CROYDON swept all before them as the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre hosted the south London final of the Panathlon Challenge recently, which involved seven schools from the boroughs of Sutton, Merton, Richmond and Croydon.

A stellar performance meant defending champions Croydon qualified for the London final, which will take place on June 19.

The winning team, made up of schoolchildren from St Giles, Priory and Woodcote Schools, won boccia, table cricket, polybat, kurling and athletics field and races.

Fi Bell, Croydon team co-ordinator said: "We are delighted to make the final again – it was a terrific team performance.

"Thank you for another fantastic event. The time and effort that goes into organising these competitions is awesome.

"Panathlon is an amazing charity giving our children a marvellous experience."

Merton achieved their best ever position as they came in second, winning football and finishing second in three other events.

Sutton came in third, with Richmond a gallant fourth.

A BUSTLING, crowded shopping centre is probably not the first place to spring to mind as fertile ground for a church presence.

But spiritual and emotional support for both shopkeepers and shoppers is exactly what is being offered by Chris Coe and his team from the heart of the Whitgift Centre.

The ethos of the chaplaincy, which operates from a shop unit on the centre's first floor, close to Waterstones book shop, is simple: "to provide a friendly, non-judgemental listening ear, offering confidential support to all."

It has been working from the shop unit for around a month, offering its drop-in support and advice service on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.

Mr Coe and his team of around six also spend a lot of time walking through the centre meeting traders and shoppers and offering support as and when needed.

He is no stranger to "working with the crowds", doubling as chaplain for Crystal Palace Football Club and for staff at Croydon Council's Taberner House headquarters in Park Lane.

His idea for the Whitgift Centre chaplaincy sprang from the aftermath of the August 2011 riots which heightened his desire to do his bit to help repair the town's damaged image.

Mr Coe, who works with the Jubilee evangelical church based in Selsdon, said: "I think Croydon is a fantastic place. I hate the fact it has got a bad reputation.

"I hate the fact the riots made that a million times worse."

He added: "What we can do is try and put Croydon in a positive light and say it is good place to be and a place to be celebrated.

"By having a friendly, pastoral presence in the centre I hope we will contribute in a small way to improving the town's image."

Mr Coe said he had tremendous support from centre director Andrew Bauer in setting up the chaplaincy and had been surprised at how quickly it was becoming established.

The chaplaincy office is open from 2.30pm to 4.30pm on Tuesdays and 9.30am to 11.30am on Thursday from unit 1159.

Appointments can also be pre-booked by contacting whitgiftchaplaincy@croydon-jubilee.co.uk

A QUICK-THINKING grandmother delivered her grandson on a pavement outside her daughter's South Norwood home.

Beverley Montaut, 48, was stunned to realise her daughter Danielle was giving birth to Dexter in Brocklesby Road on March 19.

Danielle had been sent home from Croydon University Hospital just an hour before, but her contractions suddenly became stronger and she was being escorted to a car when her waters broke.

Beverley said: "It just happened so quickly. I didn't have any time to think.

"We almost got her to the car but her waters broke and she was hanging off the door."

After realising there was no time to get to hospital, the quick-thinking hairdresser rushed into action, and the birth took place within just five minutes.

A neighbour was quickly on the scene to ring the hospital and ask for guidance for the improvised midwife.

Beverley said although she was frightened, she had to be calm for her daughter and took inspiration from an unlikely source.

"To be honest, I was worried because we were outside and didn't have any equipment. I just kept thinking how it was a bit like an EastEnders episode," she said.

"People keep asking me how I did it and I don't know the answer.

"I was delighted to see he was healthy and he's a gorgeous little boy."

Both mother and baby were fine and after travelling to hospital for checks, they returned home on the same night.

Danielle, 25, who already has son Maximus – named after Russell Crowe's character in Gladiator – with partner Davian Gordon, was three days late with Dexter.

She said: "It was ridiculous. I dilated fully in an hour so the hospital couldn't have known.

"The only thing I remember is all my neighbours chucking towels at me. Most of them didn't even know I was pregnant!

