Slough Community Websites

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a robbery at a hotel in Slough on Sunday (7/2).

At about 5.30am, two men broke into the Premier Inn in Uxbridge Road, Slough. They demanded money from a member of staff.

One of the robbers climbed over the reception desk and stole a small red cash box containing an undisclosed amount of cash.

A second member of staff then arrived at the scene and challenged the robbers, who ran off along Uxbridge Road, Slough. The staff were not injured.

One of the Slough robbers is Asian, aged 19 to 25, 6ft and slim. He was wearing a black hooded top with a baseball cap under the hood, black tracksuit bottoms and sunglasses. The other offender is also aged about 19 to 25, 6ft 1in and slim. He was wearing a grey hooded top and jeans. Both robbers had scarves over their faces.

If you saw anyone behaving suspiciously in the area at the time, or have any other information about the incident, please contact Det Con Sally Spencer on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or give your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Is someone you know an outstanding Slough citizen? If so, enter them for a Mayor’s Award.

The Mayor’s Awards, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Slough, are given to people who have made an outstanding contribution to the local community.

There are two awards:

Citizen of the Year
Young Citizen of the Year (for young people aged 18 or under)

Anyone who lives, works or studies in Slough can be nominated.

An online nomination form can be found here or paper forms can be requested by calling Kate Pratt on 01753 875088.

Mayor of Slough, Cllr Joginder Bal, said: “As Slough’s first citizen I want to recognise and honour those people who go above and beyond for our town, giving their time and energy to making Slough a better place.”

The closing date for entries is Monday 8 March 2010. Representatives from the Rotary Club of Slough, Deputy Lieutenant Gordon Storey and the Mayor of Slough, Councillor Joginder Bal will be judging the entries.

The awards will be presented to the winners at an evening event on Tuesday 20 April when the Mayor, Slough’s first citizen, will thank local volunteers for their work.

Slough Borough Council

Nine people have been released on bail following the robbery of a taxi driver in Slough at the weekend.

Six males, including three 16-year-old boys, one 17-year-old boy and two men aged 19 and 20, and three females, including two 17-year-old girls and one 18-year-old, have been bailed to various dates in March pending further enquiries.

During the early hours of Sunday morning (31/1), the Slough taxi driver, who is in his seventies, was in his car in Cardigan Close when a group of people punched and kicked him and stole his Sat Nav, mobile phone and car keys.

He was taken to Wexham Park Hospital and later transferred to an eye specialist in London, where he was discharged later that day.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Det Con Ian Ingram of the Priority Crime Team at Slough police station via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you do not want to talk to the police, call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

A resident, whose hi-fi equipment was confiscated by Slough Borough Council last May, has been fined £4,349 for playing excessively loud music from his home.

Slough Resident fined for excessive noise nuisance.Nathan Moore, of Sussex Close, failed to show up to Maidenhead Magistrates Court twice, but was found guilty of failing to comply with an abatement notice served on him contrary to section 80 (4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in his absence on Friday, January 22.

On May 6 last year, the Slough council’s neighbourhood enforcement team carried out the seizure of equipment after numerous complaints from Mr Moore’s neighbours.

The first complaint came in March 2009, and noise diaries were sent out to Slough neighbours to record the occurrences. A letter was also sent to Mr Moore informing him that the council had received a complaint and would be investigating.

In spite of this, the music continued and more calls were made to the out-of-hours environmental health officers.

Slough Council officials contacted the landlady of the house, who is Mr Moore’s mother, and she advised he would move out on April 1. However, he did not leave and the noise and complaints continued.

On April 16, an environmental health officer was called to the complainant’s house to listen first hand to the music, and on hearing the volume level served a noise abatement notice under section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 the following day.

On April 28, a breach of this notice was witnessed by council officers and as a result a court warrant was obtained to gain entry to his home, with police assistance, to seize all noise making equipment.

Items seized included stereos, Sky boxes, DVD players, speakers and amplifiers.

Claire Braiden environmental health officer for Slough Borough Council, said: “We’re committed to making sure residents in the borough are no subjected to having their quality of life interrupted in such a way. We’re extremely pleased with the outcome.

“The loud noise Mr Moore subjected his neighbours too affected their children, by causing their school work to suffer due to disturbed sleep during the night. This was a very serious case, with disturbance caused by Mr Moore almost every day.

“This noise seizure and conviction is among the first for the council and we hope it serves as a deterrent to others who ruin the quality of life for others through their selfish behaviour and disruptive noise.”

