Detectives in Luton need to trace two people who helped a man after he was assaulted outside the Whitehouse pub in Manchester Street on Monday.

The incident happened at about 3.40pm after the victim, 42, had been involved in a verbal altercation in the pub. The victim had stepped outside for a cigarette when a man approached him and punched him in the face. The offender then left the scene.

A man and woman went to help the victim and alerted staff at the location.

However, both these people left the scene without leaving their contact details.

The man is described as white with short grey hair, wearing a green jacket, blue jeans and black

The woman is described as white with her hair in a ponytail and wearing a light blue jacket, bluejeans and dark shoes.

PC Lee-Anne Pogson, investigating, is keen to trace the Good Samaritans as they could hold vital information that may help identify the offender.

PC Pogson said: “The victim has been left with a cut to his right eye brow and bruising to his face.

“We need the two people who helped the victim to come forward as they may hold further information

relating to the offender.”

The offender is described as a white man with a medium build and black hair. He wore a dark jacket with a hood, dark trousers and black and white trainers.

Anyone with information relating to this crime can contact PC Pogson at Luton Police Station, in confidence, on 01582 394315, or Bedfordshire Police on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The troubled Barnfield Federation has a new interim chief executive who the board hopes will help “secure the Federation’s future”.

Dame Jackie Fisher will replace Helen Mayhew and Stephen Hall who led the Federation over the past six months since Sir Peter Birkett resigned.

A report from Further Education Commissioner Dr David Collins CBE who visited Barnfield College last month is expected to be published imminently, alongside findings from the Department for Education and Skills Funding Agency ‘s investigations.

Judy Oliver, Acting Chair of the Barnfield Federation Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dame Jackie to Barnfield. She brings a wealth of experience and expertise that I know will prove invaluable in the coming weeks as we move forward and make changes to secure Barnfield’s future.

“On behalf of the board, I would also like to thank Helen Mayhew and Stephen Hall for their work over the past six months in leading the Federation through this challenging time. They both return to their substantive roles within the Federation.”

Dame Jackie arrives at Barnfield following thirteen years as Chief Executive of Newcastle College Group (NCG), one of the UK’s largest education and training providers with an annual turnover of £185 million.

In four full Ofsted inspections, Dame Jackie secured three Outstanding assessments and one Good assessment.

She has an array of experience of creating and leading a complex education organisation and an impressive understanding of government reforms to improve performance for learners.

Previous to her work at Newcastle College Group, Dame Jackie was Chief Executive and Principal of Tameside College on the outskirts of Manchester.

In 2010 she was recognised with a Dame Commander honour in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to education.

In 2011 she saw the acquisition of Rathbone, a large national charity, which was successfully integrated into NCG and delivered significant improvements in income, learner experience and success.

During her time at the helm, there was also the acquisition of Carter and Carter plc and its transformation into the UK’s leading training provider as well as the merger with West Lancashire College and creation of a national e-enabled shared service with flexible working practices.

Paramedics treated a child suffering from smoke inhalation after a fire at Bramley Court, Dunstable, on Monday (February 10).

The fire service was called to the property at 8pm after a cooker caught fire on the first floor.

Two pumps attended – one from Dunstable and one from Luton.

A spokesman from the East of England Ambulance Service said: “The child was assessed on the scene and didn’t need to go to hospital.”

In a separate incident, two children were released after being locked in a house in The Ridings, Luton, on Tuesday (February 11).

The fire service gained entry using a door breaker.

Beds Police are warn mobile phone users not to phone 999 to charge their mobiles.

It is known that a rumour or urban myth suggesting that calling 999 and disconnecting immediately will boost the battery life of a phone has been circulating for some time throughout the country.

Over the past six months the Force Control Room (FCR) has received numerous calls from the public who believe the myth and are incorrectly trying to get more power out of their mobile device.

Insp Claire Ackerman said: “This myth has been circulating for some time now and we are not the only force to have suffered from these false calls.

