Staff from the Screwfix store in Luton recently took part in the Tour de Screwfix.

The mammoth 5,500 mile national cycle relay was raising money for The Screwfix Foundation, a charity which supports projects to fix, repair, maintain and improve properties and facilities for those in need in the UK.

To mark the opening of its 400th store, 800 Screwfix staff at each of its stores nationwide rode a leg over an eight week period.

They hoped to raise £100,000 for The Screwfix Foundation. Ken Borino and Charlie Whyborne from the Luton store covered the Luton to Bedford leg of the challenge, covering 20.3 miles.

Ken said: “The ‘Tour De Screwfix’ was a fantastic challenge to be part of. Everyone should be really proud of the part they played and we can’t wait to see the final amount we’ve all helped to raise.”

To find out more visit www.screwfixfoundation.com

A grandfather suffered minor burns as he rescued his granddaughter from a serious fire early in the hours of Sunday morning after a smoke alarm alerted an elderly couple to a fire in their home in Gooseberry Hill, Luton.

Two fire engines from Luton Community Fire Station found the fire in the ground floor of a two storey converted bungalow well established. They called for assistance from the Lutonaerial platform and another fire appliance was sent from Stopsley Fire Station to support them.

The fire, believed to have starting in a ground floor airing cupboard, had spread to the rest of the ground floor but fortunately the elderly couple had been alerted to the beginnings of the fire by their smoke alarm. The grandfather had gone upstairs into the loft extension through the fire to rescue his young granddaughter and all three safely left the building.

He suffered minor burns and from the effects of smoke inhalation and was treated by an ambulance crew. The grandmother and their young granddaughter were not injured. The British Red Cross support unit attended to provide some temporary accommodation and assistance for those involved.

Firefighters got the fire under control within fifteen minutes of arriving and fought it using two hoses, two covering jets and six breathing apparatus. The fire was extinguished by 5am and had seriously damaged the ground floor of the property. Firefighters stayed on scene for several hours damping down and using positive pressure ventilation to clear the property of smoke.

Station Commander Kevin Moores said “That the family were alerted by the smoke alarm and able to alert the fire service and get their granddaughter clear of the house shows how important it is to have a working smoke detector in your home. If you don’t have one please get one, if you have one test it regularly to check it is working properly. It could save your life and the lives of your family if there is a fire.”

Bedfordshire Police has welcomed a report which acknowledges the progress made by the force in the way it deals with domestic abuse.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) visited the force in October following concerns raised from a previous visit. Inspectors found ‘Bedfordshire Police is focusing on improving its response to victims of domestic abuse and is rightly treating this as a high priority’.

The report also said: “Bedfordshire Police has invested time and additional resources to improve its response to victims of domestic abuse following the publication of HMIC’s original report. The chief constable made it clear that tackling domestic abuse is a priority.”

“The force has also invested in additional staff in the force control room and the newly formed domestic abuse investigation support unit (DAISU).”

Deputy Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “The force is committed to protecting people and fighting crime together which means our focus is firmly on protecting those in most need.

“We are pleased that HMIC has acknowledged the progress we have made with our approach to domestic abuse, particularly in the overall response to victims and their families.”

Five employees from Machins Solicitors LLP and Sumner & Tabor have completed the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Level Trust.

They were joined by teams from St Matthews Primary School, Cloud Book Keeping, Goose Inspired and CT Portal.

The team from Luton has raised over £6000 for the charity that helps children in Luton living in poverty.

Thomas Nolan, of Machins Solicitors, said: “It was very tough but also very rewarding, we managed to complete the challenge in just over 24 hours, due to bad weather.

“We hiked Ben Nevis, then moved on to Scafell Pike and then Snowden.”

The groups were raising money for Level Trust’s Shoe Project, which aims to provide school shoes for children living in poverty.

Jane Malcolm, Level Trust director, said: “The group did a fantastic job in difficult conditions and on very little sleep, they were incredibly proud of their achievement and were left feeling amazing.