"My first pregnancy lasted six hours so I didn't expect this.

"Obviously, I don't want to have a baby in these circumstances again, but at least it was quick."

A CROYDON school have been taking tips from England legend Jason Robinson after the World Cup winner gave them a coaching masterclass at a rugby sevens tournament.

Cumnor House School were taking part in the annual Rosslyn Park HSBC National School Sevens when Robinson stepped in to take their warm-up and pass on some last minute advice.

Robinson was impressed by what he saw and hopes those who played for Cumnor House will now be inspired to carry on playing rugby.

He said: "I know just speaking to the kids that they are so excited about this every year and, when you think the likes of Ben Gollings, Josh Lewsey, Lawrence Dallaglio, and I think Will Carling have played at the Rosslyn Park Sevens, it just shows what you can go on to.

"There is no better place to come and watch young rugby talent. Hopefully, they will keep progressing and they will keep getting stronger as a team and as individuals, and even if they don't go on to that higher level it's all about enjoying rugby.

"The emphasis is on attacking, it's all about the spaces, it's all about creating space, it's all about speed.

"When you go to a sevens tournament you see lots of tries, and that for me is what it is all about."

Cumnor House pupil Max Summers, 12, was thrilled to meet one of his heroes.

"It was incredible to have a rugby training session with one of the best rugby players in the world," he said.

"He is a really good role model. It was a massive privilege to have that done by him, so I was really happy."

Rugby World Cup winner and British & Irish Lions legend Jason Robinson attended Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens tournament running special coaching clinics for participating schools courtesy of HSBC. For more information, visit www.rpns7.co.uk

RADICAL proposals to rid Purley of its flooding problem have failed to win funding.

Architect Tarsem Flora, who also chairs the Purley and District Residents' Association, drew up a proposal to pump water from outside the trouble spot at Tesco, up the top of the hill between the town and Croydon Airport, and create lakes on the existing marsh land.

Croydon Council then applied for a £250,000 grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which would have paid for a feasibility study.

According to Mr Flora, not only would the pump ensure that residents would never find themselves canoeing to their local shop, it would also open up a site for water recreation, cafes and restaurants on the metropolitan land where the lakes would sit 54 metres above the town.

Defra announced that £5 million would be split between 20 community groups in the UK who submitted the best plans to solve their local flooding problems.

The money would then be used to pay for a feasibility study before the Government agreed to fund the changes.

"This is the most innovative plan anyone has seen for more than 70 years," said Mr Flora.

His plan took 18 months to draw up and included the Purley Business Community, residents, flood wardens, representatives from the Environmental Agency, the Greater London Authority, Thames Water, the council and the police.

A council spokesman said: "Unfortunately, our bid to conduct a feasibility study mapping the flood patterns in the area was unsuccessful on this occasion, but we were encouraged by Defra to make bids in future funding rounds."

ALL but one Croydon police station will close to the public – or face significantly reduced hours – despite senior officers saying the plan had "gone too far".

South Norwood, Norbury and Kenley will shut as part of the mayor's Police and Crime Plan which was finalised on Monday after an eight-week consultation. The front counter at Purley will also be scrapped and replaced with public 'contact points' at five Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) bases across the borough, plus one in Lambeth.

Addington Police Station will not close but its opening times will reduce from 55 hours a week to just three. The Met's £17.3 million custody suite in Windmill Road will become a formal front counter – the only one in the north of the borough.

Croydon North MP Steve Reed described the plan as "deeply damaging" but Steve O'Connell, Croydon's London Assembly member, said the it was a "good thing for the borough" because it promises extra police officers.

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) announced the closures in January, in an attempt to meet a £500 million cut in police funding by 2014/15. The proposals met with public and political concern, and it appeared likely that significant concessions would be made after high-profile police officers sought to distance themselves from the closures.

Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe called for a "sensible" solution in which Croydon would keep "two or three" stations. Then, temporary borough commander Richard Wood said he was "keen to explore the option" of having a base in one of the wards in the north.

Speaking at a public meeting in Croydon during the consultation process, Assistant Commissioner Simon Byrne said the proposed closures had "gone too far".

