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Neighbourhood police officers are patrolling the streets of Slough on brand-new mountain bikes, thanks to the generosity of the telecommunications company O2.

O2, whose European and UK headquarters are based in Slough, has donated six bicycles to the local police area. One ‘Specialized’ and five ‘Trek’ mountain bikes were delivered in January and February, and are currently being used by officers to patrol their neighbourhoods in several parts of Slough.

Supt Pete Davies, commander of Slough police area, said: “The bikes enable our neighbourhood teams to patrol more effectively. They can move quickly through footpaths, alleyways and parks where police vehicles cannot go, while still remaining accessible to members of the public.

“Bike patrols raise the visibility of our officers and provide reassurance to the community. The six new bikes are in addition to others kindly donated by O2 and we are very grateful to the company for its continuing support.”

Adrian Gorham, Head of Fraud and Security at O2, said: “At O2, we think it very important to be a responsible and supportive member of the local community, and we are delighted to be able to help the police in this way yet again. As Chair of the Slough Police Board, I am doubly proud that we can help to ensure that Slough is a safe place to live and work.

“We have already seen the success of the Slough Police Bike Team, who we were able to provide bikes for, and now these new additional bikes will be used by both the neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs.

“The bikes will help the police in the roll-out of neighbourhood policing in Slough and give a high-profile presence in and around the community, as well as being a very effective tactic in tackling crimes such as robbery, drug dealing on the street and anti-social behaviour.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Cippenham Nursery, Slough is celebrating after receiving an outstanding Ofsted report across the board following inspections in January.

It received outstanding results in each category set out by Ofsted. Inspectors said: “This outstanding school lives up to its motto, ‘happy to be here’.

“Children clearly enjoy the excellent opportunities they have and leave the school with standards more advanced than expected of their ages in all areas of learning.”

Head teacher, Mrs Pocock, said: “We are extremely proud of the Ofsted report and are pleased that the hard work and commitment of pupils and teachers has been recognised.

“Many people have commented on how magical the nursery is, not only within the atmosphere, but how the nursery is like a tardis and once you step inside the magic begins.

“It’s such a wonderful compliment. We all work extremely hard to make it an enjoyable experience for the pupils.”

The report also stated how the Slough children are sociable and friendly and that their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent.

The teaching is of high quality and they all work together to use each other’s expertise to better their own.

Commissioner for Slough education and children’s services, Cllr David Munkley, said: “Congratulations to Cippenham Nursery for achieving this outstanding Ofsted report.

“It’s priority for the council to ensure that our children get the best possible start in life, and this nursery clearly does that.

“Well done and keep up the good work.”

Slough Borough Council

Neighbourhood policing is now being rolled out in Slough, following its successful introduction to other towns in Berkshire East since 2005.

The new style of Slough community policing will be explained to residents of Baylis and Stoke at a meeting at Manor Park Village Centre on Wednesday 7 March.

Insp Pete Carter, who is leading the roll-out across Slough, said: “Through neighbourhood policing we will be working with local people to identify the issues which affect the community’s sense of security, and then working together to tackle those issues.

“Residents will be able to have a say in how their area is policed by attending neighbourhood forums and joining neighbourhood action groups (NAGs).

“Neighbourhood policing is a partnership initiative, as many of the problems identified may not be solely policing issues. For example, people may be concerned about anti-social behaviour and graffiti, both of which are dealt with jointly by police and the local authority. Hopefully, by all working together we can make people feel safer, more secure and involved in what happens in their neighbourhood.

“The meeting for residents of Baylis and Stoke is scheduled to run from 7pm to 9pm. Refreshments will be provided.

“We hope that as many people as possible will come along to meet their neighbourhood policing team and find out about how they can get involved in this new initiative.”

The Slough neighbourhood includes the railway line running from Farnham Road to Stoke Poges Lane, Farnham Road to the west up to Buckingham Avenue East into Belfast Avenue, along Canterbury Avenue up to Penn Road and along Northern Road coming down Hawthorne Crescent joining onto Stoke Poges Lane again. Effectively the neighbourhood policing area will be exactly the same as the Stoke and Baylis ward boundary.

The neighbourhood Slough policing team for Baylis and Stoke comprises:

Insp Jon Goosey
Sgt Liam Nairn
PC Ian Whitlock
PC Tim Crossman
PC Nick Brown
PC Mark Dunne
PCSO Sanjogata Ram

All the officers can be contacted via the single non-emergency number: 0845 8 505 505.

There is a police point in Buckingham Avenue, Slough, which is open to the public for general enquiries on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between midday and 2pm.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

A woman who was seriously injured in a road traffic collision in Slough in January 2007 has died in hospital.

Just after 6pm on Saturday 27 January, a woman was crossing Shaggy Calf Lane, Slough when she was in collision with a silver Honda Civic, which was travelling from Stoke Road towards Wexham Road.

The woman was taken to Wexham Park Hospital with serious head injuries and died on Saturday 24 February. The driver of the Honda was not injured in the collision.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact the investigating officer, PC Guy Summers of Roads Policing in Taplow, 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 plans to update and modernise the Town Hall as part of its strategy of continuous improvement.

A report into the future of the Town Hall will be going to both overview and scrutiny committee on March 1 and then to cabinet on March 12, where councillors will discuss Slough council’s future accommodation needs.

In a report to cabinet last November, commissioners considered options for office accommodation, to see how and where they could improve working conditions for staff, enabling them to deliver excellent services to residents.

The long term plan will be for employees who are currently based at the Slough Town Hall and Wellington House to be located together at a newly refurbished modern Town Hall, enabling better communications and team working.

Councillors are being asked to consider selling the Town Hall to a developer who will take responsibility for funding and delivering a major building and refurbishment programme. The council will then lease back the modernised building.

