Police are investigating after a motorcycle was stolen outside a Luton flat.
The black Yamaha 125 motorbike was stolen from Waller Avenue overnight between 9pm on Monday May 11 and 8.15am the next morning.
The bike, which bears the registration DE62 KVK, had been secured outside the property at the time.
Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact the Crime Bureau on 101 or text 07786 200 011.
Toyota and Nissan are recalling 6.5m cars globally due to potentially faulty airbag inflators made by Takata, it has been announced.
Just under five million cars are being recalled by Toyota, including the Corolla, Vitz and other models made between March 2003 and November 2007, the car giant has said.
Nissan is recalling about 1.56m cars due to the same issue.
Toyota and Nissan said the recall was for ‘investigative purposes’ and no accidents or injuries have been reported.
{https://www.toyota.co.uk/caring-for-your-toyota/owners/recall-checker.json#%7C|Toyota recall checker|Toyota recall checker}
{https://www.gov.uk/check-if-a-vehicle-has-been-recalled|Check if a vehicle has been recalled|Check if a vehicle has been recalled}
A German Shepherd police dog sniffed equipment suspected to be used in crime – leading to one man’s arrest.
At around 10.40am on Sunday, May 10, police were called to Library Road in Luton after a report of a person acting suspiciously.
Police arrived and the man was detained. Meanwhile, an officer and dog from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Dog Unit also attended the area.
Police Dog Kane picked up a track in a nearby car park in George Street West and then indicated to his handler that he had found something. When his handler looked, Kane had found a pair of bolt croppers, which were then seized.
Sergeant Vicky Stoughton from the BCH Dog Unit said: “Our dogs’ noses are one of the team’s strongest tools. We ensure that both dogs and handlers receive regular refresher training, as well as adequate breaks, to make sure they’re both working together efficiently and effectively.
“You can now follow our team’s work on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/dogpoliceBCH. Here you’ll find the latest news about, and photos of, the team and our partners on four paws.”
Thirty-four year old Sean Conroy, of no fixed address, was arrested and later charged with going equipped and attempted theft.
He appeared at Luton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, May 11.
A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of theft after being tracked by a police dog.
At around 9.50pm yesterday (Wednesday, May 13), police were alerted to a person in George Street with a bicycle that was suspected to be stolen.
Officers attended the location and a person ran away from the area. An officer and dog from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Dog Unit were deployed to assist with the search for the person.
Police Dog Ido, a Dutch Herder, was used and was soon tracking, taking his handler via several roads and through wasteland before finding a person in the garden of a house in Oakley Road, where they were then detained.
Sergeant Vicky Stoughton from the BCH Dog Unit said: “The relationship between our dogs and their handlers is crucial to our work. They both trust and rely on each other and make an excellent team, which makes them ideally suited to assisting other officers with various types of incidents.
“You can now follow our team’s work on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/dogpoliceBCH. Here you’ll find the latest news about, and photos of, the team and our partners on four paws.”
A 16 year old boy from Luton is currently in police custody
A lollipop man who blocked an on-call fire engine ‘several times’ by moving children across a road has been sacked.
Luton Borough Council launched an investigation after the crossing guard posted outside William Austin Junior School ignored a fire engine’s sirens and blocked its progress by repeatedly ushering children and parents across the road.
At the time the fire crew was on its way to a tree fire on St Ethelbert Avenue– just a few doors down from the crossing.
Eyewitness Jacqui Brittain exclusively told the Luton News at her disbelief, as she saw “five or six” firefighters get out of the vehicle to forcibly move the lollipop man out of the way.
A council spokesperson said: “Luton Borough Council has now concluded its enquiries into reports that a School Crossing Patrol Officer held up a fire engine on an emergency call on 13 April.
“After following our due process, the employee concerned has been summarily dismissed on the grounds of gross misconduct.”
On the sacking Mrs Brittain told the Luton News: “I suppose it is justified as it is a really important, life changing job.
“I should imagine that it comes down to a lack of training, though the lollipop man himself is a driver so his common sense should have kicked in.
“I did the same job for 20 years and the first thing they told us is that when you hear sirens you should not go back onto the road as there is likely to be another fire engine on its way.”
Mrs Brittain added her concerns for the state of the crossing on St Ethelbert Avenue.
She said: “The council really need to up the ante on getting cover for it as it is just chaos there.
“Why don’t the supervisors cover the sites? It is a real failure.”
A man has been arrested following an assault in Luton in the early hours of Monday morning.
The male victim was walking in Moor Path at approximately 12.30am on May 11 when he was approached by another man who assaulted him.
