Beds Police bosses have denied they are ignoring crimes after criticism over offences being “screened out”.

An investigation by the Sunday Times found the force abandoned investigations into 39 per cent of crimes reported in 2011/12.

The Met Police screened out 44 per cent and Northamptonshire 33 per cent.

A Beds Police spokesman said: “The screening out of crime does not mean it is ignored. Many crimes receive an automatic police and scenes of crime response to establish what evidence is available.

“An example of a screened out crime could be an isolated case of criminal damage to a fence that has not been witnessed and there is no forensic evidence. Another might be a theft from a motor vehicle where a scene of crime examiner has found no useful evidence, such as fingerprints or blood.

“Once the initial officer has completed all available lines of inquiry the crime report is filed as screened out.

“A small number of crimes are not further investigated because, following initial assessment, it is clear that there were never any available lines of inquiry.

“Both these sorts of reports are kept on file and reinvestigated if new evidence or crime trends come to light. This is common to many forces.”

Colleagues of a Luton-based air stewardess who was killed three years ago have raised £5,600 for charity in her memory.

Colleagues and family of Thomson cabin crew member Sandra Crawford gathered at the company’s HQ in Wigmore Lane to present the cheque to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Mrs Crawford was stabbed by mentally ill Jonathan London at her home in St Albans in April 2010 and died eight days later. Her son, James, now 21, found his mother being attacked and killed Mr London in self-defence.

It was the air ambulance that took Mrs Crawford to hospital, and colleagues Carly Swaine and Hazel Hunt decided a fundraising masquerade ball would be a fitting tribute to her.

“We still miss her all the time. Sandy was so glamorous and we could imagine her getting ready for the ball, getting dressed up and doing her nails,” said Hazel.

More than 150 people attended the event, which was held at the Riverside suite at Vauxhall Recreation Centre last month and was sponsored by companies including Bartham Press and Tufty’s Flowers in Eaton Green Road.

Battered, bruised, frozen and caked in sludge, I emerged triumphantly from the grizzly 12-mile gauntlet that was Tough Mudder, writes Richard Redman.

I started and finished the challenge side-by-side with PureGym personal trainer Adam Stevens, who had spent the last few months getting me battle-ready with his high-intensity sessions.

Designed by Special Forces, Tough Mudder has become a staple part of a thrillseeker’s diet since the company’s inaugural event in Philadelphia, USA, in 2010.

The course began with a horrific indicator of what was in store for us – the first of 23 obstacles, the Arctic Enema.

Though we were in the ice water – including brief full submersion – for less than 10 seconds, the Enema was an incredible shock to the system.

I climbed out of the tank shivering and gasping, tunnel visoned, half-seriously fearing for my life.

‘Great’, I thought, ‘20-odd more like this’.

Water proved to be a regular feature of the course, both in the mud and streams we had to cross and from the malevolent springtime sky.

Sandwiched between two weeks of glorious sunshine, the few hours I spent battling Tough Mudder just so happened to include thunderstorms and a gruelling hailstorm.

The worst of all the obstacles was prefixed by a small – yet daunting – sign that read ‘leave your dignity here’.

Behind the sign was a low, wooden structure, from which dangled a jungle of orange wires that stretched down towards a muddied floor – I knew what was coming.

One deep breath later I was lying on my front, army-crawling through electrically-charged flourescent vines that stabbed at me with agonising frequency.

Short of showering with a toaster, I could never have prepared for the shocks those dangly demons sent through my body.

After the tenth-or-so full-body spasm, I had almost had enough. I stared down at the dank beige puddle, summoned a gutsy roar, charged my way to the other side and flopped over the barricade like a damp fillet.

Half-way through the course, Adam’s knee gave up on him and he couldn’t run properly.

But I was not about to leave behind the man who had whipped me into shape and gave me a fighting chance at completing Tough Mudder.

I told him he wouldn’t forgive himself if he gave up, and he battled on through the pain.

We had to climb 12-foot greased wall after 12-foot greased wall, trudge through chest-high rivers and streams and leap over raging flames.

We also had to traverse a a full mile – mounds, ditches and tunnels – made entirely out of mud.

