The family of murdered Chessington Red Cap Simon Hamilton-Jewell joined a party from the Surrey Comet to deliver a petition to defence secretary Geoff Hoon, calling for a public inquiry into his death, writes Caroline Dutton. The 1,387-signature Justice
He may have gripped the nation with his struggles to look after four kids, hold down a supermarket job and raise a family on £80 a week, during a reality TV show last year. But it seems top Tory Michael Portillo's generous spirit may have only been for
A groundbreaking treatment for cancer is to be developed by Kingston University scientists in a £600,000 collaboration with US space agency Nasa. The aim of the project, which has Government backing, is to research ways of protecting astronauts from
A Chessington crack dealer part of an 11-strong gang who held a community in a vice-like grip of fear and intimidation has been jailed for 18 months. Daniel Fitzgerald, 25, of Mount Road, was imprisoned for his part in a huge drug-dealing operation
A Kingston charity providing an outreach support service for young families in distress could be forced to close. Home-Start Kingston has 30 families on its waiting list but few volunteers and only enough funds to keep going until April 2005. The charity
racist attack: An Asian shop worker suffered a split lip and bloody nose in a racially-motivated daylight attack in New Malden. A recent registration blue BMW stopped alongside the 20-year-old in Burlington Road, between Shannon Corner and Fountain roundabout
A 19-year-old woman was subjected to a terrifying sexual assault at gunpoint, after accepting a lift from strangers outside Oceana nightclub in Kingston. The teenager was waiting for a bus home when two men pulled up in a red car and offered her a lift
Plans for Kingston and Richmond's inclusion in the fast link Crossrail scheme have been derailed, leaving councils, businesses and residents to pick up the pieces. Last week the Comet revealed that transport secretary Alistair Darling had ruled out the
The family of a Banstead firefighter, who died while rescuing two brothers from a burning building, have spoken of their devastation at losing an "entirely loveable man". Bill Faust, 36, a father of three young children, and his colleague Adam Meere,
In our page three story last week, titled Support cop hid euros in pants', we were incorrectly informed by the Metropolitan Police that Graham Cope was a Kingston-based Police Community Support Officer. Cope, who admitted the theft of euros, was in fact
A 25-year-old man was shot in the leg with an air gun in a drive-by shooting outside Surbiton YMCA. The man was walking along Brighton Road, at 12.30am on Saturday, when a grey or silver VW Polo was driven slowly past him. The back passenger window
Plans to shunt a home for elderly people with dementia around Kingston have sparked a political furore. Subject to a feasibility study, Amy Woodgate House, now in a dilapidated state, could move twice in as little as five years. The first move, which
Magistrates are facing calls to crack down on offenders who assault police officers, after figures revealed a massive rise in the number of attacks on Surrey's constables. Surrey Police Federation raised concerns last week after discovering that only
Which parts of Reading did Hammerson build? The Oracle shopping and leisure complex, which gets its name from one of the earliest workhouses in the country. It was built in 1628 and pulled down in 1850. Part of the site was formerly owned by Simmonds
Surbiton YMCA is at the centre of claims that drug abuse, prostitution and street crime are on the increase in the town. Some residents claim people housed there by Kingston Council are to blame for problems in the area and have told the Comet the police
Campaigners fighting to save the popular K5 hail and ride bus service in Kingston have won a major victory. The service, which currently allows passengers to hop on between stops on the Ham to Morden via Kingston route, was under threat after councillors
A Kingston man who broke an antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) by calling his neighbour a "black bitch" was sentenced to two months behind bars but released on the same day. Piers Caudell, 43, admitted breaching the order just one month after it was
Pupils at a West Ewell high school will be given an extended weekend in a move to make savings and cover school funding cuts. Parents of children at Epsom and Ewell High School, a mixed comprehensive, have been told the school week will end early when
Inspectors have given Kingston Primary Care Trust the NHS organisation which runs non-hospital health services the same two-star rating as Kingston Hospital. The announcement has been welcomed by the trust, which had feared it could lose one star over
The Druids Head is to become a full-blown live music venue, after licensing bosses backed plans for bands to perform at the popular Market Place pub. Previously, duos were allowed to play, but bigger acts required a change in licence to perform. The