“The most humbling thing for me, was that they did this to help children living in Luton who can not afford shoes for school, the motto of the challenge being Walk For Shoes.

“It looks like we could have raised £12,000 which will nearly cover all of the Shoe Project’s costs next year.

“I can not wait to tell the children we help that people went through this for them,

“I think it will make them feel really valued.”

Beds Police chief constable Colette Paul has unexpectedly stood down from her post and will take early retirement.

Ms Paul told colleagues last night of her decision, stating her intent to travel and spend more time with her family.

Deputy chief constable Jon Boutcher will take charge of the force temporarily in Ms Paul’s absence.

In a statement Ms Paul said she wants to take a “different direction in life’s great adventure”.

She said: “I will be getting married this year, will be travelling widely, and I look forward to spending quality time with my family, in particular my two elderly parents, all of whom have been extremely supportive throughout my career.

“I have had the honour and pleasure of working with some outstanding and selfless individuals over the years, in particular in Bedfordshire where the relentless commitment and dedication of the team has never ceased to impress me.”

The chief constable took up her position in July 2013.

You are what you eat was the lesson for youngsters at Denbigh Primary school in Luton after they partnered with schools from Europe.

As part of eTwinning, the school joined with schools in Italy, Poland and France in a project comparing school dinners across the countries.

This involved a number of subjects including geography, maths, literacy and some foreign language learning.

As part of the celebrations for eTwinning’s 10th anniversary pupils received a pack that included t-shirts for all pupils, logo-bugs, eTwinning books, pens and other etwinning stationary.

Pupils had prepared country presentations, maps and posters and celebrated with a special party with dances and foods from different countries.

Gosia Hirst,International Coordinator at the school said how much the staff and pupils had enjoyed taking part in the project.

“It truly enriched the learning experience for the pupils and had broadened their understanding and knowledge of Europe in a much more exciting way than just reading and researching from books,” she said.

eTwinning aims to develop knowledge and understanding of European cultures and languages and help young people gain skills for their future.

Shoppers will be able to experience a carnival atmosphere at Tesco on Sunday, June 7, as the store will be holding a mini carnival to raise money for Level Trust.

The Skimpot Road supermarket will have staff dressed in carnival costumes, stools for visitors and small rides for children.

The event will be from 10am, all money raised will go towards funding for the charity’s Learn At Home project, which launches on Thursday, June 11.

The charity aims to remove the barriers that poverty brings to a child’s education in Luton, so that they can do their best at school.

The project provides stationary packs for four-year-old children starting school.

Jane Malcolm. Level Trust director, said: “The pack contains everything a child needs to practice learning skills at home, like drawing and sticking and a book written by a local author.

“It tells the story of a little boy afraid of school, but overcoming his fears and having a wonderful time!

“Last year the book helped the children to feel confident on the first day, we are hoping for the same again.”

Suffolk Police are renewing appeals for help in tracing a 43-year-old man who wanted for recall to prison.

Solomon Eastwood, who is also known by a number of aliases including Simon Eastwood and Soloman Loveridge, is wanted after breaching the conditions of his release licence. Police are continuing enquiries to find him and are again appealing for help to locate him.

He is known to frequent Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire – with previous addresses in Ipswich, Bedford and Woodham Walter in Essex - and police are asking anyone who may have seen him or anyone who may know where he is now to get in touch.

Following previous appeals officers have followed up information provided as to his possible whereabouts but he remains wanted.

Eastwood is described as white, around 5ft 10ins tall, of proportionate build, with blue eyes, short dark brown hair and a number of tattoos including an eagle, panther and dagger on his left arm and a tiger and Donald Duck on his right arm.

Anyone with information about Eastwood’s whereabouts is asked to call police immediately by dialling 101 – or contact Suffolk Police direct by calling 01473 613500.

You should not approach him or take any further action.

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if required.

