In a poll of separated or divorced parents in Britain, six in ten (60%) of those surveyed in the South of England (excluding London) do not believe in the idea of a ‘good separation’, according to new polling from national charity Relate.

The findings are revealed as Relate Bedfordshire and Luton joins in the national charity’s new campaign aimed at separating and separated parents. Being Parents Apart will offer guidance and support to families across the country, helping to make sure that children and young people cope with any heartache and changes in the best way possible.

The new campaign comes as Relate announces that calls to its national phone line rose by 53% on the first Monday of January 2014 compared to the first Monday of December 2013, with appointment bookings increasing by 86%.

New Year is always a busy time for Relate Bedfordshire and Luton as many couples and families spend concentrated time together during the holidays, which can highlight underlying issues. Relate Bedfordshire and Luton provides a range of crucial services for parents and families, helping to build strong relationships that go the distance in good times and bad.

The new polling, conducted by YouGov, also emphasises that separation and divorce are not simply one-off events which start and end when one parent leaves home. 41% of separated parents polled in the South said their separation took less than a year, with 44% saying it took one to four years and 9% saying five years or more. With 54% of separated parents we asked in the South of England saying that their separation had a negative impact on their children, it’s clear that finding ways of minimising the impact of relationship breakdown on families is crucial.

Angela Foll, Chief Executive of Relate Bedfordshire and Luton, said: “Deciding to separate is never easy, particularly when children are involved. But for some people it’s the best thing to do and the next step is to work out how to go about it.

“Heightened emotions can cause arguments and ill-feeling in a home before, during and after separation and kids often pick up more than we realise. This process can have knock-on effects for some children and young people, including problems at school, alcohol misuse and mental health and wellbeing issues. But having strong relationships that go the distance in good times and bad and knowing how to manage the separation process can improve outcomes for everyone.”

Handling separation

When it comes to handling separation, the parents polled were clear on some things: 85% of those surveyed in the South said that not arguing in front of the children was a better approach than getting children to help resolve parents’ arguments (only 2% chose the latter). Similarly, four fifths (83%) said that keeping the lines of communication open with your ex-partner is important, although one in ten (10%) preferred the strategy of cutting off communication as much as possible. And 83% said it was better to tell children about the changes separation will bring to prepare them, rather than hiding changes in an effort to protect them (though 7% preferred this option).

Getting help

According to other research, one in three UK families with dependent children is affected by separation. Mums and dads can visit www.relate.org.uk/separation for guidance on managing the practical and emotional realities of separation, including a short video from Relate counsellor Paula Hall called ‘Kids and separation’. People can also contact Relate Bedfordshire and Luton to find out more about our services, like face-to-face and telephone relationship counselling, family counselling, children and young people’s counselling and courses for parents.

Expert tips for weathering the separation storm

Diane Whitmore, a counsellor for Relate Bedfordshire and Luton suggests five important things that will help parent-child relationships to weather the separation storm:

1. Help children to accept the pain. It’s important to be optimistic and hopeful when you talk to your children about separation, but just telling them that everything will be fine could leave them unable to share the painful emotions they’re feeling. Encourage them to talk about their feelings to you or another family member or friend.

2. Be prepared for practical and emotional changes. It’s more than likely that there will be two households to support now, so money won’t go as far anymore. And if one of you is starting a new relationship then things could be particularly tense. As parents, you’ll need to work on communicating with each other from the outset so that your children aren’t stuck in the middle of these issues.

3. How you manage leaving day can make a difference. The day that you or your partner leaves home will be one that you all remember for a long time. Try and lessen the practical and emotional impact by preparing everyone in advance and being clear about what’s going to happen.

4. Establish new routines. Children cope best with divorce when they have regular contact with both parents. This includes phone, email and text, as well as face-to-face time. Developing a routine is important, but try and be flexible too as the new arrangements take shape.

5. Let them know its ok to enjoy seeing your ex. Even if you’re seething inside when it’s time to hand over the children, keep a smile on your face when your ex comes to the door and give them all a cheery wave goodbye. Your children must know that it’s fine for them to leave you and enjoy their time with their other parent.