We'll cut out the violence and help stop drink-driving' Kingston's 2,500-capacity super club Oceana has vowed to work with town centre residents to tackle late-night problems caused by its customers. Bosses made the assurance at a meeting of Kingston
25 YEARS: JULY 28, 1979 A gay disco at Kingston's Griffin Hotel was shut down amid claims local hostility was to blame. The explanation from Courage brewery was that it was not making enough money. But homosexual groups claimed the night, described
"There is never-never land hidden away besides the railway embankment between New Malden and Surbiton, and within sight and hearing of the main Kingston Road," wrote the Surrey Comet of July 27, 1929. "It is the home of people of whom everybody knows
There was a small reduction in crime in Kingston over the past year, with the police hailing their greatest success as cutting residential burglaries almost in half. The total number of reported crimes fell from 1,456 in 2002/03 to 1,435 in 2003/04,
An 18-year-old has been bound over to keep the peace after he followed a woman along Coombe Road, in New Malden, tried to kiss her and licked her on the neck. Thashikanthan Nadaras, from Buckhold Road, Wandsworth, followed the 18-year-old woman and her
Kingston and Richmond homeowners breathed a sigh of relief last week after the Government's year-long council tax review turned out better than expected. Many feared the Balance of Funding Review would send council tax in the wealthy area of south-west
DANGEROUS DOG: A Jack Russell terrier which attacked a two-year-old boy outside Cedars Club in Richmond Hill last Wednesday has been seized from its owner under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The American toddler, who was visiting the borough with his parents
A Chessington dad who lost his four-month-old son to meningitis, is to run a 10km race to raise vital funds for the Meningitis Research Foundation. Dominic Morton, of Garrison Lane, will undertake the London 10km road race for the charity on Sunday.
People who carry knives on the streets of Sutton face arrest, conviction or being injured by their own weapon. That is the latest warning from Sutton police, who have launched a new offensive to target knife crime, and raise awareness among young people
The enforced closure of a ward at Tolworth Hospital with the loss of 14 beds could leave Kingston Hospital burdened with more patients and longer accident and emergency waits. Kingston Primary Care Trust (KPCT) is to close the ward in October. The
A Kingston widower whose home was burgled while on holiday, is appealing for the safe return of his late wife's beloved pedigree rabbit. Jeff Jacobs and his late wife Tracy, bought Noose, a giant French Lop rabbit, 18 months ago as Tracy had always wanted
Have you or your family worked for the Surrey Comet? Do you have memories, fond or otherwise, of the paper over the years? If so, we want to hear from you. This year is the Comet's 150th anniversary, and as part of the celebrations we want to create
Business owners in Surbiton's Ewell Road breathed a sigh of relief when controversial plans to scrap customer parking and create a new bus lane along the road were scrapped. A party of shop and business owners from the road had launched a 150-signature
A schoolboy has been hailed a hero after his quick-thinking actions helped save the life of an elderly man who had collapsed in the street. Bevan Fowler, 15, from Carshalton, was coming out of a shop in Rosehill at lunchtime on Friday, July 16, when
A teacher who sexually abused boys during one-to-one music lessons at two Surrey schools has been jailed for six months. Derek Hudson, 54, a father of two, also downloaded and stored thousands of images of youngsters on computers at his home in Rowden
It's twilight hours in Kingston and I'm hanging around for a council meeting. I'm not alone, there's an entourage of screaming, fairly drunk teenagers, each vying for the attention of one of the police community support officers (PCSOs) guarding the
Last week the Comet reported on news that Kingston people fared poorly in a credit ratings league table, despite the relative wealth of the area. A survey, carried out by online credit rating company Equifax, identified Kingston as the 654th town out
Kingston It might get messy, but it's also going to be lots of fun Thumbs up it's Thursday is at six venues across Kingston this week. Highlights include messy play day at Memorial Gardens from 1pm to 4.30pm and Lord Geoffrey, balloon modeller, at
New Malden-based charity Malden Care Scheme offers friendly help to housebound residents who cannot turn to a relative or neighbour for support. The independent volunteer scheme has a team of helpers who run errands for users. Many users simply need
Surrey Comet editor Sean Duggan entertained members of Kingston Probus Club with a lively account of the paper's 150-year history at their July lunch meeting. Members heard how Comet founder Thomas Philpott believed he had been divinely inspired to establish