Cllr Shafiq Chaudhry, commissioner for Slough neighbourhoods and renewal, said: “This is excellent work by the neighbourhood enforcement team.

“I hope this will show residents that the environmental health team take such complaints extremely seriously and will not tolerate noisy, disruptive and disrespectful behaviour in Slough.”

Slough Borough Council

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a man was assaulted as he walked along a street in Slough on Sunday (31/1).

At about 12.10am, a man and a woman were walking along Diamond Road, Slough when they were approached by a group of four or five men.

One of the Slough group punched and kicked the man before hitting him on the head with an unknown object. The victim, who is in his mid thirties, sustained cuts, bruises and swelling to his head and face. He was taken to Wexham Park Hospital for treatment.

The group of men are all Asian, aged about 20 to 25. They left the scene in a silver car, believed to be a VW Passat.

Slough Det Con Lucy Nash, investigating officer, said: "This appears to have been an unprovoked assault that caused the victim to be hospitalised.

"I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, who has not already come forward, to contact police as they may be able to assist with our inquiries."

Det Con Nash can be contacted on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or give your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council’s trading standards has approved Citroën UK’s flagship Retail Dealership on Bath Road for its Buy with Confidence scheme for high standards and quality of work.

The Slough scheme provides residents with a list of approved and legitimate businesses and traders who ensure good customer service and high standards of work.

Citroën Slough received their certificate of membership on January 20, after completing an application form and undergoing a three month vetting and auditing process to ensure they had a sound trading history.

They’re now able to use the Buy with Confidence logo to reassure residents that the service they offer is of a high standard.

Fakhra Zaman, Buy with Confidence co-ordinator for Slough Borough Council, said: “We are extremely pleased Citroën has joined our scheme and it will also help many customers decide which company to buy services from.

“To date, we’ve approved a vast range of services in Slough. From gardeners to garages and electricians to estate agents, the trading standards seal of approval from the Buy with Confidence scheme is a definite way to reassure residents of your company’s reliability.”

Nick Harris, dealer principal for Citroën Slough, added: “We’re delighted to have achieved accreditation to be part of the Buy with Confidence initiative as we want customers to know our high standards are now recognised by this national scheme.

“Customers can be confident they’re spending money wisely on a range of award winning vehicles and will receive quality service from an approved company.”

Cllr Shafiq Chaudhry, commissioner for Slough community and leisure, said: “This is a great scheme for our businesses and residents and I’m pleased that Citroën has decided to join.

“It makes it much easier to choose a trader and buy from them with confidence, knowing they will not take advantage of their customers, whilst also helping traders to show residents they’re reliable.

“Trading standards work hard to clamp down on bad traders, so it’s great to also promote the work of good traders and local businesses in Slough.”

To find out more, call 01753 875255.

Slough Borough Council

Slough, Berkshire ~ Entertainment
Top flight range of shows and talks for private, family, group and corporate functions.

About us:

Past president of the Zodiac Magical Society, Jean Purdy, member of The Magic Circle and the International Brotherhood of Magicians started on her long journey in show business as a child actress, first performing in the film The Lavender Hill Mob at the age of ten.

Her talent for dancing won her a place in the ballet production of Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Jean served her apprenticeship for all aspects of the entertainment world, in pantomimes, summer season show, and number one theatres with top variety artistes of the time.

Circus also played a large part in Jean’s theatrical education. She even worked as a ‘Wing Walker’ with Digger Pugh’s Flying Circus, and for a while performed as a trapeze artist from a helicopter in the Spanish circus Circo Americano! She joined the family circus act the ‘El Granadas’. This gave her another string to her bow as a rope spinner.

After learning the ‘ropes’, she had her own comedy rope act in which she toured the World, performing in some of the best (and worst) theatres. She is in great demand for 4th July Independence Day parties held in the UK by our American friends.

Jean became World Champion fire-eater in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1977. She still holds many ‘fire’ records and has travelled far and wide giving promotional demonstrations in over ten countries. Jean broke her own fire records on television several times, mainly on the continent.

Jean is also an accomplished magician and enjoys being a member of the most prestigious magical club in the World, The Magic Circle. She is a recent winner of the Stage Performer Cup at the Home Counties Magical Society, and the Challenge Trophy at the Zodiac Magical Society.

She has performed at Windsor Castle, and enjoyed performing on both the Eurostar and the luxury cruise liner Queen Elizabeth II. Jean has performed on television in many countries.

