Employers are needed to help job seekers build the confidence they need to get back into work by joining a new ‘speed dating’ scheme.

The Education & Youth Services (EYS) Group has been running Kickstart and Workskills programmes in Houghton Regis since January 2013.

Of the 60 or so people who have been on the courses at The Hub, in Sandringham Drive, some 75 per cent have later found employment.

Some of the people are on the course after being made redundant. Others have been carers or battered by life experiences and need one-to-one help to get them back into the job market.

EYS Group, which has an office in Adelaide Street, Luton, has another cohort of two sets of people starting the programmes in September.

A new development is the launch of speed-introductions from 2pm on Wednesday, October 2 or Thursday, October 3.

Organiser Sandie Copp, of Arteria – Events, Business & Training Support, said: “Both programmes have been extremely successful in assisting local people over the age of 50 get back to work and there has been encouraging on-going commitment from local employers who have seen much benefit from approaching directly with current vacancies.”

Contact Sandie Copp by phoning 07890 464257 or email sandie@arteriaevents.co.uk

People who rent property are getting more and more demanding. That’s according to estate agents Belvoir in Luton and Dunstable.

Adrian Mason of Marsh Road, Luton, said: “Today’s tenants have a different life and set of expectations to those in the last century.“

Daniel Bourke of Church Street, Dunstable, said: “As a general guide, landlords are likely to need to invest annually up to one per cent of the property’s value, to maintain it to a high standard.”

“My name is Daniel Lugo, and I believe in fitness. All this began because it was time to push myself harder, otherwise I was looking at another 40 years wearing sweatpants to work...”

Saddle up for an incredibly over-the-top overload of violent misdemeanours and insane criminal schemes, all wrapped in a stylish Michael Bay visual explosion that will drag you by the eyeballs through a most unpleasant true story.

It’s 1994 and Danny Lugo (Mark ‘2 Guns’ Wahlberg) is a steroid-pumping trainer at the Miami Sun Gym.

He’s got a killer body but he’s not content with his lot in life and feels that the American dream is passing him by.

One day, inspired by a motivational seminar given by Johnny Wu (Ken ‘Community’ Jeong) Lugo decides to take matters into his own hands and devises a plan to get rich quick.

His ticket to the easy life is to kidnap one his wealthy gym clients who has connections in many dodgy areas.

Before you can say ‘that’s really not a good idea’ Danny has rounded up pals – fellow trainer Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and born-again Christian ex-con Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson).

The three hapless wannabe crims abduct Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) and, more by luck than judgement, after an extended month of inexpert torture and extortion manage to get him to sign over all his worldly assets to them.

But perhaps the American Dream isn’t for those who haven’t the brains to make a decent fist of it and Pain & Gain soon becomes a worrying cautionary tale which scrapes the dark underbelly of the USA.

Murder, injury and insanity flow through this extreme black comedy which pulls the rug from under you just you’re laughing along with some crunching ultra-violence.

Pain & Gain sure isn’t subtle – it’s a Michael Bay film after all – but it is a ‘you cannot be serious’ blast that depicts a situation so screwed up that it really is hard to believe it actually happened.

It’s highly likely that you’ll get carried away in the action – there are some great lines, mostly for Doyle who comes out this things like: “Jesus Christ himself has blessed me with many gifts, one of them is knocking someone out!”

But afterwards you’re likely to feel a bit dirty, because there’s no denying that the main characters are nasty scumbags, two of whom are now sitting on Death Row.

More pain than gain overall.

A truck will be using two lanes and travelling at 10mph on the motorways this Sunday morning (September 8).

The vehicle, carrying a large electrical transformer, will be travelling on the M25 and the northbound M1 from Tilbury Docks, in Essex, to Sundon, in Bedfordshire.

It will leave the M1 at junction 12 and continue to Sundon.

Police will escort the vehicle throughout its journey. It will be restricted to 10mph when passing junctions and crossing bridges.

Its journey will start at approximately 3am on Sunday, when it leaves Tilbury Docks; it is expected to be on the M25 between 4am and 6.30am, during which time it will pass through the major improvement scheme between junctions 25 and 23. It is expected to arrive in Sundon by 7.30am.

The Highways Agency says road users are advised to plan their journeys before they set out, and to leave extra time if they are going to be affected by this vehicle’s journey.

A 19-year-old woman was indecently assaulted in Bramingham on Tuesday evening.

A man on a monuntain bike grabbed the victim, touching her inappropriately, before cycling off at abou 7.40pm,

The man is described as having an Asian appearance, approximately 5’8” tall and wearing a light blue t-shirt and dark trousers. He was riding a dark coloured mountain bike.

Det Con Cathie Layton said: “The victim managed to push this man’s arm away from her to stop him assaulting her and reported it to the police. There may be other women who have been approached by a man matching this description in the area but they may have not reported the incident – I would appeal to these people to come forward and tell officers what has happened and help identify the man involved.”

Call 101 or text 07786 200011 with information.

A Liberal Democrat councillor “reluctantly” resigned from his post after ten years today.

Martin Pantling, who was councillor for the Barnfield ward, is taking up a new role which means he can no longer work as a councillor.

The local Lib Dem party is in the process of selecting a candidate for the by-election which will take place on October 17.

Mr Pantling said: “It has been a great privilege to represent Barnfield residents for the past ten years during which time I have met many people and made some good friends. I am taking up a new role which makes it impossible for me to continue as a councillor, and so have reluctantly had to step down.

“I have no plans to move away and so will continue to be in touch with what is going on in Barnfield, where I have enjoyed working with local residents on a number of issues over the years.”

Among the many campaigns that Mr Pantling worked with Barnfield and Bushmead residents on were successfully halting Labour plans for a Bus Lane along Old Bedford Road, opposing the outright merger of Bedfordshire Police with Hertfordshire – supported by Conservative councillors on the Police Authority at the time, and working hard with residents to persuade Barnfield College to withdraw a huge planning application that would have seen the loss of most of the local green open space.

Liberal Democrat leader Councillor David Franks said he was sorry to lose a valued colleague.

He said: “I have enjoyed working with Martin over the last ten years during which time he has contributed greatly to the work of the Liberal Democrat councillors whilst working tirelessly for the best interests of Luton generally and Barnfield in particular.”

Luton Borough Council announced a by-election on Thursday October 17 for one of Barnfield Ward’s two seats on the authority to be contested.

The elected councillor will serve until May 2015, when the whole council is up for election. The hours of poll for all elections are 7am to 10pm.

At full strength Luton Borough Council has 48 members representing 19 wards, and there are currently 36 Labour, eight Liberal Democrat and four Conservative councillors.

Anyone wishing to stand as a candidate should contact the council’s Electoral Services Manager on 01582 546088 for a nomination pack, to be completed and returned to the Returning Officer at Luton Town Hall by no later than noon on Friday September 20, 2013.

If there are two candidates or more, the confirmed list of candidates standing will be published on the council’s website on the afternoon of Tuesday September 24, 2013.

Residents of Barnfield who are currently on the Register of Electors will receive a poll card by September 20, 2013 explaining how, where and when to vote. Electors can vote without the poll card, which is supplied for information only, but it can be easier if they take it with them.

Residents of Barnfield who are not currently on the electoral register need to complete a registration form and ensure it reaches the Town Hall by midnight on Wednesday October 2, 2013. A registration form is available on the website www.aboutmyvote.co.uk and by calling 01582 510380.

A full list of addresses in Barnfield ward, and the appropriate polling station where electors can vote, will be available on the Luton Borough Council website at www.luton.gov.uk, search ‘Barnfield by-election 2013’ by Wednesday September4 2013.

Guidance for candidates on spending, campaigning and completing the nomination papers is also available on the Electoral Commission website at www.electoralcommission.org

Luton will be lit up again this Christmas as budget airline easyJet flies in to sponsor the festive lights.

As reported in the Luton News, the Christmas lights were at risk of being turned off for good due to budget cuts at Luton Borough Council.

With just over 100 days to go until the big switch on, the Luton-based airline has agreed to provide sponsorship in partnership with the Love Luton campaign.