Fans of 80s music can enjoy a night of dancing while raising money for a good cause at a school disco night in aid of Kingston Hospital's cancer unit. Tickets are now on sale for the disco being held at Rhodrons Club in Rhodrons Avenue, Chessington,
Weybridge woman Rachel Bates is trekking along the Great Wall of China to raise money for the Great Ormond Street Hospital children's charity. Rachel, of Arlington Lodge in Monument Hill, is part of a 40-strong team of trekkers in training for a gruelling
Sir Cliff Richard laid the final piece of roof flagstone on to the Shooting Star children's hospice at a topping out ceremony last Wednesday. The ceremony signified the end of 18 months of work to build the hospice in The Avenue in Hampton. Sir Cliff
In last week's Comet we wrongly reported the distances Kingston nurse Penny Stott and her daughters Emily and Hannah would be running, cycling and swimming as part of the London Triathlon this Saturday. Penny will be cycling 40km, Emily running seven
New business ventures in Kingston look set to benefit from £3million of Government funding secured by Kingston University. The university made two successful bids for the money, awarded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), to stimulate new
On July 16, 26 members of Kingston Chamber of Commerce attended a new style of event, which can only be described as a business version of speed dating. Half the members remained seated and the rest rotated between tables every five minutes for a one
More than 50 per cent of small businesses admit to either reducing the number of people they employ or even avoid employing more people, because of the concern over the increased burden of paperwork, according to a recent survey by Mentor, the advice
A Walton businessman is so confident his new inkjet shop will save people money, he is offering to refund more than the difference if he is beaten on price. Nigel Bishop, managing director of Printcartridgworld, in Station Avenue, Walton, opened the
The question of whether credit card companies are responsible for purchases made abroad will be the subject of a High Court legal action starting today. Products or services bought on a card in the UK are covered by legal safeguards that mean customers
Estate agents will have to sign up to independent ombudsman schemes or face being banned under new plans unveiled by Consumer Minister Gerry Sutcliffe. The ombudsmen will provide a Government-approved redress system for consumers to seek compensation
From Noel Hamel SIR. There must be a better way to manage foreign policy. Michael Moore's accomplished film, Fahrenheit 9/11, an expose of the Bush administration and war, now showing at local cinemas, leaves many angry and dismayed. This is especially
From Councillor Liz Shard SIR. In response to the anonymous letter regarding the residents of the YMCA in Surbiton, I would like to let your readers know who is really housed there (Crime and vandalism is ruining the good life', Comet, June 30). The
From Dr Ruth Dalton SIR. I would like to add my comments regarding the Blue Bridge event on June 27. I was part of the local residents' organising team, and would like to put in a word of praise for Suzanne West, who works for the council's environmental
From Heather Fraser SIR. Elmbridge Friends of the Earth is disappointed that the Government has decided the planning application for the new Walton Bridge should not be called in. Our concern that scant consideration was given to the resulting environmental
From Adrian L Mills SIR. It was great to read in the article Grab a radar gun and help stop speeding' (Comet, July 14) that something is being done to reduce speed on our roads. For too long, motorists in the borough have ignored the speed limits.
From Lydia Browne SIR. Thank you for the excellent expose from your reporter Simeon Brody on Kingston Council's plans for the future of this historic town (Comet, July 14). It truly beggars belief that anyone can even think, let alone be allowed,
From Alan Tyler SIR. I was surprised to see among the list of Second World War dead at Surbiton War Memorial the name of C J Barton VC. Like most people, I had no idea that we had a local VC. I would like to make the suggestion that to mark the 60th
From Tony Boreham SIR. Back in the 1960s in Kingston, there used to be a pop group called The Imparlers. I was wondering if they were still going, and if by any chance, your readers have any information on them. When I was a youngster, I used to go
From G D Maybey SIR. Further to the letter Flower fury', referring to the pedestrian and traffic mayhem caused at Hampton Court by the yearly garden show (Letters, July 14). As a local resident I must add fuel to this fire. Since March 2004, the walk
My mother was one of the hundreds of thousands of housewives who cooked three times a day for her family. First, there was our big cooked breakfast of egg, bacon and fried bread. Then, there was our substantial cooked lunch of meat, veg and