It’s that time of year again to decide on your New Year’s resolutions.

But have you thought about doing something different with your spare time? Volunteering can be a great way to improve your skills, confidence, make new friends, get healthy and make great use of your time. There are loads of benefits to volunteering for you as well as your community, the list is endless so whatever your motivations for the year ahead you should definitely consider volunteering. Everyone knows about volunteering for charity shops or as a fundraiser, but did you know there are approximately 400 different volunteering opportunities across South Central Bedfordshire so now’s the time to think about doing something a little different to help others.

Sight Concern are always looking for volunteer visitors to visit the homes of people with sight difficulties to provide company and for reading. Here’s what one of their longest running volunteers had to say about volunteering for Sight Concern;“It suits me to have a certain day and time to fit in with my routine. I am fairly sociable and have no trouble opening conversations with strangers anywhere. I did not have any expectations, but was hoping to meet another “chatterbox”. I met the person that I visit, who also talks a lot, and we have talks on numerous subjects.”

Street Pastors look for people to help out on a busy Friday and Saturday night, helping keep people safe on their nights out, they provide flip flops to people who have hurt feet due to standing for long periods as well as water to revellers and much more.

“Street pastoring isn’t hard; it’s about doing the little things that make a difference, and helping people to be safe when they are out enjoying themselves. It’s very rewarding.”

Committee members – lots of organisations need help from people who have experience in business to manage their charity. You could sit on the board of Trustee’s, act as a guest speaker, or a treasurer. You could also be an Ambassador for a charity and help spread the word about the work they are doing.

>If you are interested in volunteering, then give Volunteer Centre Central Bedfordshire a call to find out more. Tel: 01525 850559, week days 9.30am – 3.30pm or email volunteer@action-centralbeds.org.uk.

A man was hit over the head with ‘a wooden implement’ during an attempted robbery on Monday.

The 21-year-old was in Old Bedford Road at the junction with Frederick Street at about 4.45pm.

He was knocked to the floor by the hit and a man demanded he hand over his phone, but the victim managed to get to his feet and run from the scene.

The offender is described as a man with an Asian appearance, between 17 – 20 years old, with a slim build and short black spiky hair, wearing a blue jacket.

The officer in charge of this investigation, Det Con Lucy Arnold, said: “The victim has sustained a bump to his head but managed to keep his belongings. This area of Luton is very busy at this time of night with people making their way home. I would urge anyone who saw the incident to contact the police and help identify the person responsible.”

Anyone with information relating to this crime can contact DC Lucy Arnold, in confidence, on 01582 394471, or Bedfordshire Police, on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively, you can contact the crime fighting charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

An exhibition showcasing the winners of last year’s British Wildlife Photography Awards open at Stockwood Discovery Centre, Luton on January 18.

The breathtaking exhibition of 100 photographic images of wildlife, including winning and commended entries will be on display until March.

The British Wildlife Photography Awards were created to celebrate the talents of both amateur and professional photographers, while simultaneously highlighting the great wealth of British natural history.

With twelve separate categories including a special category for Wildlife in HD Video, the awards beautifully reveal the splendour of Britain’s wildlife.

There are also two junior categories to encourage young people to connect with nature through photography.

Chris Packham, Naturalist and TV Presenter said: “These stunning images by so many talented photographers highlight the diversity, breadth and beauty of our precious wildlife and the need to protect their habitats.

“The British Wildlife Photography Awards are without doubt one of the most important photography awards in the UK.

“Anything that raises the public’s awareness of the importance to conserve and protect British wildlife is very close to my heart and these awards afford a spectacular insight into the habitat and behaviour of our British wildlife. From blue tits to badgers, never has Britain’s wildlife looked more beautiful”

The winning photographer received £5,000.

Category winners will receive a Canon PowerShot S110 Camera and a Canon PIXMA PRO 10 Printer.

Wildlife in HD Video category winner will receive a Sky World HD package and a 3D TV. Plus a Canon XA -10 Professional Camcorder.