Hugh Aitken, easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager, said: “We were only too happy to step in and make sure that Luton town centre was not left in the dark this festive season. We are one of the region’s biggest employers and recognise the importance of bringing people together and supporting our local community. Everyone at easyJet is looking forward to this year’s switch-on event.”

The tradition of illuminating the town centre dates back more than 20 years, with festive lights erected in George Street, between the Town Hall and Park Street, and switched on at the popular annual ‘Lighting Up Luton’ celebration which this year will take place on Saturday December 7.

Hazel Simmons, Leader of Luton Borough Council, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic that one of our most important companies has been able to step in and make sure the town centre is again illuminated this festive season.”

A unconventional guru will be looking into his marketing crystal ball when he speaks at the University of Bedfordshire’s Knowledge Network.

Grant Leboff, the author of Amazon hit book Sticky Marketing, says new technologies and the evolving world wide web mean old ways of selling are dead.

In one of his online talks, Mr Leboff says products don’t matter any more when it comes to sales. It is all about adding more, including the number of connections on LinkedIn.

During his talk to business leaders at the university’s Putteridge Bury Conference Centre, near Luton, on Monday, September 9, the in-demand marketing expert will offer strategies for companies to thrive in the ever-changing business environment.

Mr Leboff has conducted conferences all over the world. He also frequently contributes to business magazines, newspapers and BBC Radio.

Gary Kirby, Knowledge Network Manager at the university, said the talk will “provide the latest cutting edge thinking around marketing, looking into the next year to eighteen months”.

The event will examine current trends and developments, and take a strategic look at what companies need to be thinking about right now to ensure they stay ahead of the competition.

Registration opens at 5.30pm and the talk starts at 6.10pm. Tickets, priced at £20 for Knowledge Network members and £30 for non-members, can be purchased by calling 0800 328 5334, emailing knowledge@beds.ac.uk or visiting www.theknowledgenetwork.co.uk

Headway, the charity that supports people with acquired brain injuries, is holding an information day on Saturday (September 7) between 11am and 2pm.

Whatever your query, someone will be on hand to offer free and confidential assistance as well as impartial legal advice.

Call 01582 876729 for further details or simply drop in at 49 Alma Street on Saturday.

Amid claims that the new cycle path along the busway is unsuitable for the skinny road tyres found on the average commuter bike, I decided this cyclist needed to investigate.

Starting at the White Lion Retail Park, heavily armed with inner tubes and a pump, I went to war with the gravel.

Like Bambi on ice I wobbled onto the surface expecting an instant slip, double punctures and a trip to the L&D to remove gravel from both kneecaps.

Fortunately this did not happen but there is definitely no smoke without fire. The surface is quite loose in parts and I fear sudden braking might result in the above scenario.

The dust kicks up at speed and would soon ruin the paintwork and ingrain itself in your chain and cogs. Maybe this wouldn’t bother the leisure rider but a regular rider would feel the pinch at the bicycle repair shop.

Some I spoke to along the way fear the safety of their children riding on such a surface and those stones are indeed sharp which could result in a puncture with regular use.

So is it all bad?

Overall the cycleway is a great initiative and there is nothing like whizzing along safe from the traffic. If it wasn’t there many of the evening riders I spoke to say they would not be out riding at all. So yes, it is a great asset to the community and my hope is that the gravel will flatten down after regular use.

And did I get any punctures with my skinny tyre road bike? Well no, but I wouldn’t push my luck.

Luton police are appealing for a Good Samaritan who alerted emergency services to an incident the weekend before last.

A 28-year-old man was found unconscious in Malvern Road during the early hours of Sunday (August 25).

It is believed he was injured during a robbery that took place between 11pm and midnight on Saturday (August 24) after getting involved in an argument with another man as he was walking from a friend’s house along Newcombe Road.

When he reached Dallow Road he was approached by three unknown men who assaulted him and took his Samsung mobile phone.

The victim returned to his friend’s house to receive treatment to his injuries and then left again between midnight and 1am.

He does not remember what happened to him on this second journey and only regained consciousness in Malvern Road as he was being helped by ambulance staff.

PC Ben Stone, investigating, is keen to trace the Good Samaritan who rang the Ambulance Service to help the victim in Malvern Road and anyone who saw the earlier robbery in Dallow Road.

He said: “We’re still trying to piece together exactly what happened during the second journey night and it’s possible the Good Samaritan who may be able to help”.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact PC Stone in confidence on 01582 394471, or Bedfordshire Police on 101 or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Sniffy films buffs might tartly observe that it’s about time that Richard Curtis had another hit, and About Time isn’t going to be it.

The TV titan who can claim hits as varied as Mr Bean, Blackadder and the Vicar of Dibley among his writing credits as well as film successes of the magnitude of Four Weddings And A Funeral and Notting Hill has only actually directed three films, all of which he wrote himself.

There was the over-sweet portmanteau piece Love Actually, which was slight but popular, and then the pirate radio comedy The Boat That Rocked, which left most people unmoved or feeling a little queasy.

Now we have About Time, which is pretty much what you get when you take Groundhog Day set-up, strip away the sharp satire and glaze it with 17lbs of sugar.

Domhnall Gleeson is our hero, a clean-cut young man who discovers on his 21st birthday that, like all the men in his family, he can travel in time.

There are rules, dad Bill Nighy tells him – he can’t change history but he can tinker with what happens in his own life.

When he meets and falls for Rachel McAdams, he decides to stop the clock every time he makes a boob and go back to start all over again, using what he has learned to win her heart.

Keen students of this particular cinema cliche will realise that gifts like this always come with consequences.

Some critics have welcomed this as a return to rom com form after that rocky ride in the North Sea, while others have been disturbed by the leading man’s cynical grooming of his lady love.

It’s a workmanlike date movie but it’s nothing to get too excited about, and if you had the ability to travel in time it’s unlikely that you would use your powers to go back and see it again.

A one word title and you know exactly what’s coming up – Vin Diesel is Riddick and he makes Jason Statham look like a Richard Curtis charmer.

As an outlaw trapped on a hostile planet, Diesel follows on from the rough and tumble of previous outings Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick and makes the most his finely honed survival skills and his ability to see in the ark to fend off a band of bounty hunters who are determined to take him dead or alive. It’s been nearly ten years since Riddick’s last screen appearance but Diesel shows no signs of mellowing.

For softer stuff you might be able to seek out Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, a modern-day western which is getting a wider release on the back of winning two prizes at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara are the stars of this story of doomed love set in 1970s smalltown Texas, directed by David Lowery.

There I was, enjoying a Sunday afternoon drive along a sweeping country road.

The sun was shining, the motor was purring, there was the prospect of a stroll and a pub lunch on the horizon – all was good with the world.

Well, all was good with the world apart from the born-again bikers.

If you’re a driver you’ll be aware of the phenomenon. Gentlemen of a certain age seem to feel the need to treat themselves either to an open-topped sports car or a powerful motorbike.

As the open-top option betrays the fact that many no longer have hair which will blow prettily in the wind, lots prefer the bike – presumably because, hidden beneath leathers and a big helmet, the lack of hair and the middle-aged spread aren’t quite so apparent.

I’ll be honest, I don’t like bikes. It’s not that they are big and noisy and uncomfortable, and an inefficient way of getting from A to B if you want to transport more than just your body – it’s just that they are incredibly dangerous, and that’s not always the fault of the people sitting up there revving the throttle.

It’s a simple equation – if a bike and any other item of traffic or street furniture come into conflict, the bike and the poor boob aboard is likely to bear the brunt. You could be completely blameless, but that’s not going to be much comfort to those you leave behind.

So there I was, taking the country road, and regularly being overtaken by clutches of bikers, six or seven at a time, also out for a Sunday ride.

There are, it seems, roads up and down the country which are favoured by the two-wheeled fraternity because of their exciting possibilities for early death, and I was on one of them.

Now piloting a powerful piece of machinery along a curving country road is something which ought to demand your full attention. You don’t want distractions.

But on every tree, pole and other potential platform along this road there were brightly-coloured posters – with wording not large enough to be instantly readable. If you wanted to work out the message, you had to give them attention which ought to be have been devoted to the road ahead.

It took my front seat passenger a good few goes to decipher the message, and she wasn’t in charge of any sort of speeding machinery. The message, of course, was urging bikers to slow down and ride safely.

What on earth is the idea here? They’re either hoping bikers will slow down enough to read the posters, or are deliberately trying to distract them to bump up the casualty figures and justify a bigger budget next year.

Either way, these are road safety posters that constitute a road safety hazard. Can anyone explain why this has happened?

Luton Culture have opened their ears for public suggestions in the wake of library closure threats from the council.

Campaigning group, Luton People’s Assembly, have called on the public to help support the campaign by giving ideas as to ways the closures could be prevented.

Funding cuts of £600,000 have resulted in plans to reorganise the Luton library system.

However, following a petition of over 10,000 signatures, Luton Culture have asked for ideas as to problem could be avoided.

Luton Culture and the Luton Borough Council proposed option one as the solution to the problem.

Under this proposal Wigmore and Sundon Park libraries would face closure, along with the mobile library service.

Option one would mean no reduction in Central Library opening hours and would thus allow this service to continue unaffected.

One campaigner at the Asda store in Wigmore said: “I personally spoke to thousands of people who had never seen any consultation and were very angry that libraries were due to close in November.”

The Council Executive Committee meeting on July 29 addressed the issue and have speculated the use of volunteers to assist but remain open to further suggestions.

The council are due to meet on Tuesday September 10 to discuss the future of library provisions in Luton.

Mark Dee Smith, Chairman of the Luton’s People Assembly, said: “The team that emerged from the proposed closures have done an amazing job, collecting over 10,000 signatures mainly from shoppers in the Wigmore area. It would be fantastic if some of those who signed the petition could come down to Luton Town Hall at 6pm and support the campaign.”

Luton Culture require suggestions to be made by October 14. Suggestions are to be sent to: LibrariesProposals@LutonCulture.com or written to Maggie Appleton, Chief Executive at Luton Culture, Luton Central Library, St George’s Square, Luton, LU1 2NG.

There are some incredible local heroes in today’s Luton News, including the town’s oldest Hatters fan, a burlesque performer and the inspirational woman behind CHUMS.

Read all about the fearless pensioner who was killed in Airport Way and how her friends are keeping up her legacy.

Find out why the town’s self-proclaimed oldest Hatters fan is so happy, and why a burlesque performer is going to make her grandad proud.

She says he will be showing everyone her picture when he goes to buy the Luton News at his local newsagents today.

On sale in all good newsagents.

In a landmark initiative, Jamia Islamia Ghousia Trust on Westbourne Road, Luton invited almost 100 people from different religious and cultural backgrounds to come together and share the joy of Eid-ul-Fitr at the Mosque on Friday, August 30.

Allama Qazi Abdul Aziz Chishti, Senior Imam and director of the Mosque, highlighted the importance of strengthening mutual friendship, peace and understanding across difference faiths and cultures in a town as diverse as Luton.

Other guest speakers on the occasion included number of Councillors, Kelvin Hopkins (MP, Luton North), Rt Revd Dr Richard Atkinson (Bishop of Bedford & Luton), Spencer Colvin (Chairman L& D Hospital) Zafar Khan (Chair, Luton Council of Faiths), Waliyaat Khan (Secretary, Sunni Council of Mosques).

Bishop Richard highlighted the fact that nationally, Christian Muslim Forum had circulated an Eid Greeting from all different Christian Churches to Muslims in UK.

Natu Bhai, a Hindu and also the joint Vice Chair of Luton Council of Faiths said: “Coming and standing with people of different backgrounds, we do not just reflect the richness and diversity of our town, but also promote acceptance while rejecting hatred and prejudice.”

Parliament matters. That is the conclusion from the vote undertaken a week ago in the House of Commons on military action in Syria. Parliament was recalled to debate what action we should take - David Cameron believing now was the right time to launch an attack. Thankfully, parliament disagreed.

The death of thousands of Syrian civilians from a chemical weapons attack is abhorrent and cannot be ignored. But I was - and remain - highly skeptical that a military mission could do anything to protect the already abused people of that nation.

