British Transport Police (BTP) is investigating after a purse was taken and money stolen from a woman at Luton station on Monday, July 21.
Officers have released an image of a woman they would like to talk to about the incident, which took place at about 1.45pm.
Detective Constable Matt Nolan said: “The victim was waiting by the barriers for her mother. She rested her purse on the side whilst she leant down to fix her shoe and a woman who was passing picked it up.
“The victim followed the woman and managed to retrieve her purse, but when she looked inside shortly after, she realised that some of her money was missing.”
Officers are keen to speak with anyone who may recognise the woman pictured as they believe she may have key information about the incident.
Call British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016.

In all calls, please quote incident reference ESUB/B7 of 7/8/14

A shop assistant was threatened with a gun during a raid on a convenience store in Blundell Road, Luton on Tuesday night.

The incident happened between 11.14pm and 11.19pm when the 25 year old shop assistant was confronted by two masked men and forced to hand over cash as one of the offenders took bottles of alcohol from the shelves.

The offenders then both left the scene on foot.The first offender is described as a white man, 5’10” to 6’ tall with an average build. He wore a light grey hooded top, towelling jogging bottoms, black training shoes and black gloves which had a red motif on the back. He also wore a light grey and blue bandana over his face.

The second offender is described as either a white or Asian man, 5’9” to 5’11” tall, wearing a hooded top which was light blue at the top and dark blue at the bottom, together with dark jogging bottoms and black training shoes. He also wore a light grey or white dust mask over his face and was carrying a brown and black bag, possibly a back pack.

Anyone with information can contact PC Ben Stone, at Luton Police Station, on 01582 394471, or Bedfordshire Police on 101.

or text information to 07786 200011. Alternatively you can contact anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Tom Hardy’s film portrayal of notorious Luton-born prisoner Charles Bronson was critically acclaimed and many described it as the performance of a lifetime.

But it’s bettered by his extraordinary turn in LOCKE (15: Lionsgate), a milestone movie shot almost completely inside a car on the motorway – with Luton again given a namecheck!

This slice of real-time drama is an unexpectedly thrilling treat, with Hardy playing against type as Ivan Locke, a construction foreman caught in emotional turmoil.

Locke has a heavy Welsh accent, wears a jumper and cares deeply about his wife, children and job.

Driving from work one evening, before he is scheduled to manage the biggest concrete pour in European history, he fields a string of angst-filled phone calls.

Each interaction ratchets up the pressure as Locke is determined to do the right thing in response to a life-changing problem.

Despite the mounting pressure, he’s a beacon of heroic normality who always keeps to the speed limit.

> Techno fable TRANSCENDENCE (12: Entertainment In Video) is a muddled affair, although Johnny Depp still manages to bring charisma to his role.

He plays scientist Will Caster who, left fighting for his life after a violent attack, has his brain connected to a giant super computer that can think and even feel.

As Will’s links to the worldwide web allow him to venture beyond his mortal self, gathering more and more information and controlling global events, his friends and family – including Rebecca Hall as his wife – start to question the wisdom of the project.

The film sets up an intriguing premise , but before long the thrilling sci-fi elements of the plot make way for complicated philosophical navel-gazing about man playing God.

With Depp featuring as a disembodied voice for much of the film, Paul Bettany proves to be its pivotal moral centre as Will’s conflicted colleague.

> Psychological thriller MINDSCAPE (15: Studio Canal) encroaches on Inception territory as it explores the darker recesses of the mind.

Mark Strong is cast as a psychic with the ability to enter people’s memories who is called to help a teenager after she goes on hunger strike.

Sinister secrets from her past come to light during their sessions together.

It’s a tantalising concept, yet there are too many lulls between dramatic scenes. While the dream sequences are skilfully created, any attempt to build atmosphere is let down by the cliche-ridden dialogue and wooden performances.

Strong is particularly guilty as he fails to bring his usual intensity to the role of a troubled hero fighting his own demons.

> If you like your scary stories jumpy and bumpy rather than bloody and gory, then haunting Hammer horror THE QUIET ONES (15: Lionsgate) will be right up your dark alley.

In 1974, a young cameraman joins an Oxford professor (Jared Harris) and his students at a rural mansion to record an experiment to discover what unspeakable force resides within a suicidal teen.

