting young people progression routes," he said.

"I doesn't matter to me whether that's university, direct employment or apprenticeships, I want them to know where their learning can take them and how it is applied.

"We want to support technology and manufacturing in the UK, starting with Croydon.

"That's what I feel passionate about. We need to make education work in a definite and tangible way." 

Former Tottenham and Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov is eyeing a move back to London, according to online rumours.

The likes of Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace are potential destinations for the 33-year-old, who is currently at Ligue 1 side Monaco, in France.

His wage demands of around £70,000 a week could scupper a switch to Selhurst Park, yet big spenders QPR may push the boat out to land the Bulgarian.

Eagles boss Alan Pardew has admitted he is looking at bringing in one more option up front, with Rudy Gestede of Blackburn Rovers interested in a move to the capital.

Landing the experience Berbatov would be a coup for Palace as they look to achieve survival as soon as possible.

A GRAFFITI artist in Croydon has taken inspiration from Slough's most inspirational chilled out entertainer David Brent.

Plastered on a wall behind the Sofa Store, in Purley Way, are the words 'I did noooo get the agenda…' next to a more common or garden graffiti tag.

The quote is one of many lines made famous by Ricky Gervais in The Office as his character squirmed into another embarrassing situation.

Watch the scene below:

A WOMAN has been charged with the burglary of an elderly Parkinson's and Dementia sufferer's house in South Norwood.

An 80-year-old woman, who lives in Coe Avenue, had cash and ornaments stolen on a number of occasions over the last few weeks.

Amanda Harwood, 42, of Selhurst Road, South Norwood, was arrested and charged with burglary on Tuesday (January 20) and appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (January 21).

She was bailed to appear at Croydon Crown Court on February 4.