Liam Neeson has found a niche with leading roles in solid, workmanlike thrillers. There’s the usual non-stop action in, erm, NON-STOP (12: Studio Canal) in which he’s a veteran air marshal on a flight from New York to London.

He suddenly receives a text message telling him a passenger will die every 20 minutes unless $150million is transferred to a secret account.

Tasked with finding the killer among his 200 fellow passengers, and helped by frequent flyer Julianne Moore and plucky flight attendant Michelle Dockery, Neeson plays a cat-and-mouse game above the Atlantic while trying to keep the body count to a minimum. But his investigation is threatened when he’s framed as being the mastermind behind the plot.

The premise is intriguing and some claustrophobic thrills are delivered, but the film struggles to sustain momentum. It’s not Neeson’s most convincing action-hero performance and he’s not helped by a script that lays on the hammy dialogue a little too thick and stretches credulity to breaking point.

> More undemanding action entertainment is provided by RIDE ALONG (12: Universal), a routine buddy cop caper that offers some cheap laughs. Ben Barber, played by stand-up comic Kevin Hart, is a wimpish high school security guard and wannabe police detective.

His other ambition is to marry Angela (Tika Sumpter), but first he has to get the blessing of her brother James (Ice Cube), a hardcase Atlanta cop.

James insists that Ben ride along with him on a nightmare shift where their main focus is hunting down a vicious criminal (Laurence Fishburne). James also contrives to throw Ben into other hairy situations to break his spirit.

Fairly obvious slapstick action ensues, often with violence as a substitute for a decent punch-line.

Ride Along is efficient rather than inspired and although watchable enough, it’s unlikely to make a big impression.

> The publicity blurb for THE PRETTY ONE (15: Sony)describes it as “a coming-of-age comedy about identity and loss and a wallflower who finally learns how to break out of her shell”. Now where have I heard all that before?

In a balancing act of a performance, Zoe Kazan portrays twins Laurel and Audrey, most poignantly as a relationship blooms with her new neighbor (Jake Johnson).

As Laurel begins to slip into the life she has always wanted, but never thought was possible, she must decide between continuing her life as Audrey and revealing herself as the perfect fraud.

> Elliot (Mark Webber) is a bright, yet meek, social services worker drowning in debt and desperate because he’s about to marry the love of his life in 13 SINS (15: Entertainment One).

Upon receiving a cryptic phone call informing him that he’s on a hidden camera game show where hje must execute 13 tasks, he learns he will be on his way to winning a multimillion dollar cash prize if he quickly follows through with his first two instructions – swat the fly that is currently bothering him and then eat the fly.

Although thousands of dollars are suddenly appearing in his bank account, Elliot remains suspicious, yet comforted by the knowledge that he can stop playing at any time if only to lose every penny that he’s won.

As he leaves a path of destruction behind him and runs away from the law (Ron Perlman), Elliot’s need to complete the game escalates as the tasks grow increasingly sinister, to a devastating point of no return.

A grandmother of three had her first book from her debut series, published on Friday, June 20.

Valentina Hepburn’s Notes On A Rebellion is the first novel in The Notes From Random Knight series.

The author, of Marston Gardens, first started writing novels when she was seven.

She said: “It is exciting and a bit scary but I am really hoping people will engage with the story and the characters.

“The book is about a character who becomes strong and rises to the challenge when she needs to, I think it is something we can all relate to.

“The most important thing is getting people behind the story, I want them to want to know more and read the other two novels.”

Notes On A Rebellion has had the backing of famous New York Times Bestseller Molly Cochran.

Valentina Hepburn said: “Molly is a lovely person and because she has been writing for such a long time, she understands how difficult it is to get books out there, I was so pleased with her reaction to the book.”

She has been studying the profession of writing for years, she has read other authors work and learnt a lot online.

The 58-year-old added: “I have worked hard for many years and now it is all coming together, Molly and Tim have been a massive help to me and I am very grateful.”