Andy Algar, assistant director of Slough property services, said: “This is a highly cost effective way of providing excellent facilities for our staff. It will release significant value to the council that can be reinvested in other services and will not increase overall costs.

“It will also reassure the residents who were concerned Slough might lose its Town Hall.

“This plan protects the building’s future, making it an office for twenty first century government.”

As part of the plan, Slough Borough Council will not renew its leases at Wellington House.

During the refurbishment of the Town Hall, some staff will be relocated to St Martin’s Place, opposite Montem Leisure Centre.

And it’s not just about new office accommodation. The council wants to introduce new ways of working for staff through enhanced IT and communications, continuing on its path to excellence.

The original Slough Town Hall was built in the 1930s with the new buildings added in the 1970s.

A recent survey revealed the councils would need to invest £2million over five years to maintain the building in its current state – without improvements or modernisation.

Andy Algar added: “The council is on a continuous path of improvement – we’ve been assessed as a good council with good prospects for improvement by the government and a recent survey of residents show they are more satisfied with our services than ever.

“It is obvious that to continue improvement we need better working conditions and to embrace new technology so we can deliver an excellent service to the town.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman’s handbag was snatched as she sat in her car in Slough.

At about 12 noon on Tuesday (20/2), a woman in her sixties parked her blue VW Polo in the Tesco car park in Wellington Street, Slough, and went to do some shopping.

At 1pm she returned to her car and got into the driver’s seat, placing her handbag on the passenger seat. Before she started the engine, a man opened the passenger door and attempted to snatch the bag.

The woman grabbed the bag and tried to stop him. As she did so, a second man opened the driver’s door and hit her until she let go of the bag, which fell from the seat.

The first man picked up the bag and both robbers ran off. The woman chased them for a short distance, before they jumped over a wall.

Both the Slough offenders are black men in their early to mid-twenties. They were wearing dark-coloured tops with the hoods pulled up.

The stolen handbag is black leather with a white design sewn on. Its contents include cash, bank and store cards and a cheque book.

Slough Robbery co-ordinator Jill Martindale said: “Fortunately the woman was not injured, but she was shaken by the incident. We would urge shoppers to be alert to their surroundings and watch out for any suspicious people before getting into their cars.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Jill Martindale in Slough CID on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or give your name, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

A Slough man will appear in court next week charged with drugs offences.

Alfred Grech, 54, of Furzen Close, Slough, is charged with possession of class A, B and C drugs with intent to supply. He will appear at Slough Magistrates’ Court on 28 February.

The charges follow the execution of a search warrant on 5 October 2006 at 2 Furzen Close, Slough, by officers from the Professional Development Unit based in Taplow.

In addition to the above charges, a 29-year-old man from Slough has been cautioned for possession of cannabis.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

As satisfaction rates from residents rise for People 1st (Slough), it has just been announced that the housing service has appointed a new chief executive.

Andrew Billany is currently the chief executive of the Hornsey Housing Trust, a registered social landlord in north London and has more than twenty years experience in housing management, including local government.

He will start in his new Slough post in the next two to three months.

Sue Morris, chair of the People 1st board said: “I am absolutely delighted Andrew is joining us as he is very committed to improving social housing.

“The recruitment panel, which included representatives from the Federation of Tenants and Residents and Slough Borough Council, was unanimous in its choice.”

Andrew joins People 1st at an exciting time with more residents satisfied with services than ever.

Overall satisfaction with the housing service has risen to 69 percent in the past six months and satisfaction with the neighbourhood to 71 percent.

There is also a big rise in satisfaction with repairs carried out, rising from 80 percent to 90 percent.

Commissioner for Slough housing, Cllr Tony Haines, said: “It is great news for People 1st (Slough) who have recruited an experienced member to the team.

“The next year will be an exciting opportunity for all involved, especially as the satisfaction ratings for the service are going up every day.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough residents are more satisfied with the council’s environmental and transport services than ever before – a recent comprehensive survey has found.

The best value performance indicator survey – carried out across the country every three years – showed that, in Slough:

# 82 percent of residents are satisfied with the refuse collection service – up seven percent from 2003

# 64 percent of residents are satisfied that the council has kept land clear of litter and rubbish – up 23 percent from 2003

# 81 percent of residents are satisfied with the local tip – up 12 percent from 2003

# 51 percent of residents are satisfied with the provision of public transport information – up 10 percent from 2003; and

# 57 percent of residents are satisfied with the local bus service – up 14 percent from 2003.

New litter barrows - part of the improved street cleaning serviceDenise Alder, director of the green and built environment, said: “Since 2003 and by working with Slough Accord we have created a more flexible service, particularly with the street cleaning service, that responds to the needs of local people and areas.

“I am very pleased to see that residents have noted the differences and are more satisfied with our work as a result.”

She added: “Local transport services are also very important to Slough’s residents and visitors and we intend to continue to improve the information and service we provide in this area.”

Councillor John Edwards, commissioner for public protection said: “It is extremely pleasing to find out that our hard work and commitment to improving environmental services in Slough has been recognised by our residents.

“Residents are the council’s most important audience and this survey is a barometer of how well the council is performing in key areas.

“I believe there is nothing more key to how residents and visitors feel about Slough than the condition of the streets – so it is particularly gratifying that our focus on preventing litter and improving street cleaning has resulted in more residents than ever being satisfied with the service.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council is opening its fourth children’s centre on Monday February 19 at Marish Primary School as part of the Sure Start Service.

The development of children’s centres in every Slough neighbourhood is part of the government’s 10 year strategy for children.

The aim is for every family to be living within an easily accessible distance of the services needed for their children.

The centre will offer six childcare sessions a day between 8am and 6pm for children aged three months to five years, with timings organised to suit working parents and school timetables.

There will be occasional childcare sessions to help families juggling appointments and other one-off commitments.

