THE housing crisis will peak at more than 1,000 families being made homeless in a single year, newly published projections have shown.

Estimates predict the number of statutory homeless acceptances will hit 897 by the end of this financial year.

The number of homeless families who will need to find accommodation will continue to rise until it hits 1,030 in 2014/15.

Such a huge demand for accommodation will far outstrip the supply of social housing and private rental accommodation in Croydon, and this week the council admitted it will have to ask more homeless families to move to other areas of the country.

Dudley Mead, cabinet member for housing, said: "The supply of private rented housing available to the council in which to place homeless families has dried up.

"While we would prefer to keep households in Croydon, the reality is we have to look further afield."

The relocation policy was first revealed by the Advertiser in November 2011. It was officially adopted in July last year but stalled after offers of housing in Walsall and Manchester collapsed, due in part to a lack of interest among the homeless.

Since then 26 families have been moved to Essex, Luton and Dagenham in east London.

They are among the 441 families currently placed in bed and breakfast by the council, of which 219 are in shared accommodation.

The council is to outline a new strategy to tackle homelessness, which will focus on reducing the numbers living in such accommodation for more than six weeks.

"It is the council's priority to reduce the number of families currently staying in bed and breakfast accommodation," said Cllr Mead.

"Therefore, we have launched a dedicated housing supply taskforce to find more homes which will ease the burden on both families and the council."

The authority also plans to build 42 new homes, convert redundant council buildings, such as former children's homes, into residential use, and bring empty properties back into use, partly with the use of a new council tax premium.

Last week chief executive Jon Rouse admitted to the Advertiser that Croydon faced a housing crisis which would "get worse before it got better".

He said the forthcoming benefits cap, which will be piloted in Croydon from April, will affect 800 families and increase homelessness.

This week's projections, which will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on Monday, attribute much of the increase in homelessness since 2010/11 on reforms to Local Housing Allowance (housing benefit for people in temporary accommodation) and other benefit reforms.

Estimates suggest homeless acceptances will begin to drop after 2013/14, with 967 in 2015/16.

ANGER is growing at the mounting cost and disruption to residents of the Coulsdon paving debacle.

Replacing the cracked central paving strip with patterned asphalt will cost about £400,000, the council said this week, with the work – and road closures – set to begin on January 28.

A council spokesman said the "majority" and possibly all of that cost will be footed by Transport for London (TfL), with discussions continuing.

It adds to the more than £350,000 already spent on buying and laying the paving in 2009 as part of TfL's £3 million "town centre improvements".

Incredibly, it started sinking and cracking almost as soon as it was laid.

Coulsdon resident Peter Morgan said: "This is an enormous scandal.

"I did a survey when the project was proposed and people did not want the town centre [paving] in the first place.

"There was a consultation process but when people spoke out against it they were rubbished and it was forced through.

"It has caused months of disruption and will only cause more and more disruption."

Brighton Road, in central Coulsdon, will be shut in stages for three weeks starting on January 28.

Traffic will be diverted via The Avenue, where temporary parking restrictions will be put in place.

On Wednesday, TfL had yet to confirm bus diversion routes but was said to have ruled out using the bypass because the southbound lane does not have a pavement.

The Advertiser understands the final stage of the road closures will be the stretch from Malcolm Road, by Waitrose, to Windermere Road, by Doble Motorcycles.

Peter Appleford, roads representative for the Coulsdon West Residents' Association, deemed closing that stretch "unacceptable".

He said: "It means no traffic going through there at all.

"We object to that. We cannot see why they cannot do it in two halves.

"It will be very difficult for anyone with mobility problems and will also be a nightmare for traders. It is unacceptable for things to be like that."

The council also confirmed this week it was not considering offering rates discounts to businesses who fear losing trade during the roadworks.

It added it would not be offering any free parking in the council-run Lion Green car park to make up for restrictions in The Avenue.

A spokesperson said: "There is ample free on-street parking in several neighbouring side roads."

SINCE arriving here from Afghanistan 25 years ago, Rahim Toufiq has been keen to share his love of food - especially the tastes of his homeland.

Those years have seen him involved in a range of catering jobs, including working in McDonald's and more recently, as a chef for the Bella Italia restaurant in Valley Park, Croydon.

