Leighton Buzzard could get a slice of £4 million that’s on offer to help reinvigorate market towns.

Central Beds Council is inviting town councils to bid for funding from the Market Town Regeneration Fund.

The two-year initiative (from 2016 to 2018) is aimed principally at market towns facing pressures from significant population growth.

Similar initiatives in other UK towns have resulted in improvements to shopfronts and buildings, imaginative solutions for empty shops and public spaces, nurturing markets, events and heritage projects, and community engagement initiatives.

Successful bids from town councils will be assessed against set criteria that include an innovative and evidence-based approach, an understanding of Central Beds Council’s wider Market Towns Programme and a clear vision of business, economic, social and cultural impacts.

Executive member for regeneration, Nigel Young, said: “Our market towns are the heart of our communities and have a vital role in shaping and supporting sustainable economic growth.

““Undoubtedly our market towns face challenges, such as evolving shopping and leisure patterns and pressures of population growth, but with the right support they can thrive.

“I await with anticipation the range of ideas that will be put forward to achieve this and, while this one-off Regeneration Fund won’t provide a single fix, the successful proposals will deliver tangible improvements that will make a real difference.”

Town council representatives are invited to an event on November 18 at Central Beds Council Chambers, in Chicksands, to hear more about the fund. Guest speakers will talk about best practice from around the country.

The deadline for submissions is February 29.

Tightrope walking, ball balancing, plate spinning and juggling were on the curriculum when Leighton Buzzard Youth Theatre spent a day at Northampton’s Circus School.

A group of 25 children aged between nine and 19 had the time of their lives practising various curcus skills while the adults who accompanied them also joined in the fun.

The keen youngsters were preparing for their upcoming Christmas production of Barnum! which opens at The Venue in Milton Keynes on December 4.

LBYT chair Sarah Cavender said: “All the young people involved are working with great enthusiasm and commitment to produce a fantastic show for the local community.”

Barnum! is a lively and invigorating story that traces the career of America’s greatest showman. The production combines the delights of musical theatre with the flare of the circus, featuring many toe-tapping numbers from Cy Coleman’s Tony Award-nominated score.

Leighton Buzzard Youth Theatre put on two full musicals a year. Since their inception in 1987, they’ve gone from strength to strength, priding themselves on their ability to produce high quality shows while continuing to develop members’ skills and confidence.

All young people aged nine to 19 are welcome, regardless of previous experience, level of confidence, or how much they want to feature in productions.

One young fan said: “It’s more like a family than a club.”

> For more information visit www.lbyt.org/

A minute​’s silence is to be held across Europe on at 11am today (Monday) UK time, in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the series of terrorist attacks in Paris, France.

The terrorist incidents, which took place on Friday November 13, claimed at least 129 lives and resulted in widespread casualties.

As a mark of respect and expression of solidarity, all Whitehall government departments have lowered their Union Flags to half-mast.

Local authorities are not bound by the request​,​ but may wish to follow it for guidance. Devolved administrations are responsible for issuing instructions for the flying of the Union Flag on buildings in their estate and others as necessary.

Members of the public who have been directly affected by the incidents in Paris, or who are concerned about family members and friends who may be directly affected can call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 020 7008 0000.

BBC Three Counties presenter Iain Lee has been axed from his breakfast show after he branded a Christian solicitor a ‘bigot’ on air.

Following a discussion about a prison chaplain who was disciplined for a quoting a Bible passage about homosexuality, Lee interviewed Christian Legal Centre lawyer Libby Powell.

The solicitor, who defended the Pentecostal minister at a tribunal, told Lee that the preacher’s message “was one of repentance from sin”.

When asked by Lee if she supports bigotry and homophobia, Powell said: “This isn’t homophobia, this is God’s word.”

From there the interview continued to get heated and when told by Powell that “God loves to forgive sinners”, Lee rebutted: “He’s going to forgive the gays is he? What do the gays have to do to be forgiven by your ever loving God?”

The presenter went on to tell Powell: “Can I just say that I am nothing like you, I don’t think I’m a bigot and I don’t hate people who fall in love with people.”

He added: “People like you break my heart because you are doing Christianity and religion a real disservice”.

Iain Lee later apologised for the interview on air last week, but has now left the station.

In a statement the BBC said: “Iain Lee will no longer be presenting his shows on the station but we want to take this opportunity to thank him and wish him well for the future.”

Following the transmission of the interview pressure group Christian Concern encouraged its supported to compain to the BBC.

In respinse the corporation said: “While the programme is well-known for its combative style, the BBC fully accepts that the language the presenter used, and the tone in which he conducted these interviews, was at several points inappropriate.

“The BBC – and Iain Lee himself - wish to apologise for any offence that may have been caused.”

New Leighton Town manager Stuart Murray’s reign in charge got off to a bad start as Chalfont St Peter took all three points at Bell Close in a 1-0 win.

Things started brightly though for the home side, and they probably should have been ahead in the first minute, but James Hatch was just shy of a quick ball through the defence, which would have put him on goal.

Chalfont St Peter were defending well against the Town attacks but the first half was a proper end-to-end affair and Chalfont were also having their fair share of chances.

Craige Tomkins was instrumental in most of Chalfont’s chances during the game and he whipped in a fantastic cross to Anthony Thomas who was put off by an oncoming Leighton defender who cut it out to avert the danger.

It was a good start from both sides and it was Leighton who had the next good chance of the game and it was a fantastic strike from Alex O’Brien who fit a fierce shot from about 25 yards out and it produced a great save from the Chalfont keeper Michael Power-Simpson.

Both teams seemed to be lacking a little bit of clinicalness but both defences were also playing very well as Hazet produced a top draw tackle to stop Thomas dead in his tracks.

After a long spell of Chalfont pressure, James Hatch went up the other end and nearly scored after school boy defending. Maisari dispossessed a Chalfont defender to play in Hatch but the save from Power-Simpson was good in the end.

But by the end of the first half Leighton had the better chances and the game was back in their favour.

The second half started much like the first with early town pressure but it was Chalfont who got the decisive goal in the 52nd minute courtesy of Anthony Mendy. The move was a counter attack following a Leighton Town corner, the resulting goal kick from Power-Simpson went deep into Town’s half and found Mendy who rounded the defenders and keeper after questionable defending.

But Leighton weren’t hindered by the goal, and continued to seek out one of their own.

They nearly equalized through a Hatch toe-poke but somehow Power-Simpson pulled out another good save to deny him.

After some Chalfont pressure that led to nothing clear-cut like the first half Town grew back into the game again. Maisiri also came close, but hit the side netting.

For Leighton it was a case of huff with no puff, they were trying time and time again to break down Chalfont.

After Brown shot over and it was clear that Town were getting into all of these good positions but not having the quality to make it count.

The result sees Leighton slip into the bottom two in Evo-Stik Division 1 Central, with high-flying Royston visiting next Saturday.

Two women suffered neck and back injuries following a collision between two cars near Dunstable on Sunday evening.

One woman had to be cut free from her car by firefighters following the collision on Thirn Road at around 6pm.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue received a call about the incident at 6.12pm and sent rescue pumps from Toddington and Leighton Buzzard Community Fire Stations and the Emergency Rescue Unit from Stopsley.

One female casualty with neck and back pain was out of her vehicle before the arrival of fire service and was placed on a spinal board by Firefighters after complaining of back and neck pain.

A second woman was trapped in her vehicle and was freed by Firefighters from the car using Holmatro cutting equipment and passed into the care of ambulance service, also suffering from back and neck injuries.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was punched following a road rage incident on the M1.

The incident occurred at around 1.30pm on Saturday 7 November when two vehicles were involved in road rage leaving junction 9 and heading towards Dunstable.

The offender driving a dark coloured car and described as white, aged around 35 and of average build tailgated the victim and cornered his vehicle. The victim wound down his window to speak to the offender, who subsequently punched him in the face.

Anyone with any information, or who saw the altercation between a blue BMW and dark coloured car, is asked to contact police on 101.

Leighton Buzzaard’s up-and-down season continued on Saturday as they lost out to Trowbridge by just three points in a 10-7 defeat.

Prior to kick off, Trowbridge were just one position behind Buzzards in South West 1 East, so a close match was expected, and it’s exactly how it played out in a low scoring affair.

Leighton started well retaining possession through a number of phases but every time the ball was turned over they would be pegged back by the booming boot of the home team’s fly half.

Of more concern was the strength of the Trowbridge pack consistently driving the Buzzard scrum backwards.

It was from a penalty resulting from a scrum infringement that Trowbridge took the lead 3-0 after 10 minutes.

Things were looking ominous for Buzzards as the home team pack was taking control.

After 20 minutes another Trowbridge drive was held up over the line but , almost inevitably, from the resulting 5 metre scrum the home team drove over to score the try that with the conversion made the score 10-0.

However, this Leighton side have great spirit in adversity and running their limited possession they began to stretch the Trowbridge defence.

It was from one such break from their own half that the ball was quickly recycled for Wills Messum, who was outstanding on his season’s league debut, to score under the posts .

With the conversion by Dan David Leighton were trailing 10-7.

The remaining 10 minutes of the first half followed the pattern of driving pack versus running backs but both defences held firm to leave the half time score 10 -7 in favour of the home side.

Now with the benefit of the elements Buzzards looked to be favourites for their second away win of the season.

After only 40 seconds of the second half they had a golden chance to draw level with a penalty 35 metres out and almost in front of the posts.

However Dan David’s kick bounced back off the post. Five minutes later Buzzards had another penalty opportunity - Trowbridge’s left winger was shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Darren Braybrook with the resulting penalty just inside the home team’s half .

For once the strong wind abated when it was most needed and the well directed penalty attempt fell short.

Despite pressure Buzzards were unable to make their 10 minutes of numerical superiority count.

Roles were reversed ten minutes later when Tom Byard was adjudged to have tripped a Trowbridge player after spinning round in a tackle and shown a yellow card by the referee.

Leighton were finding it increasingly difficult to secure possession and therefore opportunities were limited although Ben Beaumont came close to scoring from a kick and chase.

However Trowbridge also had their chances- particularly after a succession of rolling mauls with about five minutes to go but the Buzzard defence bravely held firm.

Remarkably the second half ended pointless to give Trowbridge a narrow 10- 7 victory.

A game of contrasting styles was played between two good sides but both with excellent defences.

Buzzards returned with a losing bonus point but slip to eight. Next week they entertain High Wycombe at Wright’s Meadow.

Frankie Joy-Young needed a little help from his younger brother to secure the bambino championship at Stretton go kart circuit.

Going into the final round, the eight-year-old needed a solid finish to take the title.

But engine troubles forced him out of contention, meaning he’d need younger brother Stuie, 6, to finish high to take points off Frankie’s championship contenders.

“Usually, Stuie just enjoys going out there and driving around in the kart,” said dad Russell.

“But he drove an incredible race and took fourth, his highest finish of the season, to win the championship for his brother.”

It has capped a remarkable season for the family, with Frankie also impressing in the MSA Zip Kart series against some of the best racers in the country.

But a string of unreliability issues have hampered his performances there, but he has taken solace from a former F1 champion, and his hero, Jenson Button.

“Jenson hasn’t had a good season in F1 either,” added Russell. “So whenever Frankie has had issues, he has taken a look at how Jenson keeps his head down and plugging away at it.

“It’s a good lesson to learn, and he’s a good role model to have. I’m sure they’d both prefer to avoid having so many problems though!”

But there’s still more to come, as F1 fanatic Frankie steps up to cadet racing for next season, hoping to continue on his rise through the ranks.

Meanwhile Stuie will continue in the bambino class, racing the winter series at Stretton.

Thames Valley Police has released an e-fit of a woman in connection with a theft of personal property from an elderly woman in Wing.

At around 11.30am on Monday, October 19, the victim, a 79 year-old woman was walking along Rothchilds Road, close to the junction of the A418, Wing.

A female ran up behind the victim and spoke to her asking for directions to the hospital.

The offender then placed a poor quality gold chain around the woman’s neck, and then put another gold chain in her pocket.

The offending female than ran off.

The victim returned home and found that a silver necklace with a blue stone was taken from around her neck.

The offender is an Asian female, 5ft 4ins to 5ft 5ins, wearing a multi-coloured head scarf, a short brown coat and black leggings.

Investigating Officer, PC Ian Carter, said: “This is the theft of an irreplaceable silver necklace from the victim, which was the last present her late husband bought her. It has huge sentimental value to her. I would ask anyone who may have seen a woman matching the description of the offender, approaching and talking to an elderly woman in the street to come forward.

“I would ask anyone who may have been offered a silver necklace with a blue stone to also contact us.

“We have released an E-fit of the woman we are looking to speak to.

“I’d ask them to contact the Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101.

“If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers (opens new window) anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.”

This theatrical adaptation of a Stephen King story is at times difficult to watch but is very rewarding.

The Shawshank Redemption sees a friendship develop between two convicts in prison. However when one of them is asked to help out the corrupt warden, the dynamic changes between them.

This is an unremittingly bleak play to watch at times but for the end to work it has to be grim.

Applauding before the interval seemed somehow wrong for this play which had given us a brutal insight into a life behind bars.

What holds it together is the performance of the two leads, Patrick Robinson and Ian Kelsey who are phenomenal in adding some much needed light relief to the tense and dramatic proceedings.

It is difficult to talk about the ending without spoiling it, but after the bleakness comes something wonderful. I imagine I wasn’t the only one shedding a tear right at the end.

This isn’t the film and there are several differences. But the story is just as powerful and one that despite all the darkness, you’ll leave with a smile on you face.

It can be seen till Saturday. For tickets call 0844 871 7652 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.

Comedy star Andrew Dunn is to appear in the heart warming story The Full Monty, which is coming to the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury.

The former dinnerladies star appears in the story about six out of work men who take to stripping as a new form of employment.

Andrew said: “All of the characters in the show have got issues and obstacles to overcome. But they end up doing something brilliant.

“I was told that I was doing the play by my wife. Although was very happy to be involved in it.

“My character, Gerald, is unable to tell his wife in the show that he is out of job. He comes from a time when men were very proud of their job and it very much defined him and men of that time. That’s how I am playing him.”

He did have some doubts about appearing in the show.

Andrew added: “There was a thought of do I, at my age, want to be taking my clothes off in a very public arena, but it is actually a very small element of the show and the journey these characters go on was a good one.

“I think it is a show definitely for blokes because it is about the type of problems that they all face. I think it is much more of a blokey play

than it is for women.

“The reaction that we get from the audiences has been great. Especially right at the end - to see the audience on their feet has been absolutely

brilliant.”

Andrew is probably still best known for his role as catering manager Tony in the Victoria Wood sitcom.

He said: “It was a great experience for me working on dinnerladies. Victoria has written the parts with most of the people in mine so I was one of the few that had to audition for the part and very glad that I got it.

“We did it nearly 15 years ago but because it is constantly repeated, I get young kids come up to me and say Tony from dinnerladies which is remarkable.

However while he might have fond memories of working on the show, the production sounded a little frantic.

Andrew added: “There was just a few re-writes on the show to contend with. We recorded one episode a week. We had a script on the Monday and Victoria decided she wasn’t completely happy with it. So we would go off and have a long lunch break and she would re-write the entire thing while rehearsing and then overnight. We would have more or less a different script for the Tuesday rehearsal.

“She would then review the footage recording the show on a Friday and do some further re-writes for the Saturday recording.

“It certainly kept you on your toes as an actor.”

The Full Monty can be seen from November 23 to 28. Call 0844 871 7607 or visit www.atgtickets.co,uk/aylesbury.

A bald squirrel is causing some consternation to concerned animal lovers.

The squirrel, minus fur and its trademark fluffy tail, has been spotted in Grove gardens in Dunstable but despite the best efforts of volunteers from Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue, has so far managed to evade captivity.

The charity has been looking for the creature after being alerted by animal lovers using the gardens.

In a statement on its website the charity said: “For those who have contacted us about this Squirrel in Dunstable, we have been out again today with the RSPCA to look for him.

“We spent over an hour at the location searching and there was no sign of him at all. We spoke to other members of the public who also had not seen him.

“This is the fourth time we have been out now to search for this animal and despite the fact that there are dozens and dozens of squirrels in Grove gardens, we still have not seen this one once.