The daddy of all the challenges was the appropriately named ‘Everest’ - a behemoth quarterpipe 11-and-a-half miles into the course that demands one last deep dig from participants.

A glance to the top of the obstacle epitomises the ethos of Tough Mudder.

Dozens of selfless weary warriors lay with outstretched arms to offer extra leverage to fellow Mudders yet to conquer the mountain.

They didn’t care about their course time, because Tough Mudder isn’t about individuals – it’s about teamwork – and every Mudder pledges so at the starting line.

We chanted together: “I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge.

“I put team work and camaraderie before my course time.

“I do not whine – kids whine.

“I help my fellow mudders complete the course.

“I overcome all fears.”

It was that camaraderie that pulled me to the top of Everest. A quick ‘thanks lads’ and a position swap later and I was the one offering a helping hand.

Watching participants slip through my fingers after they had sprinted their way almost vertically into my grasp was as heartbreaking as when I was the one falling.

But – ‘No man left behind’.

After Everest, we dashed through another electric shock forest before together crossing the finish line threshold into a party atmosphere where they served cocktails of relief, pride, accomplishment and that old favourite camaraderie.

Well, not exactly – we were handed a pint of ice-cold Strongbow which we neglected to finish in similarly ice-cold winds, hopped in the car, put the heating on and set off home – not before collecting our well-earned T-shirt and commemorative sweatbands.

The whole experience was unforgiving yet unforgettable, and crossing the finish line is an achievement I will always be proud of.

I may never have played for Manchester United or rowed in the Olympics, but I can now say I have taken on Tough Mudder and won – Hoo-raah!

For more information about upcoming Tough Mudder events all around the world, visit www.toughmudder.co.uk.

I would not have been able to get through Tough Mudder were it not for Adam, personal trainer at PureGym.

Visit Adam on Facebook at Phoenix Personal Training.

I was running Tough Mudder to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital - if you can spare any small amount, please donate here.

The number of Luton council staff with salaries of more than £100,000 has doubled according to research published today, but the council says the figures are “skewed”.

The ‘Town Hall Rich List’ by the TaxPayers’ Alliance shows there were five LBC employees on salaries of over £100,000 in 2010-11, and this rose to ten in 2011-12.

However, a council spokesperson said these figures were because of redundancy payments and they have now reduced the number of £100k+ posts.

The spokesperson said: “We are committed to reducing the number of highly paid staff and have completed a full review of senior management resulting in a reduction of nine senior management posts, including one corporate director, and an annual saving of £500k. This along with cuts to council funding resulted in a number of one-off redundancy payments in 2011/12 which skew the figures.”

The highest paid employee is Chief Executive Trevor Holden, who in 2011-12 earned £177,120, plus employer pension contributions of £21,609 and a car benefit amount of £5,618, compared to his 2010-11 salary of £144,630.

Since January, Mr Holden has shared his chief executive role with Breckland Council and South Holland District Council in Norfolk as well as Luton.

The council spokesperson said: “We have continued to look at ways of further reducing salary payments and our Chief Executive is currently shared with two other local authorities meaning the cost of the post to Luton is now significantly less than £100k.

“This leaves four corporate director posts on £100k+ and these salaries are set at market rates so we have the relevant skills, expertise and leadership to ensure quality services are being provided for Luton residents.”

Matthew Sinclair, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It is good news that the number of senior council staff making more than £100,000 a year is finally falling, although that may only be because many authorities have finished paying eye-watering redundancy bills.

“Sadly, too many local authorities are still increasing the number of highly paid staff on their payroll, some of whom are given hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation just to move from one public sector job to another. Residents won’t be impressed if their council pleads poverty when it is demanding more and more Council Tax, only then to spend it creating more town hall tycoons.”

Luton-born England cricketer Monty Panesar is supporting legal professionals in Beds and Herts in this month’s Luton Legal Walk.

The 10km (6.25 mile) sponsored walk is on Thursday, May 23 at 5.30pm through the scenic grounds of Luton Hoo.

The event is one of several held by the Eastern Legal Support Trust. It has been organised by staff at Luton Law Centre and Luton resident Vicky Naylor of Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre, part of east London’s Queen Mary, University of London.

