LIDL remains "committed" to building a supermarket on the site of the former Good Companions pub, despite having withdrawn its planning application.

The German supermarket chain withdrew the plan for the Sanderstead site earlier this month after the council indicated it would be rejected on design grounds.

A company spokesman said on Tuesday: "During the last few weeks Lidl have made some significant improvements to the scheme to address comments from both the council and local residents.

"We are still committed to bringing a Lidl store to the area and look forward to this next stage of consultation."

Local residents had strongly objected to the plans for the site in Limpsfield Road since they emerged last July.

Campaigners said the supermarket was not needed in the area and would bring too much traffic to a largely residential area.

Campaigner Alex Anderson, who lives near the site, said: "It has slowed them down and I suppose that's all we're really doing.

"I am hoping, I don't know, that they forget about it or something."

Ward councillor Yvette Hopley confirmed the council indicated it would reject the plans.

She added: "I am delighted [Lidl] are thinking about residents' concerns and I really hope they take on board what we have been saying.

"It's the entrance point to London so it needs to be a good design.

"It does not need to be a pastiche of what is already there. But we don't want a tin shed; all they did was add a few bricks and change the shape of the entrance.

"They can do it if they want to do it; in a number of other places they have nice buildings."

Cllr Hopley added there was no pressing need for another supermarket in the area.

She said: "It is probably going to be a different type of supermarket to Waitrose, but we do already have a Co-op.

"Lidl and Aldi are growing faster than other supermarkets because of all this austerity."

A DANCE school run by Strictly Come Dancing star Matthew Cutler has been threatened with closure for a second time.

Mr Cutler runs the Club Semley Dance Academy at the Semley Social Club in Semley Road, Norbury.

The building's owner Peter Maxwell has applied to Croydon Council for a renewal of planning permission allowing him to pull down the centre and replace it with a three-storey building comprising four one- bedroom and five two-bedroom flats.

Permission was granted in 2009 after a planning inspector overruled the council.

Since then there has been no movement on the proposals and when the Advertiser asked Mr Maxwell's agent, Anthony Keen, this week whether the renewal application meant redevelopment was back on again, we were told: "My client's affairs are his own business."

Mr Cutler was not available for comment this week but residents are rallying to try and protect the business.

Mark Smith, chairman of Norbury Green Residents' Association, said: "The club is a great building which fits with the area.

"The dance academy is nationally famous for producing quality dancers."

He added that it was an important cultural asset to the area and the association had lodged a formal objection to the plans, stating the makeup of Norbury had changed since the planning permission was granted originally.

He said: "A lot of houses in Semley Road have been pulled down to make way for flats or converted into flats.

"It is not about being Nimbys; Semley Road is a narrow street and there is no parking for residents."

More flats would add to existing problems, he said.

He was supported by Norbury councillor Maggie Mansell, who said the loss of the dance academy would have a knock-on effect on other businesses.

She said: "It attracts people into the area who also go on to use shops and restaurants.

"We already have enough flats in Norbury. What we need is more family homes."

The application will be considered afresh by the council but, in making recommendations, planners will have to take into account that it is identical to the scheme which already has planning permission.

THE parents of a British baby allegedly battered to death in the US by her nanny are said to be in "unimaginable pain".

Rehma Sabir suffered "devastating" head injuries while being looked after by Aisling McCarthy Brady, her 34-year-old Irish carer.

Rehma's parents, Sameer Sabir and Nada Siddiqui, who moved to the US from Thornton Heath, are said to be struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.

Brady has been remanded in custody on a charge of violently assaulting Rehma at the family home in Boston, Massachusetts.

Mr Sabir's parents, who live in Thornton Heath, were visiting the couple when Rehma reportedly suffered the injuries on her first birthday.

Police were called to the house by Brady, said to have been in sole care of the child, shortly before 5pm on January 14,

Rehma, who was unconscious but breathing, was taken to Boston Children's Hospital suffering from internal bleeding, multiple fractures and swelling on her brain.

Prosecutors believe she had suffered a violent assault which left her with injuries "consistent with the slamming of a child".

She died two days later in hospital as a result of brain damage.

Mr Sabir, 34, lived in Thornton Heath and worked as an investment banker before moving to Boston to study at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006.

