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Slough Borough Council’s trading standards team and community wardens have been working with police to target rogue traders and bogus workmen.

On Wednesday May 21, intelligence led patrols took place across Slough, concentrating on residential areas with high numbers of elderly and vulnerable people often the victims of doorstep crime and distraction burglaries.

Trading standards representatives, community wardens and police spoke to 93 residents who were having work carried out, such as driveway maintenance, building work, gardening or roofing jobs.

At hot spots frequented by rogue traders, the trading standards team asked for feedback on the standard of work received, and found that the majority were happy with their trader.

The team also spoke with local traders, and advised them of the benefits of the Buy with Confidence Scheme run by Slough’s trading standards.

This scheme aims to provide residents with a list of legitimate businesses and traders who have undergone trading standards checks and been placed on an approved list, reducing the likelihood of customers using the services of rogue traders and bogus workmen.

Angela Satterly, principal technical enforcer for Slough Borough Council, said: “The majority of distraction burglary offenders network with each other and associated rogue trader criminals, travelling large distances across the country to find their victims.

“It’s essential intelligence on this type of crime is shared to prevent residents falling foul of the illegal activity of some traders.

“By visiting residents and inquiring about their experiences we have gained valuable insight into the activity of traders in the borough.

“We spoke to one resident who paid a trader £30,000 in cash for work that started in August 2007 and is yet to be finished. As a result of our visit, this will be investigated by trading standards.”

Any trader wishing to join the Buy with Confidence Scheme should contact trading standards on 01753 875255, or email buywithconfidence@slough.gov.uk.

Slough Borough Council

Slough libraries are gearing up to give Slough’s children the chance to create their own superhero during this half term.

Open to anyone aged five and over, the exciting sessions will give children the chance to get creative and design their very own comic strip, superhero and story board.

Sessions will be held on the following days:

* Britwell Library on Tuesday 27 May, from 10.30am to 11.30am.
* Langley Library on Wednesday 28 May, from 10.30am to 11.30am.
* Slough Library on Wednesday 28 May, from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.
* Cippenham Library on Thursday 29 May, from 10.30am to 11.30am.

Hilary Blanchard, Slough Borough Council’s senior library assistant for the children’s team, said: “The colourful comic strip sessions are a great way to get children down to their libraries.

“There will be reading sessions with a range of comic books, and for those who feel artistic there is an opportunity to create a superhero as part of their own personal comic strip.”

For further information, please contact Slough Library on 01753 787524.

Slough Borough Council

Detectives investigating a suspicious incident near Burnham railway station, Slough, on Tuesday 13 May have issued a description of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.

At around 10pm a teenage girl was waiting for a lift outside the railway station in Station Road when she was approached by a man driving a white vehicle.

The man spoke to the girl and asked her to get into his vehicle, to which she agreed. Once inside the vehicle, he made advances towards her. However, she rejected them and got out of the vehicle.

The man then drove off.

He is Asian, slim, has a light skin tone and was wearing dark clothing. His vehicle is white with five doors.

Anyone who has information which may assist police with their enquiries, is urged to contact Det Con Dejan Avramovic of Slough CID via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre 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 Library is offering residents the chance to gain valuable interview skills by attending a workshop aimed at boosting confidence in job interviews.

The ‘Book a Job’ workshop has been arranged in partnership with Nextstep Berkshire, an organisation which promotes learning for adults living, working or training in the borough.

The session will be held at Slough Library on Thursday 22 May, from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Places are open to anybody aged 20 or over, and must be booked in advance.

Designed to improve confidence when speaking in job interviews, the session will focus on discussing a favourite book during a role-play scenario.

Gaynor Baveystock, principal librarian for learning and inclusion at Slough Borough Council, said: “The library staff have organised the workshop to promote the National Year of Reading campaign alongside Nextstep’s adult learning week.

“Our aim is to encourage confidence and improve communication skills in a job interview situation, and talking about a favourite book is a great way to introduce key interview techniques.”

