|
Ensbury Park robberies
26.06.09
Police are appealing for witnesses after two
robberies in Columbia Road – both are believed to have
been committed by the same man.
The first attempted robbery took place at
the Mace convenience store on Columbia Road at approximately
1pm on Monday, 22 June when a man threatened the female
cashier demanding money and banging his fist on the counter.
He then ran off empty handed across Columbia Road and into
the Slades Farm housing estate. He had his hood up and a
scarf obscuring his face.
The second robbery was at Peters Newsagent
on the junction of Columbia Road and Kinson Road at approximately
2pm on Wednesday, 24 June. A hooded man ran into the store
shouting loudly and brandishing a knife.
Other customers watched as he snatched a small
amount of money from the till before running off down Kinson
Road, into Cherford Road and onto Turbary Common.
Police believe the same man is responsible
for both of the incidents. He described as dark skinned,
aged 16 to 25 years old and dressed all in black clothing
with a hooded jacket.
Attempted Abduction in Wimborne Road
24.06.09
Police are hunting a man who attempted to
abduct a woman waiting at a Moordown bus stop.
The 20 year old woman was waiting at a bus
stop outside 786 Wimborne Road just after 11AM on Tuesday,
23 June, when the man grabbed at her and tried to force
her to go with him.
She started screaming and he ran off in the
direction of Winton Banks.
The man is described as skinny, around 50
years old and about 5 foot 8 inches tall. He is also described
as scruffy, with collar length light brown hair and a full
beard. He was believed to be wearing a baggy blue t-shirt.
Witnesses are asked to contact the police
immediately.
Local MP attacked by youths
22.06.09
Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood has been
receiving hospital treatment after allegedly being attacked
and punched in the head by a group of youths in Boscombe.
The incident reportedly happened just before
1PM on Saturday afternoon after the MP had been conducting
his constituency surgery. It is believed that he had tried
to stop the gang from playing football in Roumelia Lane.
The confrontation escalated from verbal abuse to physical
violence. At one point the MP had the football thrown in
his face.
The former soldier, who has served in Bosnia
and Northern Ireland, was taken to hospital in a dazed condition
suffering from minor head injuries, a swollen ear and impaired
hearing. A police investigation is underway and two teenagers
have been questioned.
MPs expenses published on line
18.6.09
Parliament has today published details of
the expenses our MPs have claimed over the past four years.
There are many gaps though - MPs have been
allowed to remove data which they consider "personal"
or "sensitive". This results in numerous black
"censored" patches in the documents.
The expense claims are on-line. Click
here to see them.
Local church to close
18.6.09
The multicultural Church for the Nations is
to close its doors.
 Founded
three years ago and based in Victoria Park Road, the church
strove to attract a congregation of varying nationalities
and cultures through a variety of activities including clubs
for children, young people and senior citizens, parents
and toddlers groups, and community outreach programmes.
The closure is prompted by the decision of
founding pastor Washington Gwenzi to leave and join the
Richmond Park Church in Boscombe.
Armed Robbery at Bookmakers
12.6.09
Police are appealing for witnesses after a
knife-point robbery at an Ensbury Park bookmakers.
At 7.32pm on Wednesday, 10 June 2009, two
masked men burst into Corals at 56 Columbia Road and threatened
staff with large kitchen knives before making off with several
hundred pounds.
One raider ran to the cashier brandishing
a knife and waved it in his face shouting for him to open
the safe. The other took hold of the only customer and forced
him to kneel on the floor with his hands on his head.
The two thieves went through the safe and
till drawers and removed several hundred pounds before forcing
the cashier and the customer go into a back room where they
locked them in. The thieves then ran off along Columbia
Road to Slades Farm.
One is described as in his twenties, five
feet ten inches tall and of slim build. He was wearing a
black hooded top and has a British but not local accent.
The second robber is also about five feet ten inches tall
and of bigger than average build. He was wearing a hooded
top and a scarf over his face. He has a foreign sounding
accent.
A small silver car was seen driving
away from nearby in Archdale Close around the time of the
robbery. It was being driven by a white woman who is about
nineteen or twenty years of age with shoulder length brown
hair. Police want to hear from the driver or anybody who
saw it.
Winton councillor expenses probe
6.6.09
It has been revealed that one of Winton's
three councillors has been claiming an average £67.50
travelling expenses for council meetings, even though he
lives within walking distance of the Town Hall.
Cllr Paul Hughes reportedly submitted the
third highest claim of all councillors - a total of £540
for the eight town hall meetings that the records show he
attended in 2008/09.
Cllr Hughes says the records reflect only
part of the travelling that he actually undertook. However
more than half of Bournemouth's borough councillors submitted
no travel claims at all.
He has been told to provide a full explanation
to council leader Stephen MacLoughlin at the next Conservative
Group meeting.
Armed police raid
27.5.09
Four men are being questioned after an armed police raid
on a flat in Charminster Avenue.
Police set up a 100 metre security cordon before storming
the building on the corner of Gresham Road at around midday.