Jean also gives talks to groups such as the WI, Rotary clubs, and as an after dinner speaker at functions where she regales the audience with anecdotes from her varied life in the exciting world of show business.

Close up magic is a particular passion, and Jean is very proud that she was invited to present an evening at the new headquarters of The Magic Circle, The Centre for Magical Arts.

Jean is a member of the FCME (Fellowship of Christian Magical Entertainers).

Contact Details:

Jean Purdy, Magic, Comedy and Public Speaking
Grays Lodge
Hollybush Hill
Slough
Berkshire
SL2 4PZ

Telephone: 01753 663374

Two teenage boys have been arrested after a police ‘trap car’ was broken into and a sat nav stolen in Slough on 27/1.

Slough Trap cars look like ordinary cars, but they contain a hidden camera to capture evidence of offenders breaking into the vehicle.

At about 10.40pm, a member of the Slough public called police to report that youths had smashed the window of a car parked in Lerwick Drive, Manor Park.

Officers searched the area and at about 11pm they arrested two young men aged 18 and 16 on suspicion of theft from vehicle. The pair are currently in police custody.

Supt Chris Shead, Commander of Slough local police area, said:"We are currently conducting an operation in the town to prevent and detect car crime.

"As well as trap cars, we have officers patrolling in marked and unmarked vehicles, who can respond very swiftly to any reports of crimes being committed.

"Anyone who is thinking of stealing from cars in Slough should be aware that the police are keeping up the pressure on auto crime offenders and making arrests on a daily basis."

The crack down on vehicle crime is part of a campaign by Thames Valley Police and Slough Borough Council to tackle crime and anti social behaviour in Slough.

Between 1 April 2009 and 27 January 2010, theft of vehicles in Slough has fallen by 41.5 per cent and theft from vehicles is down by 10.2 per cent.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Since the start of the New Year, Slough’s Animal Warden and stray dogs out of hours collection service has been called out on ten different occasions for stray dogs that have either been callously abandoned or irresponsibly allowed to stray.

Two Slough dogs so far, have been successfully reunited with their owners due to a microchip implant and the other owner coming forward and reporting their dog as missing.

Three of the stray Slough dogs were witnessed by members of the public being purposely and callously abandoned; unfortunately, investigations with the RSPCA have failed to trace the owners.

Five of the ten stray dogs have been found with injuries, in a malnourished condition or suffering from disease. It’s possible their owners could no longer afford to feed and care for the animal, so have dumped them on Slough’s streets or parks.

Slough’s animal warden, Jackie Singer, said the number of stray dogs has risen sharply in the last three weeks and claimant rates have dropped dramatically. She is disgusted with the amount of dogs let down by their owners and either abandoned, dumped or simply not reported as missing.

Jackie said: “We’re committed to ensuring animals in the borough are treated with consideration, kindness and good animal welfare practise. There is no excuse to abandon your pet. There are many local and national animal welfare charities who can offer advice on how to properly care for your pet, support if you are in some sort of trouble and subsidised veterinary care for those on a low income.

“There is help out there. You cannot imagine how scared and confused these animals are when they are found, many with serious health problems.

“For decades now people have been told how animals are for life, and that they should understand the responsibilities that come with them. Yet even today, people choose to ignore that message, take on an animal, and then callously dump them when they realise how much time, effort and money they cost.”

It falls to the local Slough taxpayer to pay for the care of these dogs whilst the animals wait the statutory seven days for owners to come forward and claim them. After this time, the council will hand over the dogs to already full-to-bursting local animal rescue centres to start the re-homing process.

Help is out there for owners of animals that can no longer cope; Slough has many animal welfare charities. If you are finding owning your pet a struggle don’t leave asking for help until the last minute, many animal charities have waiting lists which are weeks or months long.

All Slough animal charities would rather you handed the animal over to them safely than leave him or her to fend for themselves in an uncaring, unsafe, unknown environment.

Contact Slough Animal Warden on 01753 875255 for advise regarding responsible pet ownership.

Slough Borough Council

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after an attempted robbery in Slough on Wednesday (20/1).

At about 8.10pm, a man in his forties was walking along Church Street, Chalvey, Slough when he was approached by a young man who demanded money. The youth claimed to have a knife, although none was seen.

The man shouted to a passer-by to call the police, and the youth fled empty-handed.

SloughDet Con Ian Ingram, investigating officer, said: "We are keen to speak to the passer-by, who may have information that could assist with our investigation.

"I would appeal to anyone who witnessed the incident to contact me on 0845 8 505 505."

If you don’t want to speak to police or give your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough