Crime

A MOTORIST has been charged over the death of 84-year-old grandmother Dorothy Spires in Kenton last summer.
Mark Bar-Oz (CORR), 38, of Kenton Road, Kenton, will appear at Brent Magistrates' Court on February 16 charged with causing the death of Mrs Spires due to careless or inconsiderate driving.
Mrs Spires, of Cheltenham Gardens, Kenton, passed away on Tuesday August 18 at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, from the multiple injures she sustained in the collision on Thursday August 13 at the junction of Kenton Lane and Gooseacre Lane.

A year after a 51-year-old woman was raped at knifepoint in Kenton, police are still desperately trying to hunt her attacker.

On February 26, last year, the victim was assaulted in broad daylight on the railway footbridge leading to Kenton Recreation Ground.

The attacker, believed to be between 20 and 30 years old, is said to have struck between noon and 12.30pm but a helicopter pursuit at the time was unable to locate him.

Now, 12 months on, police have revisited the site in the hope that they can encourage any new witnesses to come forward and solve the crime.

A month after the incident police released CCTV stills to the Observer of a black man they wanted to contact in connection with the attack.

The man, who can be seen in the pictures wearing a beige hat and wheeling a woman's light coloured bike through Kenton Station, is thought to have caught a southbound Bakerloo Line train before getting off at North Wembley.

The footage shows him at the station roughly 90 minutes after the attack.

Anyone with any information can call Harrow Police on 020 8733 4340 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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.

A brothel in Kenton Lane was closed after neighbours complained about being approached for sexual services by confused punters.

The house was issued a warning notice by Kenton West Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) after a crackdown on Sunday.

The business must stop trading and the police will visit regularly to check that the owners are complying.

Sergeant Den Fowler, from the SNT, said: "I would like to congratulate and thank the local residents who brought this information to the notice of the [team] and with the cooperation of our local community we have been able to eliminate a potentially serious problem by making a timely and effective closure of this nuisance premises.

"If they do not stop trading or they come back they will be arrested and prosecuted."

Residents had complained to police after seeing an increase in the number of male callers, while nearby houses were receiving lost clients asking for sexual services at the wrong addresses.

The owners of Kenton nightclub Cubix Lounge have been hit with a £1,000 fine after ignoring a problem with a deathtrap lift.
Classic Sounds, which runs the venue in Kenton Lane, were prosecuted by Harrow Council because "the goods lift, situated in the rear of the club's car park, exposed moving parts of the lift which could have crushed a person to death."
The company was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs after pleading guilty to charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act at Harrow Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The case was brought after officers visited the club in August and served an enforcement notice on Classic Sounds that compelled them to fix the problems within three weeks. They did not.
Councillor Susan Hall (Conservative), portfolio holder for environmental services, said: "Having served a notice to demand repairs are made, we feel it unacceptable for this to be ignored so the case had to be taken to court.
"This lift was in a very dangerous state and could result in serious injury or even death. The club had to be taken to court for their irresponsible behaviour."
The council will carry out a further inspection to make sure all the repairs have been made in February.
In July 2008, councillors allowed Cubix Lounge to alter its premises licence to serve alcohol to 12.30am on Mondays, 12 midnight Tuesdays to Thursdays, 1am Fridays and 1.30am Saturdays and Sundays.

A police officer has been labelled a concern after receiving six complaints in 12 months.

The Harrow officer is one of only 34 across London who has had five or more complaints about his conduct.

A spokeswoman from the Met said: "Following a series of thorough investigations, only one of the six complaints made against the officer in question was substantiated.

"This complaint was categorised as Òother neglect or failure in duty.

"Any instance where the conduct of our staff falls below the expected standards of professional conduct is treated extremely seriously in line with Metropolitan Police Service policy and as part of our policing pledge to Londoners."

Other neglect or failure in duty could include failure to record or investigate matters and keep interested parties informed or failure to comply with orders, instructions or policy.

Following the complaint the officer was given a written warning which will stay on his file for a year and has remained in his post.

Peter Symthe, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation said: "People seem to have more confidence in the complaints system now.

"All complaints are investigated, but depending what the complaints are they are dealt with differently."

Sonoo Malkani, chair of the Harrow Police and Community Consultative Group, said: "It is a concern there is a particular officer who has so many complaints against him, but if they have given him a written warning then clearly it can't be a very serious matter.

"If it was serious I suspect they would have done more."

Ross Simpson, vice-president of the Harrow Crime Prevention Panel, said: "It is always a concern to hear of an officer who fails in their duty and receives an official warning.

"If it has been dealt with by the police it is a step in the right direction."

The report from the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards records events - which are public complaints or conduct matters against staff members - from December 2007 until December 2008.

In Harrow there was also one officer with four complaints and four officers with three complaints each.

Passengers can quiz British Transport Police (BTP) officers next week about crime and safety on the Jubilee line.

The Jubilee Line Neighbourhood Policing Team - comprising one sergeant, two constables and two PCSOs - has been patrolling the line and stations between Stanmore and St Jonh's Wood stops since its launch in August.

