Caddington Village School has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag award for its green transformation.

Staff and pupils have significantly reduced the school’s energy consumption and saved nearly five tonnes of C02 during October and November.

Simple changes like ensuring the boilers are on strict time controls, participation in “Switch-off Fortnight”, and making their own ‘hippos’ for the school’s toilets to reduce water consumption, are all helping to make the school more sustainable.

Nicki Butler, the school’s business manager said: “We are extremely proud of our staff and pupils. The children have implemented significant changes within the school and their hard work has embedded ecologically friendly activities into daily life. Our Eco Team of staff and pupils work to ensure we are now very much, a sustainable school. The environmental and financial benefits of this will impact positively on our school and the wider community, for years to come”.

The school is one of many across the area that are working with Central Bedfordshire Council to see how they can reduce their carbon footprint.

Cllr Mark Versallion, Executive Member for Children’s Services at Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “Getting the Green Flag award is a great achievement and is something that the school and its surrounding community can be proud of. This is a great example of a school using investment, behaviour change and pupil involvement to see financial and ecological benefits.

“We are working hard with local schools and Academies to support them to ‘think green’ and enjoy the double benefit of making a positive change for the local environment and saving money too.”

All American super spy Jack Ryan is back for the benefit of cinema-goers who find Bond a bit too British, Bourne a bit too violent and Mission Impossible’s Ethan Hunt a bit too unpredictable.

Ryan has been portrayed by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Alec Baldwin with various degrees of success and now we have a younger ‘prequel’ Ryan played by Chris ‘Kirk from Star Trek’ Pine, all fresh-faced and eager to save the world.

Shadow Recruit is the first Ryan adventure not based on an established Tom Clancy novel and it shows. The plot sees young Jack signing up to the CIA and falling in love with a gorgeous doctor (Keira Knightley) who helps him recover from injuries suffered serving in Afghanistan before being dispatched into the field by veteran spy Harper (Kevin Costner).

After the initial set up has been ticked off, the action can begin – the threat being a dastardly evil Russian plan to destroy the American economy by Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh, who also directs).

Cue plenty of sneaking about, the occasional fight, a spot of breaking into highly guarded offices and of course a ‘thrilling’ against the clock climax to try and avert catastrophe.

It’s decent enough entertainment, slickly put together and it looks good – Pine and Knightley make a gorgeous couple but there is nothing overly compelling and certainly nothing very memorable.

If anyone puts Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit on their ‘films of 2014’ list I’ll want to have words with them – this is Hollywood by-the-numbers action film creation which, as a prequel, doesn’t even hold the threat that our hero might not survive.

I took my son and his girlfriend, both 16, to see this and they – having never seen a Jack Ryan movie before – were kinder than me.

So if you’re new the world of action thrillers, this is probably an ok place to start, breaking you in gently without disturbing you too much or troubling your grey matter.

In fact, in order to enjoy Shadow Recruit it is highly recommended that you put your brain into neutral and let the moments of highly improbable coincidence that are essential to the plot wash over you.

I don’t envy the marketing team behind this film, as it must be tough to sell such an ordinary flick. Jack Ryan: The Slightly Dull Early Years could well have been an early rejected working title?

The Luton community commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day at Luton Town Hall yesterday.

Holocaust Memorial Day has been held annually in the UK since 2001, and offers a chance for people to remember the victims and survivors - those whose lives have significantly changed because of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur - as well as the ongoing atrocities that continue to occur today.

The theme for this year’s event was ‘Journeys’.

The thinking is that people can learn about the life stories of those affected by the Holocaust and genocides through their journeys, mostly undertaken in fear, which millions were forced to go on.

Councillor Sheila Roden, Mayor of Luton, said: “Holocaust Memorial Day gives us the chance to honour the survivors and victims of the Holocaust, Nazi persecutions and other genocides. It also provides a significant opportunity for communities to come together to respect each other’s differences and use the lessons of their experiences to inform our lives today and for all of us to pledge to help to create a safer, better future.”

The national day is today, January 27, and this was chosen because it was on this date in 1945 that the largest Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was liberated.

Community leaders, residents, members of Luton Council of Faiths, councillors and council staff gathered in the council chamber yesterday afternoon.