There will also be a range of health professionals to provide information and advice and antenatal and post natal support, along with speech and language services.

Other services include family support, links to the Slough library service, employment help with organisations such as Job Centre Plus, links with revenue and customs, and information on working tax credit and childcare tax credit.

A range of training courses will also be on offer, provided by a variety of training organisations, such as East Berkshire College, Worker’s Educational Association and Slough Lifelong Learning Service.

By March 2008, it is hoped that another three centres will be developed in Slough and three more by March 2010.

Jean Cameron, development manager for Slough Sure Start Service, said: “The new children’s centre will offer a huge variety of opportunities for parents and their children and is a wonderful addition to the school and the local community.”

Commissioner for education and children’s services, Cllr David Munkley, added: “The opening of the new children’s centre is fantastic news and will no doubt be of great value to families in the borough.

“We all know how difficult it is to find affordable childcare to help people either stay or get back into work. I wish the centre every success.”

Other centres based in Slough are Claycots Primary School, Montem Primary School and Penn Wood Primary School.

For further information on any of our services please call 01628 660098 or e-mail sure.start@slough.gov.uk.

Slough Borough Council.

An accountant from Slough, who also served as a local magistrate, was convicted at Winchester Crown Court yesterday (15/2) of defrauding his clients, false accounting and perverting the course of justice.

Nirmal Kumar Sharma, 46, of Langley Road, Slough, was found guilty on seven counts of deception, one charge of false accounting and one of perverting the course of justice. He was found not guilty of three further counts of deception.

The charges relate to work carried out by Sharma in his role as a Slough accountant who ran his own company, Sharman Associates Ltd. At various times between 1996 and 2003, Sharma was engaged as an accountant by three small businesses: Vanity Lingerie Company Ltd, trading in Luton; New Technology Training Ltd, which no longer trades, and Countech Computer Systems, trading in the Slough area.

Over a period of years, Sharma told his clients that they owed payments to HM Customs and Excise or the Inland Revenue when they did not. He deceived the owners of the three businesses into issuing cheques for amounts ranging from approximately £2,500 to £10,000, then used these cheques to pay other companies’ debts or simply paid them into his own relatives’ accounts.

Sharma’s clients were recommended to him by friends and trusted him implicitly, knowing that he was well-established in the community and also worked as a magistrate at Slough Magistrates’ Court. As young, new businessmen, the owners of the companies in question were unaware that they were overpaying taxes until they changed to a new accountant.

When the irregularities were spotted, they were reported to police, who began an investigation. Sharma was arrested in July 2003 on suspicion of theft, false accounting and deception. Officers seized paperwork relating to the three victim companies, together with a computer.

Over the next year, extensive inquiries were made with HM Customs and Excise, the Inland Revenue and local Slough banks, sifting through tax payments made by the three companies since 1996. The evidence gathering was completed by November 2004 and Sharma was rearrested. He was again released on bail and finally charged in January 2005 with deception and false accounting.

The trial was originally scheduled to start in January 2006, but was adjourned for additional evidence. In December 2005, the owner of one of the three victim companies was contacted by a man acting on behalf of Sharma, who said he wanted to resolve the matter and was coming to the company owner’s house. The offer was declined and the police were called. As a result of this incident, Sharma was charged with perverting the course of justice.

Det Sgt Nick Burleigh, who led the investigation, said: “This has been a very long and complex case. Mr Sharma was a serving magistrate and a highly respected member of the community, who abused the trust of his clients. His conviction sends out a clear message that no-one is above the law.”

Following yesterday’s verdict, Sharma was remanded in custody to await sentencing in March. Police have served notice of profit confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Con artists are fiddling elderly and vulnerable people in Slough & the South East out of £3.5billion a year, according to trading standards research.

During Slough Borough Council’s trading standards investigations, more than £21,200 has been stolen from residents by confidence tricksters and the total is rising every day.

For the first time the Office of Fair Trading, in partnership with Slough council’s trading standards services, has launched a targeted campaign in the south east, with Slough’s council dedicating a ‘scambuster’ team to tackle rogue traders and cons in the borough.

Some of the swindles in Slough include –

• One resident loosing £20,000 to a made up Spanish Lottery, Lotteria Primativia, and was even pushed for more money until the victim reported the con. The company then started to use the National Lottery Euro Millions logo.

• Slough Residents being asked via e-mail to give their bank details to assist in a money transfer from Nigeria.

• Residents receiving phone calls from tricksters masquerading as a representative from their credit card company to obtain bank details. A total loss of £497.99

• Residents being bombarded with multiple award or winning letters where money is asked for before the prize can be collected

• A holiday club con where people sign up and pay for membership but nothing transpires. Loss £363.68.

Luckily, with both the holiday scam and the credit card con, residents received their money back thanks to Slough trading standards.

But not everyone is so lucky, as Peter Adshead, senior trading standards officer for Slough Borough Council, explains: “There are many people out there who have fallen victim to con artists and some may feel too embarrassed to come forward and report them.

“Instead they suffer in silence and the fraudsters get away with their money. We always urge people who have been scammed to speak to us. They will not be judged. Anyone can become a victim.

“Even if you haven’t been swindled out of cash but think you have been contacted either by a telephone call or letter, then please let us know. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Cllr John Edwards, commissioner for Slough public protection, added: “It is terrible what some people will do to part others of their hard earned cash, and they must be stopped.

“The key thing to do is stop, think and think again. If you receive an offer promising you something for nothing, then it is too good to be true. Call the trading standards team and they will advise you on what to do.”

Recent research by the OFT revealed that every year one in fifteen people (3.2 million adults) fall victim to scams across the UK with the average amount lost per scam being £850.

For further information or advice, please contact Slough Borough Council’s trading standards team on 01753 875255.

Slough Borough Council

Fifty percent of consumers think that the pictures and ingredients given on food packages are misleading, according to research carried out by Slough Borough Council’s trading standards.

The research involved sending 223 samples to be tested by the public analyst in accordance with relevant legislation and 13 percent was found to be unsatisfactory with regards to the ingredients given on the packets.

A further six percent of the samples highlighted minor labelling issues. Canned meaty soups and breakfast cereals appeared to give the most unsatisfactory results.

However, the other part of the test consisted of a consumer perception survey, where Slough’s trading standards tested three products, a crunchy oat bran from a health food shop, individual apple pies and toasted oat clusters, with flakes of real strawberries, raspberries and blackberries and asked residents if the pictures on the packs matched the actual content.

More than 50 people where asked if they thought the picture of the food on the label looked like the food on display. An amazing fifty percent said no.

They were then asked to look at the ingredients listed on the packaging and whether the picture could be misleading as to the contents of the package.

A staggering thirty percent of consumers said yes.

Angela Satterly, principal technical enforcement officer for Slough Borough Council, said: “It is very important that consumers are given the correct information with regards to what they are buying and eating.

“After the results of the survey were revealed, it showed that people were not happy with what they thought they were getting and were actually ending up with a very different product once it was decanted, such as cereal and soups.”

Commissioner for public protection, Slough Cllr John Edwards, said: “Companies that sell food items should be very careful not to mislead consumers.

“These tests will hopefully make companies who sell misleading items change the descriptions or the actual contents of what they are selling.”

Slough Borough Council.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a middle-aged couple were robbed as they walked in Langley, Slough.

Between 8.10pm and 8.20pm, a man and his wife were walking along a footpath leading to Marish Court, off Langley High Street, Slough when they were approached by three men.

One of the robbers threatened the man with a knife and demanded that the couple hand over their personal property.

The offenders stole two mobile phones, the couple’s wedding rings, a bracelet and a necklace, before all three rode off on bicycles.

Although the Slough couple were not physically injured, they were left extremely shocked and distressed by the incident.

One of the robbers is black, 20 to 22, 5ft 8ins, stocky. He was wearing light blue jeans with a tear on the left knee, a black hooded jacket, black gloves and dark hat.

The second robber is black, 16 to 20, 5ft 3ins to 5ft 5ins, of medium build. He was wearing a hooded top and jeans.

The third robber is of lighter complexion, possibly Asian, 16 to 20, 5ft 2ins, and slim. He was wearing a blue hooded top and light-coloured trousers.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Jill Martindale, Robbery Co-ordinator, in Slough CID on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or give your name, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council’s cabinet commissioners will be discussing a recommendation at tonight’s cabinet meeting to sell the Slough Library site to English Partnerships, as part of the Heart of Slough project.

If agreed, the library would be rented back to the council free of charge until the new library is built next to St Ethelbert’s Church. The money made from the sale of the site would be allocated to support the Heart of Slough project.

In December 2006, cabinet approved a new master plan for the Heart of Slough scheme which proposed the relocation of the existing library site next to St Ethelbert’s Church (highlighted in orange below).

Plans for the new library include a state-of-the-art glass fronted building with a large plaza area outside.

Once the new library is built, English Partnerships will sell on the old library site to a developer to create modern apartments with cafes, bars and restaurants below.

Cllr Dexter Smith, Slough commissioner for planning and transport, said: “After only agreeing the new master plan two months ago, this is a massive step forward for the Heart of Slough scheme, and confirms English Partnerships’ commitment to the project. If the recommendation is agreed, we will be renting the current library from English Partnerships at no charge, meaning we can invest all the money we receive from the sale of the site back into the scheme.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council has teamed up with Recycle Now run by WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) to offer local residents cut price compost bins.

The Slough compost bins come in a range of sizes 220 litre, 330 litre and 250 litre bin, and are being offered to local residents for just £8, £10 and £25.

They are delivered free of charge and come with full instructions, a sticker and fridge magnet reminding people of what can and can’t be composted.

And so residents keep composting throughout the year, anyone who signs up will receive a helpful newsletter with seasonal gardening and composting tips.

As part of the scheme to encourage more residents to compost, a number of promotional composting clinics will be held around the borough and there is a dedicated composting helpline for those who require more information on 0845 600 0323.

Bins can be ordered online at External link iconwww.recyclenow.com/compost (opens a new window) or by calling 0845 077 0757.

Sarah Bryan, Slough Borough Council’s recycling officer, said: “We want to encourage more local residents to recycle their garden waste and create their own compost.

“The scheme with Recycle Now is very comprehensive with not only the cut price bins but all the support needed to create great compost easily.

“Whether you have composted before or just want to give it a try – this is a fantastic way to get started.

“When thrown into a black bin bag, organic waste is taken to landfills where it produces methane, a greenhouse gas. By diverting organic waste to our home composting bins instead, we can recycle that waste into a useful product that will make our gardens flourish, while making the environment a nicer place to live.

“Better still, January and February is the perfect time to start, because by the summer months you should have a fantastic supply of nutrient rich home-made soil conditioner for your flowers!”

Councillor John Edwards, commissioner for Slough public protection, said: “The great thing about choosing to compost at home is that it requires relatively little effort, and is suitable for everyone – whether you are a seasoned gardener or a novice, have a large garden or a small space, you can still get involved.

“Far from needing specific ingredients, you could be surprised about how much of the contents of your normal household bin can actually be composted. Fruit and vegetable peelings, dead flowers, grass cuttings, egg shells, pet hair, coffee granules, toilet roll innards, teabags, the contents of your Hoover and even old shredded bank statements and bills can be added to your compost bin.”

Slough Borough Council

Police are appealing for witnesses after a 32-year-old woman had her handbag stolen from her car in Slough.

