A school went into lockdown this morning as armed police detained a suspected gunman nearby.

Beds Police sent the armed officers and a helicopter to School Lane, Husborne Crawley – near the Husborne Crawley Lower School – at about 8.20am.

In what is the second incident of this type outside schools in Bedfordshire this month, the officers detained a man carrying what was believed to be an air rifle.

Beds Police has stated: “We received reports of a man with what was believed to be an air rifle in School Lane, Husbourne Crawley, at around 8.20am today (Wednesday).

“Armed officers attended with support from the police helicopter and the man was detained.

“The school were advised to keep the students inside as a precaution while the incident was ongoing.”

Parents have been taking to social media over the drama.

One said: “I live in the village and my children were in lockdown. Thank you to all the officers who attended and kept us safe.”

Another added: “Respect to the officers in attendance and great result! Hopefully the pupils were unaware of what was happening.”

It follows on from an incident on July 5 when three schools (Ardley Hill Academy, Watling Lower School, and Vale Academy) all went into lockdown mode after a suspected gunman was spotted in Dunstable.

> Were you affected by the incident today? Email news@lbobserver.co.uk or call 01582 798512

A century for Southill’s James Kettleborough wasn’t enough to stop Bedfordshire sliding to defeat against Lincolnshire earlier this week.

Beds opted to bat first at Bedford School but were all out for 183. Lincs then posted a hefty 419-6 in 40 overs, Monty Panesar and Tom Brett taking two wickets each.

The hosts batted better second time around with two century partnerships – opener Alex Howgego eventually fell for 98 while Kettleborough was unbeaten on 130 when the innings closed on 387.

Lincolnshire polished off the required runs to win by seven wickets, leaving them top of the Unicorns Championship Eastern Division and Bedfordshire rock bottom.

Road resurfacing will take place in Airport Way, Luton, over five nights from Monday, July 24 to Saturday, July 29.

The work will take place between 10pm and 5am and during these hours Airport Way will be closed and there will be diversions in operation to direct traffic around the works.

Marshals will also be on site, where possible, to assist residents and manage temporary traffic management arrangements.

Cllr Paul Castleman, portfolio holder for Highways at Luton Borough Council, said: “These works are a vital component in Luton’s investment in its roads and will help to alleviate potholes and stop them from forming. The works have been planned to minimise disruption, however there may be some inevitable delays.

“We ask drivers to take this into consideration when planning journeys, particularly passengers travelling to Luton Airport who are advised to allow extra time for their journey as the roadworks may cause some congestion.”

Anyone requiring further information should contact Angus Davison by phone on 01582 546965 or email Angus.Davison@luton.gov.uk

For up to date information on Luton’s roadworks, including diversion routes, visit www.luton.roadworks.org

Ice served in drinks at the three biggest fast food chains in the UK has been found to contain faecal bacteria.

An undercover investigation by the BBC’s Watchdog programme revealed that ice served at 10 randomly selected branches of McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King all contained faecal coliform bacteria.

The disturbing findings, being broadcast on BBC One tonight, Wednesday, come only three weeks after the programme revealed “significant levels” of faecal bacteria in iced drinks in three major coffee chains.

Government guidelines insist such bacteria should never be present in water for human consumption. Watchdog found evidence in three out of 10 branches of McDonald’s, in six at Burger King and seven at KFC.

Tony Lewis, head of policy and education at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said the findings were concerning.

“It’s extremely worrying,” he said. “When we’re finding the sorts of numbers we’re finding here, you have to look at the people making the ice, handling the ice, which they then transfer into customers’ drinks.

“And then you also have to look at hygiene failure with potentially the machines themselves: are they being kept clean?”

Responding to the investigation, all the fast food chains said they were carrying out an investigation into how the contamination had occurred.

A KFC spokesperson said: “We are shocked and extremely disappointed by these results. To reassure customers we have inspected and cleaned the ice machines in all restaurants across the UK.”

McDonalds said: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people and we will continue to review our procedures and training, working closely with our restaurant teams to ensure those procedures are adhered to at all times.”

A Burger King spokesperson added: “This report is an opportunity for us to emphasise our training procedures and ensure all operations and safety standards are upheld in all Burger King restaurants.”

Watchdog airs tonight on BBC One at 8pm.

Two sheep have been fatally wounded and four more seriously injured during a suspected dog attack, in an area restricted for conservation at Rushmere Country Park.

