A feud between neighbouring traveller families led to a bloody confrontation in which a man was struck down by a van, a court heard.

43-year-old Patrick Maloney died on August 2 last year after being hit by a van and dragged under its wheels halfway across a vacant plot at Toddbury Farm near Little Billington.

The driver of the vehicle, 22-year-old Christopher McCarthy, has pleaded not guilty to Mr Maloney’s murder.

His elder brother, Thomas McCarthy, 24, pleads not guilty to causing actual bodily harm. The trial for both men began yesterday at Luton Crown Court.

Prosecutor Miranda Moore QC said: “It was a deliberate course of the most terrible driving, with the most awful result.”

She stated that the McCarthy family had lived at the Greenacres traveller site for a number of years, while the Maloneys had only moved to the area about three weeks before the incident.

It was stated that soon after moving in, there was a fight between two members of the Maloney and McCarthy families.

Although a truce was agreed, when two of the Maloneys visited the McCarthy plot they claimed to have been met with abuse. Thomas McCarthy allegedly called a Maloney family member on July 31 and told him that he and his family should leave.

Ms Moore said: “Just before 10.30pm on the night of August 2, Thomas McCarthy went to the Maloney plot in his BMW X5. It seems he was intent upon picking a fight with whoever was there. He wasn’t even properly dressed at the time, such was his enthusiasm.”

Ms Moore said that a bare-footed Thomas McCarthy drove two family members with him to Patrick Maloney’s plot at Toddbury Farm, separated from Greenacres by a single field. There, the McCarthys found Patrick Maloney talking to his brother and brother-in-law.

“Thomas’s body language, we say, is very aggressive and threatening,” said Ms Moore. “He comes and faces off Patrick... Patrick eventually pushes Thomas because he is getting in his face.

“When rebuffed by Patrick, Thomas retaliates by punching him in the face – causing Patrick’s nose to bleed and to cause him to fall to the floor.”

Ms Moore added Mr Maloney was a “gentle giant” of 6ft4ins and weighed 20 stone.

She said: “After the punch, the members of the McCarthy family ... run away, in fact leaving behind the BMW.

“The Maloney men having seen what happened to Patrick [and] armed with gardening implements, turn their attention to the BMW left behind. They do their best to trash it.”

It is then that other McCarthy family members arrived in two vehicles, a Volkswagon Golf and a van being driven by Christopher McCarthy – Thomas’s younger brother. Patrick Maloney had also reportedly armed himself with an object by this time.

Ms Moore added: “The Golf is subject to attack and indeed Patrick Maloney bashes the Golf and that would have been seen by Christopher McCarthy driving the van.”

Soon afterwards, the prosecution claim Christopher McCarthy drove straight into Patrick Maloney as the latter stood in front of the wooden gates of a vacant plot.

After the van smashed through the gates, Mr Maloney was reportedly dragged halfway into the plot as the van made a circular motion before leaving through the same exit. Ambulance were called but Mr Maloney was pronounced dead by paramedics at 11.37pm.

After leaving Toddbury Farm, Christopher McCarthy’s van allegedly smashed head-on into one of the Maloneys’ cars. He then reportedly smashed through the metal gates of his own grandparents’ plot in Greenacres.

The next day, the battered van was found abandoned at the car park of New York Diner, some six miles away on Tring Road.

Thomas McCarthy was arrested on the night of August 2 and Christopher McCarthy three days later. In interview, both men alleged Patrick Maloney was the aggressor.

The trial continues.

The RSPCA is issuing advice to homeowners and gardeners about the dangers of netting to wildlife.

The warning comes after a young stag had to be rescued from a twisted tangle of plastic net fencing in Peters Green in Luton.

The animal welfare charity was contacted today (Monday morning) by a man who spotted the frightened deer thrashing around with his antlers caught in the black plastic netting.

Inspector Jaime Godfrey rushed to the scene to free the stag: “He had the black plastic twisted around his antlers and was restrained by the 5ft-high netting fence,” he explains.

“The plastic was twisted fast around his antlers which was also caught in hedgerow.

“It was a very dangerous situation so the man who got in touch with us did the right thing calling the RSPCA.

“The deer was young and strong so was kicking and frantically thrashing around to try to free himself. He could have easily hurt someone in his panic.

“I managed to restrain him and cover his face to calm him down. But it still took me over half an hour to cut the netting away with a knife and scissors.

“He was clearly exhausted as, once I released him, he sat panting and puffing for around a minute before slowly standing and then darting off.

“He wasn’t the only one that was exhausted, I was too!”

The RSPCA receives hundreds of calls every year to rescue animals - often wildlife - who have become tangled in netting, football nets or fishing litter. In 2016, the charity received 1,907 calls to these types of rescues and 22 in Bedfordshire alone.

“This is such a stressful situation for an animal, particularly a wild animal, to find themselves in and one which could be easily avoided,” inspector Godfrey added.