The incident occurred at about 5.45pm on Tuesday 6 February, in a private car park off Herschel Street, Slough.

As the woman got into her car, she was approached by two people who opened the door and snatched her handbag and a carrier bag from the passenger seat.

One of the offenders is described as Asian in his mid-twenties. He is approximately 5’9”, clean shaven, and was wearing a three-quarter length duffle coat, dark jeans, and a dark woollen hat with a light-coloured stripe. He left the scene on a mountain bike and rode towards Alpha Street North, Slough.

The other offender, believed to be a man, ran in the same direction.

Anyone with any information about the incident is urged to contact Jill Martindale via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you do not wish to speak to police or leave your name, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council’s drugs and alcohol action team (DAAT) will be promoting safety messages this Friday (February 9) on drink, drugs and sexual health in the town centre.

In conjunction with Valentine’s day and the last day of term, Slough DAAT want to engage as many young people in the town as possible to discuss the dangers of drink, drugs and unprotected sex. They will be handing out leaflets containing information on all three subjects, glow sticks, pens, sticker postcards, wrist bands and Valentine’s cards.

Jatinder Matharu, DAAT programme coordinator for Slough Borough Council, said: “This Friday is part of an ongoing promotional event to raise awareness to Slough’s young people.

“It is vitally important they are given all the information they need about the dangers of taking drugs, drinking alcohol and having unprotected sex. We are hoping to get through to as many people as possible.”

Large Slough confectionary company, Mars, has also given its support by donating lots of tasty treats to give away.

Commissioner for young people’s services, Cllr Sean Wright, said: “The DAAT team is sending out an extremely important message to the young people of Slough and I hope that the turn out will be good.

“With Valentine’s and the last day of term coming up, many young people will be going to parties, but hopefully they will take the good advice from the event with them and steer clear of drink, drugs and unprotected sex."

Slough Borough Council.

A project to bring new music experiences to Slough’s youngest children has proven to be a big hit with pupils from the Teeny Boppers Montessori school.

Music 4 Slough, one of 24 youth music action zones in England and Wales, has been working with musician Sarah Robins to give nurseries and pre-schools in the borough a chance to make music and learn how to build it into their daily activities.

Over several weeks, children and staff at Teeny Boppers have sung, played instruments and musical games, all designed to help the children’s development.

Music 4 Slough also wanted to help the staff feel more confident about music making with pupils and give them more ideas to work with and specially designed music sessions.

Graeme Surtees, manager for Music 4 Slough, said: “The children have really enjoyed the music making. They have played instruments and learned new songs, seen new instruments from around the world, and with such a wide range of children from different backgrounds this project has really helped with language skills.”

Commissioner for education and children’s services, Cllr David Munkley, said: “What a wonderful opportunity the children were given to get involved in music.

“It’s a great way of getting them together to learn new skills through new and exciting channels.”

Musician, Sarah Robins, who delivers the sessions and specialises in under five’s music, said: “There’s a lot of evidence to show that music in the early years can make a big difference to a child’s development.

“Children naturally enjoy music, but it can also really help with communication, confidence and learning skills.”

For further information on Music 4 Slough, please visit www.music4slough.co.uk

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council welcomes a report out today (Wednesday 31st January) by the Audit Commission which lists recommendations for local authorities that have been facing increased population movement in recent years.

Crossing Borders responding to the local challenges of migrant workers, recommends to councils that improving the English of migrant workers is one of the most useful things councils and employers can do to address the challenges of rapid population change.

Cllr Derek Cryer, commissioner for social inclusion, said: “Our new communities arriving in Slough are hard working, diligent and offer great benefits to the town. We agree with the Audit Commission's recommendation that English classes are essential to help new migrant workers and harness the benefits they bring. However in Slough our courses are over-subscribed and there are waiting lists, we need extra resources to meet the demand.

“We are also concerned that the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) could be charging for some English classes from September, meaning that many lower paid and unemployed workers may not be able to access these courses. I trust the DfES will make accommodations for these people.

“Without this consideration the costs of providing this service will fall back onto the council in employing extra interpreting and translation services. It could also put the new workers at risk by making them unemployed and open to exploitation by unscrupulous employers and landlords.”

However the report also recommends that “Government departments should better support local areas with information and data, national translations of relevant leaflets and documents and clear guidance over changing entitlements.”

This supports Slough’s position on the problems with official statistics, because without these, it makes it very difficult for councils to plan services effectively and achieve additional funding from government.

It says: “The lack of accurate numbers makes it harder for agencies to predict and plan change. . .it makes it harder to develop business cases for extra funding or redeployment of existing resources, which can delay operation and strategic responses.”

Cllr Richard Stokes, leader of Slough Borough Council, said: “The Audit Commission report provides further confirmation of the validity of Slough’s campaign for fair funding. It adds to the case that official statistics are not up to the job. The report’s findings support the Office for National Statistics’ own position that data is ‘inadequate for managing the economy, polices and services.’

“What the report does not make clear, however, is the financial strain councils are put under when this poor data is used to distribute central government grant. Slough has gone from the ninth fastest growing population at the 2001 census to the second fastest depopulating today because of poor data. The council could lose out on an estimated £15million in grant funding up to the next census. The report is full of good intentions to improve planning and services around migration but without the government getting its funding right for growing populations there is only so much councils can do – the report is missing the elephant in the room.”

The report also suggests that the department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) should take a national lead in reviewing the local impact of migrant workers, involving all relevant national departments and acting as a focal point for regional concerns and developments.

Cllr Stokes said: “We have briefed government officials and had meetings with ministers for the past 18 months and asked for short term funding to help us cope. So far nothing has been done.

“Although the Audit Commission report supports our claim that the population of Slough is rising and not falling rapidly, as the government insists, the report itself is not likely to secure the fair funding that the people of Slough need and deserve. We will have to intensify our campaign and move it on to the next stage.”