The British Seasons Category prize is £700 worth of Páramo clothing plus an f-stop Tilopa or Loka camera bag with medium ICU, subject to availability.

The Young winner (under 12) will receive: £300

The young winner (12 -18) will receive: £500

The Book

The British Wildlife Photography Awards: Collection 4 showcases the very best entries from the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2013. This stunning coffee table book is a celebration of British wildlife as captured on camera by today’s best amateur and professional photographers. The book is available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0749574798/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1377540651&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165

The Sponsors

Canon, SKY+HD, RSPB Wildlife Explorers, WWF, The Wildlife Trusts, Forestry Commission England, City of London, Countryside Jobs Service, Sparsholt College Hampshire, Buglife, Paramo and Outdoor Photography Magazine.

Two friends had their phones stolen in a distraction theft in a coffee shop in Luton.

They were in a coffee shop in The Mall when a man approached them and placed a leaflet on the table over the phones.

The friends told him they didn’t want the leaflet and he retrieved it but took their phones – a Samsung 4S in a pink case and a BlackBerry - with him.

Investigation Supervisor, Gary Maxey, is keen to remind members of the public to ensure they keep their mobiles out of sight and never put them down on a table whilst they are out and about.

Anyone with information relating to this investigation can contact Gary Maxey, in confidence, at Bedfordshire Police on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively you can contact the independent crime fighting charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

“Laws change. Social systems crumble. Universal truths, though, are constant. It is a fact, it is a plain fact, that what is true and right is true and right for all. White and black alike.”

History can be the source of stories so heartbreaking, so incredible that you’d be hard pressed to believe them.

12 Years A Slave is one of the most compelling, harrowing and inspiring ever committed to the big screen and it demands your attention.

Director Steve ‘Shame’ McQueen delivers the epic tale of one man’s fight for survival and freedom, which will shock you to the core and potentially make you re-evaluate your soul.

Set in the pre-Civil War United States, this is the unhappy true story of Solomon Northup – an incredible performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor – a free black man from upstate New York who is kidnapped and sold into hard labour slavery.

Thrown into an existence of constant cruelty personified by malevolent slave owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender) and forced to work on plantations with others who were born slaves like the hard working Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o) as well as those forced into it for profit. Solomon’s daily struggle is not only to stay alive, but to try and retain his dignity in a world where any slave who claims to have any learning is resented and often disposed of.

It’s not until the 12th year of his unforgettable odyssey that there is any hope, when his path crosses that of Canadian abolitionist Samuel Bass (Brad Pitt).

12 Years A Slave is an unforgettable piece of cinema, it isn’t an easy watch but it is crafted with a wonderful eye for incidental moments of wonder which helps viewers through the main story that is soul sapping.

It would be an injustice if this film does not bag a host of awards this year.

The cast are magnificent throughout with Ejiofor, Fassbender and Pitt ably backed up by the likes of Benedict ‘Sherlock’ Cumberbatch, Sarah ‘Serenity’ Paulson and Paul ‘Sideways’ Giamatti.

It is a joy that films like 12 Years A Slave are made – we need cinema to be a showcase not just for fantasy and escapism but as a place of homage and recognition of human endeavor.

A man who wason the roof of Cardinal Newman High School for more than three hours this morning has come down safely.

Negotiators from Bedfordshire Police were called to the scene at 7.39am.

The man is a member of staff at the school but not a teacher and had got onto the roof of some classrooms.

A Cardinal Newman spokesman said at the time: “Police aren’t releasing any information to us about the situation. The students are perfectly safe and no one is at risk. We are carrying on as best we can and the situation is being dealt with very effectively and swiftly by police.”

A Beds Police spokesperson said students were still at the school in Warden Hill Road.

The school said on their Twitter account: “There is a police incident but we have no information from them at this time. Please rest assured students are safe & it’s under control.”

A man who was on the roof of Cardinal Newman High School for three hours this morning was trying to draw attention to issues he had at work.

Mitch Eastwick, premises managerat the Catholic school, said he was having problems in the workplace and wanted to highlight his despair.

Police were called to the school in Warden Hill Road at 7.39am to negotiate with the 55-year-old.