Big Careers Fair Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire is coming to Luton on Wednesday, June 25.

The fair that helps 15-24-year-olds achieve their big careers will be at the UK Carnival Arts Centre from 11am till 3pm.

Entry is free.

I call them marshmallow jobs – the sort of tasks that you think won’t take long and will give you some simple domestic satisfaction, but instead turn out to leave you feeling decidedly queasy after only a few minutes, and anxious to quit. You know, like you think a packet of marshmallows is going to be delicious but after just a couple you feel quite sick. No? Just me, then?

But we’ve all got them. Every so often the current Mrs Dee attacks the airing cupboard, carefully folding every towel, sheet and stray valance and then going on about it for the rest of the week. It’s one of her marshmallow jobs.

Cleaning the oven is another – not hers, not mine, which is why it turns out to be such a pain when we finally accept that it has to be done.

But these are repeated, if irregular tasks, and you pretty much know what you’re letting yourself in for.

Far more depressing are the one-offs, jobs that you’ve been meaning to get around to for years but always found to an excuse to avoid.

Which brings me to the cable box.

When successor civilisations cast their eyes over the wreckage of our way of life and wonder where it all went wrong, I predict that cables and connectors will loom large in their thinking.

How, they will wonder, did this people spend so much time and effort creating this stuff when it was apparently never used?

The cable box, in case you don’t have one, is the capacious crate into which every stray bit of technical linkage that has made it over the Dee threshold has been dumped in recent years because, well, you know, it might come in handy.

In a fit of domestic duty linked to the imminent arrival of a weekend guest, I undertook – not willingly, mind you – to sort it out.

And by sort it out, Mrs Dee – still full of righteous wrath after another bout in the airing cupboard – made it clear that she did not mean moving in into the garage and ignoring it for the rest of the decade.

There were phone connectors, of course, and those little sets of headphones that seem to come gratis with almost everything you buy these days.

But there were also power leads still sealed in their cellophane packing, and little indication of what they would ever have connected to the mains.

Now that almost everything comes with a wireless option, this forlorn spaghetti of spurned technology was an object lesson in obsolecence.

After a fruitless half hour trying to work out which bits we really needed to keep, which went with items which were thrown out long ago, and which were ripe for recycling, I firmly announced to the household at large that all the cables would be available for viewing, and rescuing, in the garage for the next week, after which they would be conveyed to the dump.

They’re still there – just six more years to go...

Britain’s soldiers and ex-servicemen were commemorated in a special ceremony outside the Town Hall in support of Armed Forces Day.

A flag was raised at 11am on Monday, June 23, by the Mayor of Luton, Councillor Farooq Mohammed, in recognition of the dedication the armed forces have shown the country.

The Rev Janet Mackenzie, together with the Mayor, conducted a poignant ceremony in front of civic dignitaries from the county, local councillors, and ex-service associations.

The Mayor said: “Armed Forces Day is a great opportunity to show our support to the nation’s serving personnel, veterans and their families.

“This event acknowledges our continued commitment in supporting local armed services men and woman, past and present, recognising the many sacrifices they have made.”

The flag will be raised until June 30 and the day was also an emotional time for those who shared personal connections with the armed forces.

Ex-serviceman, James Stevens, 83, said: “Today is for the days that people forget. The regiment was a community, it was our family, we all fought for each other.”

Bill Burton, 71, ex-serviceman said: “I lost a lot of friends fighting for our country, days like today are nice to remember those that are absent, the ones we must never forget.”

For more information visit www.armedforcesday.org.uk

A man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison at Luton Crown Court – the last of twelve caught in a police operation going back six years.

Bartosz Dolata, 29, a Polish national, had been moving stolen vehicles across to Poland as part of an organised crime unit stealing high value cars across three counties.

He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to transferring criminal property under the Proceeds of Crime Act and was sentenced on Thursday.