For further information, or to book yourself onto the workshop, please contact Slough Library on 01753 787526.

Slough Borough Council

Many Slough people may wish to become a foster carer but worry about how they would manage with a full time job and looking after foster children.

Slough Borough Council views fostering as a career and will pay them to give up work and be paid to look after foster children with £400 per week for the first child and £200 for the second or further children.

In addition, Slough carers will receive the appropriate maintenance allowance for each child to cover all the costs of caring for the young person.

Tina Ryan, fostering team manager for Slough Borough Council, said: “We want to make it easier for residents who are thinking of becoming foster carers by giving them the financial and emotional support they will need. This will ensure they are able to devote enough time to the important job of caring for vulnerable children.

“It’s not an easy job to bring up children, but if we can help people to be full time carers and show foster children how to grow and be in a loving environment, then we will help out as much as we can.”

Anyone can become a carer. You can be single, married, with or without children and can rent or own your own home.

The important thing is that you live within a 20 mile radius of Slough and can offer support, guidance and a positive family environment to help children feel secure and valued for however long they are living in your home.

Some children need to be looked after for a day, a week, months or years, although the average is about three to six months.

Each Slough foster carer is allocated a supervising social worker from the family placement team, and in addition, all children placed will have their own social worker.

There is also ongoing training for carers and lots of local foster care groups and social events provided as an opportunity for foster carers, link workers and others to meet and discuss common issues and concerns.

The council also operates an out-of-hours advice line in the evenings and at weekends, which is available to approved foster carers.

So if you think you have what it takes, please contact the foster care team on 0800 073 0291 mailto:foramilyplacement@slough.gov.uk

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council has stepped up the profile of the ‘Know Your Limits’ alcohol awareness campaign, by displaying high visibility posters on First buses in Slough.

The aim is to increase awareness of the number of alcoholic units in drinks, and highlight the negative effects excessive alcohol consumption can cause.

This includes impaired coordination and judgement, and placing people in dangerous, risky and unwanted situations, such as accidents, violence and sexual assault.

The UK Government advises that men should drink no more than three to four units a day, and women no more than two to three.

A large glass of wine is approximately three units, a pint of ordinary strength lager is 2.3 and one bottle of an alcopop can be 1.4 units on its own.

Jatinder Matharu, assistant manager for Slough Borough Council’s Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Team (DAAT), said: “The key message with this campaign is to ensure people know their limits when it comes to alcohol.

“Alcohol can make you feel invincible when you are at your most vulnerable, so we want to expose the realities of excessive alcohol consumption.

“The posters displayed on Slough’s First buses will highlight the message to residents across the town.

“We’re not trying to demonise alcohol or stop people enjoying themselves. This is about encouraging people, especially the young, to take personal responsibility for how much they drink.”

More than 80 percent of pedestrian deaths on weekends, and nearly three quarters of peak time accident and emergency admissions, are alcohol related.

Younger people are the most likely to drink heavily, with almost half of males and nearly 40 per cent of females aged between 16 to 24 found to drink above daily recommendations.

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council is promoting a practical solution to house alarm noise which can be a real nuisance to residents living next door.

Ensure your Slough alarm system is maintained and not accidentally going off. Intruder alarms can go off accidentally and disturb neighbours, especially during the night and if no one is home to turn it off, the council can silence the alarm at a cost for the home owner.

In order to prevent this from happening, Slough residents are advised to take the following measures:

* Ensure the alarm is installed by a qualified engineer.
* Maintain the alarm – have it serviced regularly.
* Make sure it’s fitted with an automatic cut-out device to prevent both its sound for more than 20 minutes and its reactivation, unless the system has been manually reset. This is particularly helpful if you do not have a neighbour you can leave your keys with.
* Register a key holder, who lives nearby or within 20 minutes of the property, with Slough Borough Council. Should the alarm accidentally activate whilst the owners are away, the nominated key holder can be contacted to turn it off.

However, if the alarm continues to ring for 20 minutes continuously, or on and off for an hour, the council can enter the property to silence the alarm if no nominated key holder is given to the council.