Headteacher Jane Crow said: “Police attended an incident at Cardinal Newman involving a member of the school’s support staff. Thankfully, no-one was hurt and the staff member was taken to hospital. No students were involved.”

One year on from the launch of a crackdown on prostitution, Beds Police invited the Luton News to see the positive impact Operation Turtle is having on the town.

Operation Turtle started in January 2013 in response to residents’ complaints about prostitution and associated anti-social behaviour, particularly in High Town.

Video reporter Natalee Hazelwood went on patrol with Sgt Jason Cahill in prostitution hot spots such as Old Bedford Road.

Sgt Cahill said: “Before Operation Turtle we got on average 50 complaints a month about sex workers and related issues. Now it has fallen to about seven a month so what we are doing has had a massive impact.”

Since January 2013, more than 265 people have been caught and 80 arrested for other offences including burglary, ABH, GBH and drugs offences.

The fire service were called on Friday evening (Jan 10) when smoke was seen billowing from Luton’s Galaxy Centre in Bridge Street,

The cause was a small blaze on level three in the lift motor room which was out on arrival.

Two robberies were reported in quick succession in adjacent roads on Friday night.

Two men threatened and assaulted a member of staff in a newsagent’s in Dumfries Street at about 9pm.

They left with several packets of cigarettes and a mobile phone.

About 45 minutes later in Stanley Street a woman, aged 35, was approached from behind by two men, one of whom grabbed her bag

One of the robbers grabbed her bag and during a struggle the strap of the bag snapped.

The victim tried to chase the men but both fled the scene with the victim’s black leather bag which contained cash and bank cards.

In both incidents, the offenders were described as white men, between 18-19 years old wearing dark clothing.

Det Con Lucy Arnold said: “I would urge anyone who was in the Dumfries Street or Stanley Street areas on Friday evening and saw two men matching the descriptions given to come forward and assist with these investigations.”

Anyone with information relating to this investigation can contact Det Con Arnold, in confidence, at Luton Police Station on 01582 394471, or Bedfordshire Police on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively you can contact the independent crime fighting charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A daytime burglar was disturbed by the resident of the house he was stealing from on Friday.

The resident, 26, was asleep in his bedroom of the Cranleigh Gardens house when he was disturbed by a noise between 1.15pm and 1.23pm.

He went into another room to investigate and found a man searching through a jewellery box.

The burglar threatened the resident then fled the property through a kitchen window, taking some jewellery.

He is descried as a white man, possibly Eastern European, in his late 20s to early 30s.

He was wearing a black beanie hat, black top and bottoms.

PC Ben Stone said: “It is possible that this man has been walking around the area when deciding which property to break in to and I urge anyone who has seen a man matching this description in the area recently to come forward and speak with officers as they may have information that could help identify him.”

Anyone with information relating to this investigation can contact PC Stone, in confidence, at Luton Police Station on 01582 394471, or Bedfordshire Police on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively you can contact the independent crime fighting charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

It’s a great comfort to me, as the knees creak, the memory fumbles and I find myself making involuntary grunts as I rise from any form of chair, that young people are, to use modern parlance, as thick as mince.

I generalise, of course, but it’s a concern for anyone of advancing years that there is a whole herd of young bucks out there just waiting to put their adolescent antlers to the test and butt me into the shadows.

It’s the way it has always been, as one generation builds on the knowledge of those who went before, combining that with their endless energy and willingness to take risks to get where they want to be.

Well, perhaps. But it all falls apart on that assumption that our next generation is necessarily equipped in any way to hoik me away from the head of the table.

I may be kidding myself and my perspective is skewed by age and cynicism, but for evidence I offer you young people on TV quiz shows.

Not University Challenge, of course, although there are a fair few there who go through an entire programme without uttering a word, and just as many who come up with an answer of such staggering stupidity as to attract the withering scorn of Jeremy Paxman.

Unless, of course, they are an attractive young blonde, but let’s not go there – let’s turn our attention instead to the massed ranks of students who turn up on daytime quiz programmes.

