Bosses of the new department store which is set to open in the former Allders building have said they are in Croydon to stay. Minerva, the landlord of the site, officially announced today that the entire floor space of the 530,000 sq ft store has
More than 140 pupils from special schools around Surrey descended on Tadworth Court to join children from the Children’s Trust for a celebration of sport festival. Each participating school, including Woodlands School in Leatherhead, was represented
The wife of a man who was shot dead while protecting his family from armed intruders wiped away tears as she recalled the minutes leading up to his death. Carlton Ned died at his home in Langdale Road, Thornton Heath, after men wearing balaclavas
Don’t miss an activity-packed fair which is guaranteed to be a great day out for the young and old. The Ewell Village fair is back this year with something for everyone. Entertainment at the event will include Morris dancing, the GB martial
Harrison's, the centre of wining and dining in Balham, has recently undergone a major refurbishment. A brand new speakeasy style bar has opened in the basement of the restaurant. More room for cocktails and wine can only be a good thing. The
On Saturday 20th July at 11.30am Streatham MP Chuka Umunna and Friends of Hillside Gardens Park and Palace Rd Nature Garden launch the Palace Road Nature Garden Biodiversity Project to the public. Designed to show local residents the recently completed
Commuters were treated to a medley of musical numbers to celebrate the completion of the Epsom station redevelopment. The £20m development, which has revamped the station’s ticket hall, facade, car park, waiting shelters, toilets and cycle storage
Tom Brake has joined the campaign to try and stop the fast-food outlet McDonald's being built in Stafford Road, Wallington. The proposed development, on the site of the former BP petrol station, includes a two-storey late-night drive-through
Nursery school children learnt about road awareness as part of a week dedicated to safety. From June 24 to 30 tots at Kidsunlimited, in Carshalton, explored road safety and were visited by a member of Sutton Safety Board. Lollypop lady
Armed police swooped in to arrest a man on suspicion of robbery this afternoon. Police were called to reports of a robbery in which a firearm was alleged to have been seen at 2.25pm. Armed officers arrested a man outside Debenhams in Croydon
A man has appeared in court charged with making more than 50 child porn images. Alan Ellison, 52, is accused of making the indecent images of children at his home in Princes Street, Sutton, and appeared in front of Croydon magistrates on Monday
Workers are set to go on strike after pay talks between union officials and Croydon Council's bin collection contractor broke down yesterday. Unite union had postponed industrial action initially scheduled for last week ahead of negotiations
Wandsworth Council's attempt to solve the borough's mounting pothole problem has entered its third month. A harsh winter led to an unusally high rate of damaged roads and since then the local authority's specialist repair crews have now filled
Police are appealing for help to catch two men who tried to grab money from a newsagent's till. A balaclava-clad man and a man with scarf around his face attempted to steal from the store in Marbles Way, Tadworth, at about 5pm on Thursday, July
A bulldog owner, whose pet attacked an elderly woman and her two dogs twice in two weeks, has been given a suspended prison sentence. Anne Loring was walking her two King Charles cavalier dogs, Alfie and Cassey, along Nigel Fisher Way in Chessington
A housing association has launched a major consultation on the future regeneration of its estates. Residents living in Merton Priory Homes (MPH) Eastfields, High Path and Ravensbury estates will be asked about how the association can best make
The husband found not guilty yesterday of plotting to kill his Russian wife has been given a restraining order and remains in prison while awaiting sentencing for two separate offences. Guildford Crown Court said today that Steven Hellewell, 50
A man was shot in the hallway of his home trying to protect his wife and stepson from masked gunmen, a court heard. Carlton Ned was fatally shot at his home in Langdale Road, Thornton Heath, in the early hours of July 1, 2011. The 41-year-old
Parents have been warned after a man in a white van stopped next to a child on a scooter. A mum was walking her year-three daughter home from All Saints Benhilton Primary School at about 3.30pm on Tuesday when the incident occurred, according to
Dire warnings St George's Hospital will be overwhelmed if plans to close neighbouring accident and emergency (A&E) units go ahead have grown louder after new figures show the hospital is already having to take on thousands more emergency patients a
A new project is giving disadvantaged young people the chance to improve their surroundings. The Agency, a joint project ran by Battersea Arts Centre and the Contact Theatre in Manchester, is based on an idea which began in the favelas of Rio de
Companies vying for the contract to run private playground facilities in Battersea Park have been told to place 80 per cent of their emphasis on affordability over quality. Wandsworth Council is looking for a private business to provide a paid
Insurance group Direct Line is to close its Croydon office with the loss of 72 jobs. Some 24 permanent staff face redundancy when the company - founded in the borough in 1985 - moves operations in South End, South Croydon, to its headquarters