Is it a poltergeist, demonic possession or something else that ails the girl? Some heart-stopping moments compensate for an overfamiliar plot.

The Mall have been hosting a free summer fun event for children throughout the school holidays.

Children are welcome from 11am till 4pm and have the chance to take part in lots of different activities, organised by the staff.

Kate Staniforth, The Mall’s marketing manager, said: “The Free Summer Fun event is going great, the children are kept busy with different activities each day.

“There’s loads to do with everything from colouring competitions with East Anglian Air Ambulance, loom band making with The Entertainer, judo practice with Luton Girls Academy, cupcake decorating with Kayte’s Needlecraft and Crafts and face painting with the Level Trust.

She added: “We wanted to create an event like this in order to offer the families of Luton and nearby areas somewhere where they can bring their children and participate in free activities and spend some quality time with each other whilst still being both entertaining and educational.”

To see what’s on visit: www.themall.co.uk/luton/whats-on/2014/free-summer-fun-for-the-kids/

Students across Luton are celebrating today as they pick up their A level results.

Chris Nicholls, principal of Luton Sixth Form College said there had been “some fantastic results” as students opened their envelopes.

“I’m very pleased,” he said. “Last year we felt we had a very strong performance but I think we have improved on that.

“There is greater consistency across the board, AS results are up and A2 results have held up really well.

“We are expecting the vast majority of our students will be going to university.”

A Luton newsagent has started a petition to stop a Tesco store being built on the site of his shop.

Aftab Shah has been the owner of Early Till Late in Riddy Lane for 11 years and says his landlord has refused to renew the lease.

He said: “Our shop lease is up for renewal and our landlord is refusing to renew it. They want to give our shop to Tesco. We have spent a lot of money on the shop and now we will be left with nothing.

“If new plans for Tesco go ahead, it could result in the closure of three small businesses, parking congestion and significant increases in the levels of traffic.”

A spokesperson for Day and Bell Ltd, the agents for the landlord of the store, said: “There is a planning application for a large store and the current businesses will be closed.” Mr Shah added: “The council do know about it but they are keeping it secret. The plan is to extend two shops and then open up all three into one. They are keeping quiet because they want to get approval first.”

“We work hard for the community. We should be saving small businesses, not giving them to the supermarkets.”

A Luton Borough Council spokesman said: “We have received a planning application for a single storey extension to the rear of the premises, but there is no indication of the involvement of Tesco.”

A homeless charity says people in Luton top the list in the east of England for being at risk of losing their homes.

Every day, 56 households in the East of England are at risk, new analysis from Shelter reveals.

The research is based on data recorded by the Ministry of Justice.

It also identified the latest hotspots across the region where people are most likely to face losing their home, with Peterborough and Luton topping the list.

The housing and homelessness charity is warning that sky high housing costs are pushing more and more families to the brink.

With finances stretched to bursting point, just one thing, such as an illness or job loss, can be all it takes to leave a family facing losing their home.

Shelter is currently struggling to meet demand for its services and is calling for support so that it can help more people stay in their homes. Since 2011, across the country the charity has seen the number of callers struggling with rent arrears more than double, while those calling about mortgage arrears rose by nearly a fifth.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Tragically we are seeing more and more people coming to us for help.

“ We urgently need people’s support so we can help more people in the East of England avoid the nightmare of losing their home.”

Families had some fun in the sun at Wardown Park’s summer event on Saturday, August 9.

Hundreds of visitors turned up throughout the day to enjoy the activities and watch the Punch and Judy show. Ellen Waghorn, event organiser, said: “We raised around £500 on the day for the Wardown Park Museum Re-development, which is really good. We had to take the music inside in the evening because of the rain, but overall it went really well.”

A Luton man has been fined £600 and ordered to pay an extra £603 in costs after an investigation by Central Bedfordshire Council linked him to waste found fly-tipped in a field in Slip End, Bedfordshire, which had to be cleared at the Council’s expense.

Chandran Vinothkanth, 33, of Hillcrest Avenue, was charged under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 after it was found that he had passed commercial waste to two unknown individuals, failing to check that they were properly licensed to take the waste, constituting a breach of duty of care. Mr. Vinothkanth pleaded guilty to the offence and was ordered to pay a £600 fine along with prosecution costs of £603.37 and a victim’s surcharge of £60.