Operation Pleat was set up as a joint initiative between the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire forces following burglaries across South and Mid Bedfordshire and central and western Hertfordshire. The series under investigation related to property worth more than £1.5 million.

It first hit the headlines in January 2009 when more than 100 officers from all three forces descended on addresses in the Luton, Wellingborough and Northampton areas where they arrested 11 men and women and recovered a substantial quantity of suspected stolen property.The organised crime group concentrated on breaking into houses while the owners were asleep and stealing the high value cars parked outside by just taking the keys and driving away. BMWs and Mercedes were among the most popular brands stolen and believed to have been exported for sale in Poland.

Eleven other people were eventually jailed for their part in the conspiracy and Dolata was the last outstanding offender. Bedfordshire detectives used a European Arrest Warrant to alert other countries to his crimes, and eventually he was caught in Germany in February this year – nearly five years after the warrant was first issued.

Detectives will be appealing for information on the whereabouts of a man wanted for the murderof Marcus Hall in Luton 13 years ago live on BBC1s Crimewatch Roadshow tomorrow.

Seven men were convicted in 2002/3 for the part they played in his murder but Ekun, now aged 37, has so far eluded arrest.

DI Tim Redfearn from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, who was on the original murder enquiry, will be making the appeal on Wednesday alongside Marcus’ mother Icelyn Wilson.

The appeal will go out live on BBC1 at 9.15am and feature CCTV from the night of the murder

Adebayo Ekun was originally named as wanted on the BBC’s Crimewatch UK in June 2001. It is hoped 13 years on and with a substantial reward on offer he will be located and brought to justice.

DI Redfearn said: “We have never stopped looking for Adebayo Ekun and four years ago we had good information that he was in Ghana. Every effort was made with the help of our colleagues abroad to find him but he eluded arrest and we lost track of him. This time, we hope that the offer of the cash reward will prompt those who know him or know where he is to come forward.”

“I have no doubt he will have spent the last 13 years looking over his shoulder waiting for us to catch up with him. He may look quite different compared to the pictures we have of him that are 15 years old and he has also used a number of aliases over the years, the main one being James Dalvin. But we know he has family connections in Luton, London and the West Midlands so I am appealing for them to do the right thing and tell us where he is.”

“The £5,000 is payable on his arrest, we do not have to wait for him to be convicted to pay this reward. We have the full support of the Crown Prosecution Service and can proceed to court the moment he is in custody.

“For the sake of Marcus Hall and his family, please do the right thing and tell us where Adebayo Ekun is now.”

Ekun is known to use the following names in various combinations and several different dates of birth:

Adebayo Dalvin James Ekun, Adebayo Kekere-Ekun, Adebayo Mutalito Kekere-Ekun, James Dalvin, Jamie Adebayo, Dave Bell, David Bell, David Aaron Hall, Anthony Higgins, Lavelle Holder, Dalrin James, Dalvin James, Gary Edwin Plummer. Nicknames include Bayo, Biyo, Baywatch.

Anyone with information about Adebayo Ekun should contact the Operation Keighley Incident Room in confidence, on 01480 422791, the non-emergency 101 number, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Life Choices Fair, a free family event hosted by Luton Borough Council in partnership with Luton in Harmony on Friday in St George’s Square, was given the thumbs up by visitors.

The event featured a variety of organisations including Luton Advice Network, Mencap, NOAH Enterprise, Penrose, Luton Foodbank and Shopmobility, offering advice and information to help make people’s life easier and better.

On the day there were food demonstrations by ‘Love food hate waste’ campaigners highlighting how easy it is to make delicious meals from leftovers.

A fabulous fashion show displayed clothes from George at Asda and pre-loved clothes from various charity shops for the fashion conscious who wanted to look stylish but at limited cost.

Visitors to the event also found out about shwopping – an M& S/Oxfam initiative where unwanted M&S clothes are swapped for a £5 money off voucher. There were also tips on making the most of recycling and upcycling - turning unwanted materials or items into a better quality product.