His 29-year-old wife works as a chartered financial analyst for an asset management firm in Boston.

"The family of this child is going through unimaginable pain and suffering and their wellbeing remains a priority for us," said Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone.

"Very few can fully understand the sorrow and pain that they are enduring, and we all need to allow them the appropriate time and support they require to cope with this tragedy."

According to police reports, a dent in Rehma's bedroom wall suggested it had been "damaged by forceful contact with the corner of the changing table".

The prosecutor's report also found injuries, including fractures on Rehma's left arm and left leg, which appeared to be between two weeks to two months old.

Brady, originally from Lavey, near Cavan in County Cavan, was living in the US illegally and could face a murder charge.

FORMER Palace defender Leon Cort says he enjoyed playing for the Eagles during his time at Selhurst Park, but admits he will be gunning for three points tomorrow with current club Charlton Athletic.

The 33-year-old spent nearly two seasons in SE25 between 2006 and 2008 before he was sold to Stoke City for £1.25m, having scored seven goals in 50 appearances for the Eagles.

"I have nothing but good memories at Palace," he told Advertiser Sport.

"I got player of the year in my first season and then the manager changed.

"The new one came in and wanted to do his own thing, but that's part of football.

"Palace beat us at our place so we obviously want to go there and get a bit of revenge.

"It should be a great game with a packed stadium – we're looking forward to it."

The Southwark-born stopper says the Addicks will need to keep a close eye on one player in particular, but says there are others who can do damage.

"Zaha is a player we'll have to watch out for," he said.

"It's a brilliant move for him to Manchester United and a wise choice. I think he'll learn the most there and he's gone back to Palace to keep playing football.

"But they do have other threats apart from him. They have Bolasie on the wing and also up front with Murray who has got 20-odd goals this season.

"He's a person in form and they've got players who can score all over like Damien Delaney at the back – we'll all have to be on guard."

PARENTS and teachers opposing government demands for their school to be incorporated into the Harris Federation's academy empire have been given a ray of hope following an upbeat Ofsted report.

Roke Primary School's teachers and parents were angered this month after being told by the Department for Education (DfE) its request to become part of Riddlesdown Collegiate was being refused.

However, a fresh report released by Ofsted this week after a recent inspection outlines a number of improvements since damning findings were reported on last summer.

Becky Carrier, 31, who launched the Save Roke campaign, said she hopes the DfE will now allow the school, which her eight-year-old daughter attends, to be sponsored by Riddlesdown.

She said: "It is still early days but we are headed in the right direction.

"From this new Ofsted report, it proves changes have been made and we are moving in the right direction.

"We want this to be dropped completely or if they are still intent on us becoming an academy, let us be part of Riddlesdown, as this proves the partnership we set up with Riddlesdown after the bad report last year is working.

"This should be as much about what the parents want as much as what the DfE want. We don't want our school interfered with any further, and we want Riddlesdown rather than Harris."

The latest Ofsted report issued found that:

In 2012, the proportion of pupils making expected progress in both English and maths exceeded the national average

The quality of teaching has improved steadily

Teachers are starting to provide greater challenges for pupils, including those who are more able

Much work had taken place in making more effective use of information on pupils' academic performance and measuring the performance of groups of pupils

The school is making satisfactory progress in addressing the issues for improvement and in raising the pupils' achievement

Recent legislative changes mean education secretary Michael Gove can impose conversion to academy status on schools that are underperforming.

Caroline Phillips, Roke's head teacher, hailed the recent improvements while expressing "determination" to carry on working with Riddlesdown.

She said: "This report tells us we are on the right track and recognises the hard work of staff and pupils.

"I can give a guarantee that we shall maintain our focus on further improvement, for the benefit of our whole community, and we look forward to continuing to work with Mr Smith, principal of Riddlesdown Collegiate, through to the end of the academic year."

A DfE spokesman would not comment on whether Harris is still the department's "preferred" sponsor, but said: "We want to help under-performing schools to improve. Ofsted gave the school a notice to improve last year.

"We have now received the report from their latest monitoring visit and we'll take into account Ofsted's findings and judgment, any representations from the school and all other relevant information, when considering the way forward for Roke."