It is one of 17 walks around the country to help raise funds for free legal advice centres – valuable services which provide the public with advice on their legal position and what steps to take next.

Centres such as the one at Queen Mary also give law students practical experience as they work toward their degree.

Spin bowler Monty Panesar said: “I’m proud to see the legal profession in my home town come together to raise funds for such an important cause.

“Using sport to help vulnerable people secure the assistance they need is inspiring.

“I value the work that the Eastern Legal Support Trust does and its importance to the region, which is why the Luton Legal Walk is a worthy use of a Thursday afternoon.”

Global law firm Dentons is supporting the walk by sponsoring T-shirts, balloons and buckets.

Visit www.elst.org.uk or contact lutonlegalwalk@elst.org.uk to sign up a team.

If you’ve walked around Luton town centre lately you might have noticed two very smart looking new cars plugged into previously unused charging points.

The arrival of the two Nissan Leaf cars are the result of a partnership between Luton Borough Council and the electric car club E-Car, and are available for hire to businesses and the public.

Never having driven an electric car, I was intrigued to see what the Leaf had to offer.

The car’s look were very impressive, a futuristic cross between Nissan’s Micra and Juke with a very smart and spacious interior.

What was very strange was starting up the vehicle and pulling away from the kerb, without it making so much as a peep. You feel like you’re just rolling along rather than motoring, such is the silence, but I guess that’s something you’d quickly get used to.

E-Car seems easy to sign up to, and the process of picking up the car is simple – you scan a card over a reader in the windscreen, enter a code into a reader in the glovebox and unplug it from the charging post.

See how my test drive went at www.lutontoday.co.uk

A 46-year-old man had his iPad 3 stolen from him in Felmersham Road, Farley, on April 29.

The victim was pushed from behind by two men so put out his hands to cushion his fall and in doing so dropped his iPad on the ground.

The offenders then grabbed the iPad and ran from the scene in an unknown direction at about 10pm.

Det Con Richard Cunningham said: “The victim in this case was listening to music before he was targeted by the two men responsible. He has been left with bruising to his hands but was luckily otherwise unhurt.

“I would take this opportunity to remind members of the public who may be out and about at night to ensure they keep vigilant at all times. Don’t advertise your valuables, keep them in a pocket or handbag out of sight. Check it is safe before you use your phone or other electrical items and make sure your phone and other valuables are security-marked and registered on www.immobilise.com.

If you witnessed this incident or have been offered a cheap Pad for sale recently, please call Debt Con Cunningham in confidence on 01582 394373.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

More than 70 cautions for sex offences have been given out by Beds Police in the past five years.

A caution is usually used for “low-level” offences. But a Freedom of Information request showed forces in the East of England had used cautions for more than 1,000 sex offences, including rapes. They have been also used for burglaries, fraud and child abuse.

A Beds Police spokesman said: “Cautions are only used for serious offences in exceptional circumstances. In the last five years, one caution was used for an historic rape where both victim and offender were children. The decision to caution is made by the Crown Prosecution Service.”

To have your work called “puerile” isn’t normally something to be pleased about.

But artist Dominic from Luton isn’t too concerned, especially as the words came from the UK’s most famous art critic, Brian Sewell, in a review of the new Charles Saatchi exhibition.

“I was delighted, actually. All publicity’s good publicity,” he told the Luton News this week. “I didn’t think he’d like the show – he doesn’t really do contemporary art.”

New Order: British Art Today opened at the Saatchi Gallery in London a fortnight ago, and the critics have had plenty to say about it.

Waldemar Januszczak in the Times said the show proved British art was as vulgar as ever, and that Dominic from Luton, real name Dominic Allan, had created “images that rub our noses in Britain’s armpits”.

Adrian Hamilton said in the Independent that his photographs were “ever so self-conscious parody”, while in the Telegraph, Richard Dorment said the exhibition was “lethally effective”.

Former Barnfield College student Dominic has four pieces in the show, and one of them, ‘Shoes Off If You Love Luton!’, features on the exhibition catalogue cover.

After completing his NVQ in art and design at Barnfield, he went on to study at Chelsea Art College. His parents still live in Round Green and much of his work revolves around the town, its heritage and modern day image.

