Crowthorne and Sandhurst

Police are hunting those responsible for an arson attack that caused severe damage to an outbuilding at Crowthorne Baptist Church.

Sometime between 9.40pm and 10.30pm on Tuesday 21 February, someone smashed the rear window of a Portakabin located at the side of the Baptist Church in High Street, Crowthorne. The building was used to store toys for children attending the Sunday school and play groups.

An ignition source, possibly a match or cigarette, was dropped through the window onto some cushions and soft toys, causing a fire which severely damaged the building’s contents. No-one was inside the Portakabin at the time.

Crowthorne PC Nathan Mitchell, who is investigating the incident, said: “There was a meeting at the church that evening, which ended at approximately 9.40pm, and those who attended did not notice anything untoward when they left the premises.

“We are appealing to anyone who saw somebody behaving suspiciously near the church at the time, or who has any other information that could help us to identify those responsible, to come forward and assist with our inquiries.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Mitchell 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 ~ Crowthorne

The National Childbirth Trust
Crowthorne & Sandhurst Branch
www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com

Nearly New Sale
Saturday 22nd April 2006
2.15 – 3.30pm

(2pm entry for current NCT Members)

Sandhurst Community Centre, Yorktown Rd, Sandhurst

Call 0870 421 1873

CrowSandNCT@yahoo.co.uk

for Sellers Pack or more Information

Baby & Children’s Clothing, Toys, Baby Equipment & Maternity Wear in nearly new condition at amazing prices!

Registered charity no. 801395

Crowthorne & Sandhurst National Childbirth Trust

Crowthorne Amateur Theatrical Society is performing “Secondary Cause of Death” by Peter Gordon at the Crowthorne Parish Hall in Heath Hill Road South on Thursday, 30th March, Friday 31st, Saturday 1st April at 7.30pm.

“Secondary Cause of Death” is the sequel to Peter Gordon's hit comedy thriller “Murdered to Death” performed by Crowthorne CATS to great acclaim a few years ago. Set in 1939, storm clouds are gathering over Europe. Having inherited Bagshot House, Colonel Charles Craddock has converted the property into a hotel for the discerning visitor. Soon Inspector Pratt arrives once again at Bagshot House, bearing grim news for Colonel Craddock.

But that's just the beginning - who is the strange Polish Count? Is Henrietta really an army captain? And where does the flamboyant Cardew Longfellow fit into the picture?

When Joan Marple's sister Cynthia arrives to stage a murder mystery evening, it's not long before Pratt's visit turns into a chaotic nightmare as the bodies pile higher than ever!

Director Michael Moonesinghe comments “This is the first time that both myself and my assistant director, Luke Burton, have directed a play for Crowthorne CATS, although we are both active members of the society. It is proving to be just as rewarding as we hoped that it would be.

The weekly rehearsals are great fun and no matter how many times that we hear the play, we still end up laughing along with the script. Timing is vital for a lot of the comic scenes to work and we are working hard at the moment to perfect this.

A few old hands had advised me that being the director of a play was not dissimilar to being the conductor of an orchestra; our job is not to try and teach the cast how to act but to put our own interpretation on the script and to bring out the talents of the very able team. With such an experienced cast of very talented actors it was a bit daunting at first, like standing up in front of the London Philharmonic Orchestra twice a week. Everyone has been very supportive, from the cast to the production crew. I feel sure that we will produce a play of the highest standards that everyone will be very proud of”.

Chairman Geraint Morris adds “Following on from the success of “Murdered to Death” in 2002, this is another chance to see how not to solve a mystery the Inspector Clouseau way!”

This is a hilarious comedy that will have the audience laughing out loud from the very beginning until the surprise ending!

Background details

“Secondary Cause of Death” by Peter Gordon, by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd
Directed by Michael Moonesinghe. Assisted by Luke Burton.
Tickets £7.50 each, concessions £6.00 each.
Tickets available from
Playhouse Cleaners, Dukes Ride and P & S News, High Street, Crowthorne,
From the Crowthorne CATS box office on 01344 761957
By emailing boxoffice@catswebsite.co.uk
Web: www.catswebsite.co.uk

Tesco opened its latest neighbourhood store in Crowthorne on Monday, but not everyone is happy about it.

Last week the deadline for representations on Tesco's alcohol licence in Crowthorne were due and Wokingham District Council licensing panel must now consider whether to give the store permission to sell alcohol seven days a week from 6am until 10pm.

But the idea has angered some nearby residents in Greenwood Road who don't want the shop to sell alcohol at all.

They fear problems and vandalism with gangs of youths hanging around.

Resident Brenda Metcalf said: "Ever since the One-Stop closed it has been bliss. Now people are worried trouble will start up again."