Sheep had been introduced to Buzzard Meadow, a conservation area of the park where no public access is allowed, on Sunday morning where they were to graze the land.

On Monday evening the injured animals were discovered – two were so badly injured they had to be put down to end their suffering.

The sheep were on loan from a local grazier who has now moved his sheep from the park and is unlikely to allow them to return.

Greensand Trust Chief Executive Gill Welham said: “The injuries to the sheep suggest this was caused by a dog.

“While we welcome dogs in many areas of the park, we ask visitors to respect our conservation areas and have control of their dogs at all times to avoid such damaging consequences.

“This is not an isolated incident - the growing frequency of these attacks puts this traditional (and, in some cases, the only sustainable) form of management at threat, not to mention the distress caused to the animals and the local farmers who have to deal with both the financial and breeding consequences of such losses.

“We work closely with graziers and rely on their support to provide animals to graze our land.

“The sheep were in a secure fenced area and should have been safe – we’d erected signs in the vicinity to let visitors know about the sheep.

“We ask for the support of all those who visit our site to help us raise awareness of this issue.”

Two vehicles collided yesterday afternoon in Ickneild Way, Eaton Bray, as an eyewitness reports that one of the cars was overturned.

The eyewitness claims: “The accident happened at about 4.30pm and a car overturned was spotted. The collision happened near where the area has been coned off for roadworks.”

A Bedfordshire Police spokeswoman, said: “We were called at approximately 4.30pm yesterday (July 18) to reports of a road traffic collision involving two cars in Icknield Way, Eaton Bray.

“Officers attended and no one is believed to be injured.”

Bassett Road Surgery Patient Participation Group in Leighton Buzzard has been awarded for its achievements at a national competition.

The group – set up five years ago to listen and liaise between the patients and the practice – came runner-up in the National Association for Patient Participation Corkhill Award for PPG of the Year.

A group of volunteers from the surgery’s PPG created booklets in 2015 containing information about health services, local authority services, aids to mobility, specialist support groups and transport services.

Chair of the Bassett Road Surgery PPG Edith Griffith thanked the PPG and staff members for working together at Bassett Road Surgery to maintain and further improve its patient-centred service and high standards of care which are reflected in the accolade.

She said: “We are absolutely delighted to have our PPG’s achievements recognised nationally and particularly the time and effort put in by the small group who created the Yellow Booklet for older people in the community.

“It’s also a pleasure to know that other PPG’s are now looking to emulate this and also other ideas we had implemented after we shared them at the NAPP award ceremony.”

Other examples of Basset Road Surgery’s achievements taken into consideration for the award include helping to refine the patient appointment system and sitting on staff appointment panels at all levels.

The group also holds regular meet and greet sessions in the surgery waiting room and have established a Monday morning health walk at three levels for the town.

Margaret Dews, of PPG Work Group, said: “We are currently preparing Issue Two and seeking funding for the 4,000 copies required. If any corrections are needed to entries featured in the first issue, we would be grateful if they could be sent to: PPG, Bassett Road Surgery, 29 Bassett Road, Leighton Buzzard.”

A football competition for schoolchildren in Leighton Buzzard hit the back of the net thanks to a welcome donation from Taylor Wimpey South Midlands.

The leading local housebuilder handed £500 over to Southcott Owls FC towards the cost of an inter-school football tournament, which was held last weekend.

Established by parents and run by a committee at Southcott Lower School, the football club is open to pupils in Reception through to Year 4 and regularly competes in local league matches and contests.

“The event is a way of raising funds for both the club and the school,” explains Michael Monger, Chairman of Southcott Owls FC and organiser of the competition.

“We strongly believe that every child should be given the chance to get involved with and discover a passion for football, and this is a great opportunity for pupils to do that.

“As a parent, I’m keen for my children to have fun outdoors and be active, and I think that this is something that many others want for their kids.

“If the children discover a love for the game, we encourage them to come along to the club and train with us.

“Not only does playing at the club get the children active, we’re also strong advocates of respect in the game, which helps students with their understanding and tolerance of others.”

The club’s support for youngsters in football goes beyond the players – it also gives refereeing opportunities to local young people.

During the tournament, four local Sports Leaders – two Year 8 pupils from Leighton Middle School and two Year 10 students from Cedars Upper School – gave up their day to referee the matches.