He said Saatchi’s inclusion of his work in New Order was further recognition for Luton, after former Putteridge High School student Elizabeth Price won last year’s Turner Prize competition.

“Hopefully it makes people realise that Luton isn’t a cultural wilderness,” he said. “The show has been getting a lot of attention, and the Arts Council recently invested in a three-month project I did in the town.”

New Order: British Art Today runs until September 24.

As many as 96 per cent of Central Beds children starting school for the first time in September have been offered at place at their chosen school.

Central Beds Council allocated 2917 places at schools across the area with the vast majority getting a place at their first preference.

Councillor Mark Versallion said: “Starting school is a really important life event, so it’s fantastic news that so many children will be starting their journey through education at the schools they wanted to go to.”

For mor einformation, visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/learning/schools

Two workers were fined £434 each for smoking in their work vehicles which is illegal.

Abdul Shakoor of Crawley Road and Keith Fairlie of Napier Road were found guilty at Luton Magistrates Court in their absence as neither attended.

Council enforcement officers saw Shakoor and Fairlie smoking in their respective work vehicles last year and as they both failed to pay a fixed penalty notice fine of £50 they were taken to court.

The pair will now have to each pay £200, plus £219 court costs and a further £15 victim surcharge.

Smoke free law protects people from exposure to second hand smoke, which is a health hazard.

Councillor Aslam Khan, the Council’s tobacco free champion said: “Second hand smoke contains chemicals that can cause serious health problems. Even smoking in a vehicle with the windows open poses a risk.

“Smoking is banned in all enclosed work and public spaces and that includes work vehicles.

“We are committed to protecting the health of all Luton residents, so will always prosecute if we find someone smoking in a work vehicle.”

If you see somebody smoking in a work vehicle and want to make a complaint, email environmentalhealth@luton.gov.uk or call 01582 51 03 30.

Luton Stop Smoking Service offers support and advice for anyone wanting to quit smoking. For more information, call for free on 0800 013 0845 or go to www.tobaccofreeluton.co.uk

A “kind and generous” former Vauxhall Motors worker celebrated his 100th birthday with a party fit for a centenarian.

Gordon Bedingfield, who was awarded the North Atlantic Star and Air Crew Europe Star during his time as an RAF Flight Lieutenant in the 1940s, was surrounded by family for his birthday party at Trefoil House on April 25.

Mr Bedingfield has lived in Luton since 1934, when his family moved down from Sunderland, and he started working at Vauxhall Motors in 1936.

He married Dorothy in 1937 and has six children, 15 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Daughter Mary Dempster said: “My father is a kind, generous and charitable man with a positive disposition. He is always pleased to see everyone and the visits are always tinged with humour.”

The keen and knowledgeable gardener spent three years in the RAF in the 1930s and rejoined in 1943 where he was a wireless operator in a bomber squadron taking part in North Atlantic escort operations.

He returned to Vauxhall in 1947, retiring as area manager of the press shops in 1973.

Mr Bedingfield enjoyed going to the races and was interested in racing pigeons, and now enjoys listening to and reciting poetry.

A young homeless man who has never travelled further than London is preparing for the adventure of a lifetime as a Raleigh volunteer in India.

Daniel Koutsou, 19, who lives at the Mary Seacole Hostel in Luton, signed up to the ten-week trip after taking part in a Prince’s Trust project.

He needs to raise £800 in sponsorship before May 24 in order to go on the programme.

Daniel said: “My mum kicked me out when I was 16 so I’ve been living at Mary Seacole for a couple of years. This is an opportunity to turn my life around. I want to get out of the hostel and find myself a career. I think this will give me a sense of what I want to do as I’m interested in being a travel rep. I want to to work with a community in a foreign country and give something back.”

The Raleigh programme in India focuses on health and sanitation and rural livelihoods. Daniel will be working with English and Indian volunteers to build safe sanitation units, provide health awareness and help the community’s needs.

He said: “I just wanted the chance to travel the world, see what other cultures are like, help people and get work experience.”

Daniel has worked in warehouses and as a gym instructor previously.

He hopes the Raleigh International experience will help him find a permanent job when he returns.