“Netted fencing and netting used for gardening or in sport can be really dangerous for animals and also poses a risk for those of us who are trying to rescue any entangled animal.

“We would urge those using netting for sports to remove and store all nets after their game and put any discarded or old netting safely in a bin. Other forms of garden netting, like pond or fruit netting, can be a real hazard to wild animals like hedgehogs and we would recommend replacing them with solid metal mesh.”

If you spot an animal which is trapped, in distress, or in need of help, contact the RSPCA’s 24-hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit: www.rspca.org.uk/give or text LOVE to 87023 to give £3 (Text costs £3 + one standard network rate message).

A BAFTA award winning television show is coming live to Milton Keynes Theatre next week.

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom is performed on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 7 and 8, and is from the makers of Peppa Pig.

Holly is a young fairy princess who is still learning how to fly and her magic doesn’t always go quite according to plan.

Her best friend, Ben the Elf, doesn’t have wings and he doesn’t do magic, but he runs very fast and flies on the back of Gaston the Ladybird.

They live in the Little Kingdom, a tiny land where flowers and grass rise high above them and every day is an adventure.

Join Ben and Holly, and their friends on this exciting, enchanting and magical musical adventure full of games, songs and laughter.

This story is packed full of elves, princesses and childhood innocence and will delight all the family.

Tickets are available from £14.25 and there are four performances across the two days. To book in advance call the box office on 0844 871 7652 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.

Across the country last night Britons took to the streets to protest Donald Trump’s ban on people from seven majority Muslim countries entering the United States.

The goal was to apply pressure on Theresa May to rescind an invitation to the US President to make a state visit to the UK. With tens of thousands on the streets, the message was a serious one – but that didn’t stop demonstrators inserting a little local colour into their signs.

Central Bedfordshire College’s construction and engineering students proudly tightened the last nut on the steel frame for the college’s new £4m Skills and Technology Centre currently being built in Chartmoor Road in Leighton Buzzard.

The event marked a key milestone in the construction of the site which is due for completion in July and will be opening its doors to students in September 2017.

Key stakeholders turned out in the cold, to demonstrate their support for the project which is designed to support the growing skills needs of the area; this is also at a time when there is significant population and economic growth forecast for the region.

Andrew Selous MP, who is a champion for skills development, attended the event alongside captains of industry from British Aerospace Engineering, Hone – All Precision and Ashe Construction.

Mr Selous said: “I’m delighted to see Leighton Buzzard and Linslade’s new Engineering and Construction Skills Centre going up, to be ready for students this September. It’s a much needed facility for students and businesses locally, and I am delighted to see taking shape.”

College principal Ali Hadawi said: “It was great to have our students involved in this event today as they are the engineers and technicians of the future who will benefit from this high-tech centre where they will gain advanced technical skills.

“The close involvement from industry means our students will gain industry relevant skills that they can take forward to university or employment in any number of companies in the local area.”

Hilary Chipping, Deputy Chief Executive of SEMLEP, said: “This fabulous new facility represents a great opportunity for young people to develop their skills and prepare for the world of work.

“Equipping our future workforce with the skills they need to access jobs locally is a perfect example of how Local Growth Deal funding can help to improve productivity and make a long-lasting difference to our communities.”

The £2.5 million centre which is a joint venture between Central Beds College and SEMLEP, will house professionally equipped state-of-the-art workshops for the engineering, construction, motor vehicle and aerospace industries.

Applications are open for courses starting in September 2017 – visit centralbeds.ac.uk/courses to apply.

Lager louts loitering in the street, making noise, threatening abuse and snorting substances, are ruining Leighton’s image according to worried business owners.

One beautician recently moved her business away from North Street due to persistent anti-social behaviour.

She said: “My staff were constantly having to ask the homeless drunks to move off our doorstep, usually on a daily basis.

“Sometimes they would have fights and we would call 101, other times there were large groups of them sitting right outside the shop. Although they weren’t aggressive, it was very intimidating for our clients and our staff.”

In addition, the woman said her staff regularly spotted drug dealing in North Street and groups of boys shoplifting.

Her views were backed by a property landlord who claimed several of his tenants had quit their premises due to anti-social behaviour problems. He said: “I visited the town last Thursday. In North Street, these drunks were loud and aggressive.

“Indeed they even shouted at me to cross to their side so they could smash my f***ing head in.”

Sniffing substances in the street is also a common problem and the landlord described glue being smeared over a shop front, which tenants were unable to remove completely.

Now he is calling on Beds Police to take action. He has been supported by town councillor Clive Palmer, who called the situation “indefensible”, as well as MP Andrew Selous who has been in frequent contact with Beds Police.

Police responsiblity for tackling anti-social behaviour in Leighton Buzzard falls under Op Sentinel. Its leader Sgt Louise Bates told the LBO: “We are aware of the issues around anti-social behaviour in the Leighton Buzzard area, specifically around the town centre. As such, we will be increasing our visibility in the area in a high visibility patrols capacity.

