A RADICAL attempt to ease the borough's housing crisis will see the council borrow £40 million to buy hundreds of homes, the Advertiser can reveal.
The council plans to spend an initial £20 million to buy properties, initially in South and Upper Norwood, in the hope of reducing the number of homeless families living in bed and breakfast accommodation.
If the acquisitions, likely to be made in the coming year, prove a success then it is understood the council will borrow more money to purchase further homes.
Housing chief Dudley Mead refused to comment when asked about the policy, which was agreed behind closed doors at this week's cabinet meeting.
The Advertiser understands the purchases will be funded by borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board – which could rise to as much as £40 million – on the basis that operating costs and interest will be covered by income from rents.
Simon Hall, Labour's shadow cabinet member for finance and change, would not be drawn on whether the plan existed but said: "If the council is going down this route then I see why because it makes some financial sense.
"However, to purchase houses in this way is a drastic step and proof that this council has mismanaged a problem it once downplayed and now says is a crisis.
"We already have serious questions about areas of the report which were public, such as the lack of detail over the use of former children's homes and the conversion of sheltered housing.
"I'm glad the council has recognised the magnitude of the problem but it needs to get the solutions right."
Action on homelessness, some of which was discussed in private, was approved at Monday night's cabinet meeting.
A report, which predicts the number of families accepted by the council as homeless will exceed 1,000 by 2013/14, was published a fortnight after chief executive Jon Rouse admitted the borough faced a housing "crisis".
Croydon's relatively small stock of council housing is full and the number of private rental properties it has secured dropped from 393 in 2011 to just 31 the following year.
The council has already admitted it will have to step up its policy of asking homeless families to move out of the borough, with some households currently placed in Essex and Luton.
But buying properties would, given the current financial climate, be its most radical move yet.
It is both a direct response to the spiralling cost of temporary accommodation, which is £1.9m over budget this year and requires an extra £2 million in 2013/14, and the impending benefit cap in April which will affect 900 families.
There were 441 families placed in emergency accommodation as of the end of December, 180 of whom have been in shared B&Bs for longer than the Government guidelines of six weeks.
The council has dropped its opposition to being one of just four authorities to trial the Government's benefits cap – with its housing boss proclaiming 'you don't get gain without pain'.
Changes to the welfare system will see overall benefits capped at £500 per household, per week.
Croydon found out a few days before Christmas that, without any consultation, it had been chosen to trial the changes from April, with the cap rolled out across the rest of the country in the summer.
Chief executive Jon Rouse said the cap itself would 'clearly' increase homelessness, and housing chief Dudley Mead fumed that the pilot put Croydon at a disadvantage when attempting to securing temporary accommodation.
But last Wednesday it decided to drop any plan to challenge the decision following a meeting with two Government officials, Mark Prisk, the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government and Lord Freud, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. They were joined at the discussions by MP Gavin Barwell and council leader Mike Fisher.
Labour leader Tony Newman accused the delegation of 'selling Croydon down the river'.
But Cllr Mead said: "I was cheesed off we weren't consulted but we have been offered serious support and money."
JOHN Goulston – Croydon University Hospital's interim chief executive – has been branded a "disgrace" after missing a crucial board meeting to attend a job interview for another hospital several miles away.
Mr Goulston skipped the meeting on November 26, scheduled to discuss the future of finances and key services in Croydon, to attend an interview for chief executive of West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust – just six months after starting work in Croydon.
After his appointment in May last year, Mr Goulston told the Advertiser he was ready to fight for the future of key services in the borough.
His choice to miss the meeting came following a letter, penned by concerned hospital staff the week before, which branded Croydon's A&E "probably one of the worst in the country".
A source said: "It was a significant board meeting discussing Croydon and the crises some services find themselves in. To miss it for a job interview somewhere else is a disgrace.
"Any monthly board meeting on an NHS Trust is a significant event. If a chief executive of a hospital misses a board meeting, that is also a significant event."
Six-figure-salaried Mr Goulston, also director of NHS Innovations London – which turned over £2.4million last year – has also applied for the vacant role of permanent chief executive for Croydon University Hospital after being turned down by West Hertfordshire.
The Advertiser can also reveal that interim chair Mike Bell, who took up the role three weeks ago, is being paid more than double what his predecessors were.
Despite Croydon Health Services – the trust that runs the hospital – struggling to break even for the first time in six years, it will pay Mr Bell this salary throughout his temporary 12-month tenure. Former chairmen Michael Parker and Brian Phillpott received less than £21,000.
Tony Newman, Labour leader of the opposition for Croydon Council, said: "The doubling of this salary at a time when the overwhelming majority of staff, including nurses, are effectively having their pay frozen or cut in real terms is unacceptable.
"For the chairman's salary to more than double, it must be questioned if this will motivate the staff. It doesn't look as if this is the right foot for the chair to be setting off on."
However, a spokesman for NHS Trust Development Authority, who is responsible for the appointment, claimed the increase was necessary.
The spokesman said: "It is important that we attracted someone with the right leadership skills and ability to bring stability to Croydon Health Services and tackle the challenges it faces.
"We've also taken into account this is an interim one-year appointment rather than normal four years for a trust chair."
Regarding Mr Goulston's missing the meeting, a hospital spokesman said: "The trust does not comment on any individual job applications as they are confidential."
Following a series of departures, two new Croydon University Hospital hospital board members have been appointed.
After Karen Jones stepped down in December, Godfrey Allen and John Thompson have been appointed as non-executive directors. In addition, Mary Clarke CBE will join as an associate non-executive director to mediate between the public and the board.
Interim chair Mike Bell said: "These appointments will bring a fresh perspective and a renewed energy to make further real improvements to care in Croydon.