Afterwards, Chief Superintendent Wood said that "everyone accepts that one (station) is not enough" and he was "fully confident" the plan would be adjusted.

Mr Byrne and Sir Bernard declined the Advertiser's request for interviews this week, but a Met spokesperson said the plan had been amended in recognition that closing all but one station was "not suitable".

Chief Supt Wood said: "I don't think I or any other senior officer tried to distance themselves from the plan. There was genuine consultation and on the result of the feedback, changes have been made."

Figures show an average of 10.9 crimes are reported at Croydon's front counters every day.

There was a 51 per cent reduction in offences reported at police stations between 2006 and 2012.

Traditional front desks in stations will be replaced by locations for "non-urgent face-to-face contact" at Norbury, Thornton Heath, New Addington, Purley and Addington safer neighbourhood bases, which will be open to the public for just three hours a week.

Gipsy Hill Police Station, staffed by officers from Lambeth, will be available to residents in the Upper Norwood area.

The report added that "if this borough feels further contact points are required to meet local demand, MOPAC/MPS (the Met) are prepared to consider low cost options to achieve this".

Simon Hoar, cabinet member for crime and public protection, said: "At the end of the day, the police had to save money and it's better to do that through underused buildings rather than officers."

As part of the proposals, Croydon will be allocated 117 extra police officers - returning the borough to the resources it had two years ago.

Mr O'Connell, who previously said he would do everything in his power to save Kenley police station, said: "This plan is a good thing for the borough – no matter what some might say.

"I know this won't be the headline but people I talk to care about numbers, not bricks and mortar."

Following the riots, an independent panel recommended police open a base in London Road, West Croydon.

The policing plan makes no firm promises to fulfil this but said the council had suggested six locations for public contact points which the MOPAC will now explore, including "options in the West Croydon/London Road area".

However, Chief Supt Wood said there are "no plans on the table" at the current time.

Mr O'Connell refused to reveal whether he knew about plans to close police stations in Croydon before last May's London Assembly elections. Assistant Commissioner Simon Byrne has already admitted the Met had been planning to close all but one base before the end of 2011. When asked how long he had known, Mr O'Connell, Assembly member for Croydon and Sutton, said the question was 'irrelevant' and when pressed for an answer he hung up the phone. Paul Smith, Labour's shadow cabinet member for crime and public protection, said: "Before the election Steve made strong public statements about keeping Kenley Police Station open but, despite his influential position, he is now complicit in its closure. "So yes, he should answer the question. It's not irrelevant. Voters deserve to know." The future of policing in Croydon:

• 24/7 front counter in Croydon Police Station, Park Lane
• Standard front counter in Windmill Road Custody Centre, Windmill Road
• Contact points, open Wednesday – Thursday between 7-8pm and Saturday 3-3pm, at the following: Norbury Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT) Base, 1342-1344 London Road; Thornton Heath SNT Base, 2 Parchmore Road, Thornton Heath; New Addington SNT Base, 42 Central Parade, New Addington; Addington Police Station; Gipsy Hill Police Station (in Lambeth)
• Deployment bases (where SNT, borough tasking and emergency response start and end tours of duty) at Croydon, Gipsy Hill and Addington Police station
• Various SNT bases (not open to public and only occupied when officers not on patrol): Redlands Centre, Coulsdon; Charity House, 311 Lower Addiscombe Road; 222 Addington Road, Selsdon; 293 Wickham Road; 19 Central Hill, Crystal Palace, Park Street, Croydon

A CROSSING is to be installed on the A22 in Kenley after a three-year campaign to make the road safer.

An accident in September 2010 was the catalyst for the campaign for a safer crossing at the junction between the A22 main road and Hayes Lane.

The group, called Kenley Needs A Crossing (KNAC), handed Transport for London a petition of more than 2,000 signatures, which kickstarted a consultation.

Lynn Stanley, group chairman, said she was delighted that a new crossing was to be put in on April 3 and that their long battle was nearly over.

She said: "I walk down the A22 every day and at least every other car makes the speeding sign flash. It's a fast road and safety for our children has been a number one concern.

