THIS is the fifth of our 12-part series looking back at the news stories that shaped Croydon in 2012.
We'll be looking back at ten of the most popular articles for each month of the year, as well as looking at 2012 in pictures via our most popular photo galleries, and seeing which items attracted the most comments.
The stories that follow are not necessarily listed in order of most-read.
- In mid-May the Croydon Advertiser met Billy Smith, who asked for help to trace a girl he'd met in Croydon nightclub Shooshh. The pair swapped a kiss or two, but the mystery woman left without giving Billy her number. Sadly, the couple were not reunited.
- The same month six men were jailed for a brawl outside a cab office in Norbury. The fight, in the early hours of March 26 in 2011, saw the men attack one another with planks of wood and metal bars.
- A 28-year-old woman was left with life-threatening injuries in May after she was pulled underneath a tram at Sandilands. The incident happened on May 16 and saw the woman, from Croydon, trapped underneath the vehicle and against the edge of the platform. She was freed by fire crews and rushed to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, where her condition was stabilised. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch opened an enquiry into what happened, which remains ongoing.
- An 18-year-old was also left fighting for his life after the motorcycle he was riding crashed in New Addington. The teen, named as Armani Broomfield, broke both his legs, fractured his wrist and pelvis, and also suffered a collapsed lung and head injuries. Armani required a number of operations but was then discharged from hospital.
- Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish told the Croydon Advertiser that getting the Eagles into the Premier League would be difficult to achieve, but said he was 'always working to improve the club'. Palace have enjoyed a good run at the end of 2012, climbing to the top end of the Championship table.
- The Croydon Advertiser spoke to the mother of Kevin Boyle, who said she had always felt her son would take his own life. Patti spoke frankly about the effect the disappearance of her popular son the previous October and the discovery of his body 101 days later had on her family.
- Former Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman chose his all-star Championship team of the season - but he wasn't allowed to pick any of his own players. His choices included Kasper Schmeichel, Guirane N'Daw and Mustapha Dumbuya.
- Sudden heavy downpours in May left roads closed and public transport delayed in central Croydon. Water levels went down rapidly following the flash flooding.
- The first weekend of June was of course a Bank Holiday to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This article, showing off the best ways to mark the occasion, was among the month's most-read.
- A special report by Ross Lidbetter in May considered whether the £1million spent on CCTV in Croydon had been a worthwhile investment or 'Big Brother gone mad'. To show the extent of the cameras, Croydon Council agreed to track reporter Sarah May Hayes as she walked through the town centre.