"The issues concerning governance at the trust have been well-publicised and the ongoing changes to leadership at the Trust have been disconcerting for many people.
"My priority is to bring continuity of leadership so that we can make sustainable and long-term improvements to care for local people."
Mr Allen was non-executive for NHS Wandsworth and NHS Richmond, while Mr Thompson was a non-executive for NHS Sutton and Merton and NHS Croydon.
OPPONENTS of the incinerator plans are demanding Croydon Council comes clean on its stance on the controversial proposals.
Labour councillor Stuart Collins has tabled a question for this week's council meeting asking for clarification of the authority's position on the application from Viridor to build the incinerator in Beddington Lane on the Croydon/Sutton border.
As part of the South London Waste Partnership, the council has backed the choice of Viridor as the partnership's preferred bidder for the project, which will burn about 200,000 tonnes of waste a year.
But leaders have always maintained that the planning application, which is being dealt with by Sutton Council, will be looked at as separate matter.
Cllr Collins said this week: "I am asking what role the council has in giving support to Croydon residents who oppose the incinerator, or is it simply going to agree with it?"
The Broad Green councillor said residents in his ward and nearby Waddon were hugely opposed to the proposals and said he believed the council should recognise that.
He added: "Why should these residents go into the fight without any support from the council and its planners?"
Councillor Jason Perry, Croydon's cabinet member for planning, said the application would be presented to a meeting of the council's strategic planning committee within the next few weeks.
Although Croydon has no part in the formal decision-making process, as a neighbouring authority it is being consulted.
Cllr Perry said: "This application is important enough for it to be considered by members of the committee and it will be open to them to raise any concerns with Sutton they may have about the plans."
A decision on Viridor's scheme is expected from Sutton's development control committee in late April or early May.
This week, the Stop the Incinerator campaign has urged residents to get behind its opposition by writing to Sutton Council's planning department and the Mayor of London.
The campaign claims the incinerator is not needed because most rubbish can be recycled or reused if the right facilities are provided.
It also raises issues about toxic emissions from the burning process and an increase in traffic from lorries bringing rubbish to the site.
In addition, campaigners suggest the area will become the "rubbish dump of southern England" because there will not be enough waste generated locally to keep the incinerator running efficiently.
THIS is the first peek inside Waddon's new £15 million leisure centre. The state-of-the-art facility opens to the public on Wednesday after six years in the planning.
Councillor Phil Thomas, the council's cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said: "This really is a brilliant new facility."
An official opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday evening.
The fitness centre is part of a major redevelopment of the former pub site, which also includes 119 affordable homes.
The centre itself comprises two swimming pools, two fitness studios, a 65-station gym for both abled-bodied and disabled people, a sports hall, cafe and creche.
The leisure centre will be the borough's sixth and like the others will be managed on the council's behalf by the charity, Fusion Lifestyle.
Membership of the centre will be available from £11 per week and more information is available at www. croydon-leisure.com
FRIENDS and family have paid tribute to a former teacher, avid painter and "remarkable woman" who has died, aged 107.
Marion Wales, whose teaching career included 12 years at Wolsey Infants School in New Addington, died on New Year's Day, having lived in Old Coulsdon since 1998.
Mother-of-three Mrs Wales was remembered on Friday afternoon at her church, Old Coulsdon Congregational, in Coulsdon Road.
Her daughter, Pamela Stunt, led the tributes to a woman whose enthusiasm for life and learning had won her many admirers in a life that spanned eras and continents.
Born in Melbourne, Marion moved to England with her husband in 1932, and the pair set up a garden business together.
She moved to Norfolk after the break-up of their marriage, before settling in Croydon after a visit to her daughter there.
Pamela said: "Local schools [in Norfolk] were beginning to close because of diminishing numbers of pupils.
"On a visit to Thornton Heath she decided to go to Croydon education office and ask if they had any jobs. They were crying out for teachers.
"She taught until she was 68 and many of the parents and families loved what she did for the children.
"She had an endless curiosity and thirst for knowledge; this made her a very good teacher.
"Her favourite quote was: 'It is better to reach for the stars and miss than never to try at all'."
Grandson Gavin Francis recalled one occasion when the energetic Marion had been volunteering providing meals to elderly people.
He said: "On one occasion an elderly woman told grandmama that she would really appreciate this when she was her age.
"Of course grandmama was already older than that woman, and ten times more active."
Mrs Wales, a great-grandmother-of-eight, also enjoyed painting and was renowned for her hand-painted Christmas cards.
She drew with the Croydon Sketch Group and served as its secretary from 1986 to 1993.
Bob Witham, from the sketch group, said: "She was a remarkable woman.
"Whatever it was, she threw herself into it with such enthusiasm."
An active member of the Old Coulsdon Congregational Church, Marion was also proficient in ancient Greek, making her a force to be reckoned with over Bible study.
The church's priest, the Reverend Malcolm Newman, said: "She drew people to her because of her infectious humour and her zest for life. People just wanted to go and have a chat with her.
"She brought a certain something to the life of the church. We will always remember Marion with great affection, great love and also great respect."
The Census bureau could not confirm whether Marion, who turned 107 on December 17 at a care home in Caterham, was Croydon's oldest living resident.
Citing confidentiality of Census forms, a spokesman could only confirm there were "people over 90" in the borough.
A FOOD hub has been launched in Purley to tackle "rising poverty" in the community.
The scheme, run by Purley and Kenley Churches Together, comes in reaction to changes to the terms on which people receive benefits and a stubbornly drawn-out recession.
People in crisis will be identified by community agencies, which will issue those in need with tickets, that can then be exchanged for a three-day supply of tinned and other non-perishable food from those involved in the scheme.