“This is an issue that requires a multi-agency approach to resolve and as such we are in consultation with our partners at the council as well as education and housing to see if we are able to find a more appropriate place for the youths to go that does not have such an impact on the residents and business owners in the town centre.”

Have you experienced problems too? Email news@lbobserver.co.uk

A leading regional house builder is inviting Leighton Buzzard good causes to bid for £1,000 of funding.

Persimmon Homes Midlands is urging community groups and charities from the area to apply for match-funding donations from its Community Champions scheme.

The fund, which was launched in March 2015, aims to support grassroots activities that improve the quality of life for local people.

Local groups and charities can bid for cash from a £750,000 national fund, with two donations of up to £1,000 being made locally every month on a match-funding basis.

Sales manager Janet Robinson said: “Our Community Champions scheme has certainly struck a chord with many charities and worthy causes, with hundreds of donations being made nationally every month.

“We are currently building new homes at our Lake View development in Leighton Buzzard and would love to see a local group benefiting from the available funding.

“We are determined to donate our money where it will help the most.

“All we ask is that the group or charity has already worked hard to raise money themselves and we will then match this effort with funding of up to £1,000.

“It’s really simple to apply, so we invite groups and charities to visit www.persimmonhomes.com/charity and complete the easy online application form.”

> Charities helped by Persimmon Homes Midlands during the past 12 months include Dogs for Good Northampton, Northampton Hope Centre, Willen Hospice and the Youth of Banbury Operatic Society.

A Luton man has been banned from keeping all animals for five years after he admitted brutally beating his dog, following an RSPCA prosecution.

Dariusz Jakimowicz, 35, of Havelock Road, was seen last summer, repeatedly punching German Shepherd dog Zeus in the body and face.

He appeared at Luton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday when he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Zeus, by inflicting physical abuse and blunt force trauma.

Magistrates gave Jakimowicz a 12-week custodial sentence, which was suspended for 12 months, and 100 hours of unpaid work, in addition to his five-year animal ban. He must also pay £626.80 in costs.

The court heard that Jakimowicz was witnessed punching Zeus at least 10 times in the body and face on one occasion in August last year.

RSPCA inspector Mel Fisher said: “He was punching Zeus so hard that he was shaking and rubbing his fist afterwards because it hurt his hand. He admitted in interview that he did this because he lost his temper. Thankfully Zeus wasn’t left with any long-lasting injuries from this incident.

“Additionally, he was using a pinch collar to walk Zeus, which is a horrific medieval-looking training device which pinches the dog’s skin when they pull on the lead. Wearing this collar would have caused Zeus pain while walking. It is certainly not a training method which is recommended.”

Zeus, now aged one, is currently in the RSPCA’s care.

Inspector Fisher said: “Zeus was only a few months old when he came into our care. He has had a horrible start to his life, but he is now thriving. He is a beautiful dog - he is the Brad Pitt of the German Shepherd world.”

Zeus will be listed on the RSPCA’s Find A Pet website - www.rspca.org.uk/findapet - once he is available for rehoming.

Childcare workers fron a day nursery have braved freezing temperatures sleeping rough to support young people with disabilities.

The team from Cedars Day Nursery have helped raise £12,000 so far for the Children Today charity.

Emerging from sleeping bags on flattened cardboard boxes following one of the coldest nights of the year, the five member team from the day nursery in Mentmore Road said the challenge was more difficult than expected and highlighted the plight of the homeless at this time of the year. Cedars manager Michelle Nokes said everybody was determined to complete the challenge in aid of such a worthy cause.

She said: “We are surrounded by happy, healthy and confident children every day and were all really shocked to learn that young people who need specialised equipment to improve the quality of their lives are dependent on this charity. The equipment they need, like ventilation machines for cystic fibrosis sufferers, is not always provided by the NHS.”

The Cedars team were Michelle, Anna Wilkins, Victoria Stone, Tatjana Bacholdina and Sally Jackson.

Armed with sleeping bags, Children Today’s corporate fundraising coordinator, Thomas Williams, and colleague Jessica Chiverton-Stanway, joined more than 100 fundraisers from Childbase Partnership day nurseries throughout the South of England, for the ‘sleep out’ and praised them for adopting the charity for a year-long fund-raising drive.

Tom said: “We have been astounded by the generosity of Childbase and wanted to mark our partnership by taking part in this special event. As our charity relies totally on voluntary donations, support like this is vital to our work in helping improve the quality of life for many children and young people with disabilities. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole Childbase team for their amazing efforts.”

Mike Thompson, CEO and founder of Childbase Partnership, Employee Owned Business of the Year and a UK National Champion in the European Business Awards, rallied the troops at the start and end of the challenge.