Slough Borough Council

Residents of Slough can now recycle more things than ever at Chalvey recycling centre as a new aluminium foil recycling bank is added to the site.

The new bank will take foil containers – such as those from take-aways and ready meals – as well as traditional kitchen foil and foil tops from milk bottles.

Containers and foil need to be washed before being put in the bank.

Sarah Bryan, recycling officer, said: “Aluminium is endlessly recyclable with no loss of quality which makes it one of the best materials in the world to recycle.

“Residents are already recycling tonnes of aluminium in the form of drinks cans but now keen recyclers have the opportunity to recycle more aluminium in the special bank.”

Councillor John Edwards, commissioner for Slough public protection, said: “The site at Chalvey gives residents the opportunity to recycle so many products from wood to glass and now aluminium foil as well.

“With so much being able to be recycled, Slough is getting greener by the day.”

Aluminium facts

* Recycling one kilogram of aluminium saves eight kilograms of bauxite, four kilograms of chemical products and 14 kilowatts of electricity
* The energy saved by recycling one aluminium drinks can is enough to run a television for three hours
* Nearly 60 per cent of the aluminium used in the UK has been previously recycled
* Last year, Slough residents recycled 37 tonnes of aluminium cans – one tonne is approximately 50,000 cans

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council has teamed up with Recycle Now run by WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) to offer local residents cut price compost bins.

The compost bins come in a range of sizes 220 litre, 330 litre and 250 litre bin, and are being offered to local residents for just £8, £10 and £25.

They are delivered free of charge and come with full instructions, a sticker and fridge magnet reminding people of what can and can’t be composted.

And so Slough residents keep composting throughout the year, anyone who signs up will receive a helpful newsletter with seasonal gardening and composting tips.

As part of the scheme to encourage more residents to compost, a number of promotional composting clinics will be held around the borough and there is a dedicated composting helpline for those who require more information on 0845 600 0323.

Bins can be ordered online at External link iconwww.recyclenow.com/compost (opens a new window) or by calling 0845 077 0757.

Sarah Bryan, Slough Borough Council’s recycling officer, said: “We want to encourage more local residents to recycle their garden waste and create their own compost.

“The scheme with Recycle Now is very comprehensive with not only the cut price bins but all the support needed to create great compost easily.

“Whether you have composted before or just want to give it a try – this is a fantastic way to get started.

“When thrown into a black bin bag, organic waste is taken to landfills where it produces methane, a greenhouse gas. By diverting organic waste to our home composting bins instead, we can recycle that waste into a useful product that will make our gardens flourish, while making the environment a nicer place to live.

“Better still, January and February is the perfect time to start, because by the summer months you should have a fantastic supply of nutrient rich home-made soil conditioner for your flowers!”

Councillor John Edwards, commissioner for Slough public protection, said: “The great thing about choosing to compost at home is that it requires relatively little effort, and is suitable for everyone – whether you are a seasoned gardener or a novice, have a large garden or a small space, you can still get involved.

“Far from needing specific ingredients, you could be surprised about how much of the contents of your normal household bin can actually be composted. Fruit and vegetable peelings, dead flowers, grass cuttings, egg shells, pet hair, coffee granules, toilet roll innards, teabags, the contents of your Hoover and even old shredded bank statements and bills can be added to your compost bin.”

Slough Borough Council

British Airways has joined forces with Age Concern in Slough and not-for-profit computer recycling company Maxitech in a new initiative that aims to open up the online world to London and Slough’s older citizens.

British Airways has pledged to donate computers it no longer needs as a result of upgrading, which will be safely wiped and refurbished and then donated to Age Concern Slough to support older people.

The computers will not only be used to benefit older people who access the Advocacy Service run by Age Concern Slough, but will also allow older people to gain access to the Internet and training at Age Concern Slough’s drop-in centre in the town centre.

Paul Coby, British Airways Chief Information Officer, said: "British Airways has a long-standing commitment to be a good neighbour to the communities it serves. As our home base, Heathrow Airport and the surrounding boroughs are very important to us. We are therefore delighted to work with Maxitech to support Age Concerns through the provision of computers to their centres in West London and Slough.”

Age Concern Slough Chief Executive, Tracey Morgan, said: “These computers will give the older people who use them the opportunity to communicate with friends and relatives, develop new interests, and will enable them to have access to health and advice. This will make such a difference to the lives of many older people who find it hard to cope due to illness, disability or mobility problems, and find everyday tasks such as shopping and banking and even socialising difficult. Helping them to improve their computer skills and giving them free access to the Internet will give older people, who would otherwise be excluded, the same opportunity to make use of the benefits that communicating via the Internet provides for millions of people everyday.”

Maxitech Managing Director Peter Paduh, voted Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the London Chamber of Commerce and ITV at the London Business Awards 2005, said: “Society is becoming ever-more dependent on computerised technologies, but that creates the problem of outdated equipment. An estimated two million working Pentium or equivalent PCs are dumped in landfill sites in the UK every year, creating a massive environmental hazard. Our priority is to prevent old computers from becoming an environmental liability, and instead turn them into a valuable resource for charities and community groups. We’re delighted to be working with British Airways and Age Concern Slough on this exciting project which I’m sure will engage the enthusiasm of people responsible for IT in companies and organisations across the region.”

Maxitech ~ Slough

Parents who took part in a six week parenting course run by Slough youth offending team last year, will reunite this month to discuss its success.

The living with teenagers group, LWT, hope to start the same course again at the end of February with other parents and have invited the ones who attended last time to come and give their views on how the course has helped them.

They will discuss how the skills they learnt, such as young people’s behaviour and how to understand their behaviour patterns, have benefited them.