Following the arrest, police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
PC Lee-Anne Pogson said: “In particular we’re looking to speak to a man who was believed to have intervened in the altercation as we believe he could have vital information.
“We’d also urge anyone who witnessed the incident to contact us on 101.”
Anyone with information should contact PC Pogson on 101, text 07786 200 011, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A cordon is currently in place in Farley Hill, Luton, following the discovery of a possible hand grenade.
Police received a call at approximately 9.25am this morning with reports that a military style grenade had been found in Whitehill Avenue.
Whitehill Avenue has been closed between London Road and Farley Hill, and people in houses in Whitehill Avenue are being evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Bomb disposal experts have discovered the grenade found in Whitehill Avenue this morning was not live.
Police were called at around 9.25am with reports that a military-style hand grenade hand been found in Luton.
A cordon was put in place in Whitehill Avenue and houses were temporarily evacuated as a precaution.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers arrived at the scene and examined the grenade but found it to be empty.
The cordon has now been lifted and emergency services have been stood down.
A homeowner has exclusively told the Luton News of her shock after a grenade was discovered outside her home this morning.
The explosive, which is thought to date back to World War Two, was dug up by workers who were placing a water meter underneath the pavement on Whitehill Road, Luton.
Police were called at 9.30am and the road was evacuated as a bomb disposal team examined the military grenade.
It was found to be empty and was taken away by the bomb squad.
Beatrice Gallagher, whose front drive is just inches from where the explosive was found, revealed her surprise at the find.
She told the Luton News: “Armed police knocked on the window and told us to stay at the back of the house because a hand grenade had been found.
“It was a shock, when you see the police you immediately think ‘what’s wrong?’
“It is not every morning you get a call saying there is a grenade outside your house.”
Mrs Gallagher added: “I was thinking about my car out there!
“When the police came they looked at it and went to get a black box, which they put it in and took it away.
“It was quite scary”.
Amey workers Daniel Stoten and Adam Roscoe were installing a water meter when they dug up the device.
Mr Stoten said: “We put it by the side of the hole and when we looked at it we could see all of the grooves and the pin handle.
“There was the initial panic and shock and then you think ‘what am I going to do with it?’
“It is surprising how shallow the hole is, we left in by the side and got out of the way.”
Mr Stoten added: “The police put up a cordon and told everyone to move their cars away as they were not sure whether they would have to detonate it here with a machine or not.
“They said to us that it was an English World War Two grenade.”
It is not yet known where the explosive originated from, though there is a WW2 gun turret not far from Whitehall Avenue on the edge of Stockwood Park.
Two top international football players visited Vauxhall on Wednesday ahead of European Championship Qualifier fixtures next month.
Staff at Griffin House, Vauxhall’s HQ on Osborne Road, Luton, were invited to attend a question and answer session with England and Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck and Scotland and Watford winger Ikechi Anya.
The Premier League duo were quizzed by staff on a host of topics including their upcoming qualifiers and their favourite memories playing for their national sides.
Welbeck and Anya also took time to pose for photographs.
England striker Welbeck said: “I’ve had a brilliant time at Vauxhall and meeting all the members of staff and having a bit of fun with Ikechi.”
The Three Lions face the Republic of Ireland in a friendly on June 7 before travelling to Slovenia for their latest qualifying match a week later on June 14.
The striker added: “Hopefully we can get the result we need against Slovenia.”
Anya’s Scotland play a friendly match against Qatar on June 5 at Easter Road, Edinburgh, before their qualifying match with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on June 13.
Scotland winger Anya said: “It’s been brilliant to meet all of the Vauxhall staff at Griffin House today. We’ve had a lot of fun speaking with them and they’ve been very welcoming.”
Cheryl Stibbs, Vauxhall sponsorship marketing manager, said: “We were thrilled to welcome both Danny and Ikechi ahead of their crucial European Championship qualifiers.
“We have a lot of England and Scotland football fans here and it was brilliant to be able to give them the opportunity to meet both players.”
Two people were taken to hospital after a vintage steam engine and a coach collided in Barton-le-Clay this afternoon.
The East of England Ambulance Service was called at 1.07pm and two ambulances, a response car and an officer were sent to the scene on Bedford Road (A6).
A hazardous area response team (HART) vehicle and the Magpas air ambulance were stood down before arrival.
Three patients were assessed, with two being take to Luton and Dunstable Hospital for further care.
The coach was carrying no passengers at the time but the driver, a man in his 20s, suffered a head injury and some cuts and grazes.
Two men who were operating the steam engine, both in their 50s, fell from the vehicle with one being taken to hospital with his neck and back immobilised as a precaution.