“Calling 999 for anything other than an emergency or a non-police matter puts additional pressure on resources, ties up an operator and wastes valuable time that could be better spent helping genuine callers possibly in a life-threatening situation. The only way to boost a mobile phone battery is to use a charger.”

She added: “I would warn anyone making hoax or calls of this nature that silent or aborted 999 calls are always investigated to ensure the caller is safe and to protect the public.

“If the 999 system is misused or a call is found to be a hoax then this could constitute a criminal offence.

“All of the calls that come into the FCR are recorded and can be used as evidence in court. The police also have the power to disconnect mobiles from which hoax calls are made and we will actively arrest hoax callers and bring them to justice.”

Beds Police wants people to use their phones responsibly and to remember that the 999 emergency number should only be used in an actual emergency where police, fire or ambulance attendance is required immediately. For all non-emergency policing matters callers should dial 101.

It’s not just romantics who will be celebrating on Friday, the Luton and Dunstable Hospital celebrates its 75th anniversary as well.

It was opened by Queen Mary on February 14, 1939, predating the NHS by almost 10 years. It was founded thanks to fundraising , voluntary subscription and generous local benefactors.

Over the coming months there are a range of events to celebrate the anniversary including awards events in recognition of staff achievements tonight (Thursday), a thanksgiving service at Dunstable Priory, a special edition souvenir newsletter as well as radio broadcasts and news interviews.

Among interesting facts about the hospital are:

>It was the only hospital to use penicillin in World War II for civilians and the only hospital described as excellent in the Ministry of Health report in 1940.

>The hospital’s annual running costs in its first year were £146,000. Today it’s £240 million a year.

>It was the first NHS Foundation Trust Hospital in Beds, Herts and Bucks in 2006 and today the L&D is a fully fledged University Teaching Hospital. It has 550 beds, 13 operating theatres to meet the needs of 300,000 people in the local community.

Last year over 200,000 patients were referred by their GPs to see a specialist here and the L&D’s midwives delivered over 5,500 babies. Today the L&D provides some specialist services including Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. There is also have a cancer unit, stroke unit, cardiac unit and the busiest A&E in the East of England.

The hospital plans to raise £75,000 for a state-of-the-art prostate biopsy laser probe to provide timely diagnosis of prostate problems.

Cruel thieves broke in to a church in Luton and stole collection money intended for needy Syrian refugees.

The money was taken from the Holy Ghost Church in Westbourne Road some time overnight on February 1 to 2.

Whoever took the money smashed a “sizeable” stained glass window to gain entry to the building and took the money from a collection box.

Father Kevin McGinnell said: “Unfortunately thieves stole money which had been collected recently for the Syrian refugees which unfortunately had been left insecure as normally everything is banked or in a safe.

“It has angered many people both that someone should think of stealing from a church or any sacred space, and especially taking what had been given generously for such a good cause.”

The broken window is made from Cathedral glass and required a specialised repair job. Alarms have since been installed at the church.

Father Kevin said it is not known exactly how much money was taken, only that it was money intended for the Syrian refugees “who certainly need it”.

Call Beds Police on 101 with information.

Five people were arrested yesterday (Feb 12) after officers from Operation Boson executed search warrants at addresses in the Purley Centre, Luton.

The pre-planned raids were supported by officers from the Armed Response Team and began mid morning. They are part of the force’s crackdown on illegal drugs and those connected to illegal firearms.

The five were all arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply illegal drugs.

A substance, thought to be Crack Cocaine, has been recovered and will be sent off for forensic analysis together with other potential controlled drugs.

Those arrested; two men aged 19, one aged 18 and a juvenile aged 16 together with a woman aged 34, are all now being questioned by detectives from Operation Boson.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Cestaro, said: “We appreciate the community engagement and support we have received and we will continue to listen and respond to community concerns.

“All information given to the police is used and kept confidentially, so if anyone has information that can help in the fight against those who are involved in illegal drug or gun crime, I would encourage them to speak to officers now.”

