Review of the Year Croydon 2013: October to December

October 

• A heartbroken family paid tribute to a "loving, caring" son who distanced himself from gangs. Fico Dougan, 17, was stabbed to death in a friend’s living room in Broad Green in late September. The teenager from Thornton Heath was stabbed in the heart minutes after arriving at the house. A 16-year-old boy from Mitcham has been charged with murder.

An artist's impression of how the new Crystal Palace could look

• A £500m replica of the Crystal Palace is planned for 2018 by a Chinese billionaire.Campaigners believe the plans for Crystal Palace Park, put forward by Ni Zhaoxing, will secure the extension of the tramlink network to the area. Plans include hotel facilities, exhibition spaces, education facilities and spaces for community use.​
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• Former Crystal Palace chairman Ron Noades revealed he was battling lung cancer.The Purley resident has been fighting the disease for more than a year and at one stage doctors gave him a year to live if the tumour remained. Mr Noades, 76, said he was reliant on oxygen cylinders and walking more than 10 yards left him breathless.

November

• A double tragedy struck Croydon’s roads as a cyclist died after colliding with a bus just days after a motorcyclist was killed.43-year-old Roger De Klerk became trapped under the number 410 bus and died after being taken by Air Ambulance to hospital. Shawn Swaby, 38, was killed in a collision with a lorry, he was described as a "funny man with an infectious laugh".

Police officers investigate the discovery of a body in a well in Warlingham

• A murder investigation was launched after a body was discovered in a well in Warlingham.The body, which could have been there as long as two years, was wrapped and dumped outside the property.The discovery was made by two gardeners who were carrying out clearing work. Police later identified the body as Damian Chlywka, 30, from Poland.

• A "historic night" saw a £1bn mall approved for Croydon’s town centre.The redevelopment, announced in January, was unanimously approved at a special meeting of the Council’s strategic planning committee.The Whitgift Centre and Centrale will be transformed into 1.4million sq ft of shops and leisure facilities and between 400 and 600 new homes.

December

Alex Hopkinson

• A bus driver made his home the most festive in Croydon after decking it in more than 6,000 Christmas lights in memory of his dad.Alex Hopkinson, 33, of New Addington, spent weeks putting up the lights -something his dad had won competitions for before passing away 10 years ago. spent weeks putting up the lights -something his dad had won competitions for before passing away 10 years ago.
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• A predatory sex attacker was jailed for seven years after trying to rape a school girl. Dean Moran, 27, of New Addington, dragged the 15-year-old girl into woodland in South Croydon in June and said he would ‘snap her neck ‘ if she screamed.
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• A paedophile was jailed after being caught with hundreds of indecent images of children when a explicit letter meant for him was delivered to his neighbour by mistake. John Howard Baker, 66, of Addiscombe, who was jailed for two years had evaded detection by not sending images online.