But not everyone is gloomy about the arrival of the Tesco Express store - new manager Anne Marie Bloxham and her staff donated £500 to Crowthorne-based charity DebRA as part of their opening celebrations. The charity works on behalf of people with a genetic skin blistering condition.

Mark Smith, the charity's fundraising and communications director cut the ribbon to declare the new store open.

ic Berkshire ~ Crowthorne

Police are hunting a man who threatened a member of staff at a petrol station in Crowthorne and stole cash from the till.

At about 9.35pm on Wednesday 15 February, a man entered the shop at Lightfoot’s Garage in Bracknell Road, Crowthorne and threatened the supervisor, a woman in her twenties. He was holding what is believed to have been a handgun and demanded that she hand over cash.

The woman opened the till and the man snatched about £100, before running away towards Forest Road.

Although not physically injured during the incident, the woman was left very shocked and distressed by the experience.

The robber is white, 5ft 4ins, very slim, with brown eyes and a pale complexion. He was wearing a large bomber-style jacket with the hood up.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact Det Con Donna Pearce of Bracknell 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 ~ Crowthorne

A Crowthorne mother has been placed on curfew and tagged to prevent her going out at night as punishment for failing to stop her 15-year-old daughter's persistent truancy, a council announced yesterday.

Education welfare officers from Bracknell Forest borough council in Berkshire made repeated efforts to get Carol Horne, 42, to accept her parental and legal responsibility to ensure that her youngest child was at school. She had been taken to court six times, received four fines, a community sentence and finally 28 days in jail.

When the truancy continued she was taken back to court, where magistrates imposed a two-month curfew preventing her leaving her home in Crowthorne, Berks, between 7pm and 7am and reinforced the order by tagging her for the first four weeks.

The council, which sought the order before East Berkshire magistrates' court at the beginning of the month, admitted that the restriction would not necessarily improve the girl's attendance record but said that it was a punishment for the mother and a warning to others.

A spokesman said she believed it was the first time that the mother of a truant had been tagged.

"In spite of repeated efforts by our welfare education officers, the girl attended school for only 45 half-day sessions from a possible 116 between April and September 2005," the spokesman said. She had attended school just once between September 2002 and October 2004.

Horne was also ordered to pay a £150 fine. But she said that it would not affect her and that she was not concerned about her daughter missing school, as getting a job was "a matter of luck, not exam results".

Telegraph Crowthorne

Four youths were arrested this morning (13/2) after a supermarket in Crowthorne was burgled.

At about 3am today, police were alerted by a burglar alarm at Alldays in High Street, Crowthorne.

Intruders had forced entry through the rear doors and broken into a store cupboard. A quantity of cigarettes worth approximately £3,000 was allegedly stolen from the shop.

Four youths, three aged 15 and one 14-year-old, were arrested nearby on suspicion of burglary. They are still in custody awaiting questioning.

Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact the investigating officer, PC Iain Heron, 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 ~ Crowthorne

A Major security alert was sparked when a suspected gunman was spotted at Crowthorne sports centre.

The scare started when staff at Edgbarrow Sports Centre in Crowthorne were told by a customer that a youth carrying a firearm was inside the building last Thursday evening.

Staff immediately alerted police who drafted in officers to the centre in Grant Road.

But no trace of the gunman could be found and police are now examining CCTV footage from the centre's security cameras.

Mark Devon, Assistant director of environment and leisure for Bracknell Forest Council, said: "At around 7.45pm staff were alerted by customers at Edgbarrow Sports Centre to a young man sitting in reception who was thought to be in possession of a weapon of some kind.

"The duty manager at the centre notified the police and by the time the duty manager reached reception the young man had left the building.

"Staff at the sports centre are assisting the police with their investigation."

Sports centre reception staff declined to comment.

ic Berkshire ~ Crowthorne

A Boozy cop guarding Princes William and Harry at Sandhurst was arrested after failing a breath test while ARMED.

The uniformed officer arrived for a night shift at the elite Sandhurst military academy after drinking with pals.

Wills, 23, and Harry, 21, were on the premises studying as the MoD policeman signed out an automatic pistol to begin work. He was later quizzed after alcohol was smelt on his breath.

After failing a breathalyser test he was nicked by colleagues and taken to a Thames Valley Police station. He later passed a second breath test.

He was suspended from duties at the Berkshire base but allowed to do routine police work outside the college while a probe was carried out last week. A Sandhurst insider said: “The officer won’t be back here in a hurry.”

The boozy cop was part of an elite team seconded to the college — which trains all British Army officers — for the duration of the princes’ stay. Its mission is to make sure the site’s beefed-up perimeter fences are not breached.

All British police forces have a strict “no drinking” policy for armed officers.

The MoD has referred the matter to its professional standards department “for consideration of discipline and conduct issues”.

The ~ Sandhurst