Donations can be made through the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Region-Three-Childbase-Partnership

An elderly woman waiting for a bus fell to the pavement as she was robbed of her handbag.

The incident took place on Monday between 12.30pm and 12.45pm in Calverton Road.

She was approached by a man, who stole her handbag, causing her to fall the ground.

The bag contained an amount of cash and is described as light brown or pink beige with golden details on the strap.

The attacker is described as white, around 35 years old, slim and approximately 5ft 10ins. He was wearing a green woolly hat at the time of the offence.

Det Sgt Thomas Hamm, investigating, said: “This was a horrid ordeal which left the victim shocked and terrified. Incidents like that are completely unacceptable.

“We are following a number of different lines of inquiry and we are urging anyone who witnessed this incident or who has any information that might help with the investigation to come forward.”

Contact police on 101.

The Oxjam 2017 music festival is on its way!

A total of 24 musical events are now scheduled for the Leighton Buzzard area.

There will be something for all tastes and all ages: jazz, classical, folk, brass, blues, rock, choral music, an organ recital, karaoke and more!

Popular performers from previous years will be returning, joined by exciting new acts. However, the organisers are encouraging even more of you to get involved.

Last year, over £6,700 was raised for Oxfam’s vital development and emergency work across the world. It is hoped that this, Leighton Buzzard’s ninth annual Oxjam music festival, will do even better whilst also bringing great music to your town!

“The line-up’s growing week by week, but we hope more performers will get involved,” says Oxjam spokesman Edmund Flach. “If people want to help, we will be holding a planning meeting at The Crown in North Street on Monday, February 6 at 8pm. All are invited so do please come along.

“This will be a good chance to meet members of the Oxjam team, discuss possible events and volunteer to help before and during the festival. If there are any acts out there keen to get involved, they need to book their own venue and decide on a date, then let us have the details as quickly as possible.

“We can provide banners, posters, programme leaflets and collecting tins, and include them in our publicity.”

The festival runs throughout March, but also includes late February and early April, so make a note in your diaries! For performers, the deadline for being included in the printed programme is Friday, February 10, but even events organised after that date can be publicised on the website and on the Facebook page.

You can register by visiting http://www.oxjam
leightonbuzzard.org.uk/event-registration-2017/ where there is also a link in case you have any questions, or want to discuss ideas.

Alternatively, you can message the organisers via the Oxjam Leighton Buzzard Facebook page.

A travel agency in Leighton Buzzard has come out tops in a mystery shopper survey.

Bailey’s Travel, based in Waterborne Walk, has once again received plaudits for outstanding knowledge and customer service in a mystery shopper activity by industry magazine Travel Weekly.

The magazine sent a bogus customer into a number of agencies in Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley with a complex enquiry to see how well staff responded to the brief and how helpful they were in matching requirements to the perfect holiday.

Bailey’s Travel came top in the study with a score of 95% beating the next closest agency by a whopping 28%.

This follows a similar review in March 2015 where Bailey’s were again the leading agency with a 90% score.

Senior travel consultant Stef Trevett was the team member at Bailey’s who expertly handled the enquiry.

She was praised for her “very good knowledge and taking the time to understand what we were after.”

Stef has worked for Bailey’s for more 10 years and has taken advantage of opportunities to travel to Canada, Sri Lanka and Kenya as part of her job.

She describes her role, as “the perfect fit for me, no two days are the same and I love interacting with the clients and surprising them with suggestions.”

Staff at Bailey’s, who need a minimum of two years experience in the travel industry, are also encouraged to travel and learn about the subject.

Bailey’s, an independent travel company, has been operating since 1988 and also has an office in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

A boutique children’s store in Leighton Buzzard closed its doors for good at the weekend just three years after opening to much fanfare.

Poppy and Zach, based in the old Wharf building and former joinery in Leighton Road, opened as a children’s lifestyle store selling clothes, toys, footwear and accessories in January 2014.

Speaking to the LBO at the time, owner Bob Brinklow described Poppy and Zach as, “a one stop destination for clothing, toys, footwear and accessories that would offer something different”.

The store issued the following statement on their Facebook page: “We will be continuing online and on Facebook and may relocate in the future.

“Approaching our third birthday we were due to renew our lease and have now decided not to.”

One of its employees Jayne Stanley posted online: “The town certainly won’t be the same without our beautiful shop. Poppy and Zach will be missed by all of us too but will continue on Facebook for the time being.

“Thank you for your continual support,fun company and good times, especially the children.”

The closure has also had a knock-on effect on another business which was based in the same building.

ShortCuts Children’s Salon posted: “To all our customers who use our Leighton Buzzard salon... unfortunately Poppy & Zach (the shop our salon is within) are closing down very soon. Which means we have to go too. Saturday the 28th will be our last day at these premises. We are so sorry for any inconvenience caused. It is a situation out of our control. But please join us this Saturday to celebrate our time there.”

bedfordshire league

Josh Reynolds, Ritchie Bevan and Joe O’Donnell scored the Town’s goals against replies via Jim Burnside and Chris Prior.