They watched a presentation of film clips highlighting different journeys undertaken by victims and survivors, heard an extract from the experience of John Edelnand a Holocaust survivor and lit candles in memory of the 11 million victims of the Holocaust.

A short play was also performed by drama students from Stopsley High School, based on their experiences in Terezin, followed by an address by Kelvin Hopkins MP.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is the charity which promotes and supports Holocaust Memorial Day. For more information about HMD, visit www.hmd.org.uk

A burglar pinched a purse from a member of staff in a shop in Dunstable Road on Saturday.

The thief entered the shop between 11.30am and 12.30pm and found a door to the staff room at the rear of the shop had been left unlocked.

A purse was taken from a handbag in the staff room.

The offender is described as a black male, 5 ft 11 with a thin build and short black hair.

Beds Police are reminding staff to be vigilant and avoid leaving personal property behind counters.

Doors to flats, offices, and store rooms should be kept closed and locked at all times.

Be aware of groups of visitors that may try to distract staff away from the counter and till area.

Avoid keeping large amounts of cash either in the till, or in the office.

Consider fitting security lighting, CCTV and alarms.

A pensioner fought back against a fraudster who was trying to con him on Friday.

The criminal had called the man pretending to be from the police and told him to empty his bank account due to ‘fraud danger’.

He said a courier from the bank would be along to his house to collect the money and put it somewhere safe.

The 78-year-old wasn’t fooled by the con and managed to call Beds Police to report the fraudster.

Thanks to the quick-thinking of the would-be victim, uniformed officers were waiting for the bogus courier when he got to the victim’s house and he was arrested.

The 17 year old is now on police bail, while further enquiries are carried out by detectives.

In December, a similar method resulted in an 87-year-old man from Kensworth being conned out of £15,000 by fraudsters using this story.

This is a national scam known as the courier scam and it has many variations but usually follows this method:

• A fraudster will cold call you on a landline, claiming to be from your bank or the police. Often older people will be targeted. The “bank” or “police” will state their systems have spotted a fraudulent payment on your account, or your card is due to expire and needs to be replaced.

• In order to reassure you that they are genuine, they suggest that you hang up and ring the bank/police back straight away. However, they don’t disconnect the call from the landline so that when you dial the real phone number for your bank or the police, you are actually still speaking to the fraudster.

• They then ask you to read out your PIN or type it on your phone keypad. They may ask for details of other accounts you hold with the bank or financial service provider.

• Finally, they send a courier to you to collect your bank card, or the cash that you will be withdrawing from the compromised accounts. The fraudster will have then obtained your name, address, full bank details, card and PIN.

Banks do contact customers about potential security threats, but will never ask for your PIN number, or send a courier to your home, or collect your bank card. Neither will the police. If you receive a call like this, end it immediately and use a different phone such as your mobile or a neighbour’s phone to contact the police.

Det Sgt Emma James of Luton Robbery Squad said: “If you have older friends or relatives, please do make them aware of this scam. Let them know that banks and police officers will never ask you to withdraw cash or hand over cards and they must not go along with any suggestion of this kind. The fraudsters may call repeatedly during the day and if this is the case, you must ring the police as soon as you can by using an alternative phone.”

You can also report it to www.actionfraud.police.uk. Actionfraud also has a wealth of information about this and other scams, along with prevention tips and advice for victims.

A charity hoping to bring sporting facilities to a run down part of High Town is considering appealing after its plan was rejected by Luton Borough Council.

Dallow Development Trust had hoped to turn a large industrial unit on Midland Road into a sports centre offering indoor cricket, boxing, squash, basketball, volleyball and outdoor football and netball facilities.

The plan had been earmarked for approval by officers for the council’s Development Control committee on Wednesday, but was rejected by councillors.

Martin Shaw for the Dallow charity said they were shocked at the refusal.

“We were prepared to help regenerate parts of High Town,” he said. “It was a great facility for young people.”

The charity is now planning to appeal, claiming councillors at the meeting rejected the scheme, and then stated they needed to find reasons to reject it.

Officers initially had opposed the plan, only reversing their position earlier this month following a concerted campaign with a petition, letters of support from local businesses and a report from Team Beds and Luton saying more indoor cricket facilities were needed in the borough.