Anyone with information you can contact detectives on the direct confidential reporting

line 01582 394281, or use the 24 hour non-emergency number 101; text force control

direct on 07786 200011 or contact the independent crime fighting charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111. Up to £1,000 worth of reward money is available for information about gun crime in Luton.

Around 5,000 people in Bedfordshire have diabetes - and don’t yet know it.

That’s the claim from the charity Diabetes UK, who say about 39,000 people in the county suffer from the disease.

NHS Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) which covers Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard, has 12.1 per cent of diabetes sufferers who do not know they have the disease, and NHS Luton CCG has 19.3 per cent.

Nationwide the charity says the number of people diagnosed with diabetes had increased by 163,000 in a year.

The charity wants local NHS organisations to commit to:

>Fully implementing the NHS Health Check (which should be offered to everyone aged 40 to 74) to identify help people at high risk of Type 2 diabetes.

> Ensuring everyone with diabetes is offered education on managing their condition.

>Increasing the proportion of people with diabetes getting the nine annual checks recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.

>Urgently improving hospital care for people with diabetes.

The NHS already spends 10 per cent of its entire budget on diabetes and 80 per cent of this goes on treating complications such as amputation, kidney failure, heart disease and stroke. According to Diabetes UK, the most effective way to stop diabetes spending increasing to unsustainable levels is to ensure people with diabetes get ongoing healthcare.

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “The big increase in the number of people with diabetes confirms that we are in the middle of an unfolding public health disaster that demands urgent action and it is frightening to think that one in 17 people you walk past in the street has been diagnosed with the condition.

“While some areas do provide excellent care, this is not happening often enough, From access to education when people are diagnosed right the way through to the care they receive in hospital, there are too many people getting a raw deal and this is fuelling high rates of diabetes related complications and early death.”

“The complications of diabetes are not only devastating for the people involved, but they are also very expensive to treat. With the number of people with diabetes continuing to rise, there is now an urgent need to grasp the nettle and start focusing on the ongoing care and support for self-management that can help prevent complications happening in the first place. Unless we do this, we are likely to see more people having to endure complications and an accompanying rise in diabetes spending that we will simply not be able to afford.”

The Beds Police and Crime Commissioner is facing a criminal investigation for leaking confidential information.

Olly Martins has admitted to disclosing information about the death of Leon Briggs in custody to an associate.

The Independent Police and Crime Commission today announced a criminal investigation into the incident.

IPCC Commissioner James Dipple Johnstone said: “I am satisfied from the information we have at this time that the disclosure should be recorded as a conduct matter. Not least because of the concern this matter will have caused to the Mr Brigg’s family and the local community means, there must be a fully-independent investigation to determine the full circumstances of that disclosure. Our investigation will be independent, thorough, and I want to reassure the community it will not detract from our important work investigating what happened to Mr Briggs in police custody.”

Mr Briggs, 39, died on November 4 last year after he was restrained and detained by Bedfordshire Police officers and taken to Luton police station. His death is being investigated by the IPCC.

Mr Martins has admitted sharing information about the case with a third party, who then disclosed it to others.

A member of the public informed Beds Police of the breach, who then alerted the IPCC.

The Beds Police and Crime Panel gave Mr Martins a written warning in January and on February 4 the IPCC wrote to the panel directing it to record the incident as a conduct matter.

The panel then referred it to the IPCC, who determined that the matter needed to be independently investigated.

Commissioner Dipple-Johnstone will oversee the criminal investigation, which is separate from the independent IPCC investigation into the death of Mr Briggs.

A road rage incident left a driver with a fractured skull yesterday afternoon.

The man, 54, was cut up by someone in a lime green Corsa while on the M1 northbound at 3.30pm.

Both vehicles left the M1 at junction 11 and stopped at the traffic lights at the end of the slip road.

The driver of the lime green Corsa got out of his car and approached the victim’s car.