For people interested in work experience or updating their skills, there was information about the Council’s volunteering scheme and the Government supported employment programme designed specifically for people who due to their disability may find it difficult to find or retain a job. Luton Adult Learning was also on hand to provide details about adult learning opportunities available in the town.

Children were fully entertained throughout the day with a variety of activities including a bouncy castle and face painting.

Cllr Khtija Malik, Portfolio Holder for social justice, said: “The Life Choices Fair aimed to offer advice and a variety of information to help people choose wisely when making decisions and ultimately support residents to improve their lives.

“The feedback we received was really positive; there was lots of interest on how to eat healthier and on a budget, as well as how to recycle and manage waste more effectively.”

“We were pleased with the outcome of the event and hope to host another Life Choices Fair next year.”

Parents of children under the age of five, are invited to Picnic in the Park, at Wardown Park on Wednesday, June 25, from 10am till 2pm.

The pre-school events theme is Keep Luton Tidy: Love Where You Live, it encourages children to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Four Luton men have been charged with firearms offences as part of a crackdown on guncrime.

Deon Ellis, 25, of Fallowfield, Dylan Beckford, 18, of Hallwicks Road, Alexander Myers, 22, of Corncastle Road and Victor Martin, 44, of Russell Rise, were all charged with possessing a firearm of length less than 30cm/60cm and shortening a smooth-bore gun barrel of a section 1 firearm.

Ellis was also charged with possession of cannabis and the assault of a detention officer.

All four were arrested on Monday at an address in Russell Rise, Luton, by members of Beds Police’s Operation Boson team and appeared before Luton Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning.

Officers made the arrests on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Everyone loves cooking shows – Masterchef, Come Dine With Me, Ready Steady Cook. So why not a cooking movie?

Jon Favreau, looking these days as if he’s been tucking in a little too freely to the contents of his fridge, is the star of culinary comedy Chef, and he’s roped in a fair few of his Hollywood mates in the search for a hit recipe.

Favreau, more commonly found behind the camera at this stage in his career, reverts to acting duties in a cast list that also includes Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson and Oliver Platt.

It’s a slight tale about a creative chef fed up of the daily production line who turns an old taco truck into a street food sensation, all the while reconnecting with his roots.

l More feelfood fun for the summer comes courtesy of Walking on Sunshine, in which X Factor winner Leona Lewis makes her acting debut.

It’s a romantic musical packed with singalong 1980s hits – the title should have given it away –and combines a touch of Streetdance cred with Mamma Mia! sentiment.

And you will be singing along with the soundtrack, you just won’t be able to help it.

Not Sunshine On Leith, perhaps, but it’s still got charm.

l Some people will tell you that Mrs Brown’s Boys is the funniest thing to hit comedy for a generation. Some people will respond with a stony face and a sign.

But there are obviously more of the former than the latter, and Brendan O’Carroll’s dragon in drag has been a big enough hit on the small screen to merit the traditional movie take.

If you like this sort of thing, Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie will tickle your funny bone – but flops featuring Harry Hill and Keith Lemon are fresh in the memory, and the family farce is more than a little wearing over a feature length 96 minutes.

An explosion in anti-social behaviour has left Luton residents feeling ‘like prisoners in their own homes’, a report has revealed.

Beds Police has included a large section of Wigmore, Stopsley and Round Green in an application for a six month dispersal order, which it is hoped will ease rising amounts of anti-social behaviour seen over the last four months.

A Luton Borough Council report on the application states that from February to May anti-social behaviour went up by a third year on year – an epidemic which has left residents “intimidated, anxious, scared and very nervous”.

Among the reported crime are aggression and intimidation ”by males in the area”, drug dealing and use, criminal damage, abuse and threats made to vulnerable residents.

> For the full story read Wednesday’s Luton News

Specialist paramedic training has seen hundreds of patients able to be treated in their own homes rather than in hospital.

