News round up - 11th Jan

If you've been reading the local news of late you'd be forgiven for thinking that Worcester Park is a hotbed of criminal excess.

First off was Harry Sullivan's court appearance in relation to his pre-Christmas BMW disassembly effort when he crashed in into a lamppost in Weybridge whilst nearly three times over the limit. His punishment was a two year driving ban with a 100 hours community service and £145 costs, though I doubt that the latter will genuinely cover the expense.

Alan Banks will be spending a heftier 18 months inside after admitting a post-halloween attack on a man outside a KFC in Surbiton in 2014

The attack by Banks, who was wearing a pink tutu, black tights and ballet pumps at the time, was initially said to be a homophobic attack, but this was heavily disputed by Banks and led to the homophobic element of the charge being dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Lastly there was a "crash and dash" last week in Worcester Park when a car crashed through a garden wall but the occupants scarpered before anyone could do anything about it. If you have any more information on that I'm sure the Police would be keen to hear it.

Worcester Park Cashpoint Smashed!

On the way home from my first Christmas party of the season last night I noticed that somebody had comprehensively smashed up the cashpoint at the Lloyds bank on Central Road. As you can see from the photo the scree had been completely shoved back into the unit and the front panel was quite broken.

There was nobody around to suggest that it had been done recently though presumably it had happened sometime after the bank had closed earlier in the evening.

I called the Police to inform them of the issue and it turned out that someone else had already called it in, which pleased me immensely so kudos to whoever it was who beat me to it... community faith level restored!

If you saw what happened or know anything about the incident then I'm sure the Police would be just as interested as me to hear from you.

Head Over Heels in Traffic!

More traffic problems this morning when someone found their Vauxhall Corsa inverted by Worcester Park station, according to the Surrey Comet here, together with a dramatic picture of the vehicle in question via Twitter.

Details are scarce so anything you can provide would be interesting, though they're unlikely to be quite as interesting as any dashcam footage that might have been available had one been installed, as is often the case in places like Russia.

Drivers there commonly install.dashcams for insurance reasons and the resulting video have proliferated while continuing to amaze and horrify in equal measure. Not for the easily disturbed. Drive safely people

Would you like a flake with that?

Mrs Brinkster brought the following to my attention from the Sutton Guardian and it rates fairly high on the yuck-o-meter....

"Police pounced on an ice cream man who was caught on camera performing a solo sex act while on duty in his van.

Vincenzo Coffaro, 81, was filmed on a mobile phone when he was spied in full view through the serving hatch of his van pleasuring himself while parked at one of his regular pitches in Overton Road, Sutton."
So far, so disgusting. It doesn't get any better.

"But after being released from custody Coffaro, from Sutton, was spotted selling ice creams the next day.

When confronted by the Sutton Guardian he insisted he would continue to ply his trade around the borough’s schools and parks – despite hygiene concerns.

Sutton trading standards said it could not stop him working because his offence was not sufficient for an immediate trading ban."

So when you hear an ice-cream van plying it's trade in Worcester Park stick your head out of the window and check it's not Vincenzo before you send the kids out.

Hold up at the Cattle Arch

Police are appealing for information after two teenagers were robbed in Worcester Park.

The incident happened between 9.30pm and 10.30pm in an underpass known locally as ‘cattle arch’, Ardrossan Gardens, on Sunday, 15 August.

The two suspects were walking towards the teenagers when they stopped the 15-year-old victims and demanded their mobile phones.

The suspects walked off with a Samsung mobile phone worth £150 and another mobile phone worth approximately £150.

Both suspects are described as black men, approximately 6ft tall, aged approximately 23, one was wearing a blue hooded top and the other a black hooded top.

"Cattle arch" eh? Didn't know that

Crawling in my skin these wounds they will not heal

Pardon the Linkin Park lyric in the title but it seems fairly apt in the circumstance.

In my more reflective moments I wonder if perhaps Luke Skywalker was talking about Worcester Park and not Tatooine when he said:
"If there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from"
as Worcester Park can seem unloved by it's assorted Councils and like Radiator Springs from the Pixar movie "Cars" the traffic passes by but doesn't seem to stop any more, as the empty shops silently attest.

On the other hand the nastiness of the outside world generally seems to pass us by.... I don't recall any shootings or big gang fights with their associated knifings and since the Huntsmans changed things have calmed down a bit but then there are unpleasant things lurking in suburbia, as the Surrey Comet reports:

A sex shop owner faces prison after police found thousands of vile child porn images stashed in his safety deposit box.

Officers found around 21,000 images and 48 films in a deposit box belonging to Michael Geraghty, of Oaks Avenue, Worcester Park.

The 50-year-old admitted four counts of possessing indecent images and seven of making indecent images, Southwark Crown Court heard.

