Slough

Thames Valley Police has arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of rape following an incident in Slough in the early hours of this morning (4/3).

Police were called at just before 4am by a concerned woman who said her friend had arrived home in Slough reporting that she had been sexually assaulted.

The victim, a 25-year-old woman, had been in Maidenhead town centre with another friend during the evening. They left a bar in the centre of town at just after 2.30am and got into what they believed was a taxi, parked further along the street.

The friend was dropped off at home and the victim was then driven to an unknown location and subjected to a serious sexual assault.

Slough Det Ch Insp Kevin Brown said: “This is obviously a very serious incident and as a result we have had a team of detectives working on the inquiry throughout today.

“We are providing full support to the victim, who attended a specialist support centre following the incident, and who was naturally in a distressed state.

“The investigation is at an early stage but we have a suspect in custody awaiting questioning and enquiries are ongoing.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

As part of the Heart of Slough infrastructure improvements, the gateway to the centre of Slough will soon become a leafy tree-lined boulevard with 72 mature lime trees being planted down the A4 corridor.

To mark this occasion Councillor James Swindlehurst, Slough Borough Council’s commissioner for regeneration and renewal provided a helping hand and planted the first lime tree outside the entrance of University of West London.

Councillor James Swindlehurst said: “The Heart of Slough infrastructure works are about helping to bring shoppers and visitors to our town centre. The works improve the quality of public space in central Slough, enable new retail and residential development to start, and make the town centre more pedestrian friendly – with wider walkways, surface crossings and new street furniture.

“Today we begin planting over 70 new trees to soften the A4 road and create a better environment around our new paved and public spaces. After lengthy works to re-model the roadways, it’s great to start seeing finished new spaces and pedestrian areas begin to emerge.”

The lime trees, also known as Tillia Cordata, have been growing in Hamburg, Germany and are established trees, not saplings. This means that once in season the area will be instantly transformed into a lush, leafy corridor leading down to the heart of Slough and creating pedestrian friendly routes from the bus and train stations into Slough’s shopping areas.

With the removal of the Brunel roundabout and the opening of the four point junction, the changes to the heart of Slough are clear to see by those walking, cycling and driving in the area. Further infrastructure improvements will include new improved surface level pedestrian crossings, new street furniture and street lighting, and major improvements to the train station forecourt including new paving to make it a more pedestrian friendly environment.

The major improvements to the road network in this area are part of the visionary Heart of Slough project worth £450 million to revitalise the town centre, and are expected to finish at the end of April 2011.

Slough Borough Council

Week six of Op Capture in Slough features 25-year-old Mirela Iordache.

Police would like to speak to her in connection with a burglary in Windsor Road, Slough, which happened on 6 January 2009.

During the incident, two laptops and cash were stolen.

If you have any information or know the whereabouts of Iordache, please contact local CID at Slough via the Police Enquiry Centre on 101, quoting CA/3253015/09.

Op Capture has been launched to assist police with on-going investigations where a number of lines of inquiry have been exhausted, as well as to help reduce burglary in the borough.

A series of CCTV images and pictures of wanted people will be released on a weekly basis during the eight week initiative.

Last week (22/2), police released details of 23-year-old Lukasz Komar who was wanted in connection with a burglary in Canterbury Avenue, Slough, which happened sometime between 3 and 4 October last year.

The following day (23/2), Slough officers arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the incident. He has since been released on police bail pending further forensic work until 22 March.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council’s neighbourhood enforcement team, along with Thames Valley Police and the RSPCA, are celebrating after the successful prosecution of two men who were found guilty of animal welfare offences at Reading Magistrates Court.

On February 28, brother-in-laws, Umar Shaid Hamid Choudhry and Arshad Khaliq, of Martin Road, Slough were found guilty of offences under section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 when they failed to provide seven puppies in their care with a suitable environment and failing to protect them from pain, suffering injury and disease in June 2010.

The three month old American Bulldog/Staffy cross puppies, one of which was so poorly it had to be put down, were found in a semi derelict property on Upton Court Road by Slough council officers in response to complaints of barking and foul smells coming from the property.

Officers discovered the puppies in squalid conditions, where they were made to live, eat and sleep in their own excrement with no apparent access to water and on cold, concrete floors.

All of the puppies were taken into possession by Slough Borough Council and a prosecution case was started, with both defendants pleading not guilty.

After the three day trial, Umar Shaid Hamid Choudhry was banned from keeping dogs for five years and fined £7,200 and £15 victim surcharge. Arshad Khaliq was banned from keeping dogs for three years and fined £2,400 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

There was a happy ending to the story, however, with all six remaining dogs finding new and loving homes.