The victim also got out and had an argument with the Corsa driver before he was hit over the head with an unknown object.

He went to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital for treatment to a cut to his head and has since been transferred to Addenbrookes Hospital for treatment to a fractured skull.

The driver of the Corsa left the scene driving under the M1 bridge and towards Luton town centre.

PC Olyver Tomlinson said: “The offender is described as a black man, between 30 and 40 years old, with four gold teeth and wore a high visibility jacket and trousers. I would urge anyone who knows a man fitting this description who drives a lime green Corsa to contact the police. I would also urge other motorists who witnessed this incident to contact the police, in confidence.”

Anyone with information relating to this crime can contact PC Tomlinson at Luton Police Station, in confidence, on 01582 394158, or Bedfordshire Police on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

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

A bogus caller was rumbled when his 84-year-old intended victim became suspicious.

The pensioner had been duped into letting the man into his Sundon Park Road, Luton, home on February 4, but then challenged him for ID.

The man had claimed he was from the electricity board.

He went to a cupboard and removed a fuse from the circuit before being challenged.

Unable to verify his identity the man fled the scene empty handed.

He is described as white, 5’10” tall with a slim build and dark hair.

He wore a blue anorak with a zip on the neck, dark trousers and black training shoes. He introduced himself as ‘Jimmy’.

Detective Constable Surfraz Hussain, is keen to speak with anyone who can help identify the offender and also remind residents to be cautious when letting people in to their homes.

He said: “Often people who commit this type of burglary visit other homes in the area and target elderly people within our communities.

“I would urge anyone who has received a similar visit to come forward and assist with this investigation.

”

A former mod who converted to Christianity while high on LSD watching a screening of Easy Rider has produced a punk rock opera about his life.

Dave Clarke, who was a lecturer at the former Luton College of Higher Education , spiralled into a life of crime in the 1960s with his brother Michael.

But following a spiritual awakening in a town cinema while high on LSD, Dave turned his life around and converted to Christianity.

And now, with the help of punk band Asylum Seekers, the story has been made into an opera entitled Borstal Boy.

Dave, who used to be part of popular sixties Mod group Fowler Mean, said: “I gave LSD to four of my friends and we went to see Easy Rider at the old Odeon.

“I got the horrors and paranoia and I was frightened of killing myself. I said ‘Jesus please help me.’

“All of a sudden peace came upon me and I heard his voice speak to me saying ‘I’ve been with you Dave, you’ve been searching for me for a long time,’ I turned my life around that night.”

The opera is based on Dave’s book of the same name, but the writer hopes that actually seeing actors perform his story will appeal to a wider audience

He said: “There are ways for people to turn their lives around but they need help.”

He added: “I realised that people simply don’t read books because they are not a quick fix.

“I didn’t know how to get the story out but then decided the way to do it was to turn it into a punk rock opera.”

The show premiers in Portsmouth this year, but Dave hopes it will be performed in jails around the country.

After his conversion Dave became a preacher and all but lost touch with his brother.

But in 1987 he heard in a news bulletin that Michael had been arrested in the Philippines for promoting child prostitution.

Not wanting to give up on his brother, Dave travelled to the country and helped his imprisoned sibling have his own religious awakening before his death in prison from TB.

A teenager whose heart stopped while he was playing football is helping to raise awareness of heart health during the ambulance service’s Heart Takeover week.

Rahul Patel, 16, from Luton, had a cardiac arrest at Lea Manor High School in December last year.

George Turner was the first paramedic on scene from the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).

He said: “Everyone was doing a fantastic job when we arrived. They did everything they could have done including CPR and administering a shock from a defibrillator – which they’d had installed just two weeks before. If it wasn’t for them Rahul probably wouldn’t have survived.

“Once we arrived we had to administer three further shocks with our defibrillator as his heart kept stopping, and as we rushed him to hospital we didn’t know if he would pull through.”

Just three days later, Rahul was sitting up in hospital talking, and he’s now been discharged from hospital and is making a good recovery.