Their lead at the summit increased by some two points after second place AFC Oakley M&DH were held to a 3-3 draw at Kempston Rovers Development who gained a share of the spoils with a 90th minute equaliser. Will Barrett, Evan Beldon and Michael Fisher were on the Rovers scoresheet alongside a Rob Heaney penalty and strikes from Robbie Alder and Nathan Aulsberry marking the visitors’ scoresheet.

There was also a 90th minute goal at Harvey Close which took hosts Caldecote to a 2-1 victory over Renhold United to now move back into third spot in the standings. United via Alex Liburd took the lead before Jordan Pratt squared matters up to allow Jake Wallace to pop in the last minute winner.

Now in fourth are Wilstead who the record books will show as 4-1 home winners Cranfield United but with their Jubilee Close pitch unplayable the game was switched to Cranfield’s Crawley Road home. Adam Budek with a brace plus Colin Marshall and Kevin Butler were on the winners’ scoresheet against a lone United reply from Liam Whitmee Craig. United saw goalkeeper Tom Anstee red carded with the scoreline at just 2-1.

For Shefford Town & Campton it’s a jump up the table into fifth slot after they won 2-1 at bottom of the table Sandy, Andrew Hayday and Louis Taylor netting the vital goals against a lone reply via Jack Webb. With AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College having their game postponed at Marston Shelton Rovers they now tumble down the table from third slot to sixth slot.

Elsewhere, following three straight defeats, Ickwell & Old Warden returned to winning ways with a 4-3 home victory over second from bottom of the table Ampthill Town Reserves.

Lee Threadgold with a brace plus Zak Rowe and Dean Hamilton scored for the home side against Town replies via Jake Webster twice and James Tiller once.

Whilst Stevington ended Wootton Blue Cross’s three game winning run with a 2-0 home win thanks to goals from Keiran Souter and Dan Bentley.

Division One supported by Wests Citroen Bedford

There is no change at the head of the Division One standings after the top two clubs were gifted three points after their opposition failed to raise a side.

Leaders Queens Park Crescents were awarded a win after a Meltis Albion no-show, and M&DH Clapham Sports by Cople & Bedford SA.

Now in third spot are Totternhoe Reserves who ran out 2-1 home winners over Elstow Abbey. With the match referee failing to show Abbey secretary Nick Snelson saved the day by becoming the man in black for the afternoon and accordingly did a wonderful job, these being the post match words of home secretary Jim Basterfield. Jonny Clarke and Charlie Beary were on the home scoresheet to take them to their fourth consecutive home win against a lone reply from Lucas Banton.

Slipping down the table into fourth are Crawley Green Reserves who were beaten 3-0 at AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College Reserves. Giovanni Moscaritoio with a brace and a single strike from Anas Bechkoum took the Town to their fourth win on the bounce.

Henlow saw their eight game unbeaten run brought to an end when losing 5-3 at The 61FC Luton Reserves who were gaining their first home win of the season. Tim Akereie scored four times and Ryan McEvoy once to bring up the home nap hand against replies via the penalty spot from Paul Wright plus strikes from Russell Ayles and Matthew Rumbellow.

Elsewhere Westoning took their unbeaten ways up to three games with a 2-1 home victory over Old Bradwell United Reserves thanks to goals from Thomas Cooksley and Lewis Cooksley against a lone reply via Colm Rooney.

Division Two

The lone game of the afternoon saw Atletico Europa run out 3-1 home winners over Caldecote Reserves who are still awaiting their first away win of the season. Taden Jankovic with a brace and Paddy Alenanji netted for the home side against a lone reply from Adam Legate.

Division Three

Bedford Albion are up into third spot in the standings and unbeaten in their last six league starts after netting a 3-2 home win over league leaders Wilstead Reserves who were losing a league game for the first time in nine starts.

Jack Brown, Steve Slater and Dan Jeffries were the home marksmen against Wilstead replies via Shaun Winconek and Liam Phillps.

Division Four

CS Rovers are now back onto the top of the Division Four league table following their 7-3 home victory over AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College A.

Connor Darocha led the way with four goals, joined on the scoresheet by Joe Lydon, Ruari Griffin and Joe Campion against Town replies via Connor Barclay, Jesse Sindu and Gavin Cheema.

Jubilee Cup Group A

AFC Oakley M&DH Reserves lost out on their chances of making the last 16 when beaten 2-0 at home by group winners Potton Town for whom Chris Moore and Chris Cooper netted.

Jubilee Cup Group B

The final scheduled game of the series failed to happen after Clifton failed to raise a side to visit group winners Riseley Sports.