Ian Blake, prosecuting officer for Slough Borough Council said: “We’re very happy with the outcome of this case. Finding the puppies in such a squalid state was heartbreaking and only discovered because neighbours complained.

“It was also a case that not only involved the council, but the RSPCA and Thames Valley Police. We are extremely pleased with the result and hope it sends a clear message to any one who owns, or is thinking of owning a pet, to make sure they understand the needs of the animal and to meet these.”

Commissioner for Slough community and leisure, Cllr Shafiq Chaudhry, added: “It is a sorry state of affairs when people treat another living creature with such contempt.

“I am very pleased with this outcome and would urge members of the public to tell us if they are worried for the welfare of animals in our borough.”

The puppies mother lived in a pen outside and was seized by the police for assessment. Khaliq now has six weeks to find her and his two other dogs a suitable home.

To report any animal welfare concerns, please contact the RSPCA’s 24-hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

Slough Borough Council

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a robbery in Slough.

At about 1.15am on Saturday (25/2), a 35-year-old man was walking along Elmshott Lane, Cippenham, Slough.

He was approached by two men who he believes were planning to rob him.

He ran away but fell over and believes that the men went through his pockets stealing his iPhone 4S, Paul Smith wallet and keys.

The Slough victim is unable to give any further description of the two offenders. He was not injured.

Thames Valley Police would like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time who noticed any suspicious behaviour or has any information which may help officers with their investigation.

Anyone with any information about the incident should contact PC Ryan Elliott via the 24-hour Thames Valley Police Enquiry Line on 101.

If you don’t want to speak directly to the Slough police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

The Slough book of remembrance, currently housed in the civic entrance to the old Town Hall, is to be removed next week and stored ready for its new home.

The book is a registered war memorial and has been part of the Slough Town Hall since 14 May 1950 when it was moved from the Nurses Home and Health Centre which was on Burlington Road.

As part of the remodelling of the old Town Hall as it becomes a new primary school, there is an in principle agreement for the book of remembrance to be relocated to St Mary’s Parish Church, Church Street, Slough.

The book and casing will be removed next week and stored safely by the Mayor’s office.

A cabinet maker has already been tasked with creating a setting for the book so it can be sited in the church – making it near the main town war memorial which is in the church grounds.

Mayor of Slough, councillor Sukhjit K Dhaliwal, said: “As part of the remodelling of the Town Hall the book of remembrance has to be moved from where it has rested for more than 60 years.

“As a listed war memorial we are ensuring future generations will be able to have access to it, by placing it near its stone companion within St Mary’s Church.”

Slough Borough Council

A husband and wife from Slough were found guilty on 15 February of a series of fraud offences, following a trial at Reading Crown Court. Another man had already pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a number of related offences.

Tahir Malik, aged 44, of Wexham Road, Slough, was a mortgage broker who was made bankrupt in his former name of Amjad Ali. He ran a business in Farnham Road, Slough, called Enterprise Mortgage Solutions, as an appointed representative of Mortgage Next Network Ltd.

Malik pleaded guilty on 25 August 2011 to obtaining services from Mortgage Next by deception in 2004 by concealing his convictions and bankruptcy, and giving a false former employer. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, one relating to a mortgage on his former home in West Wycombe in 2007 and the other to an attempted purchase of a property in Windmill Road, Slough, in 2008.

Malik also pleaded guilty to eight other offences: five of fraud and three of obtaining a money transfer by deception. All of these offences involved his co-accused, Patrick Kamande, aged 34, of Trent Road, Slough, and one involved Kamande’s wife, Mary Kimani, aged 30, of Elliman Avenue, Slough.

Between 2005 and 2009, Kamande purchased or attempted to purchase a number of properties with mortgages brokered by Malik. For some of these he used false names.

One of the properties bought under a false name was later “sold” to Kamande and another to Kimani via mortgages, thus releasing equity.

Although Kamande and Kimani obtained some mortgages using their real names, they gave false details about their employment and immigration status. Kamande was in fact prohibited from employment by the UK Border Agency.

At the start of his trial, Kamande pleaded guilty to possessing a false identity document with intent (a forged Kenyan passport).

All three defendants will return to Reading Crown Court on 19 March for sentencing.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Businesses on commercial estates in Langley are being invited to take part in Slough Borough Council and the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) joint project, Estates Excellence, on Monday, February 27 at Langley Scout Hall in Gosling Road.

Launching in February, Estates Excellence is phase 2 of the Slough regional project to improve the health, safety and welfare of businesses and employees in the borough.

The project is spearheaded by organisations including the HSE, the council, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, the borough’s business organisations and the Slough Working Well Project.