Heading towards him is a mum and her young daughter in a pushchair. As they pass by, the little girl giggles and gives the man in the luminous jacket a slap on the hand.

"She's been giving me five ever since I've known her," smiles Mr Boyce as they head into Broadmead Primary School.

"That's what I love about this job – helping the children."

It is 3.15pm, the height of the school run, and Sydenham Road – Mr Boyce's road – is full of traffic.

"Thank you, Bob," says Priscilla Ugoh, after he helps her and four-year-old Oseome across the road.

For 12 years he has kept pupils safe as they walk to and from school. Now 70 years old, Mr Boyce thought he would be doing the job he loves for some time yet. Until, he explains, a few weeks ago.

"I'm on the list to be made redundant," he said, "The council have sent me a letter to say my job is at risk.

"I got this job when I was last made redundant. I took it because a job's a job. But it's more than that now. I'm part of school life and I would be sad to say goodbye."

Mr Boyce is one of 9 lollipop men and women who face losing their jobs as the council looks to save £60,000 by cutting school crossing patrols.

Broadmead has been chosen because there is a zebra crossing nearby. Mr Boyce uses the crossing, near the junction with Arundel Road, as part of his job.

"The council needs to come down and see what's going on," he said. "Cars come down this road very fast and they're not going to take any notice of this crossing unless there's a patrol here.

"Even when I'm standing in the middle of the road with a bright jacket on they don't want to see me. Someone swerves round me at least three times a week. Imagine what it will be like when I'm gone. They're putting lives at risk."

Jo Wittam's five-year-old son Oscar attends nearby The Crescent Primary School, in Selhurst, which is set to lose its lollipop lady.

Ms Wittams, a parent governor at the school, has started a petition to save her.

"This is a nonsensical and short-sighted cut which will have untended consequences, such as people walking less, meaning more people will drive and the roads will get busier and more dangerous," she said.

"This doesn't feel like a place to make savings. This isn't a quiet residential street, it's used by the emergency services. It's not a safe road."

As the Wednesday afternoon rush hour winds down, Linda Conn walks up Sydenham Road to say hello to Mr Boyce. The pair joke about how their hats have fallen victim to the bitterly cold winds. Ms Conn, who has been a lollipop lady on busy Northcote Road for nearly six years, believes the cuts will endangers lives.

"This is a very dangerous road. People just don't look when they are driving. Quite often I have to wave my stick out just so the cars and buses can see me coming. How are they going to see a child?"

Asked what she would do if the crossing patrol is axed, Ms Conn replied: "Get another job, I guess. It wouldn't be the same as this though.

"I love seeing the kids faces light up when they come round the corner and see me. I go home feeling like I've kept them safe."

• Elmwood Junior School, Lodge Road, Croydon - automated crossing*
• Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Long Lane, Addiscombe - automated crossing
• St John's/Shirley High, Shirley Church Road, Shirley - automated crossing
• Park Hill Junior School, Stanhope Road, Croydon - zebra crossing
• Broadmead Junior School, Sydenham Road, Croydon - zebra crossing
• Broadmead Junior School/The Crescent, Northcote Road - zebra crossing
• Woodside Junior School, Morland Road, Woodside - zebra crossing **(x 2)
• All Saints CofE Primary School, Upper Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood - zebra crossing
• Aerodrome Primary School, Goodwin Road, Croydon - zebra crossing

A SOUTH Croydon businessman says he is determined to fight on to recover thousands of pounds stolen from him by his former close friend and employee.

Colin Thompson, of Dornton Road, South Croydon, has been battling to get his money back Jeffrey Hamblion since last year.

Last May, Hamblion, from Colchester, was given a suspended 16-week prison sentence and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid by Croydon magistrates after admitting to stealing £3,500.

The money was taken while Hamblion was working as a rent collector from properties owned by Mr Thompson in Croydon, and used to fund Hamblion's online gambling.

Mr Thompson, unhappy that Hamblion had only been ordered to pay £260 compensation, decided to pursue a claim for more than £6,000 – the total amount he believed he was owed – through the civil courts.

He told the Advertiser he had won his case in Colchester County Court on January 14 and had been granted a charging order.

He said: "This effectively means I am now on the title deeds to Mr Hamblion's property and sit alongside his mortgage lender as a creditor."