But they imposed restrictions including only approving it for five years and not allowing outside events at the facility.

Mr Shaw said the trust accepted the conditions even though they would have hampered the project.

“I don’t understand why they were so negative about it,” he said. “We need to make it sustainable and five years can’t work.

“We had to fight tooth and nail to get this before the council, the report was very flawed.”

A previous High Town regeneration plan had the privately owned property earmarked for green space and play facility.

An updated plan now states the land could be used for housing.

A council spokesman said: “The application was reported to the committee with an officer recommendation for approval on a temporary basis and subject to a number of conditions including restrictions on the use of the premises.

“The officers’ report set out the relevant policy considerations and balanced those against the other material considerations applicable to the case.

“In this instance the view of the committee was that the development plan weighted more heavily in the planning balance than other considerations, and on that basis permission was refused.”

The principal issue of concern was that whilst the committee was supportive of the applicants’ intentions to provide sport-based community facilities in the town, the location is inappropriate.

“The applicant has the right of appeal against the Council’s decision.

A man was knocked unconscious in an alley in Caddington during an attempted robbery on Sunday evening.

Police are linking it to a robbery involving two school children in Caddington three days earlier and are appealing for witnesses.

The male victim had left the Cricketers Arms at about 6.30pm on Sunday when he was approached by a man in the alley leading to Crosslands.

The man demanded he hand over his wallet but the victim refused and punched him.

A second would-be robber then attacked him from behind, hitting him round the head and leaving him unconscious on the floor.

They fled the scene empty-handed and the victim regained consciousness and was taken to the Luton & Dunstable Hospital.

On Thursday, two Manshead School students were approached by a group of three men who demanded money in Dunstable Road between 4.20pm and 6pm.

The boy was punched and knocked out and the offenders stole his phone.

The girl was pinned against a wall and searched for property.

Call Det Con Tom Hamm on 01582 394498 with information.

A school in Luton has been praised by the Minister of State for Schools.

Lealands High School received a letter from David Laws MP to congratulate them on being one of the top 100 most improved schools in the country.

Schools in England showing the greatest sustained improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving five or more A* - C grade GCSEs, including English and maths, received the accolade.

Headteacher John Burridge said, “Everyone has been working extremely hard, our standards have risen in all aspects and we now have a fantastic school. I am pleased the government have recognized the importance of sustained school improvement in this letter.

“Our results are based on rigorous traditional GCSEs and this letter acknowledges the sustained nature of our improvements which come from sheer hard work. We have lots to celebrate as we continue on our journey of excellence together as a school”.

In its latest Ofsted inspection in May last year, the school was given an “outstanding” rating for its behaviour and safety and judged at least “good” in all other areas.

A month later, the school celebrated completion of a £17.5m refurbishment. In August, following the previous year’s national debacle around results in English which affected the school, Lealands was back at the top with 75 per cent achieving A*-C in English.

David Laws MP said in his letter: “The results are a shining testament to the hard work and success of your staff, governors and pupils. I would like to offer my thanks to you and all at your school for your pursuit of the highest standards of educational achievement.”

The Department for Education performance tables for 2013 showed 78 per cent of Lealands students are making expected progress in English and 66 per cent in maths.

The average achievement at five or more A*-C grades including English and maths over last three years is 59% which is above the three year national average.

Britain’s three political leaders have given their backing to a Bedfordshire initiative as it launches as a charity.

Uprising - a pioneering youth leadership scheme in Bedfordshire and three major UK cities - officially launched as a charity at a reception in the Houses of Parliament on Monday, January 26.

Uprising patrons Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband sent video messages of support to the reception. You can view clips here.

A new care package launched by Keech Hospice Care on Monday will enable end-of-life patients to remain in their own homes and reduce unplanned emergency admissions.

The project has been developed in collaboration with Luton Clinical Commissioning Group, the Luton and Dunstable Hospital and Cambridgeshire Community Services.

Keech head of care services Elaine Tolliday said: “Too many people spend their final days in hospital, contrary to their wishes.

“This pathway aims to ensure that patients’ wishes are respected and that support is in place to help them, their families and the professionals caring for them.”

She added: “This service will ultimately support patients to remain at home in their final days.”