They also got to examine ways in which patterns of unwanted behaviours develop within families and how to improve listening and communication skills in order to reduce family conflict.

Jyoti Sahota, Slough parent support worker and Catherine Read, family support worker, said “It also serves as a support network for the parents.

“We’re very interested in seeing what parents have to say and how the course has helped them at home.”

Commissioner for Slough young people’s services, Cllr Sean Wright, said: “These courses give parents the opportunity to learn about their teenagers and to meet other parents.

“The course helps them to interact with their children, but it also becomes very beneficial to the young people themselves, who will gain more guidance from their parents who have been able to learn how to communicate with them at a better level.

Slough Borough Council.

Detectives investigating the shooting of a man at a wedding reception in Slough last November are appealing for a potential witness to come forward.

Det Insp Nicky Hurdley of the Major Crime Team said: “We are keen to speak to a woman who went into the Skyways Hotel on 26 November 2006, the day after the incident, and spoke to a member of the hotel staff.

“The woman provided information about a car, which she had stored on her mobile phone, but did not leave her contact details. We are grateful for her help, but would like to speak to her in person, as she may be able to provide further assistance in our inquiries.”

The woman is white, in her late twenties, with dark hair tied in a ponytail.

The investigation into the shooting is still active, with a team of detectives working on the case. Det Insp Hurdley said: “We have received a positive response from the community and members of the public have provided good intelligence following our appeals for information.

“Although no arrests have been made, we are following several positive lines of inquiry.”

The incident took place on 25 November 2006, at the Skyways Hotel in London Road, Slough. At about 4.20pm, a man walked into a wedding reception and fired a gun. The 19-year-old victim, who was shot in the leg, has since made a good recovery from his injuries.

The woman witness, and anyone else with information about the shooting, is asked to contact the Major Crime Team on 0845 8 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or give your name, please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

More than 500 additional Slough households will be able to recycle their garden waste, as more green bins are delivered next week.

The third Slough roll out starts on Monday (29 January) with 550 green bins being delivered to residents who have registered as part of the garden waste collection scheme.

In May 2006, the council launched the fortnightly green bin scheme to provide residents with an easy alternative to sending garden waste to landfill.

Since then, more than 1,300 tonnes of garden waste have been collected in the green bins by the 12,600 households on the scheme. The collected green waste has been sent for composting.

Sarah Bryan, recycling officer, said: “Recycling green waste, either by composting at home or through the garden waste collection scheme, helps prevent more waste going into landfill sites.

“Organic waste that is sent to landfill cannot decompose properly as it gets squashed under other waste and doesn’t have access to air. This means it gives off methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. By recycling garden waste residents can do their bit to help fight climate change caused by landfill.”

Councillor John Edwards, commissioner for Slough public protection, said: “12,600 residents are already composting their garden waste through the green bin scheme and now there is an opportunity for more people to join in. Recycling garden waste is an important way in which we can all address global warming”

The green waste scheme is free for Slough residents. To register call the recycling team on 01753 875255 or e-mail greenwaste@slough.gov.uk.

A Slough green bin will be delivered to your house with a calendar giving the dates when the bin will be collected. The bin can then be filled with grass cuttings, plants, weeds, twigs and leaves and left by the kerb on the fortnightly collection days.

Slough Borough Council.

Police seized two off-road bikes in the Slough area on Sunday (28/1), as part of a joint operation with the council to crack down on the anti-social use of motorcycles on local roads and parkland.

Operation Cardiff involved the deployment of 10 police officers from South and East Slough, working alongside PCSOs, park rangers and neighbourhood wardens from Slough Borough Council.

The operation took place in the Langley, Colnbrook and Upton areas of Slough.

Officers seized a yellow Suzuki scrambler bike in Upton Park, and a 16-year old boy was arrested. He was later charged with causing a public nuisance, careless and inconsiderate driving and driving with no licence or insurance, and will appear before Maidenhead Youth Court on 1 February.

In a separate incident, a quad bike was seized in Colnbrook.

PC Andy Fleming of the Slough East neighbourhood policing team said: “I believe the description of a powerful, noisy, yellow scrambler bike will be very familiar to many of the public who have experienced this sort of problem recently.

“We will be planning a repeat of this operation and I would ask the public to continue to report incidents.”

Sergeant Damon Wilson of the Slough neighbourhood policing team said: “I believe this robust approach sends out a defining message to those individuals who choose to ride motor bikes in an anti-social and often dangerous manner, that it will not be tolerated.

“We will continue to listen to the concerns of the community and act decisively in arresting the perpetrators and, where applicable, seizing and crushing their bikes.”

Members of the public are encouraged to report anti-social motorcycling to police by calling 0845 8 505 505, giving as much information as possible about the machine, the location and the person riding it. If you prefer not to speak to police or give your name, please call the Crimestoppers charity in confidence on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Borough Council’s home improvement agency (HIA) has been commended for their good work once again, this time by Foundations, the national co-ordinating body for HIA’s in England.

Keith Ford, agency manager and his colleague, Steve Wagner, along with Age Concern’s deputy chief executive, Ian Crump, collected their commendation at an awards ceremony held in London this week.

The HIA team have gone from strength to strength with their ability to help people in Slough stay independent and in their own homes.

The not-for-profit organisation helps homeowners and private sector tenants who are elderly, disabled or on low incomes to repair, maintain and adapt their homes.

Slough’s HIA has stood out time and again because of its innovative ways of helping residents which could be replicated by other authorities throughout the country to improve their services.

The team has also had many successes with reducing costs and the significant increase year on year in the number of cases being processed.

Keith Ford said: “It is always very encouraging to be recognised for all our hard work and the Foundations award has proved this.

“We will continue to deliver the great service to residents of Slough and carry on with our innovative ways within the department.”