I've always assumed there must be a sex-shop owner living in Worcester Park as it's statistically quite probable, but this story does make my skin crawl for a variety of reasons, not least this statement about the images found:

They included images of babies less than a year old and others depicting sexual activity with children, the most serious category.

Oaks Avenue is only a few hundred yards from a couple of schools, depending which end he lives, but I think it's likely that he'll be going into hiding until he's sentenced rather than roaming the streets enjoying his last few days of freedom. I can't even begin to imagine what these children went through and as a parent the thought of this possibly happening to any of our children fills me with an unspeakable dread. It does happen, but it shouldn't..... ever.

Comments anybody?

Mini revelations

I see that the Surrey Comet has the full story on the mini-car chase the other day:

"Police officers chased a stolen Mini Cooper through the streets of Kingston, Sutton and Epsom after they spotted it crawling down a road with its lights off.

Kingston police officers originally attempted to stop the car when they noticed it being driven unusually in New Malden in the early hours of Sunday, December 20.

But the driver kept going and a chase continued through to Worcester Park and into Stoneleigh."

The full story, including the "big finish" is here.

Did anybody see the car chase??

According to Charles Michel Duke there was a car chase in Worcester Park on Saturday night involving some well-resourced police cars and a Mini Cooper, with the inevitable results.

The picture's completely unrelated to the incident but was the first one I saw when searching for "car chase" on Google Images and looked exciting. If you do happen to have any information (or pictures) then do let me know.

The only blue lights I've seen in the last 48 hours have been the hordes of ambulances scraping up the poor unfortunates from the icy pavements. Be careful out there!

pic from www.thisislondon.co.uk

An unwelcome disturbance - UPDATED

I've been in touch with Councillor David Theobald, a leading voice in Sutton for autistic people and their families, and he's told me about a disturbing incident that happened in the borough the other week.

Five children from Stowford College were on a class outing to Cheam Park and were accompanied by a teacher with all of the required passes for their lunchtime trip on the 213 bus. For some reason that's not entirely clear the driver called an Inspector who arrived accompanied by two other officials and they then apparently manhandled these disabled children from the bus, pinned them against the wall and shouted at them. Now you have to remember that none of these five children can speak so quite what they thought would be acheived by this I don't know. Imagine "Rain Man" being put in that situation and you're not too far from what was happening.

Apparently the school are now appealing the £125 of fines that the boys were given as a result of the incident so if, like me, you're disgusted with the treatment that these children received and the hands of the TFL Inspectors then comment below or send this story on to your friends.

UPDATE: The TFL Press Office have just got back to me with the following:

A Transport for London spokesperson said: “We are cancelling all the Penalty Fares with immediate effect, and apologise for any distress that may have unintentionally been caused in this case.

“Nevertheless, we must stress that a carer’s responsibility when travelling with vulnerable passengers on public transport includes ensuring that all the correct passes are carried.”

Additional briefing.
· The ticket inspector clearly explained that in issuing the Penalty Fares for the young passengers, he was confident that they would be cancelled if a copy of their passes was provided in appeal, and he encouraged the adult passenger to do this.
· The Revenue Protection Inspector did not ask anyone to leave the bus. The matter was dealt with on the top deck, and the RPI only accompanied the group off the bus when they had reached their destination.

Stowford College
http://www.stowford.sutton.sch.uk/

Twilight Robbery

Apparently the Post Office on Central Road has been robbed this evening, which would account for at least some of the many sirens that seemed to be around earlier. A Policewoman was overheard saying that they got away with around £3,000 though I don't have any more details than that.

I hope they get whoever did it and if you have any more details about what went on then do let me know.

Lights, camera, action!!

A green car pulls across in front of another car and forces it to stop with a squeal of tyres. Out jump two scrawny youths in their late teens shouting threats and abuse with one waving something in his hand that glints in the evening light. The other car reverses in panic as the youths advance but in his haste to escape he doesn't quite make it around the silver taxicab behind him and the two meet with a crunch of metal and plastic. Spooked by the attention they're now getting the youths jump back into the car and speed off...

Not a remake of "The Sweeney" or some other TV show but the scene outside Christ Church St Phillips last night around 8pm according to eyewitness reports.

Let me know if you've heard any more.

Putting his foot in it

This is going to do Browning Avenue's reputation no end of good..... Daniel Davison, of Browning Avenue in Worcester Park, has been convicted of importing and selling 200 pairs of fake Nike trainers on eBay. Sutton Council's Trading Standards report that:
"He was given a seven-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work at Croydon Crown Court on 29 May after pleading guilty to the possession and supply of the goods. An investigation by Sutton Council's Trading Standards officers found that Davison had earned around £16,500 through selling goods on eBay from January 2007 to June 2008. Sutton Council officers are now working to seize Davison's illegal earnings through the Proceeds of Crime Act."

