November 2008 Archives

A man was punched in the face in a violent attack to steal his mobile phone.

The 22-year-old was walking along Glebe Road, Stanmore when two men ran up to him and demanded he hand over his phone at 1.30am last Saturday.

After attacking the man the thieves snatched the hand-set and ran off towards Marsh Lane. One suspect was 18 years old and had short blond hair.

A mother and her partner stole from two pensioners after conning their way into their houses by asking for help to feed their baby.

An 83-year-old woman answered a knock on her back door at her home in Jesmond Way, Stanmore last Monday, and a young mother asked her to heat some water up so she could feed the baby she was carrying.

The unsuspecting pensioner let the woman in and chatted to her, and after a while a man knocked on the front door claiming to be the woman's partner.

After he came into the house the elderly woman finished heating the water and gave it to the family. However, once they had left she realised the crooks had stolen her handbag, containing credit cards and a mobile phone, as well as £130 in cash.

Only a day later, last Tuesday, the crooks stuck again. This time they targeted an 80-year-old woman at her home in Stonegrove Gardens, Edgware at 7.15pm.

One of the victims, who did not wish to be identified, has been living in fear since the robbery.

She said: "She knocked on my window and it was a nice looking girl with a baby. She said her nan lived across the road and wasn't in. Then a relation of hers rung the bell.
He waited in the hall and then left to see if their nan was in.

"As soon as the door shut behind them I noticed my bag had gone."

Fortunately a good Samaritan returned the victim's bag to her two days later after discovering it at a bus stop in Stanmore.

She said: "I was very pleased to get my bag back, but I've learnt my lesson: I'm now very wary, I don't open my door to anyone I don't know.

"Everyone needs to be careful and don't trust anyone you don't know."

The woman is described as aged between 20 and 30, and was wearing a white coat. Her partner was a white male man in his 40s, who was wearing a multi-coloured beanie hat.

A spokesman for Harrow police said: "Both crimes were virtually identical and there were two in two days. The victims are quite traumatised.

"We are appealing for residents to be on the look-out and if you see these people in the Stanmore or Edgware area acting suspiciously call Crimestoppers or 999."

n Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Not many people make it to the grand old age of 100.

But on Sunday, Wembley resident Judith Hill became a fully-fledged centenarian.

The sprightly pensioner has the get-up-and-go of someone half her age and puts her enthusiasm and energy down to her love of dance.

She said: "I make sure I do some physical exercise every day and usually put on some music and have a little dance."

Mrs Hill, who has lived in Ledway Drive, Wembley, for 44 years, owned a professional dance school for the first 21 years of her working career teaching ballet, tap and acrobatics, before plying her trade as an administrative assistant in the West End.

And amazingly, the resilient pensioner did not retire until she was 85.

She said: "I worked for a lot longer than most people do, but I enjoyed every moment and wanted to keep active.

"I always loved the theatre and dancing so decided to follow it as a career."

Ms Hill has taken an active role in the local community over the years and was a central figure in the Preston Amenities Protection Association (PAPA).

And despite recently having gone almost completely blind, she still likes to keep abreast of what is going on in the borough.

Ms Hill, who still cooks her own meals, added: "My eyes are the only part of me which have worn out, but we just have to put up with it.

"Before I lost my sight I did a lot of drawing, painting and knitting and embroidery - anything which involves using your hands."

Ms Hill describes gardening as being "her hat" and locals have marvelled at her immaculate garden for the past 40 years.

When asked what the secret of living to such an old age was, Ms Hill said: "It is all about keeping the brain active and doing physical exercise every day.

"I like to do stretches and put music on to do some of my old dance moves."

Close friend Melvin Hacker, chairman of PAPA, paid tribute to the much-loved Wembley veteran.

He said: "She is a fabulous lady.

"My wife and I do her shopping for her once a week and when we drop it off she always stands up to greet us.

"Judith is a great inspiration to everyone - I know people half her age who don't have as much go as her."

Ms Hill is waiting with baited breath for her congratulatory letter from the Queen and says she is going to frame it.

About 60 relatives and friends from across the country are expected to congregate at Preston Community Centre on Sunday for a special afternoon tea to celebrate Ms Hill's century.

She said: "When I get to 105 I'm going to throw another party.

"At the moment I feel I could carry on forever."

Pinner's eleventh season of jazz is picking up momentum with the Andy Cooper Top Eight ready to take to the stage in the next couple of weeks.

The musical showcase on December 6 is the third concert of this year's programme and will take place at Pinner Parish Church, in Church Lane.

Clarinettist Andy Cooper will be joined by trumpeter Mike Cotton, trombonist Ian Bateman and John Barnes on the saxophone when they perform from 8pm.

Volunteers at the church have been organising the monthly music concerts for the past 11 years to bring some of the biggest names from the world of jazz to the village.

In the past they have attracted the much-loved Humphrey Lyttelton as well as other top names such as Chris Barber, Georgie Fame, John Dankworh and Cleo Laine.

To see the latest addition to the list of top performers visit www.pinnerjazz.org.uk or call the box office information line on 020 8429 1260. Tickets range from £10 to £16.