"Schoolchildren always cross the road in big groups and you see them bunched up in the middle of the road with all the traffic. It's terrifying to watch them."

The stretch opposite the Co-op is crossed daily by pupils from six different infant, junior and senior schools in the immediate area.

TfL ruled out a zebra crossing or traffic lights because of the level of traffic and space.

Instead, it plans to expand the pedestrian refuge island in the middle of the road, widen the pavement on the Riddlesdown Common side, and paint new road markings to reduce speeds.

Chris Stanley, a member of the Kenley and District Residents' Association, said they had been particularly worried about pedestrians using the bus stop who often had no room to stand on the narrow pavement.

He said: "Whether this new crossing will solve the problem completely is questionable but it will help slow the traffic down at least."

However, cyclists are not happy with the planned crossing and fear it will make the road even more dangerous.

Austen Cooper, head of Croydon Cycling Campaign: "We are against this half-baked measure.

"By making the pedestrian refuge bigger in the middle of the crossing, the road will become narrower and be far more dangerous for cyclists."

A SCHOOL has unveiled new cricket nets in memory of a former head master and his wife killed by their son.

The Barry Dighton Cricket Nets have been erected in the playground of Elmhurst School for Boys.

Mr Dighton coaóched cricket at Elmhurst for more than 20 years and at one stage oversaw a nine-year unbeaten run in the Croydon Cup. His wife was the school's head of reception.

The couple were stabbed to death by their son Daniel Dighton at their home in Campden Road, South Croydon, in September 2009.

The nets were opened by former England cricket captain Alec Stewart and Whitgift School's head of cricket and ex-Surrey star David Ward last Tuesday (March 19).

Executive head teacher Charles South said: "Both Alec and David very kindly had a question and answer session with the boys, one of which involved David's highest score of 294. "It would appear his captain declared, robbing him of the chance of scoring 300. His captain? Alec Stewart.

"Alec was very impressed with the new facility and was pleased to hear that not only does Elmhurst boast four Surrey schools players at present, but are preparing for their overseas tour to South Africa next year."

Daniel Dighton, 35, was put behind bars indefinitely for public protection at the Old Bailey after he was convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility.

He later had his minimum term reduced from 15 to 12 years.

SHOVELLING human waste was one of the most coveted posts for prisoners in Auschwitz, says the guide, pointing to the circles carved out of wooden planks that counted for toilets in this dank barracks.

The Nazi guards here in Birkenau, she explained, would by and large leave the "shiessekommandos" alone, afraid of catching some nasty disease.

It is far from the worst remnant of horror the downcast Croydon sixth-formers looking on have been shown today, nearing the end of their tour of two Nazi concentration camps; red-bricked Auschwitz and its crumbling sister, Birkenau.

They have already seen a cabinet filled with 1,950kg of human hair, shorn from prisoners' heads and sold on to factories where it would be used to stiffen soldiers' uniforms.

They have seen a mountain of prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs robbed from newcomers; hooks on which prisoners were strung up; and a firing wall where they were shot.

And they have stood inside the concrete walls where prisoners thought they were having a shower, until the cyanide gas was switched on.

"This man here was just sentenced to death," they were told by Polish guide Dorota Cieplinska, pointing at a photo of a man at the head of a long line.

Ms Cieplinska has been leading these tours for 20 years, and still sounds upset when detailing how the more than one million people, mostly Jews, died here during the Nazi Holocaust.

The Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) has flown 200 schoolchildren from south London and Kent here today (last Thursday), to make sure the "lessons" of the Holocaust are not forgotten.

It is one of many regular trips it runs for schoolchildren across the country, always joined by Rabbi Barry Marcus of the Central Synagogue in London.

They have a £1.5 million government grant for the Lessons from Auschwitz project, and schools or students are charged less than £60 each.

It might be hard to learn when the main impulse is to run away, but the trip has certainly sparked questions among the wide-eyed schoolchildren.

On the plane back to Gatwick, Olivia Cope, from Croydon's Brit School, recalled clambering to the top of the watchtower overlooking Birkenau.