They will take questions at the conference room at Wembley Park London Underground Station, Bridge Road, Wembley, on Thursday 5 February from 7pm onwards. It will the second such public Q&A the team has held.

PC Matt Dobbs said: "The neighbourhood team means we can respond to issues and needs more easily, as well as making people feel safer using the Tube.

"We are easy to contact and always welcome feedback from the community.

"These meetings give passengers the opportunity to highlight issues of concern and discuss them with us. ItÕs always very helpful to speak to people face-to-face."

Tunde Taiwo, group station manager for the London Underground's Willesden Green Group, said: "Our staff work closely with the BTP Neighbourhood Policing Teams and whilst crime remains low on our network we know it's important to talk with our passengers as well as the communities that live and work close to our Tube station.

"We are fully supportive of these meetings and hope they'll help everyone move around more confidently and safely across our network."

n Anyone who is unable to attend but would like to share comments can email the Jubilee Line NPT by email at Jubileelinenorth.npt@btp.pnn.police.uk

Harrow residents are being urged to inform on graffiti artists in a bid to tackle problem spots across the borough.

Harrow Police are asking community members to take a close look at the vandals' work to see if they recognise the spray painters' images or tags.

Sergeant Paul Culver, at Rayners Lane Safer Neighbourhood Team, launched the project at Churchill Court in North Harrow last Thursday.

He said: "It is an ongoing problem. We had a rise over Christmas, so it suggests it might be young people who were off school.

"People do not like it. Whenever we do surveys and ask people what concerns them, they always say graffiti.

"If someone has pebble-dashed their wall and then they get someone spraying a lot of graffiti it is not very nice.

"It is the first time we have done anything like this. We want to eradicate graffiti and show the public we are taking it seriously."

Graffiti has affected areas across the borough, including Harrow bus station and allotments in west Harrow.

Semi-detached houses in Harrow borough are most likely to be burgled, according to latest police intelligence figures.

Research has also discovered Kenton, Stanmore and Canons Park are the burglary hot spots within the borough at present.

Chief Inspector Louis Smith, who is in charge of intelligence at Harrow Police, has found that 50 per cent of burglaries carried out in the last six months were in semi-detached homes.

He believes this type of property is easier to break into because there is access from both the side and rear. Owners also tend to be more affluent, according to the intelligence officer.

He said: "In the last six months there have been around 700 residential burglaries, 350 of which were semi-detached houses. This is quite a high proportion. Semi-detached homes are the target of the moment.

"The reason they are being hit is probably to do with easy access to the rear of the premises. Flats and terraced houses may present more difficulty to a burglar who wants to break in and not be seen."

According to Chief Inspector Smith, a typical burglary in Harrow happens at a semi-detached house with a flat-roofed single-storey extension that has no alarm. Generally burglars will go to the back of the house and break in via the ground floor, or climb on to the flat roof and in via an upstairs window.

Harrow Police are warning residents to secure their homes to keep burglars out. Chief Inspector Smith also urged people with modern UPVC doors to secure them from the inside by pulling the handle up. He said: "Smashing the glass, removing the pane or just slipping something through the letter box allows the door to be opened very easily, giving the burglar an easy way of removing large items such as TVs and computers.

"Burglary is a crime that can be prevented. It is at its highest in the months of the year with the least daylight. Please help us to help you by taking some simple steps to protect your homes."

Officers from Kenton Safer Neighbourhoods Team patrolled the 183 bus last Thursday to catch thieves red handed as they preyed on vulnerable pensioners.

Following an article in the Observer highlighting the serious pickpocketing problem on the double-deckers, plain-clothed police took to the buses and spent the day travelling up and down Kenton Road to see if they could spot the culprits.

It is believed a large number of elderly people are being targeted, especially at busy times of the day in the late afternoon. Bags are being slashed and purses stolen from pensioners unaware they have been made victims of the pickpockets.

Sergeant Phil Malin, of Kenton Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said: "It is very sad for anyone who has been affected by any crime, especially those who are elderly and vulnerable and have been targeted in a deceptive way.

"People should not have to live in fear and simple steps could prevent you from being targeted.

"Unfortunately, it is often the case that people only become aware of the precautions to take after they have become a victim of crime."

Between September and October this year there were nine burglaries on the 183 buses involving elderly women.

Donald O'Connor, of West Harrow, contacted the Observer after his mother had three purses stolen by thieves this year.

He said: "I was sickened that our senior citizens were being violated in such a way.

"Since the article in the Observer I have had a great response from (public transport operator) Transdev, TfL and Transport Police. My mother has noticed uniformed officers on the 183. I am pleased to see police patrolling the bus and hope this has highlighted a serious problem."

Sgt Malin is warning people to be on guard when travelling on the bus.

He said: "We are fairly convinced a number of thefts on the buses go unreported. There have been incidents where people's bags have been slashed. Often there is more than one person involved.

"Elderly people should avoid carrying cash. They shouldn't isolate themselves, so they should avoid sitting on their own.

"We are only going to know if crime is happening if people tell us. Even if they don't want to formally report the incident all they have to do is let one of their PCSOs know about what has happened and we will try and do something about it."

n For more information or to contact Kenton Safer Neighbourhood Team call 020 8721 2970.