February 2009 Archives

A record number of youngsters flocked to polling stations this year, wanting to ensure their favourite candidate was elected to the UK Youth Parliament.

More than 7,000 young people voted at more than 20 polling stations across Harrow in the week leading up to the announcement - almost 2,000 more than in last year's election.

Harrow's two places in the UK Youth Parliament were won by Aakash Bharania, and Rhiya Pau, both 15, while Amar Chandarana and Mahek Metha claimed deputy spots.

The budding Gordon Browns and Boris Johnsons, who had all been nominated for the posts by their peers, were given the results at the Civic Centre last week and will now join members drawn from all over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) was set up nine years ago as a way to improve youth participation in decision-making.

Harrow had previously been allowed just one elected Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) on the UKYP and one deputy, but has been asked to elect two of each for the past two years.

An internet class that helps Muslim women detect the tell-tale signs of extremism in their children has been praised by government officials.

The Harrow Council scheme, launched earlier this month, was one of three Harrow-run projects up for awards in the Prevention of Violent Terrorism awards, held last Tuesday.

Labelled the E-safety training workshop, the idea saw off competition from Brent, Hounslow and Lambeth in the best women's project category.

The class aims to cover safety advice on the use of internet messaging, social networking websites and chat rooms, but also helps to alert Muslim mothers about teenagers who might be enticed to look at websites which promote terrorism or extremism.

The event, which was organised by the Government Office for London and the London Prevent Network, was hosted by minister for London and Harrow East MP, Tony McNulty.

Harrow was also shortlisted for prizes in the best youth project and innovation categories.

By Jon Clutton

A family pampering fun day will be held on Saturday March 7 in aid of St Luke's Hospice.

The fundraiser at Elmfield Church in Imperial Drive, North Harrow, starts at 3pm with entrance for adults £1.50 and under 12s free.

There will be a variety of treatments available including makeovers with facepainting and a teddy tombola for the kids.

A pitbull terrier will be be put down following a landmark court case which established its owner failed to control it properly.

Owner Nugent Rowe, was first in the dock in December 2007 when neighbours in Kingshill Drive, Kenton, told police they were scared to leave their homes because of the hound.

Rowe was given a final chance to keep the dog, named Chrome, in May, but failed to keep the dog out of harm's way and within weeks he was let loose again.

Chrome smashed his way through garden fences, ripped clothes off washing lines and barked relentlessly at neighbours - leaving them petrified.

One neighbour, 93-year-old Elsie Scott, told the Observer: "It was pretty terrifying feeling like I couldn't go into my back garden because of that dog.

"I don't dislike dogs at all but an animal like that could have killed me, it looked incredibly fierce."

When the dog was found to be running riot in neighbours' gardens again it was taken by officers for a second time.

Since then it has remained in a kennel for the past eight months at the cost of about £12 a day. It now faces being put down after magistrates ruled it to be too much of a menace.
Since the Dangerous Dogs Act was brought in 18 years ago, breeding, buying or selling a pitbull has become illegal, and any found not to be registered were automatically ordered to be put down.

In 1997 the act was amended to say they should only be destroyed if they were deemed dangerous. In cases where no injuries have been sustained because of the dog, owners are asked to ensure the pet is insured, kept inside the house and muzzled.

It is believed that Rowe's failure to do this makes him the first person ever to be convicted of breaking the order - making the animal uninsurable.

Kenton West Safer Neighbourhood Team Sergeant, John Burnett, said: "This case has been going on since 2007 and hopefully this is the end of a very long road.

"Thankfully, residents in Harrow will no longer have to suffer because of this very dangerous dog."

Rowe now has 28 days to appeal against the conviction, which also prevents him from owning a dog in the next two years.

People over 60 in Harrow and Brent can now use their Freedom Passes to enjoy free travel at any time of day on any buses, trams, Tubes and trains run by Transport for London.

The lifting of the previous restriction on travel during the weekday morning peak time came as part of a new five-year deal with London councils.

Former Harrow mayor Graham Hines has died at home at the age of 80 after suffering several months of illness.

Mr Hines spent 24 years as a Conservative councillor and was deputy mayor in 1974/75, becoming mayor the following year, and chaired the education and highways committees.

Present Mayor of Harrow, Councillor John Nickolay, said: "I knew Graham Hines for more than 50 years.

"He was responsible for recruiting me into politics, after knocking on my parents' door, and he was a great example to follow.

"Graham was particularly interested in education and highways and, of course, served with distinction as mayor. He was an inspiring figure and we will miss him greatly."

Mr Hines was living in Hereford, Herefordshire, at the time of his death and is survived by his sister, wife, two married sons and five grandchildren.

The funeral is being held on Tuesday, February 24 at 2pm at Much Birch Church, in Much Birch, Hertfordshire.

Donations, in lieu of floral tributes, can be made to Marie Curie Cancer Care, and sent to the undertakers Bayley Brothers Hereford Ltd, 1719 Cotterell Street, Hereford HR4 OHH.

Angry commuters have blasted a rail company after a series of problems.

Since the start of the year London Midland trains from Euston to Northampton, which run through Harrow and Wealdstone and Wembley Central, have suffered delays, some leaving travellers stranded for hours.

Robert Williams, of East Lane, in North Wembley, uses the line to travel to Euston most weekdays.

He said: "Three or four times a week trains are curtailed at Wembley Central - the services just stop and don't run through.

"You never know whether you are going to make it in to work two hours late or 45 minutes late. There is no communication and there are never any staff to answer any questions.

"It was always difficult but recently the service has been practically non-existent. It's the new misery line."

The problem has led Anthony Wood, chairman of the Harrow Public Rail Users' Association, to request a meeting with a manager from the company to discuss the situation in April.

He said: "It is a very serious problem that needs addressing.

"People have complained to me about the late running of services and lack of announcements. It has been going on for a couple of months and they don't seem to have got their act together."

The line has been plagued with problems since January, when overhead power cables were damaged, causing widespread cancellations to services in and out of Euston.

London Midland is owned and run by the Go-Ahead group.

A spokesman for London Midland said the company's new timetable could be to blame.
He also blamed the weather and Network Rail, which is responsible for the track.

He said: "Network Rail has been doing a lot of engineering work on the lines, so we have had to work around that. Also the weather had a big impact and we have had staffing issues.

"The service has not been as good as it should be and it is something the management is working on."

MEP Robert Evans has called for the UN to intervene in the conflict in Sri Lanka to prevent a civilian massacre.

Mr Evans, who has responsibility for boroughs in West London, including Brent and Harrow, said: "All the evidence suggests that about a quarter of a million people could be caught in a ghastly bloodbath."

The civil war in the north of Sri Lanka has become increasingly violent, and Gordon Brown's nomination of former defence secretary Des Browne as special envoy to the country was last week rejected by its government.

Mr Evans is the chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with South Asia and has made many visits to Sri Lanka.

He said: "The Sri Lankan government has become increasingly paranoid and defensive about all matters relating to the war.

"It is still impossible to know what is going on because it doesn't allow independent access to the war zone."

He is also due to speak at a public meeting on Sri Lanka in Wembley tomorrow.

A charity representing Harrow and Brent's 10,000-strong Oshwal community has raised £15,000 for local good causes in the past year.

In particular, The Oshwal Association of the UK, North West Area donated £1,001 to St Luke's Hospice in Kenton Grange, Kenton, and £3,001 to Edgware Community Hospital in Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware.

The association's members follow a strand of Jainism, an ancient religion whose worshippers believe in causing no harm to any living thing and practising universal compassion.

Spokesman Hitesh Shah said: "Our members entrust the elected committee members to identify and donate to worthy causes.

"This year, amongst others, we chose St Luke's Hospice as a place which was local to our community, and which does sterling work in caring for the terminally ill.

"We heard about Edgware Community Hospital's requirement for equipment for the eye clinic, and felt that we could donate a substanstial sum to enable them to achieve their funding objectives.

"The bulk of the money raised is in the form of donations, typically given during the annual festival of Paryushan, which usually takes place in the late summer or early autumn."

Handheld computers will be put in bin lorries so updates can be fed back instantly to Harrow Council and vice versa.

Refuse workers will use the devices to make notes about progress on their rounds and any problems encountered.

This will let the authority's call centre give out the latest information when residents phone with a query or complaint, or for managers to send a message directly to crews to go back for a missed bin.

By tracking the 30-plus vehicles in the fleet the council can re-draw the collection routes to make them more efficient.

The system will be introduced within the next year after being approved by Councillor Susan Hall, portfolio holder for environmental services, last week.

Harrow Council is spending £2.2 million on the project over the next decade but hopes to save cash on things including its fuel bills.