The roughly one square mile of barracks, cemeteries and gas chambers was mostly destroyed by retreating Nazis in 1945.

What is left is mainly rubble, birch trees – and one's imagination to fill in the details.

Olivia, 18, said: "I had no idea how big Birkenau was. It really brings it into perspective. And walking around just felt so eerie. I cannot believe this was allowed to happen."

Celiya Koster-Brown, a fellow Brit School student, was also grappling with the scale of the place. The 18-year-old said: "It surprised me how big the camps were – how all this work went into killing people.

"I found it harder than I thought it would be to imagine the people there.

"But I learned so much more about the conditions they were kept in."

Riddlesdown Collegiate student Gil Yehezkel, whose family's history was caught up with that of the Holocaust, had been struck by the mountain of prisoners' shoes on display at Auschwitz.

The sixth former – whose Iraqi-Jewish grandparents left Iraq in the early 1940s for what became Israel – said, sadly, that the shoes' many styles reinforced that the prisoners being Jews was their binding feature.

Benjamin Flook, from Purley, meanwhile, said his investigations were just beginning. "I am interested in the history and it was one of the darkest events of man and something I wanted to investigate further," said the 16-year-old, who attends Wilson's School in Sutton.

"It was more sort of humanised than I thought it was, through the hair and the shoes."

He added he was "affected" by the closing speech of Rabbi Barry Marcus, who warned of the universal threats of racism and prejudice.

Benjamin said: "I was quite affected by that. It shows how if no-one stands up against something, what can happen as a result of that."

Sutton High student Eleanor Trefusis was also dwelling on that thought.

The 17-year-old, from Purley, said: "One of my main things was to find out about why the British did not intervene with what happened.

"It is often overlooked – you tend to forget how maybe it could have been stopped."

The trip had partly helped her enquiries, she said, adding: "[Our guide] was saying how the main aim [for the British] was to win the war, and the Holocaust did not directly affect that."

She added: "I was looking at it more from a religious studies perspective.

"I am also interested in how people feel about ending lives, because I just like looking deeper into why people feel they have the right to take people's lives."

CROYDON is to play host to the London arts scene's most closely-guarded secret, the Advertiser can reveal.

Secret Cinema – hailed as a revolution in film watching – is to stage its 20th production at Delta Point on Wellesley Road between April 25 and June 9.

Parent company Future Shorts has sold more than 250,000 tickets – which cost in the region of £50 – to its previous 19 productions. In its application to Croydon Council, Future Shorts states the production will feature live music, theatre and roleplay – as well as alcohol and food.

It goes on to reassure Croydon residents by saying: "Future Cinema are aware that this is traditionally a sensitive area for public nuisance, and therefore the event management will make every effort to ensure that the event does not cause undue nuisance and make provisions to reduce nuisance to an acceptable level.

"We are proud to say we have never experienced any crime or disorder. We have never had to eject a single person from an event. Our audience is not a rowdy crowd, they are first and foremost cinema-goers from a non-troublesome demographic."

Set building work was scheduled to have begun last week, while rehearsals are due to start on April 8.

It is not known what the film will be although the licensing application states it will have a 15 rating.

Screenings will take place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

The application is in the hands of the council's licensing department and residents are free to comment ahead of a decision.

It is not the first time Delta Point has enjoyed a taste of the movies. In 2010, film crew used the former BT building to shoot scenes for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

The Secret Cinema experience involves filmgoers buying a ticket for a set time and date without knowing what the film will be. In the run up to the screening, they are sent a series of tantalising and cryptic e-mails giving clues about the production and explaining how to meet and what to wear. After meeting at a designated spot, attendees are led to a top secret location by actors. They are immersed in the film's ambience through skits and music and a realistic movie-like set, before sitting down to the screening. It is only, ultimately, when the titles roll that viewers discover what they are going to watch. Previous films have included Casablanca and Ghostbusters. Future Shorts was tight-lipped about the forthcoming production and refused to give any details unless the Advertiser signed a non-disclosure agreement. The information in this article is all in the public domain.