My point of reference here is Pointless, still a peerless format for quiz fans however much they try to muck it up with celebrity sessions.

Not a week goes by without someone who confidently introduces themselves as a proud graduate of such and such from the university of never heard of it, and you’d expect that they wouldn’t have been able to reach adulthood and higher education without knowing a few of the basics.

Not a bit of it. These clueless competitors routinely crash and burn because they seem blissfully unaware of crucial dates in history or the names of the capital cities of our nearest neighbours, and with vocabularies so limited that they struggle to come up with a word ending in ‘ian’ because their brain – there’s one, but it would probably score quite highly – just isn’t stuffed with enough random knowledge.

You may sniff and note that today’s youngsters win hands down when it comes to new technology, and that there’s no point cramming all those little nuggets into your brain when you can check them in seconds on Google.

It’s a fair point, but my reply would be this: If you don’t have a very broad general knowledge, and you volunteer to be seen by millions of people in an arena where a lack of general knowledge is probably going to make you look like a right pillock, isn’t that in itself a definition of being as thick as mince? I rest my case, and my mind rests easy.

It may be dripping with star names and cinema class, but is there really an appetite in these tough times for a glitzy tale of corporate excess?

Movie legend Martin Scorsese certainly thinks so, and has spent years bringing cherished project The Wolf Of Wall Street to the screen.

This 18-certificate feature is based on the memoirs of a corrupt stockbroker intent on living life to the max.

Leonardo Di Caprio is centre stage as a slick sort who reckons that greed isn’t just good – it’s grrrrreat.

He’s shown the ropes by old hand Matthew McConaugey and then gets his snout in the trough of 1990s Wall Street.

With something like a million dollars a week pouring into his back pocket, he splashes out on booze, drugs, sex, parties and expensive toys. What could possibly go wrong?

The story has been adapted by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter and sees Scorsese and DiCaprio work together for the fifth time.

Handsome undoubtedly, but hardly heartwarming and we’ve seen it all before.

We’ve also seen everything Devil’s Due has to offer – it’s yet another 15-rated would-be fright fest, this one with a gormless pair of young newyweds who find their lives turned upside down by a sinister pregnancy which is the portent of all sorts of unpleasantness.

Who is that weird man staring at their house? What are those mysterious symbols that keep appearing?

As they appear never to have seen a horror film in their young lives, the terrified twosome don’t have a clue, but we do – wobbly ‘home movie’ camerawork, telegraphed tension and a couple of hours wasted if you really insist on sitting through it.

A spate of garage burlgaries and attempted burglaries took place in Luton and Caddington over three days.

Doors of garages in Dorel Close, Elmore Road, Brill CLose, Mayfield Road, Briar Close, Bracklesham Gardens and Applecroft Road were damaged between January 6 and 9.

Two incidents in Collings Wells Close in Caddington were also reported after someone attempted to gain entry to garages.

In most of the cases the crimes happened in the early evening or overnight and the garage doors appear to have been rammed as the would be burglars have tried to gain access to the items stored inside.

During the incident in Briar Close the offenders got away with a lawn mower and two mountain bikes and during the incident in Applecroft Road they got away with a black and white Fuji bike.

Officers are keen to remind members of the public to be extra vigilant in these areas and to check all the property stored inside their garages is security marked and the locks to their garages are double checked.

Anyone with information relating to these incidents is urged to contact Bedfordshire Police, in confidence, on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively you can contact the independent crime fighting charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Police would like to speak to the man pictured in connection with threatening phone calls.

Numerous threatening calls demanding money were made by a man to the person in Ware, Herts.

Herts Police would like to speak to the man pictured, who may have links to Luton.

If you recognise him please contact Herts Police on 101 quoting crime reference number A5/13/362.

A baby hippo had a splashing time at Whipsnade Zoo after taking a debut dip in the public pool.

The five-week-old common hippo calf had been snuggled up to mum, Lola, in their private dens before making its first appearance in the big pool.

Born just after 9am on December 11, the tiny tot is Lola and dad Hoover’s second calf and is thought to be a little girl, but its sex is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, keepers have nicknamed the youngster Nelly.