But none of these overshadowed his desire to work for himself and offer people a taste of his home country.

So, three months ago, he decided to take the plunge by quitting his restaurant job and opening his own hot food stall in Surrey Street market.

Mr Toufiq, who is often supported on the stall by his wife Sofia, is bringing the authentic taste of Afghanistan to Croydon through his range of baloni – a variation on the wrap.

He said: "Traditionally, baloni contains just potatoes, chives and coriander but I have gone further by inventing my own recipes.

"I never get tired of food and when I am working on the stall and producing the wraps it is really exciting."

That excitement has translated into his unique range of baloni which in addition to the traditional version now includes salmon, mackerel, chicken, sausage and a version of bolognese.

Mr Toufiq said: "There is quite a large Afghan population in Croydon and a lot them are coming to the stall already. But I am also attracting students and office workers.

"When I came to Croydon and saw the market, I thought this is the place to give it try and things have got off to a very good start."

Mr Toufiq said he already used a lot of vegetables sourced from the market in his recipes and was looking to expand by offering fruit juices to complement the wraps, with the fruit purchased from other market traders.

He said: "I love being in the market, everyone works together here to help each other."

Mr Toufiq is working most days until 5pm but the day does not end there.

Once he returns to his home in Purley Way, he begins preparation on the next day's batch of fillings.

But, according to Mr Toufiq, working for himself is much better than working late shifts in restaurants.

He added: "It's good because it means I've time for my family."

ALIMA PRIEST says going on a four-day training camp was a "real eye-opener" for her as she looks to carve out a successful netball career.

The 17-year-old Coloma Convent Girls School pupil, who plays for Surrey Storm in the National Netball Talent League, recently attended a four-day talent camp at Loughborough University, which was organised by the Youth Sport Trust.

She joined around 90 other aspiring young athletes from several sports at the camp, which aimed to inspire the youngsters and help them learn what it takes to become an elite level sports star. And the England U19 star, who was born and bred in Croydon, said it did just that for her.

"It was a real eye opener and I thought it was really good," said the teenager, who has also played for Howard and Shirley Netball Club in Croydon.

"The speakers in particularly reached out to me and made me think about my future."

One of the speakers was mountaineer Bonita Norris, the youngest British woman to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest.

And Priest said her story and courage was something that really had an impression on her, adding that she was a very brave woman.

"She had no experience of climbing mountains, she just decided she wanted to climb Everest," said Priest.

"Her determination to do it was amazing and to hear her story was really inspirational."

Meanwhile, Priest said it was great to meet such people as Team GB volleyball captain Ben Pipes and former England netball captain Olivia Murphy.

The duo were two of the adult mentors at the camp, helping the young athletes on a one-to-one basis and as a group.

And Priest said their willingness to help was encouraging for the youngsters, particularly with early morning starts for circuit training.

"Ben Pipes was coming round and doing it with us," she said.

"He was going through the paces with us and encouraging us not to give up.

"And for an Olympian to do that, he was so humble.

"He didn't just stand around, he came down to our level and pushed us to do it."

And Priest said she would not hesitate to recommend the camp to anyone else, adding that it had also helped her in the way she wanted it to.

"I feel like I have grown in confidence in respect of having a clear idea on my future.

"I know where I want to be - in 2018 I want to be playing at the World Championships with the senior netball team and I now feel more confident that I can get there."

For now though, Priest is focused on training hard ahead of the upcoming trials for the England U19 squad for this year's European Championships.

The trials take place in Sheffield later this month.

MIKE MAHER says he is happy with his squad after adding Craig Mullen to his Lobsters squad this week.

Mullen joined the Kiln Brow outfit this week on an initial one-month loan deal from Ryman Premier Division side Kingstonian, giving the Lobsters another option up front.

And boss Maher says the 22-year-old former Team Bath striker was the final piece of the jigsaw for his side.

"He perfectly fits the bill of what I wanted," said Maher.

"He is a big lad, 6ft 2ins, and we only really have Gavin [Gordon] as a big man up front to hold the ball up. If we were to lose him to injury, we would be stuck with two smaller guys up top and with the games we have coming up, I think you would be found out.

