October 2008 Archives

A thief caught red-handed with hundreds of pounds in small change stolen from parking meters has escaped jail.

Nikolin Dushi was equipped with a bunch of "sophisticated keys" when he and a friend were stopped by police the early hours of January 9 near a meter in Ealing.

Dushi, a 22-year-old Kosovan refugee, had £27 in coins on him at the time. His friend had £47, and a search of their car revealed another £627 snatched from parking meters around London.

The cash was confiscated after Dushi, of Bond St, Ealing, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown last Friday (OCT 24). He admitted theft and going equipped for theft, and was given a community order for 18 months, told to do 180 hours' unpaid work and fined £200.

Sentencing him, Judge Jonathan Lowen said: "Your explanation for being caught in this situation was that you were brought into it by another man. But after you were arrested and bailed you committed a similar offence in February. That really shows what your attitude is to this sort of offending".

The other offender denied the charges and was found guilty by a jury and jailed for eight months.
Defending, Jeremy Chipperfield said Dushi came to this country as a refugee at the age of 15 and had worked hard, but was made redundant and ran out of cash when he could not get another job. His friend led him into a world of crime, he said, but Dushi had now found work as a carpenter.

The case comes two weeks after murderer Herland Billali was jailed for a minimum of 34 years for a gangland slaying relating to a £1.2m parking meter racket.

Gunman Bilalli tracked a group of Kosovan and Albanian men to a Park Royal club and opened fire as they were playing cards, killing 22-year-old Prel Marku and wounding several others in the attack on October 14, 2006.

Bilalli, 26, and fellow gunman Kujtim Spahiu, 35, carried out the revenge attack following claims the victims were operating on their patch. The men were part of an large network of Eastern European criminals responsible for thefts from parking meters across the capital.

Householders around Ealing Common are to be quizzed about new parking restrictions in February.

Residents will be asked whether they want parking zone D to be in operation all year, as in neighbouring zone C in a bid to cut the growing numbers of students parking in the area.

Currently, zone D is operational from October 1 to June 30, allowing motorists three months free parking.

But complaints have been lodged with Liberal Democrat Councillor Jon Ball from neighbours who say Thames Valley University students stop people parking near their homes during the summer months.

Councillor Ball said: "The CPZ was first introduced around Thames Valley University during term-time only but since then, there are a lot more summer courses available with students parking outside residents' houses."

He added: "Many people in the borough are elderly and if they have mobility problems, they have to park a long way away from their homes which is not right and we welcome the proposed restriction extension."

The consultation will include residents in Zone C and D and will be rolled out in February 2009.

Four people escaped from their home as a fire ripped through a first floor bedroom.

Fire crews from Ealing were called to the blaze in Royal Gardens, off Boston Road, Hanwell at 7:19pm on Sunday.

Two fire engines and 10 firefighters contained the flames which damaged 30 per cent of the house.

Ealing watchmanager Colin Bruce said the family were lucky to escape as they were all downstairs at the time of the fire.

He said: "There were no smoke alarms fitted on the upper floor and it could have been a lot worse had the fire happened later in the evening.

"They were all downstairs at the time of the fire and the crews worked hard and quickly to stop the flames spreading to the other properties.

"The fire could have been fatal had they been asleep upstairs where the fire started in the bedroom."

Ideas on how to spend the £40,000 budget for the Ealing Common Ward ranged from new traffic signs to road width restrictions.

Around 40 people came to the ward forum meeting and parking problems and road surfacing were the main issues raised.

Councillor Joanna Dabrowska who chaired the meeting said: "Ealing Common is a well managed area compared to other wards and there is only one road that needs resurfacing.

"We have identified Carbery Avenue as it has fallen below a certain percentage rating."

Councillor Jon Ball also updated the meeting on the City Car Club scheme which has proved successful in London but is seeking statistics on the usage in and around the common.

Chris Rowe of the Ealing Common Society highlighted the problems relating to the funfairs and circuses which leave mess on the green land.

Mr Rowe said: "They leave a terrible mess on the area with broken bottles and there should be a bigger clean up and police presence, especially as one of the benches was set on fire."

The next forum meeting will take place on Tuesday January 13.

The trial of a former Special Constable charged with 10 counts of indecent assault on girls under 16 has been adjourned until next year.

Kevin McLean, 29, a former Metropolitan Police staff worker based at Ealing appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday 15 October to face a total of 22 charges.

They include 11 allegations of making indecent images of children younger than 13 years and one of misconduct up to seven years ago.

The trial is set to take place on Friday February 15 2008 at Southwark Crown Court.

A 40-year-old man died after being struck by a train at West Ealing railway station on Sunday afternoon.

The man from Ealing was killed as the 12:48 Heathrow Express train from terminal 5 to London Paddington travelled through the station.

A British Transport Police spokeswoman said: "BTP can confirm that a 40-year-old man from Ealing died after he was struck by a train at West Ealing railway station.

"The incident occurred around 1.42pm on Sunday October 12 and is not being treated as suspicious."

The railway was handed back to Network Rail at 2.04pm.

Schoolboys from a Pre-Prep school raised more than £100 during a harvest assembly which they presented
to elderly people.

Nine boys from Durston House school in Ealing visited Age concern where they donated £107 and delivered 40 decorated boxes containing toiletries, biscuits, jams and chocolates.

The boys aged between six and seven sang harvest songs at the centre in Acton and talked to the elderly users.

Hilary Wyatt, head of Durston House Pre-Prep for boys said: "The boys had a wonderful time talking to and making friends with everyone at the centre.

"They came back really excited from the trip.

"The goal for the day's events was to enable the children from Year 2 to go on a special charity visit and this is part of a project to support diverse charity focused work in the local area."

Fears are being raised that two million pounds of Ealing taxpayers' money could be lost during the financial turmoil facing Icelandic banks.

The council has two million pounds invested in the Icelandic bank Glitnir which has been taken over by the Icelandic Financial Services Authority.

Now concerns are mounting that if the bank is nationalised, the council will be at the end of a long queue to get the money back.

Labour Leader, Cllr Julian Bell said: "I have seen documents from February 2007 which stated it would be a risky option investing the money in Glitnir.

"Although we could not have foreseen the current financial turmoil, the warnings should have been heeded.

"I am concerned that the council is not being straight with people and have only said they are not involved in the banks which are failing such as Landesbanki.

"But they have £2m invested in Icelandic bank Glitnir and being overseas investors, we are at the back of the queue to get our money back.

"It won't affect services provided as the council has balances but we will just have to wait and see what happens."

A council spokesperson said they were reassuring residents that there will be no adverse impact on council services.

The spokesperson said: "Ealing Council has no investments in the failed Icelandic banks Landesbanki and Heritable and have followed best practice to spread its investments as widely as possible to ensure the maximum return for our investments without compromising the safety of the council's cash.

"Risk management plays a fundamental role in our investment activities, and due to the value of transactions involved safety and risk awareness always remains the priority over returns."

Thousands of commuters were expecting to be stranded on the roads this morning (FRI OCT 10) as bus drivers prepared to mount another 24 hour strike.

The protest by members of trade union Unite involves two of Ealing's main bus operators and was due to start at 3am.

First Buses and Metroline passengers are being urged to make alternative travel arrangements and to check updates regularly for affected routes.

Adrian Jones, managing director for First Buses London, said: "The union is intent on dragging further bus companies into strikes in pursuit of its fruitless bid to standardise conditions of work and pay in all companies, and we understand other companies will be affected.

"Bus drivers who have participated in the three previous days of strike action have already lost a significant amount of pay and this will not be recouped.

"These are difficult times for everyone and I hope the union will be ready to meet to discuss a settlement without leading to further loss of pay and damage to the company.

"We will do all we can to minimise disruption to services."

Only two bus routes in Ealing are unaffected - 112 and 65.

Busy Metroline services including the 297, E2 and E8 and First Buses routes 207, N207, 427, 607, E3, E7 and E9 are expected to grind to a halt.

Tributes have poured in following the death of a popular beekeeper.

John Douglas Wilson, MBE, started keeping bees after returning from the War and joined the Ealing Beekeeper Association.

The 87-year-old became the secretary of the association and an executive of the National Honey Show.

Mr Wilson was also an Ealing representative on the Middlesex Federation and executive of the Central Association of Beekeepers.

The father-of-three was interested in nature and the environment and on June 14 2003, was presented an MBE for services to beekeeping.

Friends have said they will miss seeing him at major events in the area and said the beekeeping world has lost a great man.