Zookeeper Steve White said: “After a few tentative steps on the water’s edge, Nelly was soon enjoying paddling around in the pool and blowing bubbles under the surface as she explored her new surroundings. She’s extremely playful and inquisitive and loves nothing more than watching what’s going on around her. She was standing and suckling just an hour after she was born, and mum’s been doing a brilliant job really helping her to thrive.”

Born after an eight month gestation period, baby Nelly will one day weigh a whopping 1400kg (220st) when she’s fully grown, and reach up to 1.6 metres in height. Classed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and under threat from poaching and habitat loss in the wild, Nelly is a much welcomed addition to the European Studbook for common hippos.

A junior radio worker wept in the toilets moments after her “grandad”-like colleague, veteran DJ Dave Lee Travis, launched a “horrible” assault on her, a court heard.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she was “gutted” when the former Radio One presenter, who lives in Mentmore, groped her after allegedly hugging her from behind and blowing a raspberry on her face.

The alleged victim told London’s Southwark Crown Court on Thursday that she ran to the toilet and had tears in her eyes after the incident.

She said: “He came in and came up behind me and hugged me from behind and blew a raspberry on my face.

“It was just a bit too close. But then his hand was on that bit of your tummy below your belly button. No-one ever touches you there, it is quite personal. When he did that I kind of went to shrug him off.”

The witness said that as Travis, real name David Griffin, went to move his hands away, he did so “deliberately and brushed over my breast”.

She said she went to the toilet and thought: “Your eyes have filled up with tears.”

She added: “I felt really weird. I was confused because I knew it felt horrible.”

The woman said she initially saw him as a “friendly grandad-type”, who gave bear hugs.

But the woman, who was in her 20s when she worked at Chiltern Radio in the same building as Classic Radio DJ Travis, said her opinion of him changed after the alleged assault.

She said: “I knew who he was because my dad was a big fan. That’s why I knew who he was. I pretty much avoided him after that (alleged assault).”

Travis is charged with 13 counts of indecent assault dating back to between 1976 and 2003. He is also charged with one count of sexual assault, in 2008.

He denies all charges. The trial, which began on Tuesday, is expected to last six weeks.

On Wednesday, women gave evidence anonymously – behind a curtain and out of Travis’s view – when they spoke of his “lechy” behaviour, wandering hands, and “strong, old” cologne.

One witness, a former announcer for BBC Radio 4, recalled how Travis fondled her breasts while she was making a live announcement for its flagship Women’s Hour show.

Another recalled apparently having to be separated from the defendant after she called him a pervert following an alleged assault.

The alleged offending includes when Travis was working as a BBC DJ, as a broadcaster with Classic Gold radio, while appearing on Top Of The Pops, and when starring in panto.

The woman said her boyfriend was “very angry” when she told him about the alleged assault after work.

She told the court she could remember another incident when a female colleague had shouted at Travis after he allegedly put his hand up her skirt.

The witness said she could recall one other occasion when Travis returned to the office and appeared “really angry”.

She told the jury: “I remember him saying ‘Look at (the witness’s name). She can’t even look me. You’ve turned her against me.’

“I think he stopped coming into (the office she worked in) after that.”

The witness said she did not complain at the time because she found the alleged assault “very embarrassing”.

“I think you’re always not sure if something is bad or not,” she said.

“It was my first job. I was young. I enjoyed my job. I didn’t want that kind of discussion to happen.”

Stephen Vullo, defending Travis, who also used to work for Luton-based Three Counties Radio, asked whether the alleged touching could have been an “accident”.

“It didn’t feel like an accident,” she replied.

Mr Vullo told the court that Travis did not remember the alleged incident.

The witness denied suggestions from Mr Vullo that she had “merged” her police statement and account of that incident with the alleged victim of the desk attack in the skirt.

The latter gave evidence on Wednesday, and told the court she and Thursday’s witness were close friends who had pledged to support each other.

Asked about the discrepancies between her account in court and the police statement, the woman said: “I have obviously thought about this non-stop until today so something may have come clear to me today.”