The latest figures show that in 2013/14, more than 400 patients received wound closure treatment in their own homes from the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).

One of EEAST’s Clinical Operations Managers, Jori Krijgsman said: “The treatment ultimately means better care for patients and saves them a journey to hospital.

“The wound can be treated quickly and effectively thorough the use of adhesive stitches or dissolvable glue.”

After successful feedback from patients and paramedics, the training has now been introduced to the new student paramedic course.

The ambulance service is continuing to recruit 400 students; more than 200 people have now received offers, and 100 have started their training across the region.

There is still time to get involved, as the campaign to recruit more student paramedics is ongoing.

If you would like more information about the campaign, visit www.
eastamb.nhs.uk

I know that the law-abiding majority is often frustrated by a sense that criminals, particularly the ‘Mr Bigs’, operate with impunity, quite unmolested by the criminal justice system.  But in Bedfordshire our force has a very good record of taking money, goods and property gained through crime, away from the offender.

‘Visible justice’ like this proves that criminals risk losing their ill-gotten gains as well as their liberty and encourages communities to come forward. 

Just recently, the head of a criminal gang convicted of modern-day slavery charges was ordered to pay over £250,000, and do so within six months or face another three years in jail.

The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, which tackles organised crime groups, now handles confiscations and asset seizures for the six forces in the region and in April a Bedfordshire man had assets totalling £291,976.14 seized following his conviction for drug offences.

This shows that crime just isn’t worth the risk and hopefully builds community confidence that criminals are being hit in the pocket.

Confiscation and compensation orders are powerful deterrents, which helps to keep us safe. They can’t, of course, eliminate the distress caused to victims but they can bring the satisfaction of knowing that the offender has not secured the advantage they expected from their crimes.

Added to that, a proportion of confiscated assets goes back to Bedfordshire Police to fund further crime fighting work.

Last week was national Neighbourhood Watch week and I would like to give a big and well deserved thank you to another highly successful crime deterrent: the NHW volunteers who are also helping make Bedfordshire a hostile environment for criminals.

The town’s young musicians are fine tuning their performances for the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham next month.

Luton Youth Cantores, Luton Youth Concert Band, Luton Youth Jazz Orchestra and Stopsley High School Brass Ensemble (run by Luton Music Service) all won places at the prestigious event after performing at a regional festival in the spring.

Some of the groups taking part have also been invited to appear at the Royal Albert Hall in November.

Detectives have released CCTV footage of the moment a car deliberately struck a pedestrian in a ‘hit and run’ collision in Luton two weeks ago, in an attempt to identify the driver.

The incident, which happened in Radnor Road at 11pm on June 12, is being investigated by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit along with another incident on Sunday May 25th.

Both incidents are now being treated as attempted murder and detectives are potentially linking them based on information that has come to light following earlier public appeals.

DCI Jason Gordon, who is leading both investigations, said the Major Crime Unit is working on the basis that the offenders involved are from the same group.

He said: “The victims in both these incidents are lucky to be alive.

“They both narrowly escaped very serious injury and it is clear the offenders on both occasions meant to cause serious harm.”

“We are re-appealing for the publics’ help again as the CCTV could potentially unlock these investigations.

“There are clear links between the two incidents, even though they happened two weeks apart.

“There will be people living in the community who know who is responsible and now they are being treated as attempt murder will I hope make people realise this is serious and come forward.”

The incident in Radnor Road happened at around 11pm on June 12 when a 24-year-old pedestrian was hit by a car which carried him towards St Dominic’s Square.

The car, thought to be a Seat Leon, did not stop.

The shooting on May 25 happened in Addington Way at approximately 1.30am.

The victim, aged 18 was walking with friends when two masked people appeared and shot him in the back.

Anyone with information relating to this crime can contact the Major Crime Unit, in confidence, on 01480 422791, 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.

Two Luton men have been charged with the murder of a Polish man found with head injuries in a car park on June 14.