He said he can now obtain the money owed either by gaining an Order for Sale from the court or waiting until Hamblion sells the property himself.

Mr Thompson said he had not decided which route to follow but was determined to get the money back and was considering further civil action to regain other sums he believes he is owed.

He said: "We had been friends for 20-odd years, since our schooldays, and I trusted him."

He was particularly upset because some of the people Hamblion had taken rent from were pensioners.

He said; "It is one thing to betray the trust of your friend and employer but to get pensioners involved is lower than low.

"I have never had an apology. Had he said he was sorry, admitted he had a problem and wanted to give the money back, things may not have been so difficult and complicated as they have been for him over the last year.

"I now want to pursue him until every legal avenue has been exhausted."

HE HAS battled blazes in bomb-riddled buildings and rescued ducks down drains – but now Neil Finch is hanging up his helmet after 30 years.

The firefighter worked his last shift at Purley Fire Station on Tuesday to start a new life running holiday homes in France

The father of three said: "I used to work for a computer company in Croydon.

"I know it sounds corny but I wanted to do a little bit for society - I did not want to be stuck in an office with computers.

"I have enjoyed the career and the people.

"It is thanks to the men I work with for making it what it is."

Watch manager Mr Finch, 52, has been stationed at Purley for the past five years, after stints in Wallington, Clapham and elsewhere.

The grandfather of five was part of the team that battled the blaze which gutted Coulsdon's derelict Cane Hill mental hospital in 2009.

He said: "It was made more difficult by the fact that we could not enter the building for structural reasons.

"The SAS had been using it for bomb practice, so it was very unstable."

He has also been called to plenty of less dramatic emergencies, from animal rescues to kitchen fires.

"We have ducks down drains, birds stuck in trees by honeysuckle round their legs," he said. "We do get these different things."

Mr Finch and his wife have already sold their home in Sutton ahead of their big move to Normandy. He said he planned to improve his French language skills, adding he was "looking forward to not working nights and weekends".

It is a life, he agrees, which will be a long way from the responsibility of saving lives.

He said: "It gets a bit exciting sometimes; you need to know what to do immediately.

"It can be testing at times but if we ask for more help it arrives.

"The beauty of the fireman is if they need to do something they are going to make it work.

"But now I am old and grey and worn out."

WHEN the founders of Beanies Children's Centre took over the Beanos record shop premises around 18 months ago, they were determined to succeed.

Since then, Karen Cartwright, Prima Brotherhood and Hina Shah have gone from strength to strength, repaying the faith Beanos' owner David Lashmar had in them when he relinquished his beloved building in Middle Street, Croydon.

In the past 18 months, the trio has increased the number of activities available to young children and their mothers who use Beanies as a town centre meeting place. The Beanies' trio have been particularly successful in building its reputation as a venue for children's parties.

So successful, in fact, that they have decided to adapt part of the ground floor of the building with the aim of widening the party appeal to adults.

Mrs Cartwright said the range of children's parties now covered everything from traditional games and discos to themed sports and arts and crafts events.

They have also been working closely with students from the BRIT School in Selhurst, who often organise the entertainment.

Mrs Cartwright said: "They bring a real wow factor to the children's parties. There are not many party venues in the town outside of the bars and this means we can now offer facilities for adult birthday parties, Christening celebrations and wedding receptions."

ALLDERS' former bosses could be facing legal action amid allegations that thousands of pounds owed to concession traders has gone missing.

Monique Rebeiro, who ran the Hatz concession in the now defunct North End department store, told the Advertiser she is owed £24,000.

She claims that under an agreement with the store's former owners, takings were supposed to go into a trust fund to protect her and a number of other concessions if Allders ran into financial problems.

Ms Rebeiro explained that the system worked by paying all her takings to Allders, which was supposed to take out rent and other expenses before returning the rest of the money to her at the end of each month.

She said that for a few months before the store went into administration the money had dried up, but she was not too worried because she believed she was safe because of the trust fund.

Since the administration, although she received some money from the administrators while she continued to trade, she has received nothing of the £24,000 she claims she was already owed.

Last week, Ms Rebeiro and the others were hit hard when they learned that an investigation in Allders' finances by administrators, Duff & Phelps, had found no evidence of the existence of any trust accounts.