Jubilee Cup Group C

The dead rubber game between Kempston Athletic and Sandy Reserves went to the hosting Athletic with a 2-1 victory. Sunny Ram and Sean Lawrence scored the vital goals against a lone reply from Steven Wilson.

Jubilee Cup Group D

Caldecote A were to claim their place in the last 16 by winning 8-0 at Dinamo Flitwick. Tony Norman with a hat-trick was joined on the scoresheet by Tom Dupey who netted twice alongside single goals for Jamie Paterson, James Fuller and Gary Allum.

Stevington Reserves failed to raise a side to visit group winners Cranfield United Reserves.

Jubilee Cup Group E

Harlington were to claim their place in the last 16 after running out 3-0 home winners over group winners Flitwick Town Reserves. Shea Gentle-King, Abdul Sikdar and Ben Whalley scored the vital goals.

Whilst Marston Shelton Rovers claimed a 6-1 victory at White Eagles, Gary Russon leading the way with a hat-trick and joined on the scoresheet by an own goal plus strikes from Ross Milton and Dale Maiciw against a lone Eagles reply from Marcia Ptak.

Jubilee Cup Group F

Renhold United Reserves kept their last 16 hopes alive with a 7-3 home victory over Flitwick Town A. Michael France scored four times, Justin Ludman twice and Thomas O’Neill the once against Town replies via David Lyons, Stuart Kemp and Craig Phillips.

Jubilee Cup Group G

Sandy Albion know their place in the last 16 is still in the balance despite recording a 3-1 home victory over Wootton Village. David Smith scored twice and Jonny Stratford once against a lone Village reply from Lewis Aitken.

Henlow Reserves kept their last 16 hopes alive with a 3-0 home victory over Sundon Park Rangers who themselves could still yet make the last 16, James Campbell with a brace plus Robbie Bratchell netting the vital goals.

Jubilee Cup Group H

For group leaders Wixams it was a 6-2 home victory over Shefford Town & Campton A . Gareth White with a brace was joined on the scoresheet by Gareth Loadman, Adam Jellis, Kirk McKinley and Dan Lawrence against Town replies via Liam Radley and Mike Castle.

Second place Lea Sports PSG won 5-2 at Lidlington United Sports. Joe Hannem scored twice alongside single goals for Josh Smith, Will Tyler and Richard Wyatt which were only replied twice by single goals from United’s Dale Crocker and John Webber.

A frustrated shop owner has criticised police and Leighton Buzzard’s Shopwatch campaign after her shop was targeted by thieves.

Get Up Clothing in Hockliffe Street supplies designer menswear and has enjoyed success in Leighton Buzzard since it opened last year.

But its owner has been left disheartened after thieves made off with a stash of clothing twice – first in November with the offenders coming back on January 20.

Now the owner has shared CCTV footage online.

She told the LBO: “I hadn’t heard anything from police until last Thursday.

“My dad messaged the police and crime commissioner and that seems to have sent off a few alarm bells. I got a phonecall from police, but they were ringing about the email – not the crime itself!”

The shop owner was busy serving a customer on Friday, February 20 when a group of teenagers walked into the store. She thought she could recognise three boys from the previous incident.

One approached her.

“He said ‘We’re not thieves’ and for a few seconds I wasn’t sure what was happening.”

While she was distracted, two girls in the group allegedly lifted three pairs of jeans valued at around £45 each, before making off.

The owner said: “We’re supposed to all be part of Shopwatch but nothing has happened. I personally have gone round, taken the numbers of other businesses and set up a Whatsapp group just to keep everyone informed.”

Shopwatch was launched as a joint initiative by Leighton-Linslade Town Council and Bedfordshire Police just three months ago, designed as a meeting for retailers to share their concerns and receive “tailored crime prevention advice” from police.

But already, the LBO understands the initiative has flopped and an alternative scheme is being launched by Central Bedfordshire Council.

Cllr Tony Morris, chairman of the town council’s police liaison committee, said: “I would certainly concur that Shopwatch is not active enough.”

Facebook users may be seeing posts from their friends warning them about “Facebook cloning”. Some concerned account holders are urging others not to accept a second friend request from accounts purporting to belong to them.

The warning might look something like this:

“Heads-up!! Almost every account is being cloned. Your picture and your name are used to create a new facebook account (they don’t need your password to do this this). They want your friends to add them to their Facebook account. Your friends will think that it’s you and accept your request. From that point on they can write what they want under your name. I have NO plans to open a new account. Please DO NOT accept a 2nd friend request from “me”. Copy this message on your wall.”

Or this:

“HEADS UP: I have been hacked. There is a new hack on Facebook. It includes trying to befriend you, asking for money, or wanting to give you money, and or hurtful phrase coming from you to one of your contacts. It’s very dirty and it appears that you have written it. You do not see it but your friends do. This situation can create many misunderstandings. I would like to say to all my contacts that if something shocking appears, it absolutely does NOT come from me and I would be grateful if you let me know. Thank you very much! HEADS UP!!!! Almost every account is being cloned. Your picture and your name are used to create a new facebook account (they don’t need your password to do this this). They want your friends to add them to their Facebook account. Your friends will think that it’s you and accept your request. From that point on they can write what they want under your name. I have NO plans to open a new account. Please DO NOT accept a 2nd friend request from “me”. Copy this message on your wall.”