Luton Clinical Commissioning Group chair Nian Pearson said: “Ensuring high quality and compassionate care for patients approaching the end of their life, aloing with a dignified death in the place of their choice, is so important in a civilised society.”

The My Care Co-ordination Team will provide care packages working closely with hospital, community, hospice and social care colleagues.

Theywill ensure care is co-ordinated effectively and responds to specific needs, improving the experience of patients and their carers.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a 28-year-old man was assaulted and robbed in Luton.

The incident took place on Saturday at 5.20am as the victim was walking through Manor Park on his way to work.

He was approached by three men and asked if he had a cigarette.

When he said no, two of the men grabbed him and pinned him to the floor while the third threatened him with a knife before stealing a packet of cigarettes. The group then fled.

Investigating officer Det Con Lucy Arnold is keen to speak to anyone who was in the area and may have witnessed the attack or who may have information about the offenders.

The one armed with a knife is described as white, 20 to 25 years years old, about 6ft tall and wearing a black puffa jacket and black jeans.

> Contact Dec Con Arnold in confidence on 01582 394285, non-emergency number 101 or text information to 07786 200011.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A by-election will be held in Farley on Thursday March 13.

Following the resignation of Councillor Robin Harris last week, the by-election will contest one of Farley ward’s three seats on the authority. 
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 35 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 14 February.

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 February 18.

Residents of Farley who are currently on the register of electors will receive a poll card by February 17 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 Farley who are not currently on the electoral register need to complete a registration form and ensure it reaches the Town Hall by midnight on February 25.

A registration form is available on the website www.aboutmyvote.co.uk and by calling 01582 510380.

Electors who know that they will be unable to get to the polling station on March 13 can apply for a postal or proxy vote.

Voting by proxy means that the elector appoints someone they trust to vote on their behalf, and can be useful if an elector falls ill or if they are abroad on election day and may experience difficulty returning a postal vote in time.

To vote by either post or proxy, residents firstly need to be on the electoral register. Then they need to complete the relevant application form. Electors can apply to vote by post or by proxy by visiting the website www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. and by calling 01582 510380.

Electors voting by post or by proxy must sign their application form personally for voting security reasons.

Completed, printed and signed postal vote application forms must reach Luton Town Hall by 5pm on Wednesday February 26.

Completed, printed and signed proxy vote applications forms must reach Luton Town Hall by 5pm on Wednesday March 5, except in a medical emergency when an application can be made up until 5pm on Thursday March 13.

Verification and counting of votes will take place immediately following the close of poll at Luton Town Hall and the result will be published on the council’s website as soon as possible at www.luton.gov.uk.
Registration, postal and proxy application forms should be returned to: Electoral Registration Officer, Luton Borough Council, Town Hall, George Street, Luton LU1 2BQ.

A full list of addresses in Farley 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 ‘Farley by-election 2014’ by February 18.

Citizens of the European Union are eligible to vote in local government elections.

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

The future for Bedfordshire’s many thousands of rail commuters has been unveiled - with the theme that train travel will be better than ever.

The shiny new Thameslink train - set to serve passengers on both the Bedford-Luton-St Pancras line and shortly afterwards on the Great Northern line through east Beds too - was revealed to a scrum of media at a glitzy launch in London’s Excel Arena on Tuesday, January 28.

The Government’s rail minister Stephen Hammond was there, as were the MDs of train operator First Capital Connect and train designer Siemens, to take their moment in the spotlight.

But the star of the show was a full sized mock-up of the new electric Class 700 train - at the very heart of proposals to revolutionise our rail services in and out of London.

A total of 1,140 carriages - that equates to 115 new trains of varying length - have been ordered and they will enter service on the tracks from Bedford to Brighton via Luton from early 2016. They will be phased in on the Peterborough to Kings Cross line one year later.

Those among the railway media at the launch - and yes believe me, there’s quite a sizeable posse of them - could no doubt explain to you all the technical improvements on this new train, designed and developed by Siemens at a cost of more than £80million.

But for those, like me, who want to enjoy travelling in them rather than knowing the ins and outs of the axle arrangement I can tell you from my peek around that there’s a greater feeling of space and capacity than the FCC train I boarded to get to the launch.

There’s no more five seats across a carriage - it’s a maximum of four, sometimes three, and more tip up seats too. That means 666 seats on a 12-carriage train and room for a total of 1,754 passengers.