In terms of foreign policy, I am neither a ‘hawk’ or a ‘dove’; I protested the war in Iraq, and defended military action in Libya. But every decision to use military force is a grave one, and one that must be made in the right way. The resolve amongst my Labour colleagues was a determination to avoid the mistakes that were made with Iraq.

That’s why I voted to ensure that evidence preceded decision - any proposed military action needed to have a clear legal basis in international law, clear and achievable military objectives and be limited to deterring the future use of chemical weapons.

The decision to commit our armed forced overseas is the most serious judgement an MP has to make. Which is why, for my part, I made it clear that had my party concluded military action was the correct course, I would not have been able to support it in the division lobbies.

The attacks were a moral outrage and the use of chemical weapons rightly demands condemnation by the international community.

But more than that we must not now wash our hands of the issue – there are other diplomatic and humanitarian means to help the people of this deeply troubled nation.

That’s why government must now galvanise international support.

Business networking groups exist in many different forms but they all aim to do one thing, generate connections and leads.

One such group is Network Luton, which holds its meetings from 7am on Wednesday mornings at The Discovery Centre, in Stockwood Park.

Web designers, publishers, human resources specialists, people who have just started out in business and even holistic therapists get themselves up and out to know each other over breakfast.

Network Luton has what organiser Steve Whiting calls The Discovery Pitch, where people stand up and say what their business does.

I decided to head out of bed early with my videophone and give you an insight into what goes on at these events.

To find out more visit http://www.networkluton.org

A large rat infestation and very poor hygiene among staff resulted in How Cha Noodle Bar in Chapel Street being shut down and fined.

Council food safety officers were alerted to the noodle bar after a passer-by spotted a rat there last July.

In a hearing at Luton Magistrates Court on August 19 this year, a representative of the owner, Xing Yu Investment Ltd, pleaded guilty to seven food hygiene offences and was fined £9,380 plus £1800 prosecution costs.

The serious breaches of hygiene regulations included a large rat infestation, no pest control procedures in place, food preparation surfaces, equipment and utensils not being properly cleaned or disinfected and food not protected from contamination.

Because of the serious risk to public health, council food and safety officers closed the premises immediately using a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice.

The restaurant reopened four days later once the premises was pest free and adequate cleaning and structural work had been completed to allow food to be produced safely.

Officers visited the restaurant again in August to check hygiene standards were being improved and maintained.

However, during another follow-up check in November, officers discovered poor food handling practices and a lack of food safety management including high risk food kept outside temperature control with no record of recent temperature checks.

Food areas and containers were greasy throughout the premises.

There was poor personal hygiene among staff, especially poor hand washing, and food was not protected from contamination.

An environmental health spokeswoman said: “We aim to support Luton’s businesses but will not hesitate to use our enforcement options and court action where necessary to protect public health and safety.”

The court gave credit to the company for sending staff on training and having the premises professionally cleaned, but said they had to balance this with the risk to public health.

The restaurant is now under new ownership.

All high risk local food businesses are inspected by officers. For all the hygiene scores see www.food.gov.uk/ratings. For help from the Council’s Food and Safety team see www.luton.gov.uk/food or call 01582 510330.

Some of the first students to attend Barnfield’s new law and accountancy academy in Luton have spoken about their hopes for the future.

Thirty year 10 students from Barnfield’s south and west academies have been chosen to receive specialist education one day a week in accountancy and law.

On the other four days of the school week, they would study traditional subjects.

The idea is to give students a head start in those professions because if they leave it too long, it could be too late.

One innovation is that any money they earn in paid work experience with partner companies will be used to pay for their university education should they want to continue to go for careers in those fields.

Five of the first cohort of students, all aged 14 and from Luton, agreed to be interviewed by lutontoday.co.uk today (Wednesday) before the new term had started.

They each had their own idea of what thety want to do. Shakera Begum wants to be a barrister while Amy Rees, wants to be successful, Patrick Lu doesn’t want to work for McDonald’s and Momina Bano loves maths and wants to be an accountant.

To hear their own words, watch our video.