Any other dodgy traders you know of in Worcester Park?

Sutton Council Trading Standards
http://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5659

Things that go "ding-dong" in the night

I woke up this morning to read, through blood-shot eyes, the Parkerilla's post from yesterday about the crashed UFO in Green Lane and the breach in The Matrix spotted in The Midas Touch and the general level of eerie events in the Worcester Park. On a normal day I'd write that off as the fevered speculation of someone who's spent too long breathing in the fumes on Central Road but after last night I might give it some thought.

After crawling into bed around 11pm last night for some much-anticipated, and some might say much-required, beauty sleep I anticipated being disturbed by nothing more than the possible consequences of an overindulgence of artisan cheese. Not so. At 2.05am I was awakened by Mrs Brinkster getting out of bed, with my initial thought being that Brinkster Minor's cold was keeping him awake, but when she said "Someone's ringing the doorbell" I became aware of the rapidly-repeating 'ding-dong' and my brain attempted rather half-heartedly to kick into gear... then stalled... then rotated violently around it's axis before spewing out random thoughts. Doorbell? 2am? It's going to be a bad thing. What kind of bad thing? Too late for Jehovahs Witnesses. Robbers? Police? Drunken oafs?

It turned out it was our next door neighbour who "had heard a tremendous crash, followed by groaning" and was convinced that someone in our house had fallen down the stairs and was lying in great agony to the extent that he'd called the Police, who'd advised him to ring the doorbell. He'd apparently spent some time at our door with a torch trying to spot the injured person but, as we assured him and a quick check of the house proved, there was no injured person and nothing had crashed.

I can't be cross with him though as if it had been a real situation that's exactly the kind of reaction I'd want from my neighbours, though it's interesting to me what he could have possibly heard that was so convincing, knowing that he's not prone to flights of fancy, as it wasn't just a single sound that he reported but two entirely different types of sounds.

Any more strange goings-on in the neighbourhood that you know of?

The Parkerilla - A Chilling Warning
http://theparkerilla.blogspot.com/2009/05/chilling-warning.html

Mr Fog

Our beloved internet has thrown up an amusing story* from a Worcester Park resident who relates the tale of how he (allegedly) attracted the attention of the Police whilst taking his pride and joy for an early morning spin on a gloomy day:

Policeman: You were driving far too fast for the conditions, what would you do if Mr. Fog came down suddenly?
Me: I would put Mr. Foot on Mr. Brake.
Policeman: Let me say that again... more slowly. What would you do if mist OR fog came down suddenly?

*I know it's old but it's still good...

Appeal for witnesses

A request from Surrey Police:

Submitted: 02/12/2008 12:52:22
Detectives at east Surrey are appealing for witnesses following an attempted robbery in Worcester Park. The incident happened near St Mary’s Church, The Avenue, at 5.15pm yesterday evening (Monday, 1 December).

A 29-year-old woman was walking her dog when she was approached by two men one of the suspects grabbed the dog’s lead and demanded the woman’s purse, mobile phone and keys.
The suspect pushed the woman into a fence causing an injury to her left cheek. The two suspects then left empty handed.

The first suspect is described as a white man, between 5ft 8’ and 5ft 10’ tall, medium build, brown hair with highlights, aged approximately 16 years old, a fair complexion, acne, a large spot on his left cheek and a curved spike piercing through his left eyebrow. He was wearing a black hooded top which had a bio hazard motif on the front and baggy trousers.

The second suspect is described as a white man, aged approximately 16 years old, medium build, shorter than the first suspect and he may have had purple highlights in his hair. He was wearing baggy trousers and a chain around his waist.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Leigh Wall said: “This was an unprovoked and frightening incident. The young woman has been left incredibly shaken by her ordeal and it is clear we need to identify the two men responsible.

“Officers are carrying out a number of enquiries including reviewing CCTV footage from the area but we need the community to come forward and assist us further. The victim has provided us with an excellent description of the main suspect, it is a very distinctive description and I am confident someone will know who this man is.

“On this occasion the would-be robbers left empty handed but they may strike again. Surrey Police will not tolerate any form of violent crime and I am appealing to people to think back. Do you remember seeing a struggle taking place along The Avenue last night? It is a busy main road and the incident occurred during rush hour – were you in the area at the time? Or perhaps you remember seeing two men matching the suspects’ descriptions walking along the road? Even the smallest piece of information could make all the difference to my investigation.”

Can you help? Were you in The Avenue, Worcester Park, last night (Monday, 1 December) at 5.15pm? Anyone with information should contact Surrey Police on 0845 125 2222 quoting reference EP/08/4006.

You can't make this stuff up!