She said her account was “improving” – but denied Mr Vullo’s suggestion that this meant chiming further with her female colleague, instead saying it was “honest”.

She said she had not spoken to the other woman since the police case had started.

I’m not a big fan of motor sport, but there was a time when Formula 1 was interesting and thrilling, not the procession it is today.

The 1976 F1 Championship season was dominated by the fierce rivalry between two contrasting racers.

In one car there was daredevil British driver James Hunt, the boozing blond ladies’ man, nicknamed ‘Hunt the Shunt’ because of his slap-happy racing style.

And then there was Niki Lauda, the nerdy, methodical Austrian defending champion known as ‘The Rat’.

Director Ron Howard captures the characters of the pair in zippy biopic RUSH (15: Studio Canal), helped greatly by near-perfect performances from a swaggering Chris Hemsworth as Hunt and a scowling Daniel Bruhl playing Lauda.

The action surrounds the German Grand Prix when Lauda crashed and burned, forcing a three-race lay-off while he was brought back from the dead, allowing Hunt a shot at the title.

The screenplay is faithful to the facts and respectful of both drivers without getting bogged down in technical detail and sentimentality.

> There’s nothing wrong with the premise behind THE CALL (15: Warner), a thriller starring Halle Berry, but there’s no room for the idea to develop without all credibility flying out the window.

Berry plays an emergency services operator in a race against time after receiving a call from a teenager (Abigail Breslin) who says she’s been kidnapped. She takes it upon herself to rescue the girl, but to do so she must confront the memory of her own traumatic encounter with a murderer.

The youngster has managed to dial 911 from the boot of a car she is being held in, yet the fact that she spends two-thirds of the film talking to Berry on the phone without the kidnapper (Michael Eklund) checking to see if she has a mobile is one of many gaping plot holes.

Some suspense is generated in the early scenes, but the movie soon runs out of steam.

> Rousing, low-budget musical SUNSHINE ON LEITH (PG: Entertainment In Video) is so likable that you hardly notice that the singing and choreography aren’t all that slick.

And it’s not a real problem that the boisterous back catalogue of Scottish folk-pop duo the Proclaimers has only a tenuous connection to the story the film-makers are trying to tell.

The follow-up to actor-turned-director Dexter Fletcher’s excellent Wild Bill sees two soldiers returning to the port town of Leith after a traumatic tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Back home, they try to rekindle their love affairs, while the parents (Jane Horrocks and Peter Mullan) of one of the pair are forced to confront a long-buried secret as they prepare to celebrate their 30th anniversary in style.

The music may not suit all tastes, but the charismatic characters will in a study of family life that’s raw, romantic and real.

> Contemporary fable THE SELFISH GIANT (15: Artificial Eye) sees two Yorkshire schoolfriends tangle with an unscrupulous scrap dealer in order to help their cash-strapped families.

Perhaps self-consciously harking back to Ken Loach’s Kes, the story’s outcome is a tad predictable, but there are wonderful contributions from newcomers Conner Chapman and Shaun Thomas as the lads who graduate from horse-and-trap racing to theft of valuable copper wire.

Trains between Luton and London are still suspended as the evening rush hour begins.

First Capital Connect is advising passengeres not to travel due to severe disruption on the network.

Significant overhead line damage at Hendon and flooding at Balcombe mean trains on the Thameslink route are disrupted.

Network Rail is not expected to repair the damage today.

First Capital Connect said on its website: “We advise you not to travel unless your journey is essential and if you have to travel to do so outside the evening peak if at all possible. We expect to be unable to operate any trains until at least 06.00 on Saturday. We will provide any update to this here as soon as we can.”

Customers travelling between Central London and Luton (for trains to/from stations Bedford) should use Great Northern services between London King’s Cross and Hitchin for replacement buses between Hitchin and Luton (these buses will not run after approx. 22.00) or Greenline bus services between London Victoria Buckingham Palace Road and Luton (your tickets will be accepted).

Customers travelling to/from Luton Airport should use bus route A to/from Luton.

After 22.00, replacement buses will operate directly between London St Pancras International and St Albans for onward trains to/from Luton.