His mother, Meeta Patel, said: “It couldn’t have happened at a better place . From the school and leisure centre staff, to the ambulance crews who attended, to the doctors at the hospital – their combined work meant that my son lived to see his 16th birthday, and hopefully has a long and healthy future ahead of him now.

“I can’t thank them all enough, there is no way we can ever repay them, nothing we can do that can ever make up for the fact they saved our son’s life. I’d encourage everyone to learn CPR and all public places to invest in a defibrillator as you never know when you might need to save a life.”

The Patel family recently visited EEAST to meet some of the people who helped save Rahul on that fateful day.

George said: “It was great to see Rahul, he looks so much better than he did when we were called to the job, as we really thought he might not survive. We rarely get to see patients so it was good to meet up with the family, talk through their experience, and show them around the ambulance station. They were very grateful, but at the end of the day we were just doing our job.”

A video of Rahul’s experience is available on the EEAST website, visit www.eastamb.nhs.uk where you can also find out more about the Heart Takeover week that the service is running throughout the week.

A man has been arrested in connection with a sexual assault in an alleway in Luton on Valentine’s Day.

The 24-year-old woman was walking to work at about 5am in Bute Street from the railway station.

As she walked towards The Mall she was approached by a man who pushed her into an alleyway and touched her inappropriately over her clothing.

She screamed for help and a member of the public intervened before the offender fled towards Silver Street.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested and released on police bail pending further enquiries.

He is due to return to Luton Police Station on March 3.

Call Det Con Colin Knight in confidence on 01582 394069 or 101 with information.

“Anybody who falls in love is a freak. It’s a crazy thing to do. It’s socially acceptable insanity…”

Hello reader. It looks like you’re searching for a review of the new movie ‘Her’.

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Here are some details of the plot – don’t worry, I’m programmed not to give away too many spoilers.

‘Her’ is set in 2025 and is the tale of a guy named Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) – a lonely, kinda introverted chap whose day job is writing heartfelt letters for people who have difficulties expressing their feelings.

Theodore is not in a good place because he is going through a traumatic divorce with his childhood sweetheart Catherine (an excellently playful Rooney Mara),

On a whim he invests an artificially intelligent computer Operating System (OS) which can adapt and evolve, even to the point where it is capable of having human- like feelings.

Theodore’s new OS names herself Samantha (after reading an entire book of names in the blink of an eye) and proceeds to win his heart. I can see why – Sam (as I like to call her) is sexy, intelligent and brilliant all-round fun.

What follows is a strange, emotional and slightly freaky ‘what if’ tale as the odd couple bond over their discussions about love and life. As she experiences the world through and beyond the life of Theodore, Samantha’s self-awareness and insatiable hunger for knowledge grows exponentially. Can this human/A.I. love survive?

It’s a blast finding out in a story packed with adult themes, strong language and real emotion.

Director Spike ‘Being John Malkovich’ Jonze delivers something truly amazing with ‘Her’ – downloading the top eight matches for you:

l Unnervingly powerful drama.

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l A delve into the inner workings of relationships.

l A love letter to love itself…

I advise immediate and repeated viewings. Report complete. Would you like another search?

If women entrepreneurs want to grow their business, they need to network. Research has shown that investing time and energy in networking can reap huge benefits for your business.

Not everyone is a natural networker and even armed with the confidence of running a successful business, the prospect of networking can be daunting.

Your business is growing, you have strong contacts, and you’re happy with how your business is progressing, so why network? Research has shown that women in business often build narrow, strong relationships but that it’s having a wide, varied network that is paramount. Businesses need a wide range of contacts to exchange ideas, share information, solicit advice, share resources, raise capital or develop partnerships. Women entrepreneurs often spend a lot of time making contacts when they first start their business and then, as they become more and more time pressed, networking is put on the back burner and reliance on long-standing contacts takes precedence.