Some elements of the warnings are true, the Hoax Slayer internet scam information site reports. But some are false:

It is true that scammers can use people’s names and profile pictures to create a second, fake account under the same name. This has been happening for a while.

It is true that the fake account can then send friend requests to your friends – the scammers can see Friends lists if they are public – who might accept.

It is true that the scammers behind the fake account could post, leading friends that have accepted the request to believe the posts are genuine.

It is not true that Facebook cloning is a hack. The word “hack” implies that someone has gained unauthorised access to your account. Actually the scammers are just using information that is public to create the second account, the Hoax-Slayer points out.

It is not true that almost all accounts are being affected. Facebook’s 1.79 billion monthly active users are unlikely to have all had their accounts cloned.

So what is happening?

Scammers are creating fake accounts in existing users’ names. The more information that a user has made public, the more genuine the fake account can seem.

People who accept friend requests from the fake account, believing that it genuinely belongs to their friend, might be at risk. The Hoax-Slayer warns that scammers, using a more elaborate scam, might be able to draw money out of friends. Identity theft is also a possible consequence, the website says.

What can I do?

Make your Facebook account as private as possible. Using the privacy shortcuts button in the Facebook masthead, you can check what others can see.

You can also hide your Friends list to deny the scammers this information.

You can find out how to report a cloned account to Facebook here.

If you want information about the timeline from the account that was impersonating you, check out Facebook’s advice here.

If you receive a friend request from someone who you think you may already be friends with, double check before accepting it.

Facebook considers cloned accounts to be a violation of its policies. The site has experts focused on identifying fake profiles and is continuously building and updating tools to tackle the problem.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has announced it is now charging to attend non-emergency calls to release people from lifts, lock outs and lock ins.

Over the past five years the fire service has been called to more than 1,700 people stuck in lifts and locked in and locked out of premises.

Group Commander Steve Allen explained: “Many of these turn out to be non-emergencies. This constitutes a potential cost to local taxpayers in the region of half a million pounds over the period. It also means firefighters are not available to deal with other genuine emergencies.”

Anyone dialling 999 requesting fire service assistance for a person stuck in a lift or locked in or out of their homes or car, where there is no immediate threat to life, threat of injury or a medical emergency, will be informed that they will be expected to cover the costs of call-out and attendance.

Trained operators in Fire Control will determine if the incident is an emergency, if so appropriate crews will be mobilised.

If the situation is not an emergency the caller will be reassured and advised on how they can resolve the problem and if necessary provided with telephone numbers for organisations who can arrange a local locksmith or contractors.

Where there is not an emergency the caller will be told that the fire service will not be attending.

If information is provided by a caller to indicate an emergency situation, but following attendance the incident is confirmed as a non-emergency charges will be applied to the caller in the case of lock ins and lock outs and for lift releases to the owner or operator of faulty or inoperable lifts.

With regard to lift equipment, businesses and organisations will be informed of the policy and reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure that suitable arrangements are in place to maintain lift equipment and to release people stuck in lifts which are faulty or inoperable.

Group Commander Allen added: “Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s priority must be to focus its resources on responding to emergency call-outs that present risk to life and property.

“Responding to non-emergency calls adversely impacts on training, community safety and fire safety work and in supporting co-responding with the police and ambulance service to medical emergencies.”

The charge for a non-emergency call out to effect lift release or to assist people locked in or locked out of premises is currently £266 plus VAT per hour or part thereof.

Leighton-Linslade Town Council has decided not to increase the amount of council tax it seeks to collect from residents for 2017-18.

But although the budget was agreed on Monday evening with 15 councillors in favour, notably four councillors (Cllr Tony Morris, Cllr Ray Berry, Cllr David Bowater and Cllr Amanda Dodwell) abstained from backing it.

To achieve a 0% increase, the council will use £11,541 from its balances, a move the quartet was uncomfortable with as they fear it could jeopardise the authority’s ability to fund new projects in the future.

A joint statement from the councillors, who had suggested a 4.5% rise, explained: “A number of us did not agree with a 0% increase in council tax. The proposed budget includes the contingency to draw down on reserves to meet the town council’s expenditure, and a commitment to borrow money to fund additional projects.

“We do not want to see the town council’s reserves used in this way, and we do not want to increase the council’s borrowing – any money borrowed now has to be paid off in the future, and will affect future council budgets.

“Furthermore, we are concerned that this move will limit the council’s ability to undertake projects such as those we have completed in recent years - Astral Park, Mentmore Pavilion, the Splash and Play and the Beach – we strongly believe an increase is necessary to allow us to continue to deliver new facilities for the town.