Ms Rebeiro said: "They have told us to seek legal advice and we are looking at whether we can work together continue to fight through legal channels."

She believed any challenge would have to be aimed at the store's former bosses.

Ms Rebeiro added: "We had carried on trading because we believed we had an agreement which meant our money was safe.

"Now I have nothing and basically it seems as if the money had been stolen."

Ms Rebeiro is now weighing up whether or not she can afford to embark on what could be costly and fruitless legal challenge.

She added: "I feel what I need to be doing is concentrating on rebuilding my business."

CROYDON Council's £180,000 chief executive Jon Rouse may not be replaced, the Advertiser can reveal.

Speaking after announcing the authority's top officer was to depart on March 10, council leader Mike Fisher hinted the role could be absorbed into a new cheaper management structure.

And he admitted the job could even be shared with a neighbouring borough.

"I am not saying there will be a new chief executive and I am not saying there won't be. I am not ruling anything in or out," Cllr Fisher told the Advertiser.

"We will look at the structure of the senior management team to see what is the most appropriate way forward in the future."

Cllr Fisher would also not dismiss the idea of sharing management with another authority – which has happened elsewhere in the country – but said it "would have to be demonstrably in the interests of Croydon".

The council leader had earlier told Monday's full council meeting that the corporate services committee would be asked on February 25 to approve the appointment of Nathan Elvery, one of two deputy chief executives and finance chief, as interim chief executive and returning officer for "up to 12 months".

Cllr Fisher said since the Conservatives took control of the council in 2006, the number of chief officers had been cut in half. He said: "We will look at the senior management team to see whether we can make even more efficiencies."

In addition to Mr Rouse, the senior team now comprises Mr Elvery as director of corporate resources and customer services, Hannah Miller who is charge of adult social care, health and housing, Paul Greenhalgh who runs children's services, a yet-to-be-appointed director in overall charge of planning, Julie Belvir, council solicitor, and Pamela Parkes, HR.

Mr Rouse's duties make him the local equivalent of the head of the Civil Service in charge of all council-paid staff.

He is also the council's returning officer, taking charge of elections, and has responsibilities to implement council policy and advise on policy and managing the day-to-day operations of the council.

RENOWNED athletics photographer Mark Shearman says it was "inevitable" the Diamond League meeting would move away from Crystal Palace.

Shearman, who has a comprehensive library of the world's leading athletes as far back as 1962 to the present day, says the meeting at south London was on a par with other major sporting events in the country.

"You have cricket at Lord's, the rowing at Henley and tennis at Wimbledon," he told Advertiser Sport. "And you get a lot of people at Crystal Palace who won't be interested in athletics in general because they'll just come along for the event.

"The stadium was wonderful 30-40 years ago, but it's a very sad and sorry place now.

"There will be further sadness if the Diamond League meeting doesn't go back there, but I assume once it's at the Olympic Stadium, it won't go back again.

"There's no way they're going to have an Olympic Stadium and not have major meetings there."

However, Shearman says depending on what happens in regard to West Ham United Football Club's bid to move to the Olympic Stadium, there could be a slight chance the Diamond League meeting returns to south London.

But he pointed out that the transport links will be far easier to use than around Crystal Palace.

"From a spectators' point of view, the Olympic Stadium is far more accessible because the roads around Crystal Palace can be quite horrendous," he said.

"It's very difficult getting out in your car from the stadium, so I imagine people would be using public transport to the Olympic Stadium.

"I'm just wondering what will happen if they convert it to a football stadium – is there going to be a period where it will be used for that?

"If West Ham moved there, will there be a time where they won't be able to hold anything? And it's going to take quite a while to convert it as a dual purpose stadium.

"However, in that period, if it coincides with the Diamond League, it would probably have to come back to Crystal Palace."

Having taken photographs in the sport for half a century, Shearman recalled one particular memory in his time snapping away at the world's best athletes.

"One moment that sticks out in my mind is when David Bedford broke the world record for the men's 10,000m in 1973," he said.

"But I've been to almost every meeting held at Crystal Palace and there are so many great memories.

"I first went there in 1968 when it was first built. I just think once the meeting is at the Olympic Stadium, it won't come back to Crystal Palace."