A retired eminent Luton Milliner celebrated her 100th birthday with her family and friends at two parties last month.

Biddy Camp, who was the owner of BD Hats, turned 100 on Friday, May 22.

She had two events to celebrate her milestone, one at Ardmore House Hotel, St Albans, and one at her son’s home in Luton.

She said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my two parties, seeing so many old friends and surrounded by my loving family.

“I am so lucky but I am feeling tired from all the fun!”

Former Luton Town winger Shaun Whalley will not be charged over an incident where it is alleged a taxi driver was assaulted.

Mr Whalley, 27, of Hitchin, had his bail cancelled due to a lack of evidence.

Police have not revealed whether former striker, Ricky Miller, 26, has been charged over his alleged involvement in the incident, which took place on April 27.

Watch out for more as this story develops.

Pupils from St Matthew’s Primary School were awarded two prizes at the Elstree Studios film and animation competition.

The four year 5 pupils were finalists in all five categories and won Best Idea and Best Film.

The children and their families were invited to the awards ceremony at the BFI Southbank in London on Friday, May 29.

They had up to 12 weeks to develop, shoot and edit a film from scratch.

The theme of the competition was A Sense Of Change and the pupils decided their film would be about what it means to change from a child to an adult.

The competition was open to young people between the ages of seven and 19, living in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex and North Kent.

Tom Green, St Matthew’s creative arts specialist teacher, said: “I chose four of our talented writers from year 5 and we spoke about what ideas they had about changing and growing up.

“It was a challenge to get it completed in the time frame, we worked right up to the deadline and we had to work around classroom time, which is important for their education, they all worked really hard on the project.

“They loved it and at the end of the project they said they would miss working on it.

“For the film to be chosen as a finalist in every single category and to win two of them, is really amazing and we are very proud of them.”

To view the film, visit: www.vimeo.com/groups/asenseofchange/videos/125323377

A process to check that almost 35,000 Central Bedfordshire residents are entitled to receive a single person council tax discount has begun.

The 25 per cent discount, worth a minimum of £250 a year, is given to anyone who claims to be living in a property on their own – currently 34,700 people in the area.

While most claims are genuine, the process will use data matching technology to check that information held by the council is accurate and up-to-date and recipients are still entitled to the discount.

The review will use a two stage process to validate legitimate single person discount claims and identify and remove those being claimed in error or fraudulently.

The council has brought in technology specialists CapacityGRID to help establish whether people are genuinely living alone, by cross-referencing with other sources of household information such as, but not limited to, the Electoral Roll registers and financial sector information.

Anyone whose claim for single person discount is under question following the data checking exercise will be contacted by letter and/or telephone.

Anyone failing to respond to requests for further information in relation to their claim will have the claim withdrawn from the beginning of the current financial year or from the date the discount was applied if within the current financial year.

If, during the review process, checks indicate that another adult is living at the address, the discount will be withdrawn.

A spokesman from Central Bedfordshire Council said: “We will be contacting all those we believe to be claiming incorrectly, but in the meantime, we would urge anyone who is claiming the discount and whose circumstances have changed to contact us immediately by telephoning 0300 300 8301.

“The longer you leave it, the larger your backdated bill will be if you’ve been over claiming a discount , so it makes sense to tell us as soon as possible.

“Even if you were living alone when you received your bill for the year, if another adult is living with you now, we will need to re-calculate the amount you need to pay.

“People who are genuinely claiming the discount have nothing to worry about, but anyone found to be deliberately misleading us could face prosecution.

Former Luton Town striker Ricky Miller was charged last night over five offences.

Miller, 26, was arrested in the early hours of April 27 for allegedly headbutting a taxi driver in Hockliffe while en route to Dunstable.

Miller had been out celebrating at Pink Punters nightclub in Fenny Stratford.

Today, a Beds Police spokesman said: “Ricky Miller, of Valence End, Dunstable, has been charged with five offences in connection with incidents in Fenny Stratford and Hockliffe on 27 April.