When the fly-tipped waste was reported on 20 August 2013 the waste was linked to Family Choice Mini Market at 38-40 Russell Street, Luton, which Mr. Vinothkanth manages.

The shop had accumulated excess waste and Mr. Vinothkanth handed that waste to unknown individuals who travelled around in a van and who promised to dispose of the waste for £60. Unfortunately, Mr Vinothkanth was unable to provide those individuals’ names or their vehicle registration number, so they could not be traced.

Cllr Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Community Services, said: “We will not tolerate fly-tipping in Central Bedfordshire, or any failure to properly dispose of waste, whether that waste is commercial or domestic. This case illustrates the importance of taking every measure to make sure your rubbish is disposed of in the correct way.

“Fly-tipping is a thoughtless practice that not only leaves unsightly piles of rubbish on public or private land but can also cause serious damage to the environment and prove dangerous to children or animals. Fly-tipped waste may contain all manner of harmful or poisonous materials.

“You can find more information on our Waste and Recycling Services or report an incidence of fly-tipping 0300 300 8302, or emailing customers@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.”

Police in Luton are asking for information regarding the whereabouts of a stolen Vauxhall Astra that was taken from the driveway of a house in Aldhous Close.

The incident happened at approximately 4am on August 10 after the offender broke in to the home and took a black handbag with pink and white flowers containing personal documentation, a dusty pink credit card holder containing bank cards and a trolley bag containing medical equipment together with the keys to the car.

The car has still not been found and the officer in charge of this investigation, PC Andrea Crouch, would urge residents and members of the public in the Luton area to report any sightings of the vehicle.

PC Crouch said: “The car is blue and was displaying the registration number FP07 KHE.

“This car must have been parked somewhere and I would urge residents to check their roads and contact the police if they find a car matching this description parked along their road.”

Anyone with information relating to this crime can contact PC Crouch at Luton Police Station, in confidence, on 01582 394086, or Bedfordshire Police on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

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

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Olly Martins has contributed to a new book examining the experiences and policies of Labour PCCs.

The new book, Lessons from Light: Lessons from Labour’s Police and Crime Commissioners, contains a collection of essays from each of the 13 Labour PCCs recounting their journey so far as Britain’s new policing governors.

In his own essay, Commissioner Martins discusses how a tri-force collaboration project in Bedfordshire is helping the region’s Forces cope with the financial difficulties while also delivering strong performance.

The book is published by the Fabian Society.

The nomination period for Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards is closing next week (17th August). So make sure you don’t miss the chance to celebrate your local hero.

It may be someone who is an amazing charity fundraiser, or gives a lot of time to charity work. Or perhaps a special person who is a carer, a brilliant parent or someone just coping with life against the odds.

Anyone who deserves recognition, whether individual, voluntary group or communityminded business is eligible for an award.... but organisers need to hear about them i to recognise their achievements.

Awards organiser Mostaque Koyes said: “We give people a long time to get their nominations in. But it’s human nature to have every intention of filling the form back in May, then putting it off till the last minute. We must now close nominations to be ready for the red carpet award ceremony in October. This really is the last chance.”

So don’t let your local hero miss out. Nominate them now and you can both attend the fabulous gala night out where your nominee will receive a big public thank you for their service to others.

More details, nomination forms and a DVD of last year’s big event are available at www.communitycommunications.co.uk

A new initiative, designed to improve the lives of people with dementia in South Asian communities is being piloted by Alzheimer’s Society in Luton, in partnership with Centre for Youth and Community Development (CYCD).

The information programme aims to provide carers and extended family members with culturally-tailored knowledge, skills and understanding to support people with the condition.

The programme is funded by Lloyds Banking Group as part of their Live Well charity of the year campaign. It is currently being piloted in five areas of the country including Luton, with plans to roll it out to a further 15 sites this year.

People from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities are more likely to develop early onset dementia, and have a higher prevalence of vascular dementia than their White British counterparts. They also tend to access dementia services later, which can have a negative impact on carers as they may have struggled for some time without support.

Ayla Patton, Services Manager for Alzheimer’s Society in Bedfordshire and Luton said:

“A loved one’s diagnosis of dementia can be a scary and bewildering experience yet cultural elements such as language, faith and families’ close-knit bonds, can make it harder for South Asian carers to reach out and get information and advice. Many people don’t even know there’s support available to them; let alone how to access it. This programme provides much needed guidance on how to deal with dementia at the right time.”