They continued: “We appreciated that any increase wasn’t going to be popular, but we put forward a proposal which would not adversely affect household budgets – the 4.5% increase we proposed would have seen an average Band D property-owner paying about 13 pence per week extra. The council has an obligation to be financially responsible, and we believe that it was in the interests of the town to ask for this small increase.

“The town council offers excellent value for money, and we wanted to ensure that the council is adequately funded in the coming years to continue the excellent work it has been doing, and to provide the wide range of events and services that we all enjoy.”

The council has budgeted to spend £2,126,752 in the forthcoming financial year – including £200,000 for future capital projects, a £5,000 contribution to Citizens Advice, and an increase in the mayor’s allowance in line with inflation.

The level it has set for an average Band D property remains the same as 2016-17 at £149.58, but as the number of properties it can charge has increased by just over 300 it will bring in slightly more tax this time at £2,115,211 – which means an £11,541 contribution from general reserves to balance the books.

A council report states that for 2016-17 it had budgeted a year ago to take £104,682 from its “healthy” general reserves of £817,584 in a desire to leave the council tax charged unchanged. However with the end of this financial year approaching that figure has been revised down to £66,182.

The lion’s share of the council tax bill goes to Central Beds Council, with the needs of the police and fire service, plus parish/town councils adding to the overall final charge.

Matt Adcock reviews Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (15), starring Milla Jovovich

Ah, Resident Evil – we’ve come so far. With five films in the bag and over a billion dollars in the bank as a result, it looks like we might have come to the end of this action-over-substance videogame series.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (although if this makes more cash I wouldn’t rule out them making more of these) picks up the end-of-the-world carnage immediately after the events of 2012’s Resident Evil: Retribution. Alice (Milla Jovovich) is back as the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity's final stand against the undead. This time she must return to where the nightmare began - The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.

Cue an hour and half of flashy images, frantic zombie battling action and scenes basically inspired by (I say inspired by but I mean ripped off from) a host of other films including Mad Max. All of it lacks any real sense of a narrative or anything you’d struggle to call a plot. The Final Chapter is basically the closest films have come to actually being a video game – just one you can’t play. It feels like the longest ever between level ‘cut scene’, like someone on their PlayStation but never letting you have a go.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter does try to bring at least a little closure to those who have been paying to see this series since it kicked off 15 years ago but it fails to be the thrilling conclusion it obviously wants to be. The reason for this is that it is edited in such a confusing jump-cut jumble that even scenes which could have been effective lose some of their currency due to the fact that you can’t always tell what’s going on.

I have the same feeling with every single film ever made by Paul WS Anderson – I want to like it more than I actually do when I see it. So here the evil Umbrella Corporation are using their infected zombie army, enhanced soldiers and a variety of ‘Boss – end of level’ bad guys to try and wipe out the last of humanity. Jovovich as rebellion heroine Alice is our last chance and fortunately, she might just be bad ass enough to pull it off. Whether you care or not is very much in the balance however…

The situation of Leighton Buzzard’s homeless and its street drinkers has sparked fierce debate this week.

After reporting on the problems caused to business owners in North Street, the LBO interviewed Rev Wynn Jones who is the driving force behind Leighton Linslade Homeless Service.

She said: “The people [in the story] aren’t all homeless. Two of them are with us but three have actually got homes of their own.

“Unfortunately these people are street drinkers. People think that they are all homeless but they are not.”

Rev Jones said shops in the town centre sold drink and cigarettes to the group.

She added: “Of course, if these people have just enough money for one or two cans they will stand and share them.”

Five community protection notices were given in May 2016 banning five street drinkers from Leighton’s high street.

Asked about complaints of antisocial behaviour, Rev Wynn added: “I can understand and I would be upset too. But now they have to keep out of town they are just trying to find somewhere else to go.”

The LBO also interviewed a man who supplies food to the homeless in Leighton Buzzard several nights a week.

He said: “They’ve got nowhere else to go, although I don’t agree with them getting drunk and causing a nuisance.

“I go out most nights with my dog, we’ll find homeless people and I’ll give them jacket potatoes and sandwiches.

“It’s not much trouble, giving them some food and a chat, but it’s a good place to start.

“We shouldn’t judge someone from how they look, I’m not saying they are all good but they aren’t all bad. The reason they hang around the shop is that they have nowhere to go, sometimes they’ll go to places like the library where it’s warm.”

And Rev Jones added: “People become homeless for many different reasons. Their ages are right across the board, up to 65. It can be marriage break-ups, loss of homes for whatever reason, family problems – everyone of them has a unique reason.

“People also think they are all drinkers and wasters. One of two of them are living rather hazardous lives but a lot of them are not.”

<What do you think? Email your views to news@lbobserver.co.uk.