Estates Excellence helps businesses on the estates, especially those which are small and medium-sized, to identify areas of health, safety and wellbeing.

Visits are made to most small and medium sized businesses on the commercial estates in Langley and will be followed by no-cost training for the businesses and employees.

Free Slough training is provided during that week, covering a wide range of topics such as reducing health and safety red tape, risk assessment, fire safety, practical manual handling and more.

Bill Campbell, senior environmental health officer for Slough Borough Council, said: “Rather than rigidly enforce health and safety law, we actively work with our business communities to bring about real change in working conditions and in reducing accidents and work-related illness rates in the borough.

“Following the success of our previous Estates Excellence project, we have learned it is an effective way of working with businesses in a concentrated time frame; offering no-cost training to any employers or staff.

“Thanks to 1st Langley Scouts where this training is being delivered at an excellent local venue.”

Mike WiIcock, HSE’s head of operations for the South East, added: “Employers and small businesses want to get health and safety right, but have a lot on their plate, particularly in the current climate. Estates Excellence will address all the commonly asked questions about areas of health and safety, but also tailors support to each individual business and its needs.

“Good health and safety is good for business, and I encourage employers in Slough to come along.”

Businesses who would like more information should contact the Estates Excellence team by email on nick.kemp@hse.gsi.gov.uk or calling Bill Campbell at Slough Borough Council on 01753 875055.

Slough Borough Council

A man who raped a woman in Slough has been given an indeterminate sentence with a minimum of twenty-eight months, and is prohibited from entering any park that is accessible to the public.

Tomasz Andrzej Bednarski, aged 43, of Carmarthen Road, Slough, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Friday 17 February after pleading guilty during an earlier hearing.

Shortly after 7.20pm on Wednesday 27 July last year, a member of the public contacted Thames Valley Police after they saw a man forcing himself on a woman in Godolphin Park, Slough.

Officers immediately attended where they found the Slough victim and a man, later identified as Bednarski. They also spoke to some witnesses, one of whom said that they had captured some of the incident on their mobile phone. Upon watching this, officers immediately arrested Bednarski on suspicion of rape.

The victim had no initial recollection of what had happened, so she was taken to Slough police station where she was seen by specially trained officers.

She was able to provide officers with an account the following day (28/7). She stated she had consumed two beers during the day before going to the park, where she sat down on a bench to make a phone-call. She recalled saying hello to two men sat on another bench – one of which later transpired to be Bednarski. The trio got talking and further drink was consumed. Her memory of what happened thereafter was blank.

One witness who provided Slough police with information said how they had heard the victim call for help, while trying to push off the offender.

During police interview, Bednarksi told police how he was in the Slough park with his friend when they got talking to the victim. He explained how his friend and him left a short time later, but that he returned on his own because he did not want the victim to be alone while under the influence as she could become a target. The pair then got talking he said, and whatever happened thereafter was consensual and that he never raped her.

Det Cons Leigh Roxburgh, the investigating officer, said: “Bednarski denied committing the offence for a very long time. However, he eventually changed his plea to guilty as the evidence against him was overwhelming.

“In court, the judge referred to Bednarksi as a ‘sexual predator’ who had shown no remorse, and posed a significant risk to the public.

“The victim was in no state to consent to anything and Bednarksi clearly took advantage of her.

“Thankfully, incidents of this nature are very rare in Slough.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council has sealed a traffic regulation order which will see disabled bays in the borough enforceable.

Disabled bays on residential roads will now be accompanied by sign stating the bay is for disabled badge holders only. If a vehicle is parked within these Slough bays without a disabled blue badge clearly displayed, they are liable to receive a fine.

Anyone with a valid blue badge can park in these bays without a time limit.

Due to the number of bays in Slough, signs will be put up in phases. Some bays will need to be removed and reinstated to the correct dimensions and locations before they can be enforced and these will not have signs until the ground markings are correct.

The council’s parking team will then make sure fines are issued soon after the signs have been erected for those flouting the law.

Melissa Payne, acting team leader enforceable parking for Slough Borough Council, said: “Disabled parking bays are there for those who need it most. By enforcing the rules, we will hopefully keep these bays open for those in true need.”

Councillor James Swindlehurst, commissioner for Slough neighbourhoods and renewal said: “We’re very pleased to now be able to enforce disabled bays throughout Slough.

“It is unacceptable for those without a blue badge to park in these reserved bays. With these new powers, the council will issue penalties for those who park illegally.”

Letters are going to be sent to all residents that use disabled parking bays.

To report a vehicle parked without a blue badge in a bay which does not have the new signs, email parking@slough.gov.uk.

Slough Borough Council.