“The charges include two counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke violence, one count of racially aggravated use of threatening words or behaviour, one count of racially aggravated common assault and one count of assault by beating.

“He has been bailed with conditions and is due to appear before Luton Magistrates’ Court on June 25.

A 27 year old man from Hitchin had his bail cancelled due to insufficient evidence.”

Colette Paul’s shock decision to stand down as Beds Police chief constable to had nothing to do with the result of the council tax referendum, according to PCC Olly Martins.

Ms Paul told colleagues on Monday night that she is to take early retirement, stating her intent to travel and spend more time with family.

The decision comes just three weeks after taxpayers resoundingly voted ‘no’ in a referendum to hike the police precept by 15.8%

However speaking to us this afternoon, Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner Olly Martins said that the referendum result had no bearing on the chief constable’s decision which he said had been made “earlier in the year”.

He added: “It was clear her mind was made up well before the referendum.

“Her decision is about what’s right for her after 33 years of dedicated public service in policing.

“Chief constable Paul has provided very effective leadership during her tenure but although I’m sorry to see her retire I entirely respect her reasons for choosing to do so.”

On her successor Mr Martins said the force needs someone “who shares our vision for policing in Bedfordshire and how we keep the county safe even in the most challenging circumstances.”

Ms Paul has not yet left the force and her leaving date is unknown.

Deputy chief constable Jon Boutcher will take charge of the force temporarily when Ms Paul departs.

The chief constable took up her position in July 2013 after Alf Hitchcock left the county force to head up Ministry of Defence Police.

In a statement Ms Paul revealed she wants to take a “different direction in life’s great adventure”.

She said: “I will be getting married this year, will be travelling widely, and I look forward to spending quality time with my family, in particular my two elderly parents, all of whom have been extremely supportive throughout my career.

“I have had the honour and pleasure of working with some outstanding and selfless individuals over the years, in particular in Bedfordshire where the relentless commitment and dedication of the team has never ceased to impress me.”

A heroic granddad rescued his two-year-old granddaughter from a raging fire in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Brian Tattingham, 75, wife Gloria, 74, and their two grandchildren were at home in Gooseberry Hill, Luton, on May 31 when he was awoken by a smoke alarm.

Brian said: “My granddaughter was sleeping in her cot and I heard a bang that sounded like it was from outside, and then we heard another bang.

“I opened the living room door and the entire back of the room was ablaze.

“I shouted, ‘get up, we’re on fire!’”

Brian and his wife rushed to get two-year-old granddaughter, Poppy, and grandson, Sam, 16, out of the two-storey bungalow as it filled with black smoke.

He said: “My wife screamed and my grandson Sam came running downstairs and he couldn’t see a thing.

“I was terrified but I thought we just have to get everyone out.”

Brian suffered burns and the effects of smoke inhalation while rescuing his family.

“The kids were fine, I was burned across my shoulders and we were taken to L&D hospital for a check-up.”

Firefighters arrived within minutes to tackle the blaze, which took over an hour to

extinguish, leaving the ground floor of the house a blackened ruin.

Most of the windows have been boarded up, and the couple have been forced to stay with Gloria’s sister in the meantime.

To date, they have no idea what caused the fire in their living room and investigations are ongoing. The couple have lived in the house since 1973 with no problems.

Retired printer Brian said: “Most of the damage is cosmetic. Luckily, the house is built entirely out of brick with concrete floors so the fire didn’t go from one room to the other.”

A Beds Fire and rescue spokesman said: “Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service received a call at 03:52 on Sunday morning about a house fire in Gooseberry Hill South. Two fire engines were sent to the incident and when they arrived seven minutes later they found the fire in the ground floor of a two storey converted bungalow well established.

“The fire, believed to have starting in a ground floor airing cupboard, had spread to the rest of the ground floor but fortunately the elderly couple had been alerted to the beginnings of the fire by their smoke alarm.

“Firefighters got the fire under control within fifteen minutes of arriving and fought it using two hoses, two covering jets and six breathing apparatus. The fire was extinguished by 5am and had seriously damaged the ground floor of the property. Firefighters stayed on scene for several hours damping down and using positive pressure ventilation to clear the property of smoke.”

A teacher has told of his “heartache” after a one day car hire ended up costing him £4,400.

Fred Coker, 43, of Villiers Close, Luton, rented a 63 reg Vauxhall Corsa from Enterprise Rent-A-Car but while driving it on the M25 the vehicle lost power and he was forced to pull over.

The car was recovered and Mr Coker was offered a replacement.

A month later the father-of-two was stunned after he received a letter telling him that he should have pulled over 15 minutes before he did and that the car had been “driven on to complete destruction”. Enclosed was an invoice for £3,400– which included a £65 admin fee and £312 for loss of use of the vehicle.

Legal fees have escalated that sum to £4,400.

Mr Coker says he did not notice any warning lights at the time of the incident.

He told the Herald & Post: “Bailiffs turned up at my home on Thursday and demanded that I pay the money or possessions would be taken from me.

“My daughters, who are five and eight, saw that and it has left me emotionally distressed.

“It has kept me up at night.”

Following the breakdown, which occurred in March 2014, Enterprise Rent-A-Car sent the vehicle off for repair at Motorbodies Vauxhall on Kimpton Road.

Engineers could not find the cause of the initial failure, which caused the car to run at a high temperature.

However a report added that a temperature warning light had been on for 14 minutes and 46 seconds at the time of the breakdown and that the vehicle was “driven on to complete destruction”.

It added: “If attention had been paid to the temperature warning light indicated on the instrument cluster, consequential damage could have been saved.”

The damage required the car’s engine to be replaced, which Enterprise Rent-A-Car has held Mr Coker liable for.

A county court judgement in favour of the car hire company was handed down on January 27 but Mr Coker continues to dispute the matter.

He said: “They have claimed there was a warning light, I didn’t see one.

“I honestly know that this is not my fault, the question is what happened to a vehicle registered in February 2014 and that had done only 1,200 miles to develop a fault.

“They did not address the fact that they rented out a car that had a defect or fault but rather I am accused of continuing to drive the vehicle 15 minutes after warning light occurred.

“I don’t deserve this treatment.”

An Enterprise spokesman told the Herald & Post: “Our rental agreement clearly states that drivers must stop using the vehicle and contact us as soon as they become aware of a fault.

“In this instance, we can only conclude that our terms and conditions have been breached and that the damage has been caused by the vehicle being driven when it should not have been.

He added: “Enterprise expects there to be fair wear and tear to its vehicles during the rental period.

“However, when damage is caused by the driver disregarding a warning light, we believe that they should be responsible for the damage to our property.

“When you drive a rental car, you should treat it just as you would your own vehicle.”

A sparkling performance from the St Kitts and Nevis Friends Association secured them the top prize at the Luton Carnival parade.

The annual Carnival Awards Evening took place on May 30 at the UK Centre for Carnival Arts after the May 24 carnival. The parade winners were:

Overall Best in Carnival

1st – St Kitts & Nevis Friends Association

2nd – Scandalous Carnival Group

3rd – Samaritans

Best Costume in Carnival 

1st – Scandalous Carnival Group with “Seasons”

2nd – Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia Care Forum with “The War Within”

3rd – Samaritans with “Always at the end of the line”

Best Float

1st – Revellers Steel Band

2nd – Samaritans

3rd – Keech Hospice Care/Luton Mela

Best School 

1st – Hillborough Junior School

2nd – Farley Junior School

3rd – St Matthews Primary School

Best Walking Group – adult 

1st - Scandalous Carnival Group

Best Walking group – youth 

1st – St Kitts

Best International Visiting Group

1st – Oakleaf Stelzenkunst - Germany

2nd – Dunkelfolket - Aalborg 

Best Visiting Group

1st – Festive Road

Best Static Sound System 

Commercial & World Music - Papa Scooby

Best LSF DJ Hypa Soundz (Wardown Park)

Families have been forced out of a block of converted flats after fire safety inspectors declared it unsafe, we can exclusively reveal.