On our tight railway network you can’t make the trains any wider or higher. So it’s all about margins aimed to improve comfort and punctuality. For instance the doorways are a little wider, allowing people on and off more quickly. The doorway areas are set back a little allowing more room to stand when necessary.

Overall the trains have a light and airy feel. Rattling windows - and arguments over whether they are closed or open - are a thing of the past as these cabin windows are sealed, and climate controlled carriages are the order of the day.

These lighter trains accelerate more quickly, know the load in each carriage and can adjust the air flow as a result. And the seats are bolted to the side of the carriages, making the floors much easier to keep clean. There’s more storage room, and even the toilets look better.

The new trains are just a part of what’s going on in this rail revolution and at Tuesday’s launch there were enough statistics to make a maths teacher beam with joy.

The £6.5 billion Thameslink programme will create 8,000 jobs and increase the number of carriages serving the capital by 40 per cent. There will be 15 per cent more seats from stations along the line from Peterborough and Cambridge, and 80 per cent more peak seats across central London.

It’s the future - but it’s not quite there yet. Solving congestion on routes into London is not as easy as just shoving more train services on, as I discovered chatting to FCC managers.

For instance, work on linking the Peterborough to Kings Cross route to Thameslink, therefore providing through trains to Gatwick Airport and Brighton, is under way and is probably only a couple of years away. Great.

But families in Biggleswade shouldn’t head to the platform with their bucket and spade for an uninterrupted journey to the south coast just yet, There’s a spanner in the works and it’s called London Bridge. It’s a major bottleneck for passing through London and you can’t put more services through there until the current dog’s dinner of a station is completely redeveloped and overhauled. That’s about four years away.

However despite the many hurdles still to navigate it is difficult not to be impressed by the amount going on. Forget about some mythical golden age of railways in the distant past - we’re quite probably heading towards it. If those pledges writ large today come to fruition the people of Bedfordshire will never have had more options on the rails.

Of course, launches and mock-ups are meant to be shiny and gleaming. We have yet to see how these trains cater for commuters on a miserable Monday morning. How will they deal with that bizarre mix of hordes of football fans and theatregoers coming home on a Saturday night? And after a while will it still be a bit whiffy sitting within six feet of a toilet you’ll only use in desperation?

For now though, let’s stay positive and hope these new trains make the difference.

Not long now until January is behind us, thank goodness. I can’t wait to see the back of it.

It’s not what you think. I’m not in the grips of some seasonal affected disorder which plunges me into a bleak midwinter depression.

I haven’t been spending sleepless nights worrying about the Christmas credit card bills thudding onto the doormat, sent into a state of soggy despair by the relentless rain or tempted to give up on the human race once and for all by the combined onslaught of TV programmes featuring so-called celebrities falling into swimming pools, falling off mountains or just sitting around in a locked house competing to see which of them is the most self-regarding and stupid.

Those are all expected trials of life, and just because it’s January doesn’t make them any more or less annoying.

No, the reason I am only too eager to say farewell to this particular ordeal by calendar is because all those smug detox dunderheads can finally shut up and get out of my face.

Now we are all familiar with the advice from the experts about how we should take urgent steps to improve our lot, no matter which days and weeks we are crossing off the calendar.

You can tick off all the stuff we are supposed to be doing but don’t – eating less, eating more healthily, taking exercise, kicking tobacco, cutting down on our alcohol intake so that’s more of a tipple treat than an everyday essential.

Well done to all those who have the strength of mind to follow that advice, I am sure it will be a positive step for you.

But please, keep it to yourself. I really don’t care, and I certainly don’t want to know.

You’d think these people were engaged in some sort of heroic quest instead of cutting down for a few weeks.

You get to the end of a trying day, you suggest a swift drink after work to help ease the strain, and that saintly, self-satisfied look comes into their eyes.

There’s no apology on the way as piously tell you that they’re not partaking of that particular poison at the moment, while obviously pitying you for your helpless dependence on the demon drink.

There are even those who will refer to themselves as a ‘dryathlete’ as if not bending the elbow and swallowing quite as often as usual was some sort of Olympic event.

But soon it will be over, and I can’t wait.