To sponsor Daniel, email Daniel_Koutsou@hotmail.co.uk, call him on 07923 423282 or the Mary Seacole Hostel on 01582 415920.

Quentin Tarantino follows up his war homage Inglourious Basterds with another Oscar-winner, DJANGO UNCHAINED (18: Sony), a thrilling swagger through the good, bad and ugly sides of slavery.

The playfully audacious director throws everything but the kitchen sink at the screen in this mix of spaghetti western, blaxploitation and revisionist American history.

Jamie Foxx plays a slave named Django who’s tracked down by eccentric German bounty hunter Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and offered his freedom in exchange for help in bringing three criminals to justice.

The unlikely allies continue their partnership after the job is done and fight to rescue Django’s wife from a sadistic Mississippi plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio on top villainous form).

It’s overindulgent in that trademark Tarantino way, but acceptably so as he knows which genre movies to lovingly recycle.

His film is blessed with entertaining dialogue, surreal plot twists, a film buff’s dream of a supporting cast and a soundtrack that serves as a Morricone tribute.

Waltz, who picked up an Academy Award for Basterds, won another here for a brilliant performance of ruthless charm personified as Django’s mentor. But the real surprise is Samuel L. Jackson’s skin-crawling portrayal of DiCaprio’s manipulative head servant.

> It’s hard to know what PLAYING FOR KEEPS (12: Lionsgate) is trying to be – sports drama, family comedy, rom-com, midlife crisis movie or sex farce.

Gerard Butler doesn’t have a great track record with US films, but at least he spares us his American accent as a Scottish former footballer who’s hit hard times in suburbia.

He’s relocated to the States to bond with a son he’s neglected, and potentially get back together with the lad’s mum (Jessica Biel).

Soon he’s conscripted to train his boy’s after-school soccer team and along the way starts to service the sex-starved moms.

These saucy interludes sit very oddly with the father-son bonding, although there are enjoyable moments thanks to a seductive, manipulative Catherine Zeta-Jones.

However, Uma Thurman seems to think she’s in a Carry On film, alldoe-eyed panting and heaving bosoms, while Dennis Quaid is on auto-pilot as her greasy wheeler-dealer husband.

> Workmanlike drama TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (12: Warner) stars Clint Eastwood as Gus, an ageing baseball scout in the twilight of his career.

He sets off on one last recruiting trip to find the game’s next golden boy, but as his eyes are giving him trouble, his neglected lawyer daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) is persuaded to accompany him.

Hotshot rival scout Johnny (Justin Timberlake) enters the equation, but will the youngsters’ budding romance bring Gus and Mickey closer or drive them further apart?

All the expected dysfunctional family buttons are pushed, with Eastwood playing a variation of a character we’ve seen a few times before – part curmudgeonly war veteran of Gran Torino, part awkward parental figure of Million Dollar Baby.

Police are offering a £1,000 reward to halt the escalation in violence after Luton was rocked by another teenage shooting in the early hours of Saturday.

Detectives in Luton are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a 16-year-old boy was found with a gunshot wound to his back in Thricknells Close, Marsh Farm shortly before 4am.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment where he remains in a serious but stable condition. Armed response officers searched after a man was seen leaving the area at the time the shooting happened. He is described as white, in his mid-teens, wearing a blue top and blue denim jeans.

Detective Inspector Sean Quinn, investigating, said: “We are in the early stages of this investigation and are piecing together exactly what happened prior to this shooting.

“However, we believe this was a targeted incident and we would urge anyone who has information about this shooting or anyone who can help identify the person seen leaving the scene to contact the police immediately. They can do this in complete confidence and we can reassure them that any information given will be used confidentially to trace whoever was responsible for this crime.”

Meanwhile police intend to step up patrols in west Luton with immediate effect. Armed officers, together with members of the local policing team for Marsh Farm and Lewsey Farm, will be out and about in greater force for the foreseeable future; reassuring the public and ensuring that people who carry guns or weapons in public are stopped and arrested.

Patrols, already on the ground in significant numbers, will be doubled and will be using stop and search powers to ensure public safety.

A £1000 reward has now been posted to anyone who gives the police information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any person who is involved in gun crime in the town.

Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Richer, said: “We understand that there will be a number of law abiding citizens who will be affected by this action, however, we hope that they will understand that this action is being taken to keep them and their loved ones safe and they will agree with us that this level of criminality will not be tolerated. These measures are being used to ensure those who commit these crimes are stopped so we would ask the public for their forbearance.

“Since January we have seen an escalation in gun crime in the town and this issue remains a top priority for the force.

“Over the last few weeks numerous warrants have been executed and 11 people arrested in connection with ongoing drugs and firearms inquiries. There have also been two firearms and ammunition recovered.

“Be reassured that much more police action will follow and the police effort is intensifying in proportion to the threat posed by the small groups of offenders who are responsible for these crimes. Any person carrying a firearm or weapon on the street can expect to be confronted by armed patrols who will search them, arrest them and prosecute them.

“With regard to the offences already committed we need witnesses to come forward and information from the public and those associated with offenders - this is the piece of the puzzle that we are struggling with. We are trying to encourage people to speak to officers by offering a reward and members of the communities involved need to know that we need their help to enable us to stop these people – they can speak with us in complete confidence and can trust that confidentiality will be respected.

“If they wish they can also contact Crimestoppers, anonymously - all information will be used to keep our communities safe.”

If you witnessed the incident, can help identify the person responsible, or if you have any information relating to the crime, contact Beds Police, in confidence, on 101, or text information to 07786 200011.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

“You think your world is safe? It is an illusion. A comforting lie told to protect you. Enjoy these final moments of peace. For I have returned, to have my vengeance!”

It’s a good feeling when you see a sequel that delivers on the promise of the first film – especially when it’s a rebooted series.

But Star Trek Into Darkness, under the expert direction of JJ ‘next up will be Star Wars Episode VII’ Abrams, is a joy to behold for Trekkies and fans of quality cinema thrills alike.

Into Darkness picks up straight from the end of the 2009 Star Trek that successfully re-engineered the whole cinematic presence of the starship USS Enterprise and her crew, led by Captain James T. Kirk (Chris ‘soon to be the new Jack Ryan’ Pine).

Darkness, however, lives up to its name in that it brings a new level of threat in the suave and menacing form of Khan (Benedict ‘Sherlock from TV’ Cumberbatch) – an enigmatic and all-powerful adversary with a hidden agenda.

The plot involves the good guys Kirk, Spock (Zachary Quint), Bones (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) desperately trying to halt Khan’s seemingly unstoppable campaign of terror.

The rapport of the Enterprise crew is a winning one which helps gloss over the occasional plot hole and the copious amounts of lens flair.

Captain Kirk is picked to lead a dangerous manhunt into a war zone to try and capture Khan – easier said than done considering he’s one-man weapon of mass destruction.

It makes for an exciting rollercoaster ride that sees the Enterprise outmanoeuvered and out-gunned. Is this the premature end to their potential long-running franchise? If you’ve seen the trailer you’ll know to expect serious potential losses…

Into Darkness brings lots of fan references including stuff only Trekkies will really ‘get’ like a Tribble being experimented on, but also some upgraded visual effects and iconic new technology. Alice Eve is also on hand to catch the eye, and Kirk’s attention, as new crew member Dr. Carol Marcus.

This is a great movie that continues the series in fine style. It also bodes well for the planned Star Wars VII as Abrams is clearly at home with sci-fi adventure.

I highly recommend that you boldly go and see Star Trek: Into Darkness…

A man had to be given oxygen after a fire broke at a house in Bury Park.

Fire crews were called to a cooker fire at the house in Francis Street just after 5pm yesterday (Sunday May 12). The man was treated for smoke inhalation.

Nuisance vehicles which are “a blight on residents’ lives” are being targeted in a police crackdown ahead of summer.

Beds Police are encouraging people to identify nuisance motorcyclists so they can stop people who think it is acceptable to ride motorbikes, mopeds, scooters or mini-motos in a dangerous way across public land.

As the weather turns warmer, some people will break the law by riding motorbikes off-road, often without crash helmets, insurance or tax.

Inspector Jim Hitch said: “Nuisance vehicles are a blight on residents’ lives across Beds but I hope that by working together this summer we can crackdown on the numbers affecting people’s enjoyment.