The Reverend Pam Bryan, of Purley Baptist Church, said: "Our aim in launching the food hub is to provide food for people in crisis. Sadly, the continuing recession and the benefit changes mean that levels of food poverty in our community are rising.
"Our hub will be open to everyone, whatever their background or beliefs. The majority of our volunteers are Christians from the churches in Purley and Kenley but we are delighted that members of the community who do not attend our churches want to partner with us."
The Bishop of Croydon, the Right Reverend Jonathan Clark, launched the scheme with local councillors and businesses earlier this month.
A MAN suffered a suspected broken ankle after being hit by a tram in Croydon town centre. The pedestrian is thought to have been knocked over after jumping over a railing in Wellesley Road at 11.17pm last night (Sunday). Firefighters from Croydon fire station were called to the scene by the police who initially thought the man was trapped under the tram. Tom Atkins, from blue watch, said: "A member of the public jumped a metal rail and was then hit by a tram. "The police called us because they were worried he was trapped but luckily he wasn't." A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service said the man was treated for a leg injury at the scene before being taken to Croydon University Hospital.
CRYSTAL Palace striker Kwesi Appiah has joined League side Yeovil Town on loan until March 2.
The 22-year-old goes straight into the Glovers' squad for tomorrow night's home game against a Milton Keynes Dons who will be in good spirits after their 4-2 win at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Appiah has found his first-team chances with the Eagles limited this season with a number of substitute appearances, and the last came against Stoke City in the FA Cup at the start of the month.
He has also spent time on loan at Aldershot Town earlier this season but will be hoping to make more of an impact at Huish Park, where he could play up to nine games in just under five weeks.
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Palace news, exclusives and live match updates @AdvertiserSport
SQUATTERS who have taken over a council building have been accused of terrorising shopkeepers and residents.
An estimated 20 people have been living in the former Barnardo's building at 170 Sanderstead Road for nearly a month.
The men and women are said to have been stealing from local shops and making a racket at all hours.
One nearby resident – who asked not to be named – said: "One neighbour was meant to go away but she is too afraid now of getting burgled to leave the house. She has put wire across her door to keep it shut.
"All I want to do is see the back of them."
Squatting was made illegal last year, but the squatters have posted notices in the cracked windows of the two-storey building saying those regulations do not apply because the building is not residential.
A council spokesman said on Tuesday it had instructed lawyers to seek a possession order in the courts.
He added that the council had been "dealing with the situation" since the squatters moved in before Christmas.
Ben Selvaratnam, who owns the Wine Cellar shop opposite the house, said the squatters – who looked to be in their 20s – had targeted the store numerous times.
The first instance was "about three weeks ago" when they stole a bread and milk trolley delivery in a cage outside, he said.
Mr Selvaratnam added: "It was about £80 worth. They cut through the chains and took it down into the house. That was at about 4.30am.
"After that we had a couple of times where they came into the shop and stole bottles of beer. We went down after them but they ran off.
"Another time they took a tray of vegetables and we caught them – they were running off and we chased them and caught them.
"We got the vegetables and they ran into the house."
He added: "The police viewed the CCTV. We said we could go into the house and ID the culprits but they said they were afraid of what might happen."
The nearby resident said one man from the house had a "souped-up" car that he would rev up during the middle of the night.
She added: "They also seem to be keeping [frozen] chickens in the window round the other side.
"As far as we know they have got no heating, but they must have some cooking equipment.
"They have a clear-up sometimes to prove they are keeping it tidy."
The building, which children's charity Barnardo's left more than a year ago, is due to be used by Croydon Council for its tuition service and primary pupil referral unit, for children aged between 8 and 11.
The council said it hopes to open the facility by November 2013.
Its spokesman added: "As soon as we became aware of the presence of squatters we commenced legal proceedings to have them evicted.
"This will allow us to proceed with our plans for the early reuse of the property for education purposes."
No one answered the door or windows of the property on Monday evening, despite music playing inside and the lights being on. The area outside the back door smelled strongly of urine.
The Croham Safer Neighbourhoods Team can be reached at the central police station on Park Lane in Croydon, or by calling 020 8721 2471 or 07920 233888, or emailing Croham.snt@met.police.uk
A GRANDMOTHER who has worked on the children's ward at Croydon University Hospital for 31 years retired on Friday.
Janette Hillier, 61,had worked at the hospital since 1982 as a ward clerk, and was the longest serving member at the paediatric unit.
Miss Hillier told the Advertiser how many changes she had seen through her time at the hospital.
She said: "When I first joined I was in the Paddington Bear ward, then the Rupert Bear ward, and I've always worked on paediatrics.
"Times have changed so much and I think to keep up nowadays you need to be able to go with the flow. I thought, with all the changes, it was time for me to bail."
Miss Hillier finished her 31-year career with a party in the ward.
She said: "I will miss so many families that you get to know through the years. I've seen it all, I've seen good times and I've seen sad times, kids dying of cancer. I always hold it together when I'm at the hospital but as soon as I get home I break down; you've got to have a tough skin.
"As I live on my own I will miss the company and everyone, and I'm sure they'll miss me too but not too much I hope. I'm looking forward to my retirement and spending time with my grandchildren.
"I don't think it's going to really hit me until next week and I wake up on Monday and I'm not going to work."
Her daughter Marie Hillier, from Shirley, told the Advertiser: "Even though my mum has suffered numerous illnesses over the years she has always dedicated her life to the job.
"The NHS don't get many positive stories but a number of parents who have had sick children and work mates will miss her.
"We are all very proud of her. She put a lot of love, care and dedication into the hospital."
AS PUBS close up and down the country, two Thornton Heath sisters have taken it on themselves to try and unite pubs across the UK.