Carl Stockwell, 25, of Dallow Road and Daniel McRedmond, 19, of Shirley Road, were charged by officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, on the direction of the Crown Prosecution Service, after the death of Zbignew ‘Ziggy’ Pawelec.

Mr Pawelec, 50, was found unconscious in George Street West car park by a member of the public and was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he died on Tuesday 17.

Stockwell and McRedmond will appear at Luton Magistrates Court this morning (Thursday June 26).

A third man has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

While two men have now been charged in relation to this offence Detective Inspector Jon McAdam from the Major Crime Unit is still keen to speak to anyone who may have further information about what happened.

DI McAdam is keen to speak with anyone who may have seen Ziggy Pawelec in Luton on either Friday June 13 or Saturday June 14, or from anyone who may have seen or heard anything out of the ordinary in George Street West on the Saturday.

Mr Pawelec was a Polish national who had been living in Luton since 2008.

His family are in Poland.

A post mortem revealed Mr Pawelec died from head injuries.

Anyone with information relating to this incident should contact the Major Crime Unit in confidence on 01480 422791.

Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Central Bedfordshire College helped to raise hundreds for Keech Hospice Care at the Luton Fashion Show on Wednesday, June 18.

The annual event was at the Chiltern hotel from 6pm till 8pm and was organised by fashion tutor Aneesa Kiani.

All the clothes were designed and produced by BTEC level 2 and 3 fashion students.
Aneesa Kiani, 26, said: “The Fashion Show is an opportunity to promote our Outreach Centre and the courses available to our local community.

“We chose Keech because they offer brilliant care to all those families suffering bereavement, they take care of the patient and the family, who are also affected.

“It was a very proud moment, handing them the cheque for £700 today.”
VIP guests on the night were International super models, Sudaf Khan and Sara Aras, Miss Bedfordshire runner up, Megan Bayliss, high fashion hair stylist, Aamir Naveed, International fashion stylist, Iffat Raja, comedian artist, Salman Malik and guest designers Aywa and Kian-E,

The event was hosted by Savita Kaye and entertainment was provided by Arslan Baig.

Four Luton men have been remanded in custody after being charged with firearms offences.

Deon Ellis, 25, of Fallowfield, Dylan Beckford, 18, of Hallwicks Road, Alexander Myers, 22, of Corncastle Road, and Victor Martin, 44, of Russell Rise, were all charged with possessing a firearm of length less than 30cm/60cm and shortening a smooth-bore gun barrel of a Section 1 firearm.

Ellis was also charged with possession of cannabis and the assault of a detention officer.

All four were arrested on Monday at an address in Russell Rise, Luton, by members of Beds Police’s Operation Boson team.

The four men appeared before Luton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning and were remanded in custody.

They will reappear before Luton Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing on July 22.

Officers made the arrests on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service.

As of April the Operation Boson team had arrested 130 people, executed 107 warrants and recovered 19 illegally held firearms.

Luton Airport managing director Glyn Jones is to leave the organisation, it was announced this morning.

Mr Jones, who joined the airport in 2007, will leave to persue other opportunities.

Chairman Clive Condie has moved into the role of executive chairman, assuming wider responsibilities until a replacement managing director is appointed.

Mr Condie was appointed chairman of Luton Airport in November.

He has over three decades’ experience running international airports including Lima Airport, Peru, and Manchester Airport Plc.

He previously served as a Non-Executive Director of London Luton.

Mr Condie said: “On behalf of everyone at London Luton Airport, I would like to thank Glyn for his service over the last seven years.

“We have commenced the search for a successor who will be at the centre of our exciting plans to transform London Luton over the next few years.”

Glyn Jones added: “It has been a privilege to serve as managing director for the last seven years and I have been proud to lead the airport through some significant changes and to serve our passengers, carriers and the local community.

“I am confident that I leave London Luton Airport well-positioned under new leadership to progress through the next chapter in its exciting history”.