“One of the issues we have is not being able to chase after every single nuisance motorcyclist but by providing information such as names, addresses or where the vehicle may have been previously, we can build up a picture of the offenders and take appropriate action.

“Riders need to realise that this sort of behaviour is unacceptable - not only is it an offence, but it is also extremely dangerous for others. These riders need to understand that if they ride their motorbike in a park or somewhere else that they shouldn’t they will receive a warning or have their motorbike seized.”

Under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002, officers have the power to stop anti-social motorists, issue fines, seize vehicles and have them destroyed when necessary, and anyone caught riding on pavements or roads illegally could also be dealt with for motoring offences such as riding without a licence and having no MoT or insurance.

Inspector Hitch also warned parents who are considering buying a motorbike or similar vehicle for their children to use off-road that unless they have permission for their children to use the vehicle on private land, not to buy one.

Anyone with information concerning nuisance vehicles can contact Beds Police on the 101 number or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Universities minister David Willetts praised the “flair and flexibility” of the University of Bedfordshire at today’s (Monday) launch of a new £20million centre.

The new Postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development Centre, in Park Square, Luton, is one of only 10 such centres in the country.

Mr Willetts said: “I am an admirer of this university for the way it transforms lives for many people in Bedfordshire.”

The minister urged people not to be put off going to university for fear of costs. He said: “Students do not pay fees up front and they only start to pay back when they are in a well-paid job.” He added the future of education shouldn’t be about making choices at a “fork in the road”. He saw the centre as providing training for all kinds of people, including apprentices.

The centre will enable people with or without degrees to benefit from research and learning in areas including business, management, law and linguistics and tourism, hospitality and event management.

Representatives of firms, including Microsoft, were also in attendanc. Bill Rammell, the vice chancellor of the University said the institution has a “focus onresearch and meeting the needs of businesses.”

Yes, I know, I know – it’s a dream team, isn’t it?

Director Baz Luhrmann has the dash and artistic eye to make the most of a story set in the Roaring Twenties. Look at what he did in Moulin Rouge.

Leo DiCaprio can pull off the devilishly handsome but intriguingly mysterious central character – The Aviator proved that.

Tobey Maguire, bless him, knows that he’s not really born to play the matinee idol leading man but he’s ideal as a number two, isn’t he?

And Carey Mulligan is picture perfect as the frail but confoundingly conquering flapper at the centre of the piece.

But do you know what? It’s only another version of The Great Gatsby and I just don’t care.

The book itself should be your first port of call if you want to know what doomed drunkard F. Scott Fitzgerald thought of people who had more money than him. Not a hell of a lot, as it happens.

The 1974 film starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow – but who directed and who took the sidekick role? – was a perfectly respectable telling of the tale.

And for the life of me I can’t see what more is on offer in Baz’s latest offering – it’s not any more elegant, the actors aren’t any more attractive, the soundtrack plinky plonks along in a suitably Jazz Age style, and let’s face it, the first film was the best part of an hour and a half shorter.

All credit to original director Jack ‘Room At The Top’ Clayton for keeping the running time down to a civilised length, apologies to 1974 sidekick Sam Waterston for forgetting him and having to check on IMDB.

And sorry, Baz, you may have weighed in with the screenplay as well but your words don’t hold a candle to the dialogue crafted by a certain F. F. Coppola back in the day.

> However pointless and pedestrian the Great Gatsby may seem, considering the amount of money that’s been chucked at it, it’s a peerless work of cinematic creation compared to the other new release squealing into a multiplex near you this week.

Start your engines and put your foot down if you want to steer clear of Fast and Furious 6, which is like every one of the first five instalments of this gasoline-fuelled franchise.

It’s got Vin Diesel in the driving seat, presumably picked on the basis of his name alone. It’s got lots of cars going very fast and very loud, it’s got dialogue that sounds as if it was hammered together in a backstreet garage and it doesn’t make any sense at all.

But it clearly has an audience, or it wouldn’t have reached Junction 6 in the great movie motorway of meaninglessness.

Any chance Chapter 7 will only feature electric cars going quite slowly and running out of juice at inappropriate moments? Just a suggestion...