Sarah and Sheila Shaw have created a website that brings pubs across the UK together and negotiates discount prices for everything from utilities to weekly beer purchases.
The website; www.gotutt.com is also a social network where the public can quickly see which events are on in any pub around the country.
They can review the pub and upload photos of their night on the site.
Sheila, who has been in the trade for more than 20 years, said: "With up to 50 pubs closing every week, the recession has hit the pub trade extremely hard.
"British beer in a pub is so heavily taxed with duty and tax, we are forced to pay over 40 per cent of the EU beer tax bill but consume only 13 per cent; it's ridiculous.
"The average cost of a pint in a pub is £3 but a supermarket can sell it for a £1. Our customers can't afford to drink in our pubs anymore, they drink at home!
"Pubs are being taxed into extinction. We need to save money to survive and this is where this site really works.
"Group buying can potentially save huge amounts of cash, especially for freeholds with no beer ties and you can also sell your unwanted items to increase your cash flow."
Sounding a warning about the future of our pubs, Sheila added: "It's time the Government got serious about saving British pubs before it's too late."
PARENTS are calling for the return of a popular lollipop lady who quit following threats from abusive pupils.
Waving their own signs saying "Come Back Jenny" and "We Miss Jenny" they staged a demonstration at the junction of Auckland Road and Sylvan Road, in Upper Norwood.
But their campaign has hit a hitch, because none of them knows Jenny's surname nor how to contact her, now that she has quit her job with Croydon Council.
Parent Michelle Hubbard said: "We have realised that despite the long time we have known her and the help she has given our children, we didn't get to know her other than as Jenny.
"We are hoping she will learn of our campaign to persuade her come back."
Parents said Jenny had seen children attending a number of schools in the area safely across the busy junction for 12 years.
Ms Hubbard said they understood Jenny had quit after deciding she could no longer put up with verbal and threatened physical abuse from a small number of pupils attending the nearby Phil Edwards Pupil Referral Unit.
She said they also understood the school had asked one particular pupil not to arrive at school while Jenny was on patrol, but even that had not been enough to persuade her to stay on.
The mothers are now concerned by indications from the council that Jenny might not be replaced.
Ms Hubbard said: "Jenny is so important, she has looked after so many children.
"She was always at work, and on the one day she had off sick with flu last year somebody got run over.
"Jenny was so worried by what happened, she was back at work the next day."
She added: "It is ridiculous when a lollipop lady needs a bouncer to enable her to do her job."
Another of the mums, Tracey Kan, said: "As well as making the placards, we have left messages on trees around the crossing saying 'we miss you'.
"And we do really miss her, because she was there all the time to help. I often left little messages with her to pass on to my 12-year-old daughter.
"We feel she left because she just didn't feel supported enough. I think we need to work hard with the school, the council and local people to ensure that she feels valued."
A council spokesman said: "Council staff have important jobs to carry out, so it is totally unacceptable that they should be abused by members of the public, and we will always support officers if there is an accusation of a verbal or physical attack."
The Phil Edwards Pupil Referral Unit had not commented at the time of going to press.
A SHOPKEEPER has spoken of his "hell" after burglars ram-raided his shop before stealing cigarettes and alcohol worth more than £10,000.
Harjeet Singh Grover, 45, received a frantic phone call at 4am on Friday telling him his shop alarm was bellowing due to burglars smashing into it head-on in a vehicle.
By the time he got to Orchard Stores, in Orchard Way, Shirley, a trail of devastation had been left behind with the whole shopfront smashed in and shattered glass scattered everywhere.
Mr Singh Grover, who has run the store for ten years, said: "I just felt sick when I saw it. I mean the damage when I came here, I just couldn't believe it.
"It's unbelievable. You see things like this in the news and you just don't expect it to happen to you.
"We have been broken into three or four times since I came here and this is definitely the worst.
"It was like someone had set off a bomb here. They've completely trashed the place.
"We have little money these days with big supermarkets trying to undercut us all the time and so this really doesn't help us. It's making our life hell.
"They got my cigarettes and some expensive alcohol and they took all my lottery money which we'd collected the day before."
The shopkeeper pays £24,000 a year in rent to keep the store running and £7,500 council tax.
"The price of running this place isn't going down," he added.
"This couldn't come at a worse time. These people don't know the damage they do."
He estimates the haul was worth more than £10,000 – the cigarettes being worth £9,000 alone – with several more thousand pounds-worth of damage.
Police found an abandoned Hyundai vehicle in Orchard Grove later the same day, which forms part of their inquiries.
Officers believe up to five people could be behind the crime, but are calling for witnesses to come forward with information. No arrests had been made at the time of going to press.
A Met spokesman said: "We can confirm we are investigating a burglary at a shop in Orchard Way at approximately 4.40am on January 18.
"It is believed that a vehicle has driven into the front of the shop several times and suspects have then stolen a large amount of cigarettes from the shop before making off.
"Officers discovered a Hyundai X2 vehicle abandoned in Orchard Grove later [and] inquiries are on-going to establish if the vehicle was involved in the burglary."
Call Croydon police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 with information.
THE sacking of Nigel Adkins at Southampton was probably the harshest thing I've ever seen in football.
I've seen a few, but to me, if you look at the two records, one doesn't stand up to the other one.
The one that doesn't stand up gets given the job, and he lost his job in Spain.
He got worse in the four years or so he was there, so how does that work?
It's obviously down to something with the chairman and their relationship. Maybe it's something we don't know, because it can't be on football.
Southampton were actually hitting the best peak of form they've had under Nigel – six games undefeated.
I think the team looked confident, and the hardest part when losing a few is regaining and keeping your confidence.
Nigel had been superb at that club – it's just the madness of football.
At the end of the day, they are owners of clubs and they can hire or fire people, but surely there has to be some sort of rule to it.
People are winning games and have taken that club from where they were two-and-a-half years ago in League One to 15th in the top league of our country.
To me, it just sums up football. There are more owners who don't know that much about their clubs – they can say they care about it, but do they?
It's very sad for the club because they've got a bloke who doesn't speak English there and now making gestures on the line.
All I know is that having a translator next to him will make it that much more difficult for him to get his message across to the players.
They looked a well-organised unit and I thought the fans and players made a great attempt, but for captain Morgan Schneiderlin to say after the game that it will be great the more Pochettino works with the players? Good God, any chance of wanting to wish his ex-manager the best? It's just not right.
Adkins will always have a place in the hearts of Southampton supporters and if it doesn't go very well under Pochettino, you'll start hearing his name again.
This is the game we're in now in this country. It's changing and there's more hire and fire and sack – it's become a case of more owners choosing players or interfering with the players the management bring in.
It's getting more and more continental all the time.
Clubs have less than 72 hours to secure the signatures of their model players, as the transfer window will slam shut at 11pm on Thursday.
We'll keep you up-to-date with the latest transfer news and gossip every day this week.
Share your thoughts or transfer predictions by commenting below or tweeting with the hashtag #ThisIsTransfer. In Summary:
MONDAY Palace's Kwesi Appiah joins Yeovil Town on loan
SATURDAY Wilfried Zaha could be set for Man Utd move
FRIDAY David Wright deal cancelled by mutual consent UPDATE 4.40PM: Swindon Town striker Paul Benson has completed a loan move to Cheltenham for the rest of the season.
The deal was revived after Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio made it clear Benson was no longer in his plans, BBC Sport reports. UPDATE 4.20PM: Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will sign a four-and-a-half year contract with AC Milan subject to passing a medical tomorrow, Sky Sports reports. UPDATE 3.50PM: Plymouth Argyle striker Rhys Griffiths has been told he can leave Home Park by manager John Sheridan.
The 32-year-old, who was signed by former Argyle manager Carl Fletcher in the summer, has according to Sky Sports been told he is surplus to requirements.
He will be allowed to move on if he can find a new club. UPDATE 3.40PM: Reading have agreed a fee with Sheffield United for striker Nick Blackman.
Blackman is set to undergo a medical at the Madejski Stadium on Wednesday ahead of signing a four-and-a-half year deal, Sky Sports reports. UPDATE 3.40PM: West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has admitted there is 'total confusion' regarding Mohamed Diame.
The future of the midfielder, who has been linked with Arsenal and Aston Villa, remains unclear. UPDATE 3.30PM: York City have brought in Derry striker David McDaid on a two-year contract.
McDaid becomes the club's fourth new signing. UPDATE 3.30PM: Port Vale "are holding fire on contract talks until they know which division they will be playing in next season", Sky Sports reports. UPDATE 2.40PM: Notts County chairman Ray Trew has given Keith Curle the go-ahead to add to his squad ahead of Thursday's transfer deadline, Sky Sports reports.
Curle is eager to bolster his attack after allowing veteran striker Lee Hughes to leave the club by mutual consent. UPDATE 2.30PM: Cardiff City have signed Connah's Quay striker Rhys Healey for an undisclosed fee. The 18-year-old has penned a contract which will keep him at the club until 2015. UPDATE 2.20PM: Patrick Kisnorbo has extended his Ipswich Town stay until the end of the season. UPDATE 2PM: Blackpool are reported to have rejected a bid from Reading for England Under-21 winger Tom Ince. UPDATE 1PM: Ipswich are set to finalise a deal for Colchester United's Anthony Wordsworth, Sky Sports reports.
Meanwhile Birmingham have reportedly rejected an enquiry from Norwich for defender Curtis Davies. UPDATE 12PM: Harry Redknapp has confirmed Queens Park Rangers have expressed an interest in Stoke striker Peter Crouch.
The boss said he doubts a deal will happen, however. UPDATE 11.45AM: Chelsea have made an approach for Birmingham City goalkeeper Jack Butland, Sky Sports reports.
Birmingham are considering selling Butland due to their financial problems, Sky Sports says. UPDATE 11.30AM: Oldham Athletic have signed former favourite Paul Murray on a contract until the end of the season after the midfielder recently left League One rivals Hartlepool United, Sky Sports reports. UPDATE 11.25AM: Bournemouth have confirmed striker Frank Demouge has joined Dutch Eredivisie side Roda JC Kerkrade on loan for the rest of the season, Sky Sports reports. UPDATE 11.20AM: Leeds United have emerged as favourites to sign Stephen Warnock ahead of West Ham . UPDATE 11.15AM: Reading manager Brian McDermott has confirmed the club have made a bid for Blackpool winger Tom Ince. UPDATE 11AM: Queens Park Rangers striker Rob Hulse has joined Millwall on loan until the end of the season.
He will help to cover the recent sale of Darius Henderson to Nottingham Forest, Sky Sports reports.
Meanwhile St Johnstone have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Michael Doughty on loan. Saints manager Steve Lomas said: "We have taken young Michael Doughty from QPR. They have kindly let us have Michael." UPDATE 10.30AM: Nottingham Forest must prioritise the signing of Birmingham City's Chris Burke before the closure of the transfer window.
The Post says Forest cannot afford to have a void to fill.
Forest have upped the ante in their efforts to sign Burke, by lodging a fresh £500,000 bid for the winger. UPDATE 10AM: Bolton have agreed a deal to sign Irish starlet Cian Bolger from Championship rivals Leicester City, Sky Sports understands. UPDATE 9.50AM: Reading are lining up a move to hijack Crystal Palace's swoop for Sheffield United striker Nick Blackman, Sky Sports understands. The Potters could see a number of ins and outs before the closure of the transfer window on Thursday.