However, a simple tip to bear in mind when these self-denying sorts come out of the woodwork next year. Whatever they say they have given up, just look them in the eye and say: “Doctor’s orders? Of course, I understand.”

The implication that they’re on a course of tablets to clear up a nasty infection or other embarrassing medical condition is guaranteed to wipe the smug look off their faces.

Mark Wahlberg’s reinvention as everyone’s favourite everyman killing machine continues apace.

Lone Survivor has one of those titles that indicate a high body count, and it doesn’t lie – our Mark is the only special forces op still breathing after a disastrous mission in Afghanistan.

It’s based on a true story and is told with a grim attention to keeping it rough and real. It’s not for the squeamish, but it’s certainly not as gung-ho as most American films featuring their boys on the front line.

Not a lot of laughs, either, in Out Of The Furnace, in which ex-con Christian Bale tries to keep little brother Casey Affleck out of trouble without much success.

Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker and Willem Dafoe add support in a gritty and brutal blue collar drama from writer/director Scott Cooper, whose last project was the Oscar-winning Crazy Heart.

What would happen if Dr Frankenstein’s monster still walked the earth 200 years on?

He hasn’t got the familiar bolt through his neck, but the creature, now looking a lot like Aaron Eckhart, is centre stage in the an age-old battle between supernatural entities.

I, Frankenstein bills itself as fast-paced gothic action movie and is adapted from a graphic novel by Kevin ‘Underworld’ Grevioux, so it’s slick , high fashion fare.

That Awkward Moment answers that nagging question: Whatever happened to Zac Efron?

The teen sensation is back in a ‘raunchy’ romantic comedy about three lads who, when one is dumped, vow to all stay single and pursue no-ties fun.

Of course it doesn’t work, or it would make for a pretty dull story – but Zac and co stretching for those grown-up gags doesn’t seem right, somehow.

A shop worker from Houghton Regis was robbed of around £9,000 in Manor Road, Sundon on Saturday.

The man was driving back to the Houghton Regis store after collecting takings from other nearby shops when he was hit from behind by another vehicle at about 12.15pm.

Thinking it was an accident, the man got out to examine the damage and noticed a dark VW Golf a short distance away.

The other driver got out and approached him, and then suddenly the van driver was hit straight in the face, causing his nose to stream with blood.

Disorientated, he was led over to a grassed area by the offender and made to sit down.

His accomplice then demanded the vehicle keys from the injured man and unlocked it.

After searching the van they found the takings the victim had been picking up (around £9000), took the bag back to their car and drove off.

The car was found on fire at about 8.15pm the same day in a garage block off Kinross Crescent in Luton.

It been previously stolen in Letchworth and was travelling on false plates of SC10 FUJ.

One of the offenders is described as a white man, about 6ft tall and the other is described as a black man, about 5ft 8.

Det Con Tom Hamm is investigating this case and would like to hear from anyone who saw the Golf being dumped or set alight, or saw any part of this incident in Manor Road, Sundon.

If you can help, please contact Det Con Hamm directly on 01582 394498, or call the 24 hour police non-emergency number 101, text the force control room direct on 07786 200011, or call independent charity Crimestoppers on 08000 555111.

A man who posed as a fundraiser for a Syrian charity stole an iPod from the home of a woman he visited asking for cash.

The victim refused to give the man personal details when he called at her home in Wickstead Avenue but asked if she could get him a drink.

When she returned from her fridge the man was in her lounge. She handed over the drink and he left, then she realised her iPod was missing and called the police.

The offender is described as an Asian man, around 20 years old, 5ft 6ins tall, with hair sticking out from underneath a white woolly hat.

He was carrying a blue notepad.

Call 101 with information.

Travellers in High Town have been served with an eviction notice that means they have 24 hours to leave.

The group of six or seven caravans arrived in High Town this week and were reported to Luton Borough Council yesterday morning.

A council spokesman said: “We immediately started the legal process for eviction. We’ve also spoken to Bedfordshire Police who have served an as61 notice this morning. It gives the travellers until 11am tomorrow to depart.”

Travellers have camped in the same area in High Town a number of times before.

A Bedfordshire scheme encouraging the leaders of tomorrow has launched as an independent organisation at a reception in the Houses of Parliament.