This involves applying for a warrant from the Magistrates Court if it is necessary to make a forced entry. Any costs incurred by the council in silencing an alarm will be claimed back from the owner.

Natalie Wood, technical enforcement officer for Slough Borough Council, said: “We all know that house alarms can go off accidentally, but it can be a nuisance when the owner is out or on holiday and the alarm rings throughout the night.

“The key holder idea will save residents from having to endure the noise and also stop the home owner(s) being penalised for the noise.”

For an alarm key holder notification form please contact the neighbourhood enforcement team on 01753 875255.

Slough Borough Council

Slough has the cleanest streets in Berkshire and is in the top ten for the South East, according to a survey out by GMB.

Slough came joint top with West Berkshire for the cleanest streets in Berkshire, and joint sixth for the South East as whole, with 96 per cent of streets being clean, in the poll which GMB put together using figures from the Audit Commission.

The council has been running its cleaner, safer, greener campaign for a year, and part of the launch included asking residents to make pledges to help keep the town clean and tidy.

The council, with its contractor, Slough Accord, has introduced new approaches to its street-cleaning regime, and Accord staff have tried to find ways to get into places that are more difficult to clean.

Nigel Dicker, head of environmental services, said: “We are really pleased that Slough comes at the top of this survey.

“The staff at Slough Accord have individually worked extremely hard to achieve this great result, and on top of this extra effort, further operational improvements have also been made to our street cleaning regime. Credit also must go to residents who obviously take pride in their town and recognise that dropping litter isn’t acceptable.

“Through its partnership arrangements, the council will be looking to develop services further in the coming months to build on this good performance.”

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council will be working in partnership with local agencies this month to raise awareness of the negative impacts of drug misuse as part of National Tackling Drugs Week (NTDW).

A week of Slough events has been organised from May 19 to 23, to support the government’s National Drug Strategy, and the council’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), who will be hosting a number of workshops.

Drug and substance misuse

There will be a health activist from Slough council on hand to provide information and literature for drug and substance misuse at:

* Monday 19 May at Asda from 10am to 8pm
* Wednesday 21 May at Thames Valley University from 11.30am to 2.00pm

Illicit drug users or carers

Overdose prevention workshops will be on offer to support and advise illicit drug users or carers, and will take place at:

* Monday 19 May at Manor Park Young People Centre from 2pm to 5pm
* Thursday 22 May at Guides Hut, Reddington Drive in Langley from 10am to 1pm

Information stands

Information stands will be hosted:

* Monday 19 May at Britwell Library
* Thursday 22 May at The Centre

Slough Borough Council’s DAAT programmes coordinator, Jatinder Matharu, said: “As a council, we have a responsibility for improving the quality of life for everyone who lives, works and visits Slough.

“To achieve this, we have arranged a number of initiatives to tackle drug use and drug related crime.

“Slough DAAT aims to protect the public from drug-related crime by proactively marketing prevention and enforcement activities through the borough.

“We work closely with Thames Valley Police, East Berkshire Primary Care Trust, the probation service, youth offending teams, voluntary organisations.

“With the support of residents, we aim to uphold the fight against drug use and drug crime and are encouraging them to report drug activity to the police.”

The DAAT mission is to support all agencies in the delivery of the national drug strategy on six key areas:

* Treatment – to support people in overcoming their drug and alcohol related problems and live healthy, drug free lives.

* Drug intervention programme – to direct drug using offenders out of crime and into treatment.

* Community – to protect our community from drug related anti-social and criminal behaviour.

* Availability – to stifle the availability of illegal drugs in the community.

* Young people – to help young people resist substance misuse in order to achieve their full potential.

* Alcohol – to reduce the harm caused by alcohol in Slough.

For further help and support for substance misuse you can call 'Talk to Frank' on 0800 77 66 00.

To report drug dealing or drug taking activity, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or the Thames Valley Police non-emergency number on 0845 8 505 505.