"Craig gives us another option though and now we have four strikers to choose from, with Gavin, Chris [Gregson] and Tyrone [ Pink]."

Redhill face a tough run of fixtures in the next few weeks, with the likes of East Preston, Rye United and Pagham all to come. The Lobsters are due to face Lancing this week, though, in a game that has been brought forward to try and ease fixture congestion.

However, the irony is that unless the snow melts and the temperatures rise, that game could also fall foul of the weather. But Maher says his team, like all other non-league sides, could only prepare for the match as normal.

He said: "We have had three of the last four training sessions and we are still working hard.

"With the run of games we have coming up, we need to be in good shape and hopefully this work will pay off over the remainder of the season."

Kick-off is at 3pm on Saturday.

COMMUTERS at East Croydon train Railway Station were plunged into travel chaos this morning after a trespasser on the line caused major delays for hundreds of commuters at East Croydon station.
Travellers huddled in the main lobby after being refused entry through the barriers, with many forced to catch taxis and buses to work after platform restrictions remained in place for more than an hour.
British Transport Police said an "extensive" search was carried out by officers following reports of a man on the line around at Honor Oak Park  at about 7.22am, but that they were unable to find him.
Services between London and Surrey were cancelled with many delayed up to 45 minutes during rush hour.
Greg Hinds, 24, a software developer who had been trying to get to Old Street, said: "In the end I shared a taxi and the cost between us because there were hundreds of people on the platform and I really could not risk being late. We had an important meeting. The people who do this are incredibly selfish."
Cathy Bond, 42, of East Croydon, who works in the City, said: "It's just a joke. I pay thousands for my season ticket, then people on the line and everything comes to a standstill.
"They've got to get better at reacting to these situations, there's just no reason this kind of chaos should happen where people aren't allowed onto the platforms."

PALACE manager Ian Holloway says his side are creating chances but unable to finish them off, after the Eagles were held to a goalless draw against Bolton Wanderers last Saturday.

On a bitterly cold day where the groundsmen did a great job to get the game on, Dougie Freedman was not given too much of a frosty reception as some may have expected on his return to SE25.

And in a game that failed to impress in spells, Holloway felt his side deserved all three points with substitute Alex Marrow denied late on by a great save from Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan.

"All that was needed was one good shot and I thought we started a bit slow, like a diesel in the cold weather like my car was in the morning," said Holloway.

"I think that was two new lads (Jacob Butterfield and Alex Nimely) just getting used to it, but the longer the first half went on, the more we got into our rhythm.

"The second half, I thought we got better and looked more competent – I find it hard to believe we didn't win the game, but that's the way things are going.

"As balls were flying across the box, we're almost on the end of it and that's the difference really between winning and losing."

Chris Eagles had the first chance of the game after just 15 seconds when he burst through the middle and shot inches wide with Julian Speroni scrambling.

It took until the midway point of the half for the next chance of a slow match, and it was through Eagles again, who was allowed time and space to curl an effort towards the bottom corner, but Speroni got across to parry.

Eagles then fed the overlapping Tyrone Mears down the right and the full-back delivered a great cross for Darren Pratley, but the unmarked midfielder glanced a header well wide.

Dean Moxey went into the referee's book for cutting Eagles down to size shortly after, and the Bolton playmaker was furious and squared up to the left-back.

However, Keith Andrews received a booking when he pulled back Wilfried Zaha down the left. Glenn Murray found the back of the net before the break, only to be flagged offside after Yannick Bolasie's fierce shot was parried by Bogdan.

Eagles continued to be the visitors' main threat in the second half and he sent a fierce drive wide from the left side of the box, while up the other end, Bolasie sent a low ball into the danger area, but Murray couldn't quite convert from 12 yards.

Palace were unlucky not to take the lead midway through the half when Zaha hit the foot of the post from just inside the box, and from the follow-up, Andre Moritz sent a shot inches wide of the far post.

Andrews was lucky not to receive a second booking soon after when it looked like he had pushed Zaha in the face off the ball, but he got a talking-to from the man in the middle instead.

Kevin Davies then powered a header straight at Speroni, and from the build-up, Zaha raced down the right and beat Marcos Alonso before cutting the ball back to Murray, who hit a first time shot inches wide.