The property at 10 Midland Road in High Town was inspected by Beds Fire and Rescue Service after they received a tip-off about benefits.

The inspection found that the building violated fire safety laws, and an order was made forcing tenants to leave last night.

One woman told Luton News: “It’s like something out of a war zone, people are screaming and fighting. Lots of us have just had to dump our stuff.

“I have had to find a hotel for the night. They are talking about taking the roof off, this is going to take months.

“I feel so angry, I have done nothing wrong. I have nowhere to go.”

Many of the tenants come from outside of the UK, and were left with few options after leaving their homes.

Three families with children were granted accommodation by the council.

Landlord Mohammed Nadeem claimed that the order was a temporary measure. He denied responsibility for the failings and said a third-party lease-holder was responsible for the lettings.

He said: “I’m very concerned but it’s nothing that can’t be rectified.

“I just feel that the local authority should have done it differently, you can’t just throw people out like that.”

In a joint statement from Luton Borough Council and Beds Fire and Rescue Service, a spokesman said: “The Prohibition Order was served on the landlord following an inspection of converted flats within parts of a commercial building which were unsuitably protected from fire.

“The Order prevents any persons from resting or sleeping in the premises.”

Simon Barker, operational commander at Beds Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We served our Prohibition Order to protect the occupants and it will not be lifted until the owner carries out suitable restoration work to make the building fire-safe.

“It is unfortunate these people have had to leave what was their home, but we could not allow them to stay there without proper fire safety, their lives were at risk and we could not let this situation continue.”

Cllr Tom Shaw, portfolio holder for housing at Luton Borough Council, confirmed the authority was investigating alleged breaches at the address of planning contraventions and regulations.

He said: “Industrial units cannot be divided into flats without appropriate planning permission and building regulation from the planning authority, and all landlords of addresses with two or more households are required to apply for an HMO licence.

“Any landlord or owner of properties we suspect are acting in an illegal way we will use all the powers at our disposal to pursue them.

“While our investigations are continuing it is not possible to comment further at this stage.”

Any tenants affected by the closure are being asked to contact Luton Borough Council.

A man who shoved an 86-year-old woman to the floor to steal her bus pass and £15 cash has been jailed.

Darius Brazinskas, 41, attacked the elderly victim in an alleyway next to Sainsbury’s in Dunstable Road at about 2.45pm on February 27.

He then grabbed her purse containing her bus pass and £15 from her coat pocket as she lay on the floor before running off.

The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance and had to undergo an emergency hip replacement.

Detectives managed to find CCTV footage of Brazinskas as he fled the scene and circulated to the public through a media appeal.

Four days later, CCTV operators who recognised him from the image, spotted Brazinskas at the entrance to the same alleyway and alerted officers who attended and arrested him.

Brazinskas, of no fixed address, denied robbery but was convicted following a four-day trial at Luton Crown Court today.

He was jailed for four years and two months.

Detective constable Rachel Lydon said: “This was a despicable robbery where the offender has targeted a vulnerable elderly lady.

“She has suffered with her health since the robbery and it has had a real impact on her quality of life.

“It was thanks to the quick actions of the CCTV operators who spotted Brazinskas that he was caught amd brought to justice before he could strike again.”

A family member of the victim said that her injuries had been “life changing”.

The Luton-Dunstable Busway was closed this afternoon after a collision between a bus and a pedestrian.

The person is thought to have been left shaken but not injured after the incident, which occurred close to Clifton Road, Luton.

Police received reports of the incident at 3.37pm and an ambulance crew were also on scene shortly after.

The busway has now been reopened.