To contact DAAT, please call 01753 875501 or e-mail communitysafety@slough.gov.uk.

Slough Borough Council

Following the roaring success of Slough High School Musical last year, the West Wing Summer School will be bringing its second full-scale musical production of Bugsy Malone to the stage. If you’re aged between eight and 19 and want to get on stage, then make sure you audition for the hottest and baddest show in town!

Bugsy Malone is a classic gangster musical set in New York, with a world of would-be hoodlums, showgirls and dreamers. If you think you’ve got what it takes, then show us your talent at the Slough auditions on Thursday 5 June at 4pm or Sunday 8 June at 10am.

So if you want to shine on the stage, come and show us your talents! The summer school runs between Sunday 27 July until Sunday 10 August and costs £120 for two weeks. You will need to be available for the full two weeks. If you have any questions please call 01753 476651 otherwise email westwing@slough.gov.uk

Slough Borough Council.

Slough Borough Council would like to make residents aware of the new rules for applying for a vehicular crossing at their homes, otherwise known as a dropped curb.

Anyone wishing to apply for a dropped curb will be issued with the new vehicular crossing application form and accompanying guidance. The procedure will take effect from May 27 2008.

This will help Slough residents identify whether they should apply for a vehicular crossing and the new procedure will make the process more efficient and help with record keeping.

To apply for a crossing, residents will need to fill in a form and submit it to the highways department at the council, along with a non-refundable administration fee of £65.

This covers officer time spent processing the application and any site visits that may need to be done.

If approved, a quote will be sent back to the resident for the work by post and if all is agreed, work will commence from four to six weeks after receipt of payment.

Slough Borough Council said: “The new application form and guidance notes will assist residents when applying for vehicular crossings and help them to decide if their request is in compliance with the council’s criteria.”

You can either apply online for a drop down curb or call the highways team on 01753 477335.

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council’s trading standards team take more fake goods off the streets than the other 18 local authorities in the South East, a report has announced.

Counterfeit goods seized by Slough trading standards.In a recent publication, Slough’s trading standards has taken poll position for seizing counterfeit goods out of the borough, making it a safer place to buy quality products.

From June 2006 to July 2007, the team’s officers seized more than 10,000 counterfeit goods, including DVDs, shoes, clothes, watches, jewellery and cigarettes.

Then only six months later, a further 7,000 items were detained. These included fake vodka and condoms.

The total street value of all these goods is estimated at £1/4 million pounds.

Keith Eaglestone, trading standards manager for Slough Borough Council, said: “We have worked so hard over the last few years to make sure Slough is a safe place to buy products and have come down hard on counterfeit items.

“We are really pleased we have come out on top and will continue to be vigilant. The problem of counterfeit goods for sale in the borough is rife.

“It deprives local traders of legitimate business and the goods are generally of poor quality, and in some instances, dangerously unsafe.

“The local economy suffers and it denies consumers their normal rights under the Sale of Goods Act with no come back after the sale is made.

“We want to make sure we rid the streets of such products and have been very successful so far.”

In view of the seriousness of some of the seizures the team have made, several of the larger operations have been subject to legal proceedings.

All counterfeit products discovered and taken are later destroyed.

It is estimated that ten percent of all world trade, or the equivalent of the annual spend on world tourism, is made up of counterfeit products.

In the UK, the current estimate of the loss to all industry sectors affected by counterfeiting is around £11billion per year. Were that sum included in the legitimate economy, it would generate enough VAT to fund several new schools and hospitals.

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council will be hosting events over the next two weeks for Foster Care Fortnight, from May 12 to May 25.

Could you give a loving home to a foster child? The fortnight will focus on finding foster carers to look after teenagers in the Slough - the biggest group of children in the care system, and younger children.

In Slough alone, there are currently 40 children who have had to be placed outside the borough, due to shortages.

This means they are away from their schools and familiar surroundings, because there are not enough foster carers in Slough.

On Saturday, May 17, the foster care team from the council will be in the Queensmere between 10am and 4pm to give out advice and information to people wishing to become, or find out more, about being a foster carer.