An accident and emergency department which could to take on thousands of patients if proposed closures at St Helier and Epsom hospitals go ahead saw a staggering increase of nearly 3,000 patients in the last year. From April 2012 to March 2013
Take the family on a merry romp to the sunny Caribbean with Cambridge Touring Theatre's swashbuckling musical adaptation of Treasure Island at the Epsom Playhouse on Monday 2 September at 2.30pm. Join the two young heroes - Jim and Ruth - as they
Harlequins director of rugby Conor O'Shea says new signing Nick Kennedy has unfinished business in England. The lock forward will join up with his new team-mates at Surrey Sports Park on July 22 after completing his move from Toulon. Kennedy
Campaigners taped off buildings as part of their protest against plans to build an incinerator in the borough. Members of Stop the Incinerator hung the tape outside buildings and on street furniture in Hackbridge to raise awareness of plans to
The 23rd annual Folk and Blues Festival is to take place at Ruskin House this weekend. With live music on offer throughout the day and into the evening, there will also be performances by Russian dancers and Scottish Pipers. As well as a BBQ
A heroic veterinary nurse used a broom to fight off two lions mauling a teenager before administering life saving first aid at an animal centre in Africa. Natalie Bennett, who works at the Stone Lion veterinary practice in Wimbledon, was nearing
With temperatures soaring across the capital this week there is no better time to don some new summer gear. Croydon’s Debenhams store has put forward their ideas for what men should be wearing over the summer. Designers including John Rocha
Families went behind the scenes at a wild animal hospital founded by a wildlife champion and TV presenter on Sunday. Despite the glorious weather, fewer people than usual turned out to the open day at the Wildlife Aid Foundation’s centre for sick
A daughter plunged 10,000ft to raise money in memory of her mum, who died of cancer. Jodie Ferry, 22, of Uvedale Crescent, New Addington, made over £1,200 skydiving for charity on Saturday. Her mum, Debra Young, died aged 43 in September 2007
Martyn Rooney's World Championship hopes rest on whether his hamstring holds up at this weekend's British Championships. The 26-year-old Croydon Harrier has not raced for a month due to a small hamstring tear taking longer than expected to heal
Three men with scarves across their faces were spotted trying to burgle a property in Epsom yesterday. Someone caught the burglars in the act and called police, but the men escaped before officers arrived on the scene in Cheam Road at about 11am
At Vibe, we know it is important to have those summer bods ready for the holidays. If you need to sharpen up those abs then you might want to get down to Croydon Town Centre later this month. Croydon Business Improvement District (BID) are
A 21-year-old man was seriously injured in a brutal unprovoked attack in Croydon town centre. Police have today appealed for witnesses after the victim suffered face and jaw injuries in the attack, in which he was pounced on by four men in Katharine
A dedicated maths teacher described as a "true hero" by a pupil has lost her battle with cancer. Sallie Lunn was a teacher at the independent primary school Seaton House, in Sutton, from September 2006 to January 2013 - when she was diagnosed with
Best of the bunch - Cranesbill geranium This perennial plant is perfect at the front of borders, to fill in gaps where otherwise weeds would grow and to add colour to the scene. Generally easy to grow, the compact types grow to around 15cm tall
The summer months are here and with it the holidays, so what better time to venture outside of the M25 to find some good activities. We all know London has plenty to offer in terms of things to do but there are a whole host of different places
The George Pub is, as a Wetherspoons outlet, pretty much the same as all the others you go to, but it serves an excellent use. The decor is the same, the people seem the same, the drinks are the same and the food I imagine is the same as all the
If you are still missing Glastonbury, there is a free music festival in Croydon. Three Croydon venues are taking part in Our Big Gig, a UK wide festival which will see more than 200,000 people attend 330 free music events. Westow House, in
A Croydon housewife is embroiled in a copyright battle with directory enquiries giants 118 118. Mary Lau, who lives in Fairfield, registered the trademark 118 eat in 2004, after deciding to launch an online food and drinks listing and directory
Undergrowth, trees and fence panels caught fire in Ashtead yesterday evening. Leatherhead firefighters were called to the blaze in Harriotts Lane at about 6.20pm. A Leatherhead fire station spokesman said they used a hose and thermal imaging
A Sutton South councillor is calling for new controls on payday loan companies as figures show an "alarming" rise in debt enquiries in Sutton. Councillor Richard Clifton said: “I am increasingly concerned that people are turning to these companies
Merton Abbey Primary was heaving as the sun shone brightly for its 32nd annual summer fair. Organised by Friends of Merton Abbey School, the school on the High Paths Estate, South Wimbledon put on face painting, a bouncy castle, fair ground stalls
A Paralympic judo medallist returned to a school to inspire children and predicted "great things" to happen for them. Retired judo star Ian Rose, who competed in five Paralympic Games and won a bronze and silver medal, visited Hackbridge
Students from Shirley High School took to the rapids this week. Pupils went to the Lee Valley White Water Centre, a London 2012 Olympic venue, on July 8 and 9. The school was representing Croydon during the third annual schools festival organised
