Weekly news from Bedford, UK

One cannot help but laugh over this gaffe! BoS reports that an attempted armed robbery failed because the thief could not open his penknife.

At around 8pm on Thursday a man entered the Londis shop in South Drive, Shortstown, and threatened staff with a small flick-knife.

As he demanded money he struggled to open the blade of the knife before panicking and leaving.

Officers are keen to speak to four members of the public who were in the shop before the attempted robbery happened.

He is described as white, in his late 20s or early 30s, 5'5" tall, slim build unshaven with dark short hair.

Anyone with information can contact DC Rob Nicol, on 01234 275323, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

An investigation is under way after a 24-year-old man died at Bedford Prison.

A Home Office official confirmed that Michael Murray was pronounced dead at hospital on Thursday. Staff at the prison had tried in vain to resuscitate him in his cell.

It is believed that Mr Murray committed suicide but a full investigation will be carried out by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

Mr Murray was serving a 22-month sentence for reckless driving. A Home Office spokesman said: "Every death in custody is a tragedy. Our sympathies are with his family and friends."

Former England international footballer Paul Gascoigne ended up in hospital during a stay at a top health farm after eating a poisonous berry.

The troubled 38-year-old soccer legend now a television celebrity was staying at Henlow Grange when the incident took place.

Mr Gascoigne more commonly known as Gazza mistook a poisonous berry for a cherry while relaxing at the health farm.

It is understood the former England, Newcastle, Tottenham and Lazio midfielder picked the berry from a bush while walking in the grounds of the Georgian mansion.

He was taken to hospital but was not required to stay overnight.

His agent Kat Stonehouse said:

"I don't know why you are writing this story. It was something and nothing that happened over a week ago.

He ate a non-edible berry. I don't know how he got hold of it but he is fine now. He was not hospitalised."

(Obviously the agent couldn't see the delightful irony of this occurring at a health farm!)

BoS reports that Bedfordshire County Council is set to introduce a weight restriction of 7.5 tonnes on various roads around villages in the north-east of the county.

Residents in the affected villages, Renhold, Ravensden and Wilden are delighted at the proposal.

But those who live outside the proposed lorry ban are up in arms because this means lorries will now go through other villages as well as the outskirts of Bedford instead.

Hundreds of people in Goldington and Putnoe are signing a petition calling for a weight limit on Putnoe Lane and Wentworth Drive.

The aim is to stop lorries using Putnoe as a short cut, a situation which could worsen if a lorry ban is imposed on Renhold roads.

Liberal Democrat borough councillor Michael Headley has already presented the first set of petition names to the county council. Cllr Headley urged:

"Please continue to send in your petition slips.

We haven't had a response from the c ouncil yet and we need to make the strongest case possible."

Conservative county councillor Tom Wootton is responsible for Traffic Regulation Orders, which includes HGV restrictions. As he also lives in Ravensden and represents the villages concerned he has passed the matter on to the executive committee of the county council to make a decision. A council spokesman said:

"Cllr Wootton is the executive member with responsibility for Traffic Regulation Orders.

In this case he has referred the recommendation to the full executive for them to decide, recognising that he is also the local member and because of its implications for a wider area of the county."

BoS reports that an undisclosed sum has been set aside on making council bosses 'libel-proof'.

Bedfordshire County Council has decided to provide indemnity for council leader Madeline Russell and chief executive Andrea Hill. By agreeing to indemify the pair, the council will pick up the tab for costs of any legal action. (I think that means you and me folks!)

The pair were threatened with legal action for alleged defamation, following remarks made on BBC Three Counties Radio earlier this year.

The allegedly-libellous remarks were made as the council considered ditching its private contractors, Hyder Business Services (HBS).

Last month, the council agreed to pay HBS nearly 10 million to go away, rather than get involved in costly legal action over terminating their contract.

The HBS partnership, which started in 2001, was worth 267 million and was meant to last 12 years.

One councillor speaking on condition of anonymity told Bedfordshire on Sunday that the indemnity deal for Cllr Russell and civil servant Mrs Hill might mean 'throwing good money after bad'.

The decision was taken by council officers without referral to elected councillors and will be 'noted' at the council's executive meeting on Tuesday.

A council spokesman said:

"It is standard practice for Local Authorities to indemnify officers and members for actions which they take as part of their role.

"The relevant principle is that if a member causes loss to the council he/she is liable to make good that loss if he/she has misconducted him/herself knowing that loss may result.

"This was established in 19th Century case law and most recently reaffirmed by the House of Lords in the Dame Shirley Porter 'Homes for Votes' case."

BoS reports that police are investigating an arson attack on Friday morning when a house was attacked for the fourth time in a fortnight.

Firefighters were called to Exeter Walk in Bedford at 3am to deal with the blaze which had broken out in the downstairs toilet.

The mother of the family woke up to use the toilet but smelled smoke and heard the fire alarm.

She was able to wake her husband and three grown up daughters and evacuate the house safely. Her husband attempted to battle the flames but was forced back and wasn't able to bring it under control. He was taken to Bedford Hospital's south wing for treatment for smoke inhalation, but was released later in the day.

Damage to the property was restricted to the toilet and hallway, but smoke spread throughout the property.

CID officers are treating the incident as arson and linking it to a string of other incidents that have occurred at the family home.

On August 18 one of the daughters had a brick thrown at her while in the garden.

The next day a small fire broke out when a lighted object was forced through the letterbox and an attempted arson happened again on August 20 when the garden shed was attacked.

Last Saturday there was a case of criminal damage when the kitchen window was smashed.

The attacks have left the family fearful and they have been moved into alternative accommodation for their own safety.

Officers are keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the attack or seen anything suspicious.

Witnesses can contact DS Gary Maxey or DC Matt Glanfield at Greyfriars Police Station on 01234 275331 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

(Those who are not commuters cannot help but see the funny side of this!)

A train operator has come up with a novel idea. To keep to its timetable it is not going to stop at the station.

Commuters face more disruption following Midland Mainlines decision to stop one of its trains calling at Bedford.

From tomorrow the 18.15 train from St Pancras will stop at Luton instead of Bedford in an attempt to improve the punctuality of the train.

The move comes despite the service being used by more than one hundred people a day and only starting on June 12.

As a result of the decision, commuters are predicting that an extra 30 minutes could be added to their travelling time.

One angry customer said:

"To lose this service is just another slap in the face for Bedford commuters. The priority for Midland Mainline should be getting customers home safely and by cancelling this service they are not doing that.

I imagine this is just an attempt to make their punctuality figures look more impressive."

The London Transport Users Committee (LTUC) is calling for Midland Mainline to reinstate the route as soon as possible. LTUC Director, Rufus Barnes, said:

"Withdrawing the Bedford stop on the 18.15 makes no sense whatsoever.

A recent head count suggests that this train is very well used by Bedford commuters, especially as it is only a recent addition to the timetable.

This means that Bedford commuters using the 18.15 will have increased journey times, whether they choose to change at Luton, use the Thameslink service from King's Cross or wait for the next Midland Mainline service."

A spokesman for Midland Mainline said:

"We understand that this isn't ideal for customers in Bedford and for that we apologise.

By stopping at Luton instead of Bedford, the 18.15 will be able to run to its planned times north of Luton.

Our aim is to minimise delays for the majority of our passengers, although we are conscious that this change will slightly extend journey times for Bedford passengers."

(This reminds me of a meeting at what is now De Montofrt University, when the librarian expressed concern over the fact that books were disappearing because there were four exits. Why a library bisected the college in this way I never fathomed! And actually, most people returned them, but the borrowing system was so cumbersome then that people didn't bother to book them out! Anyway, he announced that only one door would be available in future.

At the next meeting he accouned proudly that the number of books that had disappeared had been drastically decreased. Had the librarian any figures on the number of students going to the library since the new measures. He did not have any. I suggested that if the fourth door was closed the number of books disappearing would stop entirely. I don't think he realised that it was tongue-in-cheek!

As to the poor commuters, perhaps if the railway bosses banned completely people from using trains, puctuality would be first rate!)

BoS reports that swimmers risked the rubbish and Weil's disease as they competed in the triathlon last Sunday.

Dozens of them swam up and down the River Great Ouse by The Embankment in Bedford in the Jordan's Bedford Classic Triathlon.

After swimming 1,500 metres, the competitors also had to run ten kilometres and cycle 40k but it was the swim that caused concern.

The river was littered with rubbish and also partly covered in green algae.

The Environment Agency had written to the organisers warning them of the risks.

A spokesman said: "There can be dangers of entanglement in water plants, cuts and abrasions from materials which have been dumped in the river and the risks of Weil's disease which is contracted from rats' urine."

The winner was Martin Yelling from Bedford.

RBoS reports that residents are questioning how far Bedfordshire Police will go to enforce new laws which allow them to confiscate noisy motor scooters.

As Bedfordshire on Sunday revealed last month, Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002, lets police seize and remove any motor vehicle that 'causes, or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance' to members of the public.

One homeowner in Hartwell Drive, Kempston, feels that the police are not living up to their promise and are not doing enough to stop youngsters upsetting residents. Phil Carey said:

"I spend all day in London and when I come home all I want to do is relax.

"But you always get some youth tearing up and down the road or on the pavements on these scooters. They cut through from Addison Park on to Hartwell Drive before going down Hillgrounds Road.

"Over the last four months I have supplied the police with numerous licence plate numbers and times, but nothing seems to be done.

"I've even seen a young lad riding a moped with no crash helmet, holding an even younger child at the same time. It's ridiculous."

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said:

"We want people to be aware that this is a new piece of legislation that is available for officers to use when needed.

"Unfortunately we cannot be everywhere to enforce it and we hope that parents take responsibility when buying the bikes and warn their children of using them safely.

"If they do not do this then they face these valuable items being taken away."

(Same problem in Putnoe area as well. It is not the speed at which these wretched scooters go that is enfuriating - some of them a healthy athlete could compete with, and win! No, it's the noise, and I would suspect that the baffles in the silencers have been deliberately removed in order to create the din.

People a few years older, who have a car, can be equally enfuriating with unbreaably looud music and beating sounds coming from the car. The occupants will doubtless be deaf by their forties, but in the meantime, this is the current way of making a statement of defiance to the community. Policing may be difficult, but a simple solution would be to make the sale of such car accessories illegal beyond a specified wattage.)

A retired English teacher is hoping to chalk up some fundraising success when he puts his oar in for charity with a canoe trip on the Ouse.

Richard Claridge, 63, set off from Bedford on Tuesday to travel 90 miles to Kings Lynn, Norfolk, for the British Lung Foundation in a boat he made himself.

Mr Claridge, who taught at Bedford Modern School until five years ago, assembled the DIY Canadian-style vessel from boards he had cut to size by a professional boatbuilder. He said:

"It's not a Ray Mears survival sort of thing where he goes out and builds a canoe from a tree – I am not a great woodworker.

"The hull is a plywood construction and the planks, or 'chynes', were cut to size for me, so I can't claim to have hewn the wood myself.

"I had to join it and fit it and all the rest of it, and that's not terribly difficult with the various epoxy glues."

Mr Claridge, of the High Street, Kempston, is raising money for the British Lung Foundation.

His wife Mo has suffered from the lung condition bronchiectasis for many years and had surgery to remove part of her left lung in 1975. Six years ago the remainder of the organ was removed at Papworth Hospital.

She still has problems in the right lung despite having never smoked and attends Papworth's Lung Defence Clinic.

Joining Mr Claridge in the canoe for the five-day trip is family friend Hannah Potter, 68.

She is adding to the paddle power after only a handful of training sessions to raise funds for Leukaemia Research. Her daughter Katie died from the disease in 1970.

Mr Claridge said he had been surprised how little had changed physically along the river since he last canoed it 30 years ago. What had altered was the human presence, he added.

Mr Claridge said:

"There are a few new locks and roads that go over, but very little building near the river because of the floodplain.

"We went from Bedford to St Neots in the middle of August and saw about three children all day fishing or playing by the river, whereas I was always larking about there.

"And despite it being a navigable waterway, in the whole day we saw about eight boats. It's amazingly deserted and a completely under-used natural public resource."

A year ago a man with a huge range of tattoos all over his body died, and a large number of people left flowers and messages at his favourite seat in Harpur Square. This picture shows his eyes closed, believe it or not!

Though some found his appearance intimidating, many clearly warmed to him.

And nowm a year later, a tribute to one of Bedford's best-known faces could prove short-lived if the Town Hall has its way.

Friends of Glynn Hart, better known as Teardrop, placed a plaque on his favourite bench on Friday night to mark a year since his death.

But Bedford Borough Council says the plaque was unauthorised, and is likely to be removed in the next few days.

Mr Hart's friend Kacey Jones said: "I think it is disgusting that they want to get rid of the plaque. I don't see how you can treat this sensitively – everybody involved with placing it there will go mad.

"The council should know from when Teardrop died how much people liked him, and that was his bench."

Teardrop was known as a friend of the homeless and was easily recognised because of the tattoos all over his body, including tribal markings on his face.

On Friday a group of his former friends met by the bench he often sat on in Harpur Square and fixed the plaque to it.

Flowers, candles and written messages have been left by the landmark throughout the week.

A council spokesman said:

"We are aware of this unauthorised plaque which was put on the public bench about a week ago to coincide with the first anniversary of Teardrop's death, along with some flowers placed nearby.

"We are treating the matter sensitively in view of the anniversary but expect to remove the plaque within the next few days."

In fact, when I looked yesterday, the tribute and plaque had been removed.

Unfortunately I have not had the time to be doing the rounds with my camera this week. But I noticed this advert. I don't know anything about the sports festival yet but will try to find out.

Another shot of Harrold Country Park.

Wishing you a good week ahead

Week ending 10 September 2005