Possible outs include Peter Crouch to Queens Park Rangers (The Sun), Kenwyne Jones to Turkey or Swansea (various), Asmir Begovic to a Manchester club (but presumably not Rochdale – The Sun).
Possible ins include: Danny Graham (The Times), Carl Jenkinson (Mirror), Andreas Cornelius (Signal Radio) and Brek Shea (Soccer By Ives). Hull City look set to meet further frustrations in their efforts to re-sign Ahmed Elmohamady before Thursday's transfer deadline, with Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill reluctant to approve a second loan this week.
Elmohamady has been back at the Stadium of Light for the last fortnight after seeing his influential season-long loan with the Tigers unexpectedly cut short on January 15.
Meanwhile Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rejected the latest speculation Barcelona striker David Villa could move to the Emirates Stadium this month. Sunderland goalkeeper Johnny Maddison is joining Crawley Town on loan until the end of the season. Stoke City striker Peter Crouch is on the radar of QPR manager Harry Redknapp, the Sun reports.
According to the newspaper, Redknapp wants 31-year-old Crouch to play for him for a fifth time.
Stoke is also one of three clubs understood to be interested in bringing back Lazio striker Mauro Zarate to England.
According to Sky Sports, Stoke, Sunderland and Liverpool have "cast an eye in Zarate's direction". Swansea City striker Danny Graham has asked to quit Swansea, reports suggest.
Last night the 27-year-old reportedly told Michael Laudrup he wants out for "personal reasons", hours after the Swansea chief insisted Graham could stay. Swansea refused to comment, and at 8pm yesterday Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins dismissed reports claiming the striker has requested a move.
Sunderland remain poised to complete a £5.5m transfer, with Graham still believed to be Martin O'Neill's top target.
Laudrup revealed he could sign a player on loan this month amid mounting speculation over the future of Graham.
Meanwhile Swansea City goalkeeper Michel Vorm has emerged as a shock target for Barcelona, talkSPORT reports.
The 29-year-old, who joined Swansea in a bargain deal from Utrecht, is contracted to the Liberty Stadium club until 2016.
And in other City news, Wayne Routledge has followed Michu's lead by signing a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2016.
Routledge had 18 months left on his current deal, but his stellar performances this season have been rewarded with a fresh three-and-a-half year deal. Hull City manager Steve Bruce yesterday admitted he is struggling to bring in a new striker to replace the injured Sone Aluko. Albion are eager to extend the month-long loan of 19-year-old Manchester City winger Adam Drury.
Gary Rowett said: "The idea was that we might extend it if it was going well for both of us and I'm talking to Manchester City about doing so". Bolton Wanderers have joined the race for the signature of Bristol City star Albert Adomah.
The 25-year-old winger is already wanted by Championship promotion contenders Crystal Palace, who have had two bids turned down since last Thursday.
The Post has learned Palace will now face competition from Championship rivals Bolton. Colchester midfielder John-Joe O'Toole has extended his loan stay with League Two side Bristol Rovers.
O'Toole joined the Pirates on New Year's Eve. He will now remain at the Memorial Stadium until April 2 - taking his loan up to the maximum 93-day period. Exeter forward Elliott Chamberlain has joined Bath City on a one-month loan deal.
The 20-year-old will be available for tonight's home match against Welling United. Port Vale have extended striker Calvin Andrew's contract until the end of the season.
Andrew has made seven appearances for the League Two leaders since signing a short-term deal in November.
Andrew says he is confident he can find his peak form and impress Vale fans in whatever position boss Micky Adams asks him to play. Cheltenham have signed midfielder Jason Taylor on a two and-a-half year deal after his release from Rotherham.
The Millers cancelled the 26-year-old's contract by mutual consent on Monday and he joined the Robins just hours later. Gillingham midfielder Danny Jackman has joined non-league Kidderminster on an 18-month contract.
The 30-year-old midfielder has linked up with Harriers in order to be closer to his family, Sky Sports reports. Aston Villa right-back Alan Hutton is poised to join Spanish side Real Mallorca on loan for the remainder of the season, Sky Sports reports.
Meanwhile Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has this morning confirmed talks have started with Andreas Weimann regarding a new contract.
Weimann still has 18 months left on his current deal and Lambert says it would be "great" if the striker signs an extension. West Bromwich have rejected a second offer from QPR for unsettled striker Peter Odemwingie.
Albion turned down an initial bid earlier this month and they also refused Odemwingie's formal transfer request last Friday. Wolves central defender Richard Stearman is poised to join Ipswich on loan for the remainder of the season, Sky Sports reports. Wigan are stepping up their efforts to sign Ecuador winger Jefferson Montero from Mexican side Monarcas Morelia in a £2.75million deal, according to the Daily Mail.
The decision comes after the club was priced out of a move for Spartak Moscow's Republic of Ireland winger Aiden McGeady. Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is among Bayern Munich's top summer transfer targets as incoming manager Pep Guardiola begins planning for next season, the Independent reports.
Meanwhile Brendan Rodgers has admitted he is hopeful of making additions to his Liverpool squad before the transfer window shuts on Thursday night. Arsenal have opened formal talks with Barcelona to sign David Villa, Goal.com reports.
The Gunners' contract negotiator Dicky Law has been in Spain to negotiate the transfer of the country's all-time leading goalscorer, and Arsenal are hopeful they can push through the deal.
Meanwhile AZ Alkmaar's midfield starlet Adam Maher has been urged to join Arsenal - by his own manager.
According to the Metro, Maher's boss Gertjan Verbeek has advised the youngster to stay put for this season and hold out for a better move to the Gunners.