Uprising - the leadership programme for young adults with bases in Bedfordshire, London, Manchester and Birmingham - has the backing of patrons David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.

After starting as a project within the Young Foundation, it has now relaunched as an independent charity and House of Commons Speaker John Bercow hosted the launch reception in the Speaker’s Rooms in Westminster on Monday evening.

UpRising works with talented young people from underrepresented groups, including those from white working class, black and ethnic minority backgrounds, as well as those with disabilities.

It provides leadership development training, such as public speaking, media training, and developing social action campaigning skills.

It connects them with leaders in politics, business and civic society to act as mentors to them via an organised networking programme.

The ‘UpRisers’ are then supported to engage in community projects and, in some cases set up social enterprises.

Adiva Kestenbaum, Head of UpRising in Bedfordshire and Luton said: “UpRising provides young people with support to achieve their potential, a chance for social mobility and social capital.

“We work with them to address inequality through taking social action in their local area, as a means of affecting personal change and positive community impact”.

The speakers at Monday’s launch alongside Uprising CEO Andrea Cooper included Rashanara Ali MP, who spearheaded the scheme, plus Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd and Shadow Education spokesman Tristram Hunt, himself an Uprising mentor.

Bedford was well represented at the launch with several Uprising alumni and mentors present, together with Richard Fuller MP, Uprising trustee Bridget Harris, David Russell of supporters The Harpur Trust and Lord Lieutenant Helen Nellis.

Of UpRising’s 450 alumni over the last five years, two thirds have gone on to take part and lead social action campaigns in their communities. That compares with 29 per cent of young people in Britain who currently take part in any form of regular volunteering with a social purpose (figures from DEMOS).

A survey has identified two key routes to this success: practical leadership experience, gaining employability skills and developing networks with leaders in power – and that taking social action is a proven way to develop both of these attributes.

The programme originally launched in Bedford in October 2011, and was supported by the Harpur Trust and the University of Bedfordshire. In 2013 the programme expanded to include Central Bedfordshire and Luton.

During 2014, UpRising plans increase the number on its programmes by more than tenfold - from the current 165 per year to 1800. In Bedfordshire and Luton it will increase its numbers from 30 to 150.

To coincide with the launch of UpRising, the three party leaders sent video messages of support.

David Cameron MP, Prime Minister said: “Over the years Uprising has done incredible work for young people in Britain, helping people from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds rise into positions of leadership. I’m enormously proud to be an UpRising patron.”

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, said: “We need to create a fairer society where everyone can get ahead in life, regardless of where they were born or who they know. All young people should be given the support to develop the right skills and jobs they deserve.”

Ed Miliband, Leader of the Opposition, said: “Too many young men and women are held back by lacking networks and opportunities others in more privileged positions take for granted. UpRising is working to change this, and has my full support. I would be delighted to see UpRising alumni make it to the 2020 Cabinet”.

{http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/local/video-cameron-miliband-and-clegg-back-uprising-in-beds-1-5837804|You can view their messages here}

Generous people in Luton and Dunstable have been donating huge sums of money to help those suffering from the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

Akram Khan, a retired aerospace executive from Barnfield, said he was left in tears after hearing about the suffering of Syrians and decided to start raising money.

So far his Just Giving page has raised £7300 in one month, including an anonymous donation of £2500 from a Luton resident.

Mr Khan, 56, said: “I recently attended an event on the humanitarian crisis in Syria and was left in tears on seeing the suffering of the women and children. I was most distraught at seeing a video of a four-month-old baby girl dying of starvation in her mothers arms. As a result I am seeking to raise £10000 for a flour consignment to Syria (to feed 4000 starving civilians). People in Luton and the wider UK have been most generous and have raised £7300 to date but we need more donations.”

The UK government yesterday agreed to provide sanctuary to several hundred Syrian refugees.

Theresa May, the home secretary, said victims of torture, women and children in need, as well as victims of sexual violence, or those requiring medical care would be prioritised.

The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, queried why the government had held out against becoming full members of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) scheme in which 18 other countries are already participating.

The conflict in Syria started in March 2011 in what has become known as the Arab Spring.

Hundreds of thousands of people have died and the crisis is ongoing.

Go to www.justgiving.com/AkramKhan if you would like to donate.