Anyone can become a carer.

You can be single, married, with or without children and can be renting or owning your own home. The important thing is that you can offer support, guidance and a positive family environment to help children feel secure and valued for however long they are living in your home.

In Slough we have children from varied racial and cultural backgrounds who need foster care families. Many are white or are of mixed parentage with African, Caribbean or Asian Muslim heritage. We recognise that children often do best in families that reflect their heritage, and we therefore welcome enquiries from people of these backgrounds.

Tina Ryan, fostering team manager for Slough Borough Council, said: “The two weeks will really help to highlight the need for more carers in Slough

“We know that children in care can benefit enormously from the chance to experience a caring and stable family life. Over the next few weeks we will be asking local people: Could you take on the challenge of fostering.

“I hope this campaign allows local people to realise they really could have the basic qualities needed to become great foster carers and I urge people to come along to the Queensmere or call us to find out more.

“Anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer will receive help every step of the way from the council.”

For more information, please contact the foster team 0800 073 0291, email familyplacement@slough.gov.uk

Slough Borough Council

Slough Borough Council’s trading standards team is welcoming a new safety warning for all toys containing small magnets to protect children from unsafe play.

The government initiative is still in the consulting process, but if all goes through, it will be passed in July.

Russell Clarke, trading standards enforcement officer for Slough Borough Council, said: “We welcome any moves that protect children from playing with unsafe toys.

“At the end of the summer break we will be visiting shops in Slough to ensure that toys containing these magnets have the suitably worded caution statements to warn parents.”

Slough Consumer affairs minister, Gareth Thomas, said: “We want toys containing these magnets to carry new safety warnings. The recalls last year highlighted the dangers that they can pose.

"The warnings will help parents make informed decisions about which toys to buy and to be on their guard in supervising how their children play with them."

The new safety warnings will be a temporary measure. They will remain in force until the European Commission and Member States complete comprehensive reviews of toy safety controls.

Slough Borough Council

Routes for Change: A sponsored walk to support young people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS

Saturday 24th May 2008 - Southall to Slough

Routes for Change is an annual sponsored walk organised by the young people of Aik Saath. This year the money raised will go to Thames Valley Positive Support, to help support young people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. The walk will take place on Saturday May 24th and begin at 10am. Walkers will meet at the Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Havelock road in Southall and walk along the Grand Union Canal covering a distance of 10 miles. The walk will end at the Mosque on Diamond Road in Slough.

“Aik Saath is celebrating its 10th birthday this year with a number of events and one of the most important is Routes for Change where we have a chance to help support other charities working with people in our borough.” (Mandeep Kaur Sira, Project Manager Aik Saath)

Thames Valley Positive Support helps and supports those infected and affected by HIV, in a friendly, supportive, practical and strictly confidential manner. They work across the Thames Valley and their clients come from a range of ages and ethnicities. One client recently commented on the support they had received from Thames Valley Positive Support,

"Thank you so much for putting my life back on track, and helping me feel human again!... "

The sponsored walk is being organised by Aik Saath, Slough and its young volunteers and is aimed at not only raising money to support Thames Valley Positive Support but also to bring members of the local community together to share in the experience.

“AIDS and HIV affect people all over the world and something that everyone should be aware of and I feel very privileged to be helping to organise this event.”
(Tej Bhachu, Aik Saath)

In order to take part please call Aik Saath on Slough 01753 574780 to register.

Slough Borough Council’s Art at the Centre project will be picking up pace in the next few weeks, as work on landscaping the High Street takes shape.

Art at the Centre is a £6 million enhancement scheme, which will see physical improvements along the Slough High Street to help revitalise the town centre and make it an exciting and attractive place to visit.

As part of the landscaping phase of the project, 21 new trees will be planted along the High Street. In addition, the Yew Tree Park area will be transformed with new trees and planting.

In order to make this possible, 11 of the existing trees have been removed to make way for the new paving and street furniture.