It was third time unlucky for a Stanmore resident as she was finally voted off reality TV show the X Factor.

Ex-drug addict Rachel Hylton, 26, had made it through to the last six of the popular ITV show.

Last night she got to meet Take That and do a live performance one of their songs.

The mum-of-five ended up as one of the two least popular perfomers after the viewers' votes were counted and forced into a sing-off, her third, against boy band JLS.

Despite praise from the judges for her rendition of I'm Not Leaving Without You she was sent home after Simon Cowell decided she had been in too many sing-offs and was despatched by three votes to one.

Five tonnes of cannabis worth £19 million has been seized in an Edgware raid believed to be one of the largest drug hauls in London.

Police officers stormed into an alleyway behind a hairdressers, in Burnt Oak Broadway, and arrested five men who were seen unloading boxes into the property and a van.

A 29-year-old secretary, who works in Watling Avenue, saw the police cordoning off the alleyway.

She said: "There were loads of police and they closed the alley from top to bottom.

"It is about time they did this, there are loads of backstreet barbers around this area and they hang around the alleys doing all sorts. It's scary walking around here at night."

The operation was carried out by the Middle Market Drugs Partnership (MMDP), which is part of the Metropolitan Police. Officers believe they have smashed a major criminal network that imported cannabis into the UK bound for Burnt Oak.

DCI Peter Weinberg from MMDP said: "This operation was a huge success with an enormous seizure of drugs.

"MMDP are dedicated to tackling these issues and we believe these arrests have severely damaged a network responsible for one of the largest such shipments of cannabis dealt in London."

Christopher Hopkins, 29, from Newport, in Shropshire, Ahmed Abdirahman Kalib, 26, of Flecker Close, Stanmore, and Yasiin Khalid Muse, 38, of Gaskarth Road, Edgware, have been charged with importing cannabis. The three men will appear before Hendon's Magistrates Court on November 20.

A Stanmore resident is down to the final six of ITV's The X Factor despite some scathing comments from the judges.

Ex-drug addict Rachel Hylton, 26, performed U2's One tonight (November 15) and survived a sing-off against crooner Daniel Evans.

During the main part of the show she had sung Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good and at one point draped herself across the judges' desk, to the amusement of Simon Cowell.

Cowell was not too impressed with her performance during the results show but still voted off housewives' favourite Evans.

She now gets to meet Take That and perform one of their songs in next week's show.

A man who fractured his skull and was left severely brain damaged after
falling off a ladder at work could receive £1million in compensation.

Kantilal Mistry, from Stanmore, who was left unable to communicate with
others and needing 24-hour care after the accident, was guaranteed a pay-out at the Royal Courts of Justice, in London, on Tuesday (November 11).

Mr Mistry was working for Team Q Maintenance Ltd, a building services
company based in Hertfordshire, when the incident occurred.

His wife Damini Mistry said: "Kantilal requires long term personal and
medical care and our lives have been shattered. The financial and practical
effects are huge.

"I have lost my husband. I have to live with this for the rest of my life
and so does he."

Mr Mistry fell from a ladder whilst repairing an air conditioning unit at
an advertising company in London.

The unit was on a roof platform and had been assessed as a risk by his
employers, but despite this Mr Mistry was not told of the danger. He was
later found on the floor with his foot caught in the ladder.

Jill Greenfield, of law firm Field Fisher Waterhouse said: "It was a very
serious fall, walking and talking is not possible for him. He fell about
eight foot and his head hit concrete and we do not know how long he was
lying there for.

"This was a difficult case. There were no actual witnesses to what
happened, but what was clear was that Mr Mistry's employer had already
assessed access to the unit as difficult and dangerous."

Mr Mistry will receive a £100,000 damages down payment and a larger sum
after his compensation payout is assessed, his lawyers believe it could be
a seven-figure sum.

Team Q Maintenance accepted 80 per cent of the blame, when contacted by the
Observer the company declined to comment.

A wheelchair football team has won fifth place in a European tournament.
The Aspire PFC, who practice at the Aspire National Training Centre, in Wood Lane, were runners-up in the Power Chair European Championships, which took place in Lille, France, from 7th to 10th November.
Teams from across Europe battled it out for the title and Aspire PFC Captain Jonathan Bolding won Most Valuable Player.
Vice captain, Nicky Baker said: "Aspire PFC had an amazing Championships and thoroughly enjoyed representing England. The French were on fine form though winning 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. We were especially proud of Jonathan being voted Most Valuable Player".
The eventual winners were French teams Montauban who beat Villeneuve D'ascq in the final, in 3rd place were Kerpape.
The Aspire team were crowned champions of the national Wheelchair Football Association premiership and championship Leagues earlier this year.
The team is made up of four players from 10 to 30 years old and the majority have spinal injuries, but the sport is open to people who have spinal injuries, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or spinal bifida.

The Canons Park Residents' Association will be hosting its annual general meeting on November 20.
The event will take place at 8pm at St Lawrence 's Church Hall, in Whitchurch Lane.