Verbeek said: "I think Arsenal would be a good environment for him".
And the Sun claims free agent David Beckham has agreed a top-secret plan with Arsenal to train with the first-team squad while he ponders his next move.
In other news, Grant Holt could be allowed to leave Norwich City if Chris Hughton, the manager, can sign either Celtic's Gary Hooper or Ricky van Wolfswinkel of Sporting Lisbon, the Guardian reports. Galatasaray have announced the signing of former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba on an 18-month deal. Tottenham are trying to pull off a last-minute swoop for £20m Brazilian striker Leondro Damiao from Internacional, according to the Daily Star. Fulham are close to signing Brazilian-born Belgium international striker Igor de Camargo, from Borussia Monchengladbach, according to the Mirror. Blackburn's loan striker Colin Kazim-Richards is being recalled by Galatasaray and sold to Bursaspor, the Mail reports. Southampton are monitoring Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino, as Hoffenheim could be prepared to sell the player, according to reports in Germany.
Firmino has a contract with the Bundesliga club until June 2015.
24 year old, Zara Ramsay-Nortley, a final
year dental student from Upper Norwood, has been awarded the title of Miss
Croydon International 2013, and will be competing in the Grand Final against
other girls from across the country for the coveted title of Miss International
Great Britain.
The final of Miss International Great Britain
will take place at The Winter Gardens, Blackpool, on 20th April
2013, where Zara will compete in a one-to-one interview round with a panel of
judges, and three catwalk rounds including day wear, fitness wear and evening
wear. The overall winner of Miss International GB will be announced on the
night, along with a number of other prizes, including a trip to Chicago to
compete for the title of Miss International 2013.
Zara said, "I am delighted to have won the
title of Miss Croydon International 2013 and for the opportunity to compete in
the final. I am really looking forward to meeting all the other finalists and
getting my outfits together for the different rounds."
All finalists are encouraged to raise money
for The Joshua Foundation, a charity established in 1998 to provide
holidays and experiences for children with terminal cancer and their families. So far, Zara has raised over £1000 for the
charity, through a fundraising party held in December with her sponsors, Love 4
Culture, and via her JustGiving page. If you wish to support The Joshua
Foundation, please do so through www.justgiving.com/ZaraRN-for-TJF-MissG****ernational. Zara's competition sponsors, Love 4
Culture, run a social blog, celebrating culture in all forms by sharing diverse,
random and insightful news. Love 4 Culture (www.love4culture.com) otherwise operates by donating a
percentage of the sale price of each garment to their foundation to be used for
charitable causes. The 'I Love LDN' T-shirt is a celebration of the cultural
diversity of London, and for every T-shirt sold, a homeless person in the UK
gets a hot meal and a hot shower.
Zara needs your
support to help win the Miss International GB title.
You can vote for
Zara by texting MISS8719 to 88101, orvote from a
landline dial 0911 035 8719. SMS charges are£1.50 per text plus the cost of one standard rate message. Phone votes cost £1.53
per call plus the standard network charge. Text votes cost £1.50 plus standard
network rate. Lines are now open until midnight Friday 19th April 2013. The winner of the public vote will be
announced on the night along with the overall winner. For further information
on Miss International GB please visit www.missg****ernational.com.
CRYSTAL Palace defender Peter Ramage says the reason his former club Newcastle United are struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League is down to injuries to key players. The 28-year-old came through the club's youth academy in the north east and is a passionate Geordie, but admits it's a bit surprising to see them where they are at present. "I think they've just had some rotten luck with injuries to key players," he said. "Players like Hatem Ben Arfa, especially over the Christmas period when a spark was needed. "Steven Taylor at the back has been missing for periods of the season, plus Yohan Cabaye – these are the top star players. "I didn't expect them to be down there but I think they've just been unfortunate. "But from what I've seen of the signings they've made over the past few days, hopefully they can have a strong end to the season and get themselves as high as they can. "They've also got a run in Europe on Thursdays then coming back to play on a Sunday, so it can takes its toll. "I know for a fact having been there, the club will be doing all they can to get everybody off the treatment table and finishing as strong as possible on both competition fronts." So why are so many French players flying in to play their football on Tyneside at the moment? The likes of Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Gabriel Obertan and Mathieu Debuchy, plus the new signings of Mapou Yanga-Mbiw, Massadio Haidara and Yoan Gouffran this week have bumped up the French contingent further, but Ramage says the Geordie fans won't mind a bit as long as they do a good job in the black and white. "I don't really know many French restaurants up there!," he joked. "It's a wonderful place to play and everyone is passionate. Obviously, I'm biased as I'm born and bred there, and it's a place dear to my heart, but it's just a football city. "When you've got 52,000 people roaring you on week in, week out, it can be a pretty special place to play and it's a big selling factors. "There's a bit of a language difference between a Geordie and French person! "They've brought in players that nobody had heard of like Cabaye and Pa**** Cisse, and look at how they've done – long may it continue. "As long as they put on the shirt and they do the business, I think the Geordie public won't care where they're from."
The contents of this article must not be reproduced without the permission of the Croydon Advertiser.
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Palace news, exclusives and live match updates @AdvertiserSport
HE STARTED with a man throwing a knife, ended with a self portrait, and created 364 images in between.
Robert Bragg's pencil and paper odyssey saw him draw a picture every day of 2012, to fulfil a demanding New Year's resolution.
The 17-year-old's 366 hand drawings have now been granted their own exhibition room at an independent gallery in Carshalton.
The Coulsdon Sixth Form College student said: "It started off as a New Year's resolution and then it just became something I did and enjoyed; I put a lot of passion into it.
"I really wanted to do something involving drawing and the idea came up on January 1, so I thought, Why not?"