Roger Kirkham, Art at the Centre project manager, said: “Many residents will have already seen the changes taking place with new paving going in at both ends of the High Street.

“The landscaping with new trees will add another element to the scheme and help to give a boulevard look along the length of the street.

“The changes to the Yew Tree Park area will make an attractive entrance at the eastern end of the High Street.

“The next few months will see lots of activity in the High Street and it is hoped once completed it will attract new shoppers and retailers alike.”

The Art at the Centre scheme is due for completion in 2009.

Slough Borough Council

A Slough Borough Council toolkit which helps community groups run their own arts projects, has been recognised as an example of ‘extreme’ best practice by the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) and SEEDA (South East England Development Agency).

The Community Arts Training Scheme (CATS) which has been running for 14 years, was devised by the Arts Development team at Slough Council with local artist, Christine Wilkinson. It is a practical course for people who want to run arts projects in their community and is delivered through talks, workshops, group projects and discussions.

The toolkit was produced so that arts officers in other councils could adapt the course to run in their own areas. Surrey, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire are just some of the councils which are already running CATS.

To date, more than 300 people have been through the course in Slough, which has helped people to run projects such as Slough Crossroads’ summer arts activities for disabled children and their carers, Slough West Indian People’s Enterprise (SWIPE)’s steel pan factory and Two Left Feet’s inclusive dance classes.

The groups who have participated in the training have successfully attracted more than £1 million in funding for their local arts projects.

The council is now planning to formally launch the toolkit at the National Association of Local Government Arts Officers Conference in June. The toolkit costs £25 per copy.

Louise O’Dwyer Barnard, arts development officer for Slough Borough Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this recognition.

“The CATS training over the years has equipped many local groups in Slough with the skills to run their own projects, enabling some to run fantastic projects that have grown right out of the communities that they benefit.

“Our aim now is spread the word about the toolkit to other councils, with our big launch in June.”

Miranda Pearce, urban renaissance manager for SEEDA, said: “The CATS toolkit was assessed as part of the South East Excellence’s Tools of the Trade expert panel which has been managed by BURA.

“Through this assessment, the CATS toolkit was recognised to be one of the top, in terms of content, accessibility and practicality, and has been uploaded onto the South East Excellence website under the resources section.”

Slough Borough Council

07 May 2008 - Two arrested in connection with incident in Cippenham – Slough

Police have arrested two men in connection with an incident in Cippenham, Slough, yesterday afternoon (6/5).

Several calls were received from members of the public at around 2.46pm, after a man was spotted wandering in the Bower Way area. It is believed the man made threats to a number of people.

Following a detailed search and a number of inquiries made, officers arrested a 42-year-old man and a 48-year-old man, during the early hours of this morning (7/5).

They were arrested at around 3am from addresses in Cippenham.

The 42-year-old was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of firearm (threats to kill) and the 48-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Both remain in police custody this morning.

06/05/2008 Police are currently dealing with an incident in Slough following reports of a man armed with a gun.

At 2.46pm, police received a report of a man wandering in the Bower Way area. It is believed the man made threats to a number of people.

Armed response units, local Slough officers and the police helicopter have been deployed to a block of flats where the man was last seen.

As a precautionary measure, local schools and residents have been notified and advised to remain indoors until the incident is resolved. Roads in the area have been closed to traffic.

Detectives investigating reports of a man armed with a gun in Cippenham, Slough, earlier today, have released the following description.

The man they are looking for is white, aged 35-45, 5ft 6ins to 6ft tall, and well-built. He is either balding or has fair close cropped hair, and is clean shaven. He has numerous tattoos on his arms and one on his right calf.

At the time of the incident, he was wearing a torn pale blue t-shirt and dark shorts.

The man remains outstanding at this time and inquiries are on-going to try and locate him.

As part of their search, Slough police can confirm that two men were arrested.

However, they were arrested on suspicion of being in possession of controlled drugs and their arrests are not being linked to the on-going search for the armed man.

Local Slough officers are carrying out high visibility patrols in the area to reassure the public.