As well as this new service, Alzheimer’s Society in Bedfordshire and Luton runs a number of services including Dementia Support, Carer’s Information and Support Programme, Cognitive Stimulation Groups, Activity Groups and Singing for the Brain. For more information contact the Luton office on 01582 470910 or visit alzheimers.org.uk/localinfo

The Highways Agency will be helping holidaymakers have happy holidays by keeping traffic moving over the August bank holiday weekend, ensuring that 98 per cent of England’s motorways and other major roads are free of roadworks.

Around 164 miles of roadworks will be completed before the August bank holiday weekend and 110 miles will be suspended between Friday 22 August and Tuesday 26 August, providing extra lane capacity for holiday traffic .

Highways Agency, Director of Traffic Management, Simon Sheldon-Wilson, said: “This bank holiday weekend, over 98 per cent of motorways and major A-roads in England will be clear of roadworks. This will be a great help to people travelling during the holiday – with roadworks lifted, more lanes will be open and many of the associated speed restrictions will also be lifted.

“To help road users, Highways Agency traffic officers and the police will work to clear up any incidents as soon as possible but we advise drivers to check weather and travel conditions before any long journey and make sure they have maintained their vehicles, including trailers and caravans before setting out.”

To help its customers, roadworks at 73 locations will be completed before the bank holiday. A further 50 sets of roadworks and lane restrictions will be removed by 6am on Friday 22 August and will not be put back before 00:01 on Tuesday 26 August.

This year, the Agency is doing more work than ever to improve the condition of its network, reduce congestion and provide real long-term benefits for drivers. A record amount of money is being invested in Agency’s roads, but this means there are more roadworks on the ground than before so drivers need to plan and allow sufficient time for their journeys. For the safety of drivers and their passengers, lane restrictions or temporary speed limits will need to remain in place at 49 locations.

Drivers can find out about the busiest routes in their region by looking at the Agency’s website which shows the holiday hotspot routes over the August bank holiday period and the times they are expected to be busiest and through Twitter (www.highways.gov.uk/twitter). This will help them help them choose the best time to travel and plan their routes. Friday evening and Monday afternoon are expected to be the busiest periods over the bank holiday weekend, especially on the main holiday routes, as people set out and return from short breaks or day trips.

A compter engineer for a Luton firm who died instantly on the A505 near Hitchin after losing control of her car would have known very little about the crash that killed her, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

Tara Kitson was on the dual carriageway on the afternoon of a rainy Valentine’s Day when her blue Ford Fiesta collided with a parked Mercedes Sprinter van in which a man was sleeping.

Coroner Edward Thomas told the hearing that the 28-year-old died from massive brain injuries.

Miss Kitson, of South Road, Baldock, had tried to move to the inside lane of the dual carriageway as she headed towards Hitchin, but veered off the road and crashed into the back of the van, which was parked in a layby near the turning for Offley.

The van driver, a 25-year-old man, had been sleeping across the front seats, and escaped with minor injuries.

Collision investigator PC Robert Jackson said that the Fiesta’s rear tyres were underinflated by around 23-33 per cent more than normal, which would have made a ‘significant difference’ to her control of the car.

Combined with her high, but legal, speed of around 70mph and the water on the road after heavy downpours, PC Jackson concluded that there ‘was nothing she could do’ when she lost control of the car and that “it is very unlikely she would have had a full realisation of what happened.”

Paul Fuller who was overtaken by Miss Kitson moments before her fatal crash said that the weather was “awful” but he had “not given it a second thought” when she drove past.

Recording an accidental verdict, Mr Thomas said: “What a tragedy it is. Tara was a very promising young lady who was highly intelligent, had done incredibly well and was very well respected.

“It is such a tragedy because a special person is not here, but the family will have very happy memories of her.”

Miss Kitson was working as a computer engineer at Luton-based company SELEX, where she was being sponsored to study a Masters degree at University College London after graduating with a first class honours degree.

A very important part of my job as a local MP is to make sure that our NHS is delivering really good care for local people. We are fortunate to have a very well regarded Luton and Dunstable Hospital as well as dedicated GP’s and community health staff. Of course from time to time things go wrong, as they do in any organisation and I am always available to my constituents to take up any particular concerns they may have.