Two of the arrested men come from Bournemouth, one from
Essex and one from London. Their ages range between 22 and
50. Police have so far not revealed the nature of their
enquiry.
Garden Giveaway
14.05.09
Bags of compost are being given away free
as a result of Bournemouth's recycling effort.
The Council has been given ten tonnes of compost
by one of its waste partners. They are giving it away free
as a thank you to residents who are helping to make the
green waste collection service such a success.
The compost is being made available on a first
come first served basis at the Kings Park green waste collection
point on Sunday 24 May from 9am to 1pm.
Anyone can come along and collect two bags/containers
of compost on showing their council tax bill as proof of
residency.
(You must provide your own container).
Charminster vandalism
4.05.09
 A
man has been arrested following vandalism that left a trail
of destruction along Charminster Road in the early hours
of Saturday Morning, 2 May.
The attacks happened along the stretch of
the road between Kings Road and Strouden Road between 3
and 4 AM.
Three shop windows were smashed along with
a window in the Richmond Arms, two bus shelters and two
car windscreens.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested and released
on police bail pending further enquiries. Police are appealing
for witnesses.
Police E-Fit of Wimborne Road attacker
 27.04.09
Police have now released an e-fit picture
of the man responsible for a violent attack on a young woman
in Wimborne Road.
The attack took place along the stretch of
Wimborne Road between Stokewood Road and Cemetery Junction
between 3.30am and 4.15am on 21 April 2009.
The man is described as white, in his late
twenties or early thirties, around six feet tall and with
short mousy hair.
At the time of the offence, he was wearing
a short-sleeved shirt, blue denim jeans and white trainers.
Police want to hear from anybody who
thinks they may recognise him.
Friends to preserve Fampoux Gardens
27.04.09
More than forty local residents have voted
to form a group to preserve the Fampoux Gardens.
The move follows the Borough Council's decision,
under intense local pressure, to remove the war memorial
gardens from its list of sites scheduled for sale and redevelopment.
A public meeting chaired by Councillor Douglas
Spencer heard residents suggestions that included improved
lighting, fencing, gates and tidying of trees and shrubs.
Cllr Spencer indicated that this could be achieved through
use of the Council's partnership and improvement fund.
Other issues of concern included dog mess,
general litter and antisocial behaviour in the gardens.
The meeting expressed support for the formation
of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme and concluded with a unanimous
vote in favour of a "Friends of Fampoux Gardens"
group."
CCTV Camera appeal
24.04.09
Police want to hear from a number of people
spotted by CCTV cameras in Wimborne Road at the time of
a violent assault on a young woman.
The attack, which left the 19 year old unconscious
took place along the stretch of Wimborne Road between Stokewood
Road and Cemetery Junction between 3.30am and 4.15am on
21 April 2009.
Men that detectives are especially keen to
speak to include two men seen walking along Wimborne Road
and the driver of a taxi.
Woman attacked in Wimborne Road
22.04.09
Detectives are appealing for witnesses and
information after a woman was seriously assaulted in Wimborne
Road.
The incident happened in the early hours of
Tuesday morning 21 April along the stretch of Wimborne Road
between Stokewood Road and Cemetery Junction.
A 19-year-old Bournemouth woman sustained
minor injuries as a result. The front of Richard Language
College and nearby pavement were sealed off for a time as
police carried out a forensic examination of the scene.
The attacker is described as white, aged in
his late twenties or early thirties, around six feet tall
and with short mousy hair. He was wearing a short-sleeved
shirt, blue denim jeans and white trainers.
Police believe that someone and perhaps several
people - know, or suspect that they know, who is responsible
for this attack. If so they are urged to contact Dorset
Police in confidence.
Car crime
16.04.09
Police are appealing for witnesses, information
and victims to come forward after a man was assaulted and
a number of vehicles damaged.
At around 10.15pm on Sunday, 12 April, police
were called to an incident in which a green Ford Ka had
crashed into a garden wall on Hill View Road, Ensbury Park.
The driver then allegedly left his car and
damaged vehicles as he walked from Hill View Road to Naseby
Road.
It is also alleged that the driver assaulted
a 21-year-old Bournemouth man in Brassey Road.
Police want to hear from anyone who witnessed
anything unusual between Hill View Road and Naseby Road
between 10.15pm and 10.45pm on Sunday, 12 April. They also
want to speak to anyone in the Ensbury Park area who believes
that their vehicle was damaged on Sunday night, but has
not yet reported the damage to the police.
A 23-year-old Bournemouth man has been
released on bail without charge while enquiries continue
Wanted Man
11.04.09
 Police
are appealing for public help in finding a potentially dangerous
man wanted for burglary.
Twenty nine year old Jason Ross Sufi (pictured
right) is 5 feet 8 inches tall, of medium build with
short black hair and of Mediterranean appearance. He has
a scar on the back of his head and tattoos of ‘DAD’
on his left arm and his back.
Anyone who sees him, or knows where he is,
should not approach him, but contact the police immediately
on 999.
Fampoux Gardens Saved!