The Addiscombe teenager said he took inspiration from his own imagination as much as daily events.
He said: "I have drawn Tower Bridge; I have drawn McDonald's vs Burger King – making them into people.
"I normally draw half animals and mix them together – such as half a chicken mixed with half a cow.
"The first painting, I think a man got stabbed that day so I drew that - it was in the news."
The creative youngster said he took an hour of each day to do his drawings.
He said: "I liked that I could have an hour to myself and do my drawing and just relax. I just kept going; I really enjoyed it."
The graphics, art and design student said he first started drawing in year seven, regaining his enthusiasm after starting at college. He bagged his exhibition at the Mine Gallery thanks to a recommendation from a teacher at the college.
He said: "I started to find out I was pretty good at drawing and I started to get into it.
"Having an exhibition is really amazing, I am excited."
After the week-long exhibition ends tomorrow (Saturday), he plans to sell some drawings and keep others, "depending on how personal they are."
In the long term, he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his inspiration, David Shrigley, as an illustrator.
He added: "I still draw every day; I have not stopped."
HE MAY have been one quarter of an internationally-successful pop band, but not everyone in his adopted home town Coulsdon recognises Graeme Clark.
"Once I was in Waitrose and one of the people working there said 'Hey, it's Graeme from Wet Wet Wet', and the young checkout girl said 'Who are Wet Wet Wet?' It's usually people who are a little older that recognise me," he laughs.
Graeme may not be as recognisable as his former bandmate Marti Pellow – but certainly played his part in the Wets' chart domination, thanks to hits including Angel Eyes and multi-platinum selling Love Is All Around.
But when the group split in the late 1990s, Graeme swapped the bright lights for a quiet life in Coulsdon with his wife Beverley and son Alexander.
"I love living here," said Graeme, in his thick Glaswegian accent. "I think Coulsdon is a creative place for creative people. I love Art Rebellion, I love walking down the road and getting an idea for a song.
"I can come here to write it and shape it, and then go back home and record it.
"Living here you get the best of London and the best of the countryside."
Wet Wet Wet found fame in the late 1980s, with singer Marti Pellow up front and Graeme on bass and songwriting duties.
He said: "We had a relative amount of fame – we were doing well – but then Richard Curtis asked us to record a song for his new film, Four Weddings And A Funeral.
"I'm glad we didn't realise then how big it was going to be, because we would have felt we had to make this big song.
"Instead we just changed the chords of the old version, changed it a little, and we thought yeah, this sounds good. We never expected it to explode like it did."
The song Love Is All Around was the Wets' biggest hit, staying at number one for 15 weeks.
Graeme said: "It was so big, we were just in the midst of it and I don't think when you're in the middle of something like that you really realise what's going on.
"It's not until time moves on and you can step back and think 'Wow, OK'. We are still very close and have strong bonds; you can't go through what we went through together and not have that.
"I think the only thing I would change is I might not have taken myself so seriously; it started to become about furthering our career and money, when all it should really be about is music."
Now Graeme is making it about the music again, with his solo record Mr Understanding coming out last year, a new EP expected in March, and a tour booked for April.
He said: "Doing the tour last year was strange without the rest of the band. When we were doing the stadiums, it was great, but now I want something more intimate.
"It's so strange, because with the Wets I was standing to the side, three steps away from Marti who was in the middle, singing.
"Now, even though it's only three steps, it feels so strange and scary for it to be just me. But it's great, I love it, and I still get to play all the old Wet songs.
"I wanted to make it about the music again. Music is a very powerful thing and I think if you can tap into someone with your music, it can be very spiritual. I think I've gone back to it because it can be very addictive."
Graeme will be touring the country in April, and says he loves the intimacy of his smaller crowds.
He said: "I've had an amazing 25 years, I'm so lucky and blessed to be able to make music and have my hobbies.
"I get to use my telescope at home, and here in Coulsdon there isn't much light pollution, so that's great fun."
Wet Wet Wet are from Clydebank, Glasgow, and their first UK number one was a cover of the Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends, raising funds for Childline.
In May 1994, Love is All Around topped the UK charts for an incredible 15 weeks, finally being knocked off the top spot by Whigfield's Saturday Night
Over the band's 20 year career they had more than 30 hits, including three number one singles.
FIVE women will see their dreams of launching their own businesses fulfilled under a new scheme announced this week.
Business support group Croydon Business Venture (CBV) has won a £50,000 grant from the Royal Bank of Scotland Group's Inspiring Women initiative to run the scheme from its Acorn House headquarters in Cherry Orchard Road.
Under the scheme, 50 women will initially be given the chance to get involved in a three-month course giving them a grounding in business.
It will cover an introduction to entrepreneurship, selling and marketing, business finances and how to obtain business support and advice.
They will also be offered mentoring and assistance with formulating a business plan.
At the end of the course the most promising 15 will be invited to make "Dragon's Den" style pitches for their ideas.
The big prize at the end for five of them will be the offer of a full start-up business package from CBV.
The package will include 12 months' free office accommodation, complete with telephone and ICT equipment, a reception with managed postal and security services plus help with website and brand design, hosting services and company registration.
Norman Pierce, chief executive of CBV, said: "To obtain the grant we had to take part in a very tough competition. We were up against 200 other organisations."
Mr Pierce said he believed the fact that CBV, over the past 30 years, had gained a reputation for delivering on its promises had played a large part in helping it become one of the winners.
He said: "I think the success is also about the quality of people you have working for you."
David Robinson, chairman of CBV, added: "We are hoping as many budding women entrepreneurs as possible will send us their applications.
"We are sure that many women across Croydon and South London have great business ideas and look forward to helping them."
For further information and an application form ring 020 681 8339 or e-mail bjo@cbvltd.co.uk