CROYDON'S white British children are slipping behind their Asian peers because of a lack of aspiration, it was claimed this week.

Responding to the results of a report which named the widening achievement gap as an issue which needed to be addressed, Vidhi Mohan, the council's representative for communities, said cultural differences were a key reason.

He told the Advertiser: "Among the south Asian communities there is an emphasis on education and getting degrees and higher education and going to university.

"It is, in some ways, a cultural thing. A lot of them are immigrant communities so they normally find they want to work harder and create a better life for themselves and then pass this culture on to their kids.

"Also, with the Indian community, especially in Croydon, we find a lot of them are economically more prosperous and so that is something that also reflects in attitudes.

"The white community has far more economic diversity, so we do have to take that into account."

Indian students are the highest performers at GCSE level, the latest figures show, with 80 per cent scoring five A* to C grades including English and maths.

Meanwhile, 61 per cent of white British pupils achieve the same grades, meaning the gap has widened from 12 to 19 per cent over three years.

Councillor Mohan thinks the situation has also been compounded by a slip in standards.

He added: "There is an issue about exams that probably have been getting simpler. We hope that what the Government is doing will get back to a more rigorous exam system."

After Indians, Bangladeshis are the second highest performing community, with 74 per cent scoring five A* to C grades including English and Maths.

Black Caribbeans were the worst performing group, along with those who record themselves as from "Any other Asian Background".

Both finished on 56 per cent for the 2010/2011 figures – the latest available breakdown by ethnicity.

When English and maths are not included, a higher proportion of students whose first language is not English achieved five A* to C grades than students whose first language is English.

The figures also show a stark difference between girls and boys across Croydon. Female pupils continue to outperform boys with 61.9 per cent achieving five or more passes including the two key subjects compared to 54.6 per cent of boys.

Croydon Council's representative for children, families and learning, Tim Pollard, said: "Lack of aspiration is a key factor and I think it is true to say there are more white British children living in areas where there is less aspiration, as you're talking about a much larger community in terms of the numbers."

Recent Census figures show white Britons make up less than half of Croydon's population – 47.3 per cent.

PETER Emery believes the National Sports Stadium at Crystal Palace needs to find another sport if it's to survive on the back of the annual Diamond League meeting switching to the Olympic Stadium this summer.

Emery, one of the vice-presidents at South London Harriers, says although it will be bad for the local area, it's time for athletics to move after a successful Olympic Games.

"I think it's the right decision for athletics and it's great that such a great, iconic and successful stadium gets a chance to be used again for a major meeting this summer," he told Advertiser Sport.

"It's bad for the local area in south London, but I believe it's good for athletics.

"The Crystal Palace stadium is not on the same standard as the Olympic Stadium, so it needs to find another sport.

"It definitely needs to look for other opportunities beyond athletics, but it's a critical training facility for athletics, but probably less so now for meetings.

"It's sad for Crystal Palace, but looking at the sport as a whole, and trying to get good publicity after the sport, I think it will probably be a better meeting in a bigger stadium with a bigger crowd.

"And more people will get a chance to see our top athletes in action."

Supporters from Crystal Palace Football Club believe they could help rejuvenate and add value to the area if they were to move away from Selhurst Park.

There had been talk of a move to a new ground, but Emery doesn't think it could work and believes it should be kept for athletics primarily with its use for local clubs.

"I think it's a worry for south London as there isn't the capacity for two stadiums in London," he said.

"With the future of the Olympic Stadium a bit uncertain because of West Ham United Football Club's involvement, I think people weren't sure what the long term plans were.

"From a football point of view, it could be a good idea involving Palace, but from an athletics point of view, you would almost certainly have the same problem you have with the Olympic Stadium.

"You would lose a training facility and many athletics clubs do use it three times a week, and if there was a football club there, we would lose that – that would be a shame."

Furthermore, Emery touched upon whether football fans would have the same feeling as they currently do at Selhurst Park, which is being close to action.

"What do you do in terms of how far back the seats are going to be from the edge of the pitch?" he said.

"The problem with new stadia for football is that fans often feel too far away from the pitch, whereas the older grounds like Selhurst Park, there isn't that problem.

"If you were to move fans further back, you have a situation where you're less involved.

"You might have a better view, but less involved with the intimacy of the game."