Commissioner for social care, Cllr Derek Cryer, said: “Slough’s home improvement agency has done a sterling job at helping people stay in their own homes and live independently – their work is invaluable to our community.

“This is a service and team the borough of Slough should be proud of, as in many cases it has given people back their lives and their dignity.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough Staff, board members, councillors and tenant representatives will be celebrating one year of Slough’s Arms Length Management Organisation – People 1st (Slough) - this Wednesday (24th January) with a birthday cake and staff awards in recognition of the improvements that have been made to housing management services in the borough.

Recent performance figures show a big improvement over the year – putting the organisation in the top 25 per cent of arms-length organisations nationally in a number of performance areas.

Empty Slough properties – known as voids – are currently only empty for an average of 28 days, 20 days less than this time last year and better even than some three-star rated housing organisations.

Urgent repairs are now being completed within 98.5 per cent of government time limits – up from 94% per cent last year and currently 97 per cent of all the housing rent owed is being collected – putting People 1st (Slough) in line with the top quarter of the country’s ALMOs.

Lesley Roberts, interim head of People 1st (Slough), said: “I am really proud of the progress that has been made in the first year of the organisation. The improvement in performance areas are very encouraging and show that the hard work of our staff, the board and the valuable input of our tenants has markedly improved some of our key services.

“The challenge is now to continue this progress into this year and beyond and ensure that our other services reach these heights as well.”

Councillor Tony Haines, commissioner for Slough housing, said: “It is very encouraging to note that some of People 1st (Slough)’s key services have improved so dramatically over the past year.

“We will all be working very hard to ensure these improvements continue across all our services.”

Slough Borough Council.

Slough Borough Council became one of 89 finalists for an e-Government national award for its excellent customer service programme this month and proved itself as one of the best.

The awards, which were given out at the Savoy Hotel in London this week, highlight the UK's best services which improve citizen and business transaction with councils, central government departments and other public sector organisations.

The finalists included a great diversity and spread of excellence in e-Government and public sector IT across the UK - councils, central government departments, non-departmental public bodies and voluntary organisations are all represented in this 'best of the best'.

The annual national awards have become the UK's highest level commendation for the best e-Government services, which, through innovative online delivery / IT implementation, have positively transformed the lives of citizens, local communities, businesses and stakeholder groups.

Paul Butler, e-Government programme manager for Slough Borough Council, said: “Although we did not win an award this year, to be chosen as a finalist out of a record 345 nominations was fantastic.

“The council has been committed to delivering a good and simple service to its customers and we have achieved this at a high level.

“I’m extremely proud to have been nominated and everyone who has worked hard towards the success of the council’s customer service.”

Reasons why Slough council was nominated for its customer service programme –

* Council website ranked no 1 in the UK by the independent SiteMorse survey
* MyCouncil have served 180,000 customers since it opened in 2005 compared with just 36,000 at the old one stop shop
* Reduced average waiting time from more than an hour to fifteen minutes (meters/greeters resolving many within five minutes)
* Reduced peak council tax calls from 50% abandoned to 9%; and waiting times of under two minutes from up to 45 previously
* Reduced assessment times for new housing and council tax benefit claims
* Using more than 2000 FAQs shared with the website, MyCouncil is able to answer enquiries in all service areas; and raise service requests with 45 business areas.

Leader of the council, Cllr Richard Stokes, said: “Being nominated for an award like this is a great achievement for the council and goes to show how far it has come with providing excellent service to Slough’s residents.”

Slough Borough Council.

Detectives investigating an incident outside The Swan public house in Slough on Saturday (20/1) are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Shortly before 10pm, a man was assaulted outside the premises in Lower Cippenham Lane, Slough by another man. The victim sustained injuries to his face.

During the incident, the victim’s friend was also assaulted as he tried to intervene. His injuries included several cuts and lacerations to parts of his body.

It is believed that both victims, who are in their thirties and required hospital treatment, were assaulted with a Stanley knife.

Both the victims and the offender are believed to have been in the pub prior to the incident occurring.

Detectives are therefore appealing to anyone inside the Slough pub on Saturday evening with information to come forward. They are also interested in speaking to anyone who witnessed the assaults.

Those with information should contact Slough CID via the 24 hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. Those who do not wish to speak to police or leave their name should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Pupils and parents from Penn Wood School, Slough will be learning about how to be more healthy thanks to a special day organised by the school in partnership with the Slough Healthy Activities Programme (SHAPE).

Slough Healthy Activities Programme logoThe SHAPE project has teamed up with the school, and Berkshire East Primary Care Trust (PCT) to promote healthier lifestyles and in particular healthier lunchboxes.

As part of the morning sessions with parents, local chef Jason Woods will be doing a cooking presentation and SHAPE health activists and the community food gardens worker from the SEEDS Trust will be introducing different herbs and vegetables and explaining how they can be used in lunchboxes.

The Slough council’s sport and health team will also be running a seated exercise session.

There will also be information stands on stopping smoking, drug and alcohol awareness and a recruitment stand for the health activists’ project.

Alongside the sessions for parents, school nurses will be running healthy lunchbox and Gimme 5! sessions with pupils to encourage them to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

Dawn Estabrook, Slough Borough Council’s SHAPE co-ordinator, said: “By offering these sessions to parents we can show them simple ways of creating healthier lifestyles for themselves and their children.

“The sessions also offer great tips and, this time, even a cookery presentation to show how easy being healthier can be.”

Councillor Derek Cryer, commissioner for health and social care, said: “The SHAPE project is dedicated to helping the residents of Slough live healthier lives – whether it is through eating more healthily or taking a bit of exercise.

“With the special health day at Penn Wood we are getting the message to parents and children simultaneously and that message is all the more relevant as it is being brought by health activists from the local community, a local chef and a local community food gardens worker.”

SHAPE is funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

Slough Borough Council.