Zaha continued to be a constant thorn in Alonso's side.

He nearly won it for Palace when he cut inside from the left and curled an effort inches past the far post in front of the Holmesdale, while Marrow had a goal-bound effort well saved by Bogdan late on.

But, it proved to be the final piece of action with both sides settling for a point.

JACOB BUTTERFIELD says there's a lot more to come from him if he gets a run of games during his month-long loan at Palace.

The midfielder had a solid debut against Bolton Wanderers, but admitted it was also tough to make his third debut this season, having already spent time on loan at the Reebok Stadium and for parent club Norwich City.

"I was quite happy with it but I feel like I've got lots more to give," he said.

"I've had to move about a bit to find more game time, so it's always difficult and I've only been down here for a few days.

"I think it's just a case of getting a settled position in the team and that's when I'll start to show what I'm all about.

"The debut is always fun, but it's hard as well – a bit nerve-wracking and stuff, so I think I'll keep getting better the more I play."

And Butterfield insisted the Trotters were a hard nut to crack despite the Eagles creating numerous chances and hitting the post through Wilfried Zaha.

Meanwhile, Butterfield admitted there was a feeling around some of the players on Dougie Freedman's return to Selhurst Park, which contributed to a tight affair, especially in the first half.

"I think you could sense around the place with the fans and probably a few of the players a bit, but I think you could sense there was a bit of an extra spice to it," he said.

"It made it a bit of a cagey game and the football wasn't as free-flowing as we would have liked, but I was just focused on doing well for Palace."

CROYDON Harrier Elliot Safo has been selected to represent England at the Bratislava International indoor meeting this Sunday.

The 18-year-old, who was a London 2012 torch bearer, will be a part of the 18-strong England team.

On a competition weekend heavily disrupted by snowfall, Brendan Murphy notched his fourth victory at the Riddlesdown ParkRun.

The 27-year-old won in 17 minutes and 53 seconds, over a minute clear of his nearest challenger. He will now target the Northern Ireland junior intermediate cross-country championships tomorrow.

In other ParkRun action, 14-year-old Rob Spalding was runner-up at Roundshaw Downs in 19 minutes and 22 seconds.

Mark Plackett warmed up for the British University and College championships in a fortnight's time with an eighth place finish at the Cambridge University trial race. He will line up in the B race in Leeds, along with club colleague Ben Savill, who will represent Sussex University in the A race.

Over forty Harriers were set to compete at the Surrey Schools Cross-Country Championships and the South of England Indoor Championships last weekend, but both competitions were postponed due to the heavy snowfall.

And this weekend's South of England Cross-Country Championships at Parliament Hill have also been cancelled due to the weather.

AFC CROYDON picked up a narrow 1-0 win over Worcester Park, thank to Lee Jansen's powerful header.

This game began with both sides only separated by goal difference in the league and a 3-3 draw fresh in the memory.

It was obvious that this would be a tight affair and so it proved as the game progressed.

The visitors began the game impressively without really creating any clear cut chances or troubling Dean Rose in the Rams goal.

Slowly the home side came into the game but equally never really troubled Tom Derry in the visitor's goal, but just before half-time Worcester Park came close to taking the lead when their giant striker headed narrowly wide of the goal.

The second-half began like the first with Worcester Park looking to gain the upper hand and the closest they came was when Marc Munio tried his luck from 25-yards but Rose pushed it over the crossbar.

Just past the hour, the visitors created their best chance but a fine goal-line clearance from David Baker kept the score level.

But Croydon opened the scoring when Baker surged down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross for Jansen to head powerfully beyond the reach of Derry to put Croydon one-up.

Worcester Park tried to rally but the home defence held firm

THE sister of a boy who disappeared after leaving his house to buy some eggs is doing a run to raise money for a charity which helps to find missing people.

Kevin Hicks was 16 when he left his house in Sissinghurst Road, Addiscombe, on a Sunday evening in March 1986.

He was on his way to the shop, only 200 yards away, to buy eggs for a school project the next day, but he never returned.

With both his parents dead and the family home sold, sister Alexandra Hicks has taken up the torch to find Kevin.

Alexandra, 40, will be doing the fun run at Clapham Common on May 25, National Missing Persons Day, for the charity Missing People.