Just when you thought we'd peaked with snake man and the UFO sightings the local Guardian website gives us the headline "Superman pulled from car in Worcester Park"

A driver dressed as Superman had to be pulled from a car in Worcester park in the early hours of this morning, after his car hit a bollard and flipped over.

It is believed the man lost control of his vehicle, a Vauxhall Corsa, in Central Road near the junction with Caldbeck Avenue, at 12.03am.

Fire crews from Sutton, Wimbledon and New Malden attended the scene and found the man already being assisted from the vehicle by police officers.

Blue watch crew manager Trevor Corfield from Sutton fire station said the car had partially flipped over and had come to rest on the pavement next to some railings.

No other vehicles were involved.


Anybody know who it was? I hope the CCTV caught it!

Stirring stuff for Halloween

Back from Cornwall and all I can really say is "it's not Worcester Park" and you can take that whichever way you like. As the WPB has already chronicled Mann Countrywide Estate Agents has shut up shop and disappeared and when I walked past there on Wednesday evening there was one very forlorn looking Estate Agent glumly sat overseeing the banks of empty desks.

Anyway in my post-holiday letdown I've been scanning the local(ish) news and come up with these stories from the local Guardian website for no better reason than that they caught my eye. First off:
Fabian Sabbara, 15, of Cheam, was dressed in his school uniform when he was stopped by three police community support officers for taking photos of Wimbledon station on his mobile phone.

But PCSO Barry Reeve told Fabian to sign forms under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act, which allows police to stop and search at random anyone they suspect of terrorism.

Taking a photo of Wimbledon station a terrorist act!?!? Oh please!! I've written about this before and I'll hold my tongue this time.

I couldn't resist this next story but I am going to resist making any comment whatsoever and let you come up with your own:
A Christian family are concerned dark forces are behind a devilish looking car that has sat in front of their house for a month.

Julian Clarke, from Long Ditton, is concerned about a black Pontiac Trans Am that has been anonymously parked in his road. The sinister vehicle has blacked out windows, 666 on the number plate, devils on all four wheels and has been stationary for a month.

“I go to church and I’m quaking in my boots,” said Mr Clarke. “The car is like the spawn of the devil, it couldn’t look more evil if it tried. The only way it could look worse would be if it had horns.”

Seeing as it's Samhain/Halloween/Nos Galan Gaeaf here's the link to the relevant Wikipedia article in case anybody asks you what it's all about, or in case it ever comes up in a pub quiz.

Any Worcester Park news you care to pass on?

Gutted [updated]

As I walked home from the station in the rain last night I was surprised to see that KFC had been almost completely gutted.

I'm assuming it's some kind of makeover rather than a Gordon Ramsay takeover so I'll let you know what I see happening.
[update] As of 10.30 this morning it's been completely gutted and fenced off so works are carrying on at speed and I hope to get sight of the new insides soon!

I see from the Sutton Guardian that there was some excitement yesterday:
A man scrambled onto the roof of a Sutton house to evade police capture yesterday.
Sutton police spokesman Colin Walden said the man ran off when stopped by officers on suspicion of travelling in a lost or stolen car in Caldbeck Avenue, Worcester Park. Two other men caught in the same car were detained by police officers. The officers eventually tracked the third to nearby Stoneleigh Avenue. Mr Walden said the man climbed through the house to reach the roof but was talked down around 2pm.

On the subject of the Sutton Guardian on Saturday I weaved my way between the police cars on Brinkley Road and headed off to the local Kimpton recycling centre to part with some cardboard boxes and stuff and I have to say that it was quite an enlightening experience. I go there frequently so that wasn't the enlightening bit but having been greeted by the friendly man at the gate and then finding a number of other bored-looking workers apparently viewing p*rn on their mobile phones (judging by the comments) I went off to dispose of my recycling. When I got to the paper recycling I was a tad surprised to find that there was a whole ream of unopened Sutton Guardians in there.

I can imagine various scenarios for how they might have got there but if someone from the Sutton Guardian's reading this perhaps they might like to comment?

Incident update

The Met Police press office has let me know that the incident in Brinkley Road on Saturday involving the Police, air ambulance and other ambulances was a response to calls about a child falling from a 2nd floor window and according to the notes they have the hospital reports are positive.

If anybody can confirm that by commenting below or by email I'd appreciate it but I'd like to send my best wishes to the family for what must have been a traumatic time.

An incident on Brinkley Road

Right now there's an incident on Brinkley Road with a number of police cars, ambulances and the air ambulance in attendance. No solid news on what it is yet but more when I get it.





Traffic's being diverted from the top of the road and Worcester Park is awash with people in uniform. The air ambulance appeared to put down in the Hamptons as the nearest open space. I hope it's not bad news.......