8.04.09
Bournemouth council has decided to remove
the Fampoux Gardens from its list of areas scheduled for
re-development. It now wants to see them cleaned up and
restored to the high standard which its builders first intended
when the gardens were opened in 1922.
The move follows intense communal pressure
exerted among other places through this website. Local people
made it very clear that they did not want the memorial gardens
to be sold off and re-developed as blocks of flats.
Cabinet Member for Economy and Tourism Councillor
Beverly Dunlop says, "“We have listened to residents
in the area who have told us that Fampoux Gardens is a site
of special importance to them."
“With the help of the residents we are
looking forward to creating a memorial garden that is cleaner,
brighter and a calming environment where the whole community
can come and pay their respects and remember those ex-servicemen
who gave their lives for their country.”
Winton Forum Chairman Anson Westbrook is delighted
with the policy reversal. He says, "It is a victory
not just for the families of local servicemen, but for the
community as a whole. Places like the Fampoux Gardens must
be preserved because they are part of our heritage. Winton
Forum is proud to have played a major part in the campaign
to give the community a voice on this issue. It is good
to know that the council has listened. "
Muggers jailed
8.04.09
Two men have been jailed after attacking a
man in Moordown and stealing his wallet.
Student Grant James Norman, aged 20, was given
a custodial sentence of four years. He was found guilty
after pleading not guilty to the robbery charge.
Bobby Richard John Burridge, aged 18, was
given a custodial sentence of two years after pleading guilty.
Both were arrested on 29 September last year.
They will serve their sentences at a Young Offenders Institution.
Fampoux protest to PM
6.04.09
The Prime Minister is being petitioned to
save the Fampoux Gardens from sale and re-development.
You can add your name on-line. Go to petitions.number10.gov.uk/FampouxMemorial
Mobile Phone Mugging
30.03.09
Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone
with information to come forward in confidence after a teenage
girl was assaulted and robbed of her mobile phone in Winton.
The 15-year old was assaulted and pushed to
the ground in Brassey Road close to the junction with Benmore
Road around 10.30pm on Thursday, 26 March 2009.
The teenager - who lives in Winton - suffered
bruises, a chipped tooth and a cut to her cheek. She was
taken to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital for treatment.
The alarm was raised when the girl's mother
called Dorset Police after her daughter returned home.
Police arrested two 16-year old girls in connection
with the incident. They were later released on police bail
while detectives continue their enquiries.
The officer in the case is Detective Constable
Martha Brehmer of Bournemouth and Poole police.
Witnesses and anyone with information should
call Dorset Police in confidence on 01202 222 222 or the
free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.
Council approves Fampoux sale plan
27.03.09
Bournemouth Council Cabinet has approved
a plan which would include the sale of the Fampoux Gardens
and their development for housing. They believe eleven dwellings
could be constructed on the site.
Here is the full text of the official release
issued after the Cabinet meeting:
Recognition for war heroes will always
remain at Fampoux Gardens in any improvements and developments
proposed for the site in the future.
On Wednesday, Cabinet approved the initial
plan to make significant investments to play areas and leisure
sites in the borough. As part of this proposal, Fampoux
Gardens was identified as one of 18 under-used areas which
will be considered as potential sites for affordable housing
schemes. Money released from the sale of these sites will
then go partly towards creating bigger and better quality
play areas for children and improving existing leisure sites.
Fampoux Gardens is a low priority for development,
however any changes that are proposed for the site, either
now or in the future, will always take into account the
special nature of the site and the views of local residents.
Councillor Beverley Dunlop, Cabinet Member
for Economy and Tourism, said: "Fampoux Gardens is
on the list of potential sites, however it does remain a
very low priority for us in terms of housing development.
We recognise that Fampoux Gardens is home to a memorial
to ex-servicemen and if any changes are made we will ensure
that the great service they have given for their Country
is acknowledged and that a tribute remains.
"If it does get to the stage where
it is decided to develop homes on the site we would ideally
be looking at working in partnership with developers to
create homes for ex-servicemen in remembrance of those that
died at war. Any changes made will follow detailed consultation
with local interest groups and residents in the area."
Memorial Gardens under threat
23/03/09
Bournemouth Council is planning to sell of
a Winton war memorial to make way for flats.
The Fampoux Gardens, in a triangle of land
between Green and Firbank Roads, are on the list of eighteen
"playgrounds" that have been earmarked for redevelopment.
They were constructed and laid out in 1922-3
by unemployed ex-servicemen in memory of hundreds of comrades
from the Hampshire Regiment who died just five years earlier
at the village of Fampoux during the bloody battle of Arras.
They were officially opened by Major General
Brooking, who played a leading local role in preserving
the memory of Bournemouth's war dead and trying to give
a better future to those who survived the mass slaughter
of the First World War.
The focus of the gardens is a minature hilltop
with a stone memorial bearing the words "These gardens
laid out by ex-servicemen are named to commemorate the gallant
stand of the Hampshires at Fampoux".
Some local residents are already pointing
out that the Gardens are a war memorial and although tiny,
one of the few open spaces where children can play.
For more on the history, click
here.
Older stories can be found
here or in the News
Archive
|