Marilyn Warlow , is just one of the 250,000 men, women and children in the UK affected by the chronic, fluctuating condition Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.).1
Marilyn, from Luton, explained: “I’ve had to give up work and voluntary fundraising. My husband is now my carer and he has the lion’s share of the jobs around our home, including cooking, assisting me in the shower and taking me to my many medical appointments.”
By sharing her story for M.E. Awareness Month in May, Marilyn hopes to help others understand what it’s really like to live with M.E.
“Sometimes my husband is so tired that he has to take time out,” says Marilyn.
“I know there is a lot of pressure on him and I wish I could do more. I feel so guilty sometimes.”
A key feature of M.E. is the body’s inability to recover after expending even small amounts of energy.
They may feel the impact straightaway but it can typically take anything from several hours to two days to kick in.
Around a quarter of people with M.E. are so severely affected that they remain bed or housebound.
Marilyn added: “I only have so much energy and when it is used up I am not able to do anything else. If I overdo it I am laid up for a few days.”
Even in its mildest form, M.E. can have a significant impact on an individual’s life, and not just on their health.
A lack of understanding and awareness about M.E. means patients can experience disbelief, and even discrimination, from friends, family, health and social care professionals and employers.
“Some people do not really understand M.E. and they think that you are capable of far more than you can actually manage,” says Marilyn.
More research is needed into M.E., to find out what causes it and why it affects people the way it does.
For more information visit www.actionforme.org.uk or call 0117 927 9551.
Three roads in Luton are being resurfaced over the next few weeks as part of the council’s planned maintenance schedule.
The link between Gipsy Lane and Airport Way will be closed overnight on Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday May 21, from 8pm till 5am.
Traffic will be diverted via Gipsy Lane, Windmill Road, Kimpton Road and Airport Way.
Sundon Park Road, from the Three Horse Shoes roundabout including Sundon Arch, will be closed every night from Friday, May 22, until Thursday, May 28, from 8pm till 5am.
Traffic will be diverted via Toddington Road, through Sundon Village ad back into Luton along Sundon Park Road.
Vauxhall Way, between Eaton Green Road and Kimpton Road, will be closed every night from Monday, June 1, until Friday, June 5, from 8pm till 5am.
Traffic will be diverted via Kimpton Road, Windmill Road, Saint Mary’s Road roundabout, Crawley Green Road and Vauxhall Way.
Councillor Dave Taylor, portfolio holder for Luton’s transport planning and infrastructure, said: “We are urging drivers to take account of the road works when planning their journeys and allow extra time, especially anyone flying out of Luton Airport or picking up passengers.”
For the latest information on Luton’s road works, visit: http://luton.roadworks.org
The highlight of the Young Farmers’ year took place on Saturday when the Bedfordshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs held their 68th Country Show & Rally at Herne Manor Farm in Toddington, writes Peter Humphreys.
This year the event was hosted by the Woburn & District Young Farmers’ Club and Heathcote Farms Ltd.
Over 2,500 people attended; 400 of who were members and the rest friends, family and public who had come out to see the young people take part in their competitions.
The county is made from seven clubs; Bedford, Biggleswade, Blunham, Leighton Buzzard, North Beds, Silsoe and Woburn who are all part of the 25,000 members in the National Federation.
The day started at 7am with the flower arrangers creating a variety of wonderful displays, some of which could easily be taken for those of professional florists.
Whilst this was happening other members were dropping off their prepared cookery and handicrafts entries, which ranged from fruit sculptures, knitting and sewing to wooden garden toys.
As well as individual members competing against one another, they were many club events. There was a live flower class to decorate a bicycle won by Bedford with Leighton Buzzard coming second. A life-size papier-mâché cow painted showing various cuts of meat was won by Leighton Buzzard. The junior tug of war was won by Blunham, the senior men’s team was won by Woburn and the senior ladies won by Leighton Buzzard. Other events included scarecrow making, pottery and sausage making.
Champion Ram was awarded to Henry Hunt, Dairy Animal to Jack Fuller, Beef Heifer to Will Ludgate and Best Breeding Pig to Henry Shaw. Biggleswade members Hettie Rogers won the under 14.2hh show jumping class and Ella Rogers won the over 14.2hh. Clare Kennedy of Woburn took home many pieces of silverware by gaining the most points in the handicrafts and cookery sections. She also left sporting a banner declaring her Miss Beds YFC along with Roger Parrish who was crowned Mr Handsome Harvester. Helen Humphreys won the trophy for most points gained in the flower arranging classes.
The final event of the day was the much-anticipated decorated floats. With the theme of famous families, trailers were dedicated to The Simpsons, Thunderbirds, Flintstones, Addams Family, Trotters, Mario Brothers and The Weasleys. After each club had paraded around the main ring, dressed in the style of their float and the judging had been announced, the long awaited flour and water fight took place.
A special thank you goes to the Robinson family for hosting the day and to the rally committee for organising this and several other events in the run-up.
> Split into Junior, Intermediate and Senior; people can join Young Farmers at any age from 10 to 26 and enjoy a wide variety of meetings and talks which take place at least once a week throughout the year. Further information and photos of all YFC events at www.bedsyfc.co.uk .
Thieves stole a ring from an elderly woman’s bedside table as she was sleeping during a break in at a house in Vincent Road, Luton at the weekend.
The incident happened between 10pm on Friday and 8am on Saturday. The offenders are believed to have entered the property through an unlocked back door.
They made off with her handbag, which contained her mobile phone and purse, and took a ring from the bedside table. A Toshiba TV from the lounge was also taken.
Detective Constable Rachael Foy said: “This was an opportunistic crime on a vulnerable victim and we would like to remind people to keep your doors locked at all times. We would ask anyone with any information that could assist our investigation to come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Foy on 101, text 07786 200 011, or call alternatively call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
An elderly woman had to be treated for inhaling smoke after a “complicated” fire which left two semi-detached cottages severely damaged.
When the first fire appliance from Ampthill arrived at the properties in Witts End, Eversholt at 10.07pm on Friday, crews found the roof of the cottages well alight and called for three more pumps to support them from Ampthill and Toddington and the Luton aerial platform and a water carrier from Toddington.
Firefighters fought the fire in the roof space from both the ground and the aerial platform pouring water into the burning building. At one point firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were withdrawn from the working inside the buildings due to concerns about a potential unstable chimney stack and the safety of the first floor ceiling.
They continued to use the aerial platform to fight the blaze, removing a number of roof tiles to gain better access to the roof space.
By the early hours of the morning of Saturday (May 16), the fire was under control and extinguished.
The cottages suffered 100% damage to the roof and damage to the first floor and first floor ceilings, the ground floor also suffered from water damage due to burst water main pipes.
An elderly woman was treated by ambulance crews for smoke inhalation. The Red Cross Fire Victim Support was called in to assist in the care of those affected by the fire.
The origin of the initial blaze was a wood burner causing the roof to catch fire.
The fire service was due to re-inspect the scene at 8am Saturday but received a call from a homeowner at 6.30am that the fire appeared to have re-ignited.
Two fire engines, the aerial platform and Operational Support Unit were sent to the scene. A small area of the roof was extinguished by the crews, who remained on scene assist the owner in the removal and recovery of valuables and to clear further areas of the roof that could be accessed in daylight conditions.
Station Commander Jason Tai said: “All crews who attended the incident worked extremely hard in bringing the initial blaze quickly under control and prevent further spread to the floors below and neighbouring buildings.
“Neither property had a smoke alarm and the owners were only alerted by smelling smoke. A little while later and they could have been asleep.
“Even though the property is severely damaged, the crew’s efforts certainly limited this to the roof area in terms of fire spread, unfortunately subsequent collapse of internal ceilings caused further damage.
“The surrounding community and neighbours rallied together to look after the residents and assisted the fire service with removal of valuables.
“This type of fire is complicated because access was extremely limited by the fire’s location in the roof, the risk of collapse of the remaining roof structure, and any of the four chimney stacks, and by nature of old buildings’ construction, which left voids that can hide the spread of fire from view.
“Firefighters had to remove the tiles to gain access to the fire initially and had to fight it externally to begin with. But after risk assessment made a decision to fight internally once clear.”
Luton Town have confirmed that Shaun Whalley, Ricky Miller and Danny Fitzsimons have all left the club.
Whalley, 27, was out of contract this summer and departs Kenilworth Road after scoring five goals in 42 matches.
The winger was signed from Southport in the summer of 2013, picking up two title winners’ medals last term, having also helped AFC Telford to the Conference North title during a loan spell with the Bucks.
After joining from Histon, defender Fitzsimons didn’t play a first team match for Luton, as the 23-year-old suffered a serious knee cruciate knee injury and finished this campaign on loan with Conference North side Brackley Town.
Meanwhile, Miller, who was signed from Boston United last summer, has had his contract terminated (subject to appeal) following an internal investigation into a breach of club discipline.
The former Boston United forward was arrested and released on bail last month after an alleged incident with a taxi driver following the club’s end of season presentation awards evening.
One of Luton’s biggest nightclubs will be closed due to falling trade, we can reveal.
Liquid & Envy, on Gordon Street, currently operates four nights a week but has seen a sharp dip in the amount of patrons it attracts.
The club’s operator, the Deltic Group, has said that due to falling numbers the club will shut its doors for good on Saturday May 30.
Liquid & Envy has 30 employees on its books.
The decline of the nightclub follows the plight of Chicago’s, also on Gordon Street, which was closed in 2013.
A spokesperson from the Deltic Group said: “Following a long-term decline in footfall in the town centre, we have taken the difficult decision to close Liquid & Envy.
“We would like to thank all our employees, who have worked so hard in tough operating conditions to provide our loyal customers with a fun, safe and great value night out.
“We are currently consulting with our team about future opportunities.”
> What are your memories of Liquid & Envy? Email editorial@lutonnews.co.uk or tweet @LutonNews
A thug who kidnapped a pensioner and forced him to drive to cashpoints in an effort to steal money had been sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
Leslie DeRoses, 51, of Dunstable Road, Luton, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary, one count of robbery, and one count of kidnap.
Detective Constable Alan Boxall said: “This was a horrific and despicable crime and we’re delighted with the sentence that DeRoses has received.
“He preyed on a vulnerable, elderly person, putting him through a terrifying ordeal.”
On March 14, DeRoses smashed his way into the house in Luton and demanded money from his terrified victim, who is in his 80s.
He then forced the elderly man to drive to cashpoints at Luton Parkway Station and Santander in George Street in an attempt to obtain money from his account.
DC Boxall added: “We’re really grateful to the people who came forward following our appeal and pleased that justice has been done.
“By taking callous criminals such as DeRoses off the streets of Bedfordshire, we really are helping to protect people and fight crime together.”
DeRoses was sentenced on Friday, May 15 at Luton Crown Court.
Pupils from four Luton Primary Schools are enjoying a new take on school dinners thanks to a new school initiative.
Food Counts was the idea of the business manager and the headteacher at Ferrars Junior School, Lewsey Road, after the school decided it wanted more control over the school dinners provided for the children.
It took over 18 months of planning to turn the idea into a reality, with Downside, Pirton Hill and Beech Hill Primary schools being heavily involved in the process and now also serving their school dinners under the Food Counts brand.
Food Counts was established to improve the diet and nutrition of children, primarily through management of the school meals service.
Brian Herbert, business manager at Ferrars Junior School, said: “As a school we wanted control over what type of food we were serving the children and how much we were allowed to serve.
“In the past there were strict portion controls on how much food the children could have, but now we have full control over that and who supplies the food to us.
“It is about the whole dining experience, with cutlery and jugs of water on the table when the children come in to the dining hall. The children help themselves, it is very grown up and a new experience for a lot of them.”
All four schools have complete control over their kitchens and have employed an experienced chef, Mark Passerelli, to oversee the operation.
Anne McCarthy, headteacher at Ferrars Junior School, said: “The staff and governors at the schools wanted a radical improvement to the nutritional benefit of meals provided, to improve the eating culture and experience within the schools and to improve educational attainment and behaviour through nutrition.
“Children are now eating fruit and vegetables they have never seen before and tasting a wide range of foods.
The schools and their kitchens are now working closely together and benefiting from food industry experience that Mark Passerelli has brought with him.”
The menu is a four week cycle and there is always freshly baked bread, soup for starter, a main course with a vegetarian option, jacket potatoes and salads.
All four schools replaced plastic flight trays with china plates and bowls and the children noticed the difference immediately.
Downside Primary headteacher, Karen Hooker, said: “The school dinner changes have been remarkable at Downside, we have improved the dining conditions and the children are really enjoying the fresh, nutritious food that they are being served daily.”
The schools made the decision to freeze the cost of a school meal at £1.85 and have found that the numbers of pupils choosing to have school meals has risen.
Brian Herbert added: “The biggest change we made was to the ingredients. We greatly increased the variety of them.
“We have had an amazing response from the children; they are trying new things and loving it.
“We have had really positive feedback parents as well, with parents saying that when the children come home now they are always full and telling them about the new foods they have tried.”
The trial for the new dinners began this term.
Downside Primary headteacher, Karen Hooker, said: “The school dinner changes have been remarkable at Downside, we have improved the dining conditions and the children are really enjoying the fresh, nutritious food that they are being served daily.”
Debbie Bosher, Headteacher of Beech Hill Primary, said: “The whole new school meals experience at Beech Hill is proving very popular with pupils and staff as menus and delivery meet the needs of the school community.”