•  A prominent sporting figure refusing to speak to a specific reporter because they "don't like them"
•  A prominent politician refusing to speak to a specific reporter because they "don't like them"
•  A convicted paedophile complaining to the PCC because we'd referred to him in an article as, er, a paedophile
•  A man accused of beating a woman complaining to the PCC because we'd said he was, er, a man accused of beating a woman
•  An organisation pressing us to sign a non-disclosure agreement, to state that we wouldn't write certain things about a certain subject (I'm being deliberately vague here, in the spirit of non-disclosure)

My big worry is that, pretty soon, we'll all be signing non-disclosure agreements. That even writing a standard 'dog bites man' nib will become almost impossible, without getting copy approval from the victim and - quite possibly - the dog too.
A lot has been said in recent weeks about the Leveson report and its fall-out, but not enough has been focused on its potential impacts for local newspapers.
We are here to challenge, to inform, to hold authorities to account. We provide checks and balances. 
Local papers, at their best, should be a force for good and change; they should polarise and not be afraid to set the agenda. In effect, they should be the regulator - not the regulated.
I'm not saying publish and be damned - far from it. We take great care, every time we publish an article, to ensure it is something our readers will be interested in and that due care, attention and sensitivity is paid to the words going on the page or web document. 
But this doesn't mean playing it safe. We're not the council newsletter. 
I got into local papers because they excited me. All human life is here; its joys, its sadnesses, its highs, its lows - a microcsm of communities and societies. And they get things done, they really do. Just look at Lillian's Law, for one.
Whatever you may think of the Croydon Advertiser, I hope most of you would agree we are at least bold. We take risks, we challenge and pose questions of the sort daft contracts and copy agreements wouldn't permit us. And long may this continue.
Anodyne, bland, pre-agreed Pravda puff?
No thanks.

A PARTNERED nursery and primary school have been given the highest possible praise by education inspectors.

Chipstead Valley Primary and Coulsdon Nursery have been rated outstanding on all counts by Ofsted inspectors who visited earlier this month.

The federated schools, half a mile apart in Coulsdon, were rated "good" at their previous inspections, in 2007 and 2009.

Head teacher of both schools Mark Rosewell said he was "very proud" of their achievements.

He added: "I am lucky that not only are they all excellent teachers but they are really, really committed to getting better every day."

Inspectors said students at the primary school had an "overwhelmingly positive" approach to school and their behaviour was "exemplary".

Lessons are "enjoyable" and have a "high level of challenge for all," they continued, adding: "The school provides outstandingly well for pupils who find learning difficult, so they can take part fully in school life and achieve to the best of their ability."

Ninety per cent of pupils achieved level 4 or above in both English and maths last year, compared with 79 per cent nationally and 85 per cent the year before.

Inspectors added that staff at the Chipstead Valley Road school are succeeding in helping pupils "close gaps" in achievement.

They said children supported by the pupil premium, who make up a smaller proportion of students than the national average, showed little difference overall against others.

Inspectors who visited the nursery, in Linden Avenue, meanwhile, said children there were "extremely confident learners".

Lead inspector Kevin Hodge said: "[They] gain better than expected levels of language, number and social skills. This prepares them well for their next schools."

He added that children start at the nursery at levels typical for their age, and a "high proportion" are achieving "better than expected" by the time they leave.

He added: "Children's manipulative skills are also developed to a high level, with Mothers' Day cards and imaginary cupcake-making providing a wealth of opportunities for children to develop their creative skills."

Mr Rosewell said the schools' forming a federation in 2006 had helped them both improve.

"The main benefits are the shared staff and the continuity for the children – many of them go to the nursery and then the primary," he said.

Mr Rosewell added: "We have this slogan which is 'be the best that you can be' and it is important to us that refers to the kids as much as to the adults.

"We have hard-working, talented staff, supportive parents, effective governors, and behind all of that we have great kids and we are very proud of them."

A GREAT-grandmother who taught hundreds of people to act and dance has died aged 97.

Cynthia Coatts, pictured, died on March 16 in Coulsdon.