I have raised concerns in the past about aspects of orthopaedic care at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital and I believe that improvements have been made since then.

There were concerns before last winter that our accident and emergency departments would not be able to cope but it is very good news that A&E targets have been met both for the last quarter and for the last year as a whole despite there being over 100 more admissions each week since the previous year.

On average, waiting times in A&E have fallen from more than 70 minutes under the last government to 30 minutes now.

Our A&E departments are treating on average 2000 more people every day within four hours compared to what happened before 2010.

Across the whole of the NHS 800,000 more operations have been carried out every year under this government and at the same time mixed sex wards have been virtually eliminated and hospital infections halved. In addition, waiting times are lower at 18, 26 and 52 weeks than at any time under the last government. Many patients have also benefitted from the new Cancer Drugs Fund.

The reforms which we have introduced are enabling £1 billion in back office savings to be redirected into front line care enabling 1,700 more nurses and 7,000 more doctors to be employed.

The government is determined that the lessons of the Mid Staffordshire Hospital scandal will be learnt.

We know have a Chief Inspector of Hospitals who has put 14 hospitals in special measures.

These hospitals are being turned around. MORI polling shows that the number of people who feel they are being treated with dignity and respect by the NHS has gone up by 10% to the highest level ever.

Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation have awarded £7,500 to the Young People Of The Year, a campaign set up to give young people a fairer image in society by recognising the good work young people do in their communities.

They applied under the London Luton Airport Limited fund.

Bids were assessed by the awards panel.

A community trust which provides services in Luton has been assessed as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Cambridgeshire Community Services (CCS) NHS Trust had a comprehensive inspection in May 2014.

Inspectors found patients of CCS NHS Trust which provides a range of health services for people across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Luton and Suffolk were consistently treated with compassion, dignity and respect and patients were positive about the experience of receiving care.

Matthew Winn, Chief Executive said: “The Trust Board is delighted with the findings.

“Overall, the CQC assessed our services as “Good” and found a wide range of evidence which demonstrated how our dedicated staff consistently provided high quality care to patients.

“Inspectors also found many examples of very good patient focussed multi- disciplinary working, alongside initiatives to support people at home and avoid patients being admitted to hospital.”

Mandy Renton, Chief Nurse added: “A clear picture of safety was evidenced across most services and care and treatment provided was found to be effectively meeting the needs of patients, families and carers. This is fantastic validation for staff and reflects the CQC’s findings of good clinical leadership.

“Children’s services, community services for adults, end of life care, dentistry and minor injury units were all judged to be good as was the Trust’s performance in providing caring, effective, responsive and well-led services.”

There are three areas for action which include raising staffing levels.

The owners of Haji & Sons, Bury Park, were prosecuted by the council for food safety offences, at Luton Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 12.

Food and Safety officers have visited the shop on Dunstable Road, on four occasions since May 2013, they have found it dirty and in a poor condition, with an infestation of mice.

In May 2003, they found mould growing on the walls and ceiling of the fruit and vegetable storage area, pieces of wood covered in slime across a chest freezer in the butcher’s area, a dead mouse amongst cans of ghee, and a decomposing mouse was found in a trap underneath rice pallets.

On a another visit they found mouse droppings on the floor and shelves and packets of food had been chewed by mice.

In April 2014, they found mould growing on the walls of the vegetable store room, food in the fridges was above the legal limit of 8°C and raw chicken was hanging in the cold room above a box of vegetables.

Owners Tarik Rashid and Mohammed Munir told the court they are now using a different pest control company, have food safety procedures in place and are planning to refurbish the shop. They both pleaded guilty to 12 hygiene offences. Magistrates ordered them to pay fines totalling £1,000 plus a £100 victim surcharge each, as well as the council’s costs of £1,400.

Councillor Aslam Khan said: “Food law lays down basic cleanliness and hygiene standards for food businesses to help keep customers safe and healthy. Businesses ignoring basic standards face prosecution and fines.”

The Mayor of Luton will officially open Love Luton’s Summer In The Sun on Saturday, August 23, at St George’s Square.

The Square will be transformed into a beach with Punch and Judy, Story-time, Victorian Fairground rides, games and Donkey rides, from Saturday to Friday, August 29.

The beach will be open daily, from 12pm till 9pm.