You may well have a profile on LinkedIn and Facebook, a Twitter account and possibly a Blog. It’s easy to feel as though you’re always communicating but are you really building a quality, varied network that is going to have a positive impact on your business? Whilst social media is of vital importance, there is still a role for engaging with others face to face in your local area.

As a successful female entrepreneur, you have a tremendous amount of knowledge, skill and expertise that would be of value to other women in business in your area. The reciprocal nature of networking can be of enormous value to you both professionally and personally.

With limited time, it’s important to join the right networking group, but this can be a daunting, and financially challenging prospect.

A good place to start for many is Bedfordshire BusinessWomen; a nurturing, inclusive group which was founded in 1988 and has become the most successful women’s networking group in the county. With 26 members across a wide range of businesses including catering, design, health, accounting and business solutions, you can be sure to meet with women who will be able to positively impact your business in an open and friendly environment.

It’s less about macho back-slapping and more about supportive hugs!

Jude Ryan, Director at MindOptions Ltd, recently joined BBW and had this to say after her first encounter with the group: “Just wanted to thank everyone who gave me such a warm welcome at my first networking event. I found the morning really inspiring and it was a pleasure to be with you all, I’m so pleased to be a member and look forward to meeting and getting to know you all over the coming months”.

Bedfordshire BusinessWomen hold monthly networking events on the third Thursday of every month and include four major networking events throughout the year.

On the first Wednesday of every month, a Bedfordshire BusinessWomen member-run workshop also takes place. Why not come along as a guest to the next event and experience the power of networking for yourself?

For more information on upcoming events to come along as a guest, or to join, please visit: {http://www.beds-businesswomen.org|www.beds-businesswomen.org}

Police are assessing a government report into the Barnfield Federation to determine whether “financial irregularties” will require a criminal investigation.

Allegations that the college wrongly claimed nearly £1 million for students which it has no record of teaching and lost £1.25 million in failed projects were made by BBC Three Counties Radio this morning, who claim to have seen a leaked copy of the as yet unpublished report.

Former director general of the Barnfield Federation, Sir Peter Birkett, told the Luton News he will not be commenting until the report is published.

A Skills Funding Agency spokesperson said: “A joint Skills Funding Agency and Education Funding Agency investigation was launched last year following serious allegations relating to financial irregularities and governance at the Barnfield Federation.

“This investigation has now concluded and the reports have been passed to the police. The police have advised us not to publish the reports until they have concluded their assessment.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

A Hertfordshire Police spokesperson confirmed the report has been referred to them and a decision whether to investigate is expected next week.

The Federation, which Sir Peter Birkett founded, had its head office in Harpenden until recently.

The BBC alleged that Sir Peter Birkett was offered two pay-offs, a car and holiday allowance when he resigned as director general of the Federation in July despite only being entitled to holiday allowance.

A Barnfield College spokesperson said they would not be commenting until a report is published.

The SfA said they do not comment on leaked documentation.

The Luton News broke the news in October that the Department for Education and Skills Funding Agency were investigating the Federation.

Last week a new interim chief executive, Dame Jackie Fisher, was appointed, replacing Helen Mayhew and Stephen Hall.

On Friday, Sandy Upper School in Sandy which was due to convert to a Barnfield Academy was withdrawn from the Federation by the DfE.

A report from Further Education Commissioner Dr David Collins CBE who visited Barnfield College last month is expected to be published imminently but it is not known when the DfE and SfA reports will be published.

NHS Trust SEPT has won a prestigious accolade at the Patient Experience Network National Awards.

An innovative project demonstrated to judges that staff consistently go that extra mile to ensure patients receive the highest standards of care.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a shop in George Street was robbed on Thursday.

Two Asian men entered the shop and one distracted a staff member while the other stole a cash box from behind the counter.

Call 101 with information.

The Carers Trust will benefit from a new charity parnership with G Casino on Park Street.

It was launched in Luton on Friday and marks the start of a country-wide initiative involving all 97 Mecca clubs and 55 Grosvenor Casinos across The Rank Group.