The mother of two founded the Rosslyn School of Dance and Drama and ran it from home for more than 65 years, until 2003.

Remembering her "unique, unselfish" mother, Berry Butler said: "She had a really hard life, but always this love for the theatre, using your creative abilities and imagination."

Cynthia had seemed stagebound after attending the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, but for a few twists and turns.

"Her father said 'that is no life for a young lady' and she qualified to teach dance and drama with the Royal Academy," Mrs Butler said.

"She was an excellent actress and would have made it in the profession but she had two daughters to rear. Family was very important to her, and they all loved her."

Her granddaughter is actress Abigail Cruttenden and her grandson, Hal Cruttenden, is a comedian.

Cynthia was also deputy head at Fair Dene school in Chipstead for 38 years.

She celebrated her 90th birthday by playing the Ghost of Christmas Past at the Miller Centre in Chipstead, where a seat bears her name.

Aged 60, she took an Open University degree in humanities. And as recently as autumn, she was learning French and how to use a laptop.

A thanksgiving service will be held at 3pm on Tuesday at the Surrey & Sussex Crematorium, Crawley.

THE family of a man who died while on remand for stealing a gingerbread man during the riots have called for an "open and honest debate" over the prison system and its emergency measures.

James Best, 37, died in Wandsworth jail on September 8, 2011, while on remand for stealing a gingerbread man from a looted London Road bakery.

He suffered mental and physical health problems, including Crohn's Disease and asthma, and had been sectioned just two weeks before his arrest.

At the time, courts had been advised that riot-related offences should be dealt with much more strictly, leading to a surge in the prison population.

An inquest last week found flaws in his care at Wandsworth, where Mr Best died shortly after collapsing while exercising in the prison gym.

His foster brother, Owen Daniel, said: "The threats of youth unemployment and social unrest are all still there and we should debate what would happen to future vulnerable individuals who need hospital treatment as opposed to jail time.

"I agree that people deserve to be punished for crime, as long as it's proportionate and reasonable given the offence.

"There were many cases during the riots where people received ludicrous sentences compared to the crime itself. This knee-jerk reaction was not the kick that James deserved."

Mr Daniel, 34, said he had seen Mr Best a few weeks before and was "shocked" by his condition, adding: "He was not a well man at all."

An inquest at Westminster Coroners' Court last week recorded a narrative verdict, saying "opportunities to save his life were not maximised".

The inquest heard the system to check whether prisoners were fit to use the gym had broken down, while there was conflicting evidence over how healthcare staff responded to his collapse.

It also heard that it took eight minutes for London Ambulance Service to send an ambulance, mainly due to a rigid triage system which has since been altered.

Mr Daniel added: "I would never have become half the man I am today without his influence; he was a true inspiration to our family and to all who knew him.

"Although he was no angel, he was our hero.

"I treasure every memory and experience we shared together.

"He was my best friend and I miss him more than words can say."

His foster mother, Dolly Daniel, who looked after him from the age of 15, said: "He was let down by the justice system and they basically ignored his health issues.

"I just hope that the procedures can be improved so that no one else has to suffer as we have."

The Ministry of Justice had not commented on the inquest at the time of going to press.

EVERY few years, Old Whitgiftian Rugby Club recognises the contribution of a player through a testimonial and this year it was the turn of second row Will Coker, who has played at Croham Road for the last 25 years.

Chairman Sam Barke said: "The Old Whits like to do this periodically as a formal thank you to the player concerned and Will was a unanimous choice this year.

"He's played pretty much continuously over that time, including about 40 games on trips back to the United Kingdom when he lived overseas for a time in Australia."

The testimonial itself featured a Will Coker XV, all wearing his number five and comprising of players from his 25-year tenure, taking on a current club XV over four 20-minute quarters.

And Coker was delighted to see so many turn up to support him.

He said: "It was overwhelming that so many people wanted to come and have a run again, so we ended up rotating a set of 30 players, and for some of them, 20 minutes on the field was an achievement in itself -– even the referees were ex-Old Whits.