Alex – mum to Faye, 20, and Amy, 17 – said Kevin would have turned 40 in 2010.

She added: "It would have been nice to celebrate it in person. I just hope that we can celebrate a few more birthdays if he walks back into my life.

"I'm not angry, I wouldn't even ask why [he disappeared]. All I will do is give him a hug and update him on what's going on. I will say to him, when he's ready, if he wants to tell me why he went, he can.

"I'm never giving up hope. It would be nice to have some answers or for him to make contact. A lot of people say 'come on Alex, it's nearly 25 years'. But I've always thought he was out there."

On her Justgiving page she said: "This is a charity very close to my heard, as my brother went missing on the second of March 1986, aged 16, and is still missing. The charity is run on donations and help to find missing people and children, new and old cases. Please give as much as you can."

To support Alexandra in her run visit www.justgiving.com/Alexandra-Hicks

Anyone with any information about Kevin can call the National Missing Persons Helpline on Freephone 0500 700 700.

THE Met Police needs to improve when it comes to dealing with the victims of crime, a new London Assembly report says.

The Met has the worst victim satisfaction rating of any police service in the country, leaving up to 115,000 victims of crime in the year to June 2012 dissatisfied with the performance of the police, and is rated more than 10 per cent below the satisfaction ratings for West Midlands and Greater Manchester police forces.

While the committee's investigation found examples of excellent victim care in London, the report highlights an inconsistent service that results in significant differences in satisfaction ratings between different categories of victims and between different London boroughs.

The report calls on the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to set challenging year-on-year targets for improving victim satisfaction ratings for the Met.

Joanne McCartney, chair of the assembly's police and crime committee, said: "Our investigation into the care and support offered to victims of crime shows that Londoners are not getting the service they deserve, nor that the police want to deliver."

The report's recommendations include ensuring MOPAC and the Met provide replacements for traditional police front counters.

A DETERMINED group of schoolgirls are raising money to bring disabled and disadvantaged children to Lourdes at Easter.

Year 12 students at Coloma Convent Girls' School are preparing for their Easter Trip to Lourdes with the Handicap Children's Pilgrimage Trust (HCPT).

For nearly 60 years the trust has brought disabled and disadvantaged children and adults to Lourdes to share a holiday and pilgrimage to the world famous shrine.

But to continue its work the charity needs helpers and volunteers to enable the pilgrims to take part.

A group of 31 students from Coloma are taking part in the fundraising and trip this year, and will join the long line of Coloma girls who have done the same thing over the last 27 years.

They will be helped by teacher Pat Horsman, who has been involved since the start.

Although the snow stopped the girls from washing cars at parents' evening to raise money, they still plan to hold pancake sales and bake sales and work as bag packers to raise the crucial funds.

Emily Kennedy, Rocio Crispin, Kelly Ramos and Harriet Maddison are among the students ready to get started. They said: "We are really looking forward to helping on the trip and helping the pilgrims.

"It's a real shame the weather stopped the car wash service at the parents' evening but we will think of something else to raise the funds this would have made – a bit of snow won't stop us."

A PENSIONER said he and his wife have been "housebound" because the gritters have "forgotten" their estate.

Roger Green, who lives with his wife Rosemarie, in Waverley Road, South Norwood, has told how he has been stuck in his home since the snow started on Friday.

The 76-year-old said: "Every time it gets cold I see a picture in the paper of a smug councillor next to a pile of grit, telling us what a wonderful job they're going to be doing when it snows.

"Yet every year I contribute to the grit and I don't see a grain. The whole estate around us is completely iced over.

"My wife and I aren't in the best of health, and we aren't even the worst ones on this road. We are completely housebound. This just shows what the council thinks of the residents in this area.

"We had a delivery on Tuesday and the driver told us how difficult it was for him to get to us on our roads, so what chance do pensioners have? Once again we are trapped until the thaw sets in and it's just not on."

A council spokesman said: "We openly publish full information about which roads are chosen for gritting on the council's website at www.croydon.gov.uk/gritting. This includes maps of all the routes covered by our gritting fleet.

"The page also explains which of the borough's roads are salted when snow or ice are predicted or in the case of sudden and unforecast snow."