“This is not a location where a trap can be left as it cannot be monitored and we therefore have to rely on him being there when we are, so that we can assess the situation.

“Please do contact us if you see him, but be aware that we are quite limited in what we can do.”

The Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue, based in HoughtonRegis, is the only wildlife rescue charity covering the county.

On its Facebook page CJ Phelps wrote: Oh bless him, really hope you find him & can help him. So nice that lots of people feed them, I always feed the ones in my work car park.

And Chrissy Taylor-Burge wrote: Hope you find him , he’s adorable but needs help from the cold “bless him “.

The condition can be caused by dermatophytosis, a fungus that attacks the shaft of the hair where it emerges from the skin. It is usually not fatal.

Find out more at http://www.wildlife-rescue.org.uk/

Two of the most popular stars of Strictly Come Dancing will be saying bon voyage when they perform a dance show.

Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone will perform The Last Tango at Milton Keynes from Monday November 23 to Saturday November 28.

She said: “We have had such a fantastic time creating and dancing in Midnight Tango and Dance ’Til Dawn.

“It’s an incredible experience to perform live in front of our wonderful audience night after night and The Last Tango is going to celebrate our best work and most beautiful dance moves before we say farewell to theatre.”

“It is the last show and follows on from our two previous shows, but it is the last time we will tour hence why we have called this a Last Tango.

“It has been good working out the story and all of the choreography. The challenge has been making the show bigger and better than the last one. However I am sure if people like the last two shows, then they will love this.

“We have been asked every year if we would like to come back to Strictly which is incredibly flattering.

“However I think for me that is a box that has been well and truly ticked and I wouldn’t want anything to get in the way of the very happy memories I have.

I think with Strictly you are choreographing and trying to help people learn dances and allowing their personalities and skills to shine through.

“We were looking for something that was artistically more demanding in terms of choreography and story telling. I am incredibly grateful to Strictly. Without the show, I wouldn’t be doing this tours.”

Tickets for The Last Tango cost from £19.50. To book call the box office on 0844 871 7652 or alternatively visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.

Ten members of Leighton Buzzard Athletics Club were taking part in the Dirt Half Challenge.

Organised by Dirt Running, the course started at Cedars school and follows the canal north to Stoke Hammond before climbing the hill to Great Brickhill, passing back through Stockgrove Country Park before following the Greensand Ridge back to the canal tow path and on the home stretch.

This year, the weather forecast had predicted relentless rain and strong winds, but on the day itself, conditions were not as bad as they could have been.

Underfoot some of the paths back from Great Brickhill however were getting fairly muddy and slippy once a few runners had been through, but this isn’t called the DIRT half for nothing!

It was a good morning for LBAC with Billy Mead, Adam Haylock, Charlie Mead and Tom and Tim Inchley finishing as the first team home to win the award.

Both Mead boys also achieved PBs on a slippy and hilly course.

Lisa Bowyer performed brilliantly, producing her fastest run over the half marathon distance whilst Warren Rose, David Killick, Tracey Hawes and Richard Inchley also had some good runsfor the club with Richard picking up the MV70 prize.

For more information about Leighton Buzzard Athletic Club can be found on their website: www.leightonbuzzardac.co.uk

As the dark nights close in, one of the dangers of driving round Bedfordshire can be collisions with deer on the roads.

The Institue of Advanced Motorists’ (IAM) director of standards, Mark Lewis has issued some advice .

>Good visibility is vital, particularly when low sun causes dazzle – ensure that all windows are clean and clear.

>May, October and December show peak numbers of collisions with deer, so take extra care. The highest risk times are from sunset to midnight, and the hours shortly before and after sunrise – ensure you have your lights switched on to help you see further ahead. If necessary, use high-beam headlights in the dark and only when there are no oncoming vehicles, but don’t forget to dip them if you see a deer.

>Take note of any road signs that indicate where animal crossings are likely.

> Stick to the speed limit and avoid tailgating at all times. You should also avoid swerving the car away from the road as you may end up losing control.

>If you’ve seen one deer expect to see another, particularly during mating season.

>If you are involved in a deer collision, make sure you report it to the police. The police will be in the best position to contact a local representative who can assist with the injured deer.