"One of the highlights for me was a reunion of the 1995 Surrey One-winning side, as well as seeing three generations of the Spicer family - John, Mickey and Jack.

The testimonial XV scraped a very competitive 29-28 victory and a fantastic amount of money was raised for charity.

Barke added: "We raised £4,500 for Will's chosen charities - Macmillan Cancer Support and the Starlight Foundation through shirt sponsorship, a raffle and silent auction – it was a real club reunion and celebration."

TRADERS have called on the police to make better use of tough powers designed to curb antisocial behaviour.

As the Central Parade dispersal zone was renewed last night, business leaders demanded tougher enforcement to stop gangs – especially youths – from terrorising the area.

The six-month order gives police the powers to disperse groups of two or more people if they think their behaviour is causing "nuisance, harassment or distress". This is the third time such powers have been imposed around Central Parade in just over a year, raising questions over their long-term effectiveness.

Ravi Shammugadhas, manager at Favorite Chicken and Ribs, said: "The problem is here still. Two months ago they broke two of my chairs.

"I don't know how effective the dispersal zone is, but it gets some message out."

Ken Burgess, chair of the Central Parade Business Partnership, said the powers were helpful to police.

He said: "We have got to make it safe for people to come up here. This gives police powers that mean they are in a position to deal with it more effectively.

"But they have got to be here to catch them – I think they are quite under-resourced."

At Tropical Essentials supermarket, manager Ram, who would not give his surname, said: "Sometimes they come in a group and try to steal things, or they are underage and ask for cigarettes. And if we say no, they shout and swear at us.

"Yes, it is a good thing – if somebody patrols it. But sometimes if we have a problem in the shop and we call the police, they are here in half an hour and by then the people have gone."

Anyone refusing to move under the powers faces arrest, a fine of up to £2,500 or three months in jail.

New Addington councillor Tony Pearson said the application to the Safer Croydon Board for the new zone was made based on police evidence.

He said: "Dispersal zones are good but only as good as the enforcement, and that is where extra officers will come in."

WITH great lakes offering fishing, sailing and scenic walking opportunities, South Norwood has a wealth of opportunities to take a step away from the bustle of Croydon life

And now self-appointed tourism chiefs are mounting a challenge to the Cumbrian authorities – claiming they have a greater claim to the name the Lake District.

Members of the South Norwood Tourist Board (SNTB) have written to the Cumbrian authorities asking them to stop claiming the name.

Setting out their bid, they state: "Why go all the way to Cumbria when you've got the Lake District on your doorstep – Country Park Lake, Norwood Lake, Brickfield Lake and Heavers Meadow.

"The so-called Lake District in Cumbria has in fact only one lake, Bassenthwaite Lake, all the rest being styled meres, tarns and waters.

"South Norwood has two at least, and a possible third. SNTB has therefore decided we have a greater claim to be styling ourselves the Lake District and we have now informed the Cumbrian authorities to desist from using the title pending further action on our part."

Speaking to the Advertiser, Ian Bone, an associate of the SNTB, said; "The lakes in the area are gorgeous and underused. We have written to the Cumbria authorities saying we have the right to also call ourselves the Lake District.

"It is just so beautiful around South Norwood, we really are London's answer to the Lake District."

But not everyone is convinced.

Eric Kings, a member of the Norwood Society, said although he believes the South Norwood lakes need more recognition, he thought the SNTB's idea was "ambitious".

He said: "I know the lakes very well, they are popular and very beautiful. There are lovely trees around there and much wildlife, the place is steeped in history and anything that can be done to encourage tourists to South Norwood is welcome.

"But I think it is a bit ambitious to say it rivals the Lake District. I'm not quite sure if that could work, however it is definitely unusual in that it is an urban lake district in the middle of London, and I will support anything that attracts people here."

South Norwood councillor Wayne Lawler told the Advertiser he likes the idea, adding: "Anything that helps to put South Norwood on the map is a good idea, and if someone thinks it's a bad idea I'd like to know why.

"When you're at South Norwood Lake it is very easy to forget that you're even in London, it's beautiful and I think the SNTB are very innovative to have come up with it."