Details of a new department store which is set to open in the former Allders building have been revealed. Croydon Village is set to open in September after the landlord of the premises in North End, Minerva, struck a surprise deal with Newcastle-based
Allotment holders have handed in a petition with more than 2,750 signatures in a bid to save their plots in Leatherhead before the council decides whether to sell them off. Mole Valley District Council will decide on plans to develop the 32-acre
Firefighters were called to extinguish two burning skips in Kingston in the early hours of this morning. Surbiton firefighters said they were called to Portland Road at 2.46am, and to Palmer Crescent at 3.23am. Both fires were put out quickly
Martial Arts displays and an aikido class were some of the activities at a family fun day and BBQ held a youth club in Addiscombe. The annual event took place at the Sir Philip Game Centre in Morland Avenue on Saturday, and aimed to raise awareness
Croydon Council have announced ambitious plans to build 9,500 new homes in the borough in the next five years. Speaking at the Live Croydon Housing seminar last week, Paul Spooner, executive director of planning and environment, unveiled the council's
A mum whose son was left brain damaged after thugs brutally attacked him in Greece has welcomed a Government pledge to back European arrest warrants. Maggie Hughes' son Robbie was beaten and left for dead by a group of British holidaymakers while
By Chris Bailey He is only 14 years old, but Merton’s Kishon Allen is already thinking about setting an example to an even younger generation after sprinting to silver at the 2013 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games. With London’s best talent
By Jamie Holt Croydon fell just short of defending their London Youth Games crown at the weekend as they finished runners-up. Having gone into weekend seventh in the overall standings 129 points behind Wandsworth, victories in the boys' swimming
A waterwall has been proposed for Derby Square in order to celebrate Epsom’s history as a spa town. Proposed improvements at the square in front of the Ebbisham Centre, off Epsom High Street, including the waterwall, benches, litter bins,
A West Molesey schoolboy has been presented with a prestigious award after helping firefighters find their way to a blaze. George Starkie, 11, a year 6 pupil at St Alban’s Catholic Primary School, was presented with the area manager’s award by
An estimated 1,000 people including past and present staff and students said goodbye to a Kingston headteacher during a surprise retirement party. St Agatha’s Catholic Primary School head Paddy Monk steps down at the end of term after 23 years
Thames Ditton Infants School pupils were kept on their toes as they took part in a keep healthy week. Children spent the week taking part in activities at Colets Health and Fitness, including parachute games, hockey, kickball and squash, ahead
Dozens of children from a Battersea primary school have completed a six week project aimed at helping vulnerable and disengaged youngsters. Children in Year Six at Falconbrook Primary School camped out, cooked their food and erect tents as part
Andre Moritz's exit from Crystal Palace was one of the most difficult decisions of the Brazilian's career. A year after joining on a free transfer form Turkish club Mersin İdmanyurdu, the 26-year-old ended his stay in south London in search of
Curious visitors to Kew Palace have two chances to have a tour of its surroundings. As well as the palace, guests can tour the Royal Kitchens and enjoy a glass of wine as the sun sets. There is the chance to visit the rambling attics and the
A fragment of Roman tableware, thought to depict a lion killing a gladiator, is among the exciting finds at an archaeological dig. Nikki Cowlard, site director of the Church Meadow Project, said the piece of high-class tableware made in Gaul, known
A thousand people had a dance, a jive and the time of their life in Nonsuch Park last week. Tribute band Platinum Abba played on Thursday, July 4, as part of a charity event to raise money for St Raphael’s Hospice in North Cheam. Packed
A group of men drove ambulances 6,500km across 10 countries in order to donate them to people in Pakistan. Five Sutton men were among a those who drove a fleet of ambulances all the way from Nottingham to Pakistan over the course of 15 days.
Princess Alice Hospice will feature in a BBC1 programme, showcasing the help and support it gives to patients and their families. A television crew visited the Esher hospice last week to interview Gauri Chauhan, welfare benefits adviser, and one
The Malden Community Choir is set to stage Gilbert and Sullivan’s much loved comic opera HMS Pinafore as part of the Malden Fortnight, writes Marian Borges. Local conductor Celia Cviic will lead the Malden Centre Community Choir for a single performance
Families had all the fun of the fair as the sun shone down on Cobham Village Hall. The summer fete, held on Saturday, July 6, was the first fundraising event of the year to raise money for the halls new extension, being built to cater for the increasing
A tightly-knit group of young actors will bring a teenage love story to the Rose Theatre as part of the International Youth Arts Festival (IYAF). Tomorrow’s Dawn – in French, Demain l'Aurore – is an optimistic look at teenagers’ hopes and dreams
A stellar name has been added to the bill for Fairfield Halls' impressive comedy season this autumn. Reginald D Hunter, Stephen K Amos and Milton Jones are already set to showcase their best jokes later this year. Now Andy Parsons, one of the