If anyone sees a man matching the description above, they are urged not to approach him but to contact the police immediately on 999 quoting URN 758 of 6/5.

Those with information about the incident itself, are urged to contact Det Insp Steve Armstead at Slough CID 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

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was seriously injured in a road traffic collision in Slough on Sunday (4/5).

At approximately 2.50pm a pedestrian was crossing the A4 Bath Road, close to the junction with Tuns Lane, Slough when he was in collision with a red Rover 400.

The pedestrian, a man believed to be in his thirties, sustained serious head injuries and was taken to Wexham Park Hospital. As of yesterday (5/5) his condition was described as critical.

Anyone who witnessed the incident and has not yet come forward is asked to contact the investigating officer, PC Nicholas Brown of the Slough Roads Policing department at Taplow, on 0845 8 505 505.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Slough Detectives are appealing for witnesses after a stabbing took place in the early hours of 3/5 morning.

Officers were called around 2.30am to Mildenhall Road, Manor Park, Slough where a 21-year-old man was discovered with multiple stab wounds.

He was taken to Wexham Park Hospital and is in a stable condition.

Investigations are continuing with scenes of crime officers currently on the scene.

No arrests have been made at this time.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is urged to contact Det Ch Insp Steve Reschwamm at Maidenhead police station via the 24-hour non-emergency number, 0845 8 505 505. If you do not want to leave your name, call Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

A 24-year-old man from the Slough area was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on 24 April to three years in prison after pleading guilty to three burglaries.

The judge sentenced Michael John Joseph Reardon, of Eltham Avenue, Cippenham, Slough to three years for each of two burglaries and two years for the third burglary, all sentences to run concurrently.

The burglaries took place over a period of five weeks in the Cippenham area of Slough. On Monday 27 August 2007, a resident in Bowyer Drive returned home to find that a burglar had smashed a window in the kitchen door with a brick and searched the house, stealing jewellery, an X-Box and a laptop.

On Sunday 30 September 2007, an alarm sounded at Cippenham Junior School, alerting staff to a break in at the premises. The Slough school fence had been damaged, rear doors forced and internal doors smashed as burglars made their way to a classroom containing computer equipment. A locked metal cabinet had been broken open and laptops stolen to the value of approximately £5,200.

On Wednesday 3 October 2007, a householder in Elmshott Lane returned home to find that the front door had been forced open and a flat screen TV stolen.

Evidence presented to the court included CCTV footage which clearly showed Reardon kicking open a door at one of the burgled properties, as well as Reardon’s DNA which was found after forensic examination of the crime scenes.

Det Con Sally Spencer, who investigated the incidents, said: “Reardon committed this series of offences in the area around his home in Cippenham, which at the time affected the community quite badly. His crimes caused considerable distress to the owners, some of whom had the personal space of their own homes invaded and the contents ransacked. The local school lost vital learning resources for young children, although they clearly did their best to secure the equipment.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Slough

Langley Slough Library will officially be opened by His Worshipful the Mayor of Slough, Cllr Rashad Butt on May 6th, along with other special guests.

The library, which was demolished in February 2007 to make way for the brand new state-of-the-art new build, was temporarily set up in Wilford Road, next to the original building for residents to access.

Now locals will be offered more resources, more computers and a relaxation area with bright colourful sofas to sit, relax, read and enjoy.

On the day of the opening, the ceremony will start off with the Mayor of Slough making a welcome speech, then a poetry performance by children from Ryvers School, followed by refreshments and an opportunity to explore the new library.

The celebrations will be continuing all week, where many activities have been arranged, such as music time for children and parents, card making and magic tricks.

Jackie Menniss, head of libraries for Slough Borough Council, said: “We are really excited about the opening day and seeing residents walking through the doors.

“There are thousands of books, DVDs and CDs, along with more computers, for them to use and enjoy.

“Everyone who has worked on the new library has done so with great passion and this will be portrayed to residents when they come to visit us.”

Slough Borough Council