Mark said: “Colliding with a deer can be a shocking experience leading to trauma and injury for the wild animal and extensive damage to the vehicle or worse for the driver or rider. If you regularly drive in areas where you see deer crossing, try to recall where these locations are and take extra care when approaching them - particularly when driving through rural locations, woods and open fields.”

Controversial plans to extend intu shopping centre have been halted by government experts.

Just weeks after MK Council voted through planning permission, the Secretary of State has called the matter in for further investigation.

He has ruled that a public local inquiry will be held before a final decision is made.

The proposed multi-million extension sparked local protest because part of it involved land identified as public open space in the CMK Business Neighbourhood Plan.

The plan had been voted through by 90,000 residents in a referendum earlier this year and the intu extension would be a direct contravention, said objectors.

But at a heated planning meeting in September, councillors agreed by ten votes to two to allow the development to go ahead.

The extension would include a boutique cinema, restaurants and more shops.

The Secretary of State’s intervention could now force the scheme to be scrapped or delay it for up to two years.

Intu bosses say this will be a economic blow for Milton Keynes as it will delay their investment and the new jobs the expansion would provide.

The planning application was opposed by Tory councillor John Bint, who told the Citizen at the time: “I am absolutely convinced this application contravenes our policies.”

The council’s decision was called in by CMK Town Council, whose chair Rebecca Kurth said: “There is a principle at stake here. We were told the neighbourhood plan would give local people and businesses power over the future of development in their area - and the council has turned round and ignored it.”

Santa and his magical elves heralded the start of the festive season when they arrived at Frosts Garden Centre in Woburn Sands on Saturday.

They will take up residence is Frosts’ award-winning grotto until December 23.

Festive fun on offer at Frosts includes reindeer food making sessions, Christmas stories read by Santa himself, and ice skating for all the family.

The ice rink opens on Saturday November 28 and there will be special evening sessions held up until December 17.

Ice dance fans can enjoy a Disco on Ice on Friday December 18 and there will even be skating on New Year’s Eve.

For more information and to book, visit: www.frostsgroup.com or call 0800 954 9484.

Pupils got their hands dirty to celebrate the good progress of expansion projects at their lower schools.

Work is currently taking place to create another 150 places at Clipstone Brook and Leedon lower schools.

The work is scheduled to be completed in time for the new academic year in September 2016, when the capacity of Clipstone will rise from 225 to 375 pupils, while at Leedon it will increase from 300 to 450.

Last Tuesday (November 10) Clipstone pupils took part in a ceremony with Central Bedfordshire Council Chairman Cllr David Bowater to level out part of the flooring of the extension scheme.

They also read out words of thanks for those who are helping in the scheme.

As well as work taking place to create five new classrooms at the school, the play area has been extended and a new drama studio linking to the main hall created.

Also last Tuesday, Leedon pupils were for the first time allowed inside the new six-classroom extension which is being built on the school site. And they, along with Central Bedfordshire Council Chairman Cllr David Bowater, headteacher Richard Benson and chair of governors John Field each left a handprint in a ceremonial concrete square which will form part of the new building.

Also attending the ceremonies were ward members Cllr Amanda Dodwell – a governor at Leedon – and Cllr Ray Berry, as well as members of the council team who have designed and are project-managing the schemes.

Cllr Mark Versallion, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: “Leighton Buzzard is an incredibly popular place to live, and significant house-building in the town has raised demand for lower school places.

“I am delighted that the expansion schemes at Leedon and Clipstone Brook are progressing well. When work is completed it will allow more local children to attend a good school on their doorstep, which is the aim of our extensive new school places project.”

Central Bedfordshire Council has made a £100million commitment to create 6,500 new school places by 2017.

For more information about the new school places programme, visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/school-places

A Leighton Buzzard man suffered serious injuries after his car hit a tree in Northamptonshire.

Police are appealing for witnesses following the collision on the Kingscliffe Road, near Wansford, in the early hours of Saturday, November 14.

The single vehicle collision happened at about 1.10am. A silver Toyota MR2, driven by the 25-year-old man, was travelling towards Kingscliffe when it left the carriageway and hit the tree.

The driver was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, with serious injuries. Call 0800 174615 with information on the crash.