Taylor Wimpey’s donation helped to cover the cost of the medals and cups presented to participants in the tournament.

“On behalf of the club and the school, I would like to say a huge thank you to Taylor Wimpey.

“Their donation was a huge boost for the club and helped us to promote the importance of grass-roots football.”

Gareth Jacob, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey, added: “As a responsible housebuilder, we are committed to the communities in which we build our new homes, so we were delighted to make this donation to Southcott Owls FC.”

For more information about the club, visit www.clubwebsite.co.uk/southcottowls.

An airline passenger flying home from Ibiza sent his wife what he thought was a final text as the plane he was on plummeted towards the sea in a 40-50 degree nosedive.

Tom Miller, 39, managed to text “I love you babe” to his wife as the plane dived towards the Mediterranean ocean.

Tom said: “We were about 30 minutes into the flight when the pilot shouted ‘emergency descent, emergency descent’.

“He must have been speaking to the attendants because I remember them looking at each other and leaping into action.

“They had the snack trolleys out and the seat belt lights were off, but the staff ran flat out to put them back.

“Then the emergency masks dropped down and the plane started diving down in at least a 40-50 degrees dive.

“It seemed to go on forever but looking back it was probably only a couple of minutes. It felt like we were falling out of the sky.”

The passenger plane was flying from Ibiza to Leeds Bradford Airport with 180 passengers on board when what’s been described as a “minor fault” forced the pilot into the emergency dive.

Heating engineer Tom was coming home from a stag weekend in Ibiza with 14 of his friends who were all on the same flight.

Tom said: “You get your mask on and you panic because you think it’s not working. I had a kid next to me who was screaming, so I was making sure the kid’s mask was comfortable.

“Then I just sat there. I looked at my mates and we knew there was nothing we could do.

“Some of them were sat by the window and we looked at each other and the looks just said ‘this is how it ends’.

“At that point we just didn’t know. The plane was going down. There was nothing but sea beneath us and we were going down.

“It’s the sounds that change so much. I think that was the scariest bit.

“So I text my wife and told her I loved her. What else do you do?”

The Jet2 operated plane levelled out as soon as it reached a safe altitude and landed at Barcelona airport. The airline has since said that the flight was diverted due to a “minor technical issue”.

Tom said: “The plane eventually started to level out again and the Captain explained what had happened.

“The captain explained that there was a drop in cabin pressure and he had to get the plane down to a safe altitude.

“They didn’t tell us anything at the time though. We thought it was the end.

“It was just sheer relief really. Luckily I was with 14 of my mates so we tried to make light of it.”

The flight safely made it to Barcelona with no further issues and made an unplanned landing.

Tom said: “It’s hard but when you think about it afterwards it’s sending that text that chokes me up.

“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”

But that wasn’t the end of the ordeal for Tom and the rest of the passengers as the air conditioning had stopped working during the descent.

He said: “We were sat on the runway in Barcelona for what seemed like forever.

“I suppose it must have only been 40 minutes, but with no air conditioning we were all completely soaked in sweat.”

The passengers eventually boarded another plane back to Leeds around four hours later, but Tom described how some were too scared to get on it.

“I completely understand why they didn’t get back on, but I just wanted to get home,” explained Tom.

“I don’t know when I’ll get on a plane again. I don’t have to think about it at the moment because I’ve got a touring caravan holiday coming up.”

Jet2 has since apologised to those who were on the plane.

Reporting from SWNS/Ross Parry

These dramatic images capture a 1,200bhp drag racing car being engulfed in flames as it performs a ‘burn out’ on the start line at Santa Pod in Northamptonshire.

The ‘Dorris Doormouse’, a 552ci slingshot dragster, was warming up its enormous rear tyres at Santa Pod Raceway.

Amazingly, driver Dave Nelson casually held up a ‘V for victory’ sign as flames licked around him.

The dramatic effect is created by the tyres and track being doused in flammable liquid before the friction of the spinning wheels ignites the fluid.

Thankfully Dave went on to safely complete the quarter-mile sprint the ‘Dragstalia’ event on July 15.

A father from Linslade raised over £900 for Carers in Bedfordshire when he jumped from a plane at 13,000 feet.

Tony James, of Bideford Green, took on the Tandem Skydive at Sibson Airfield on Sunday, July 2, to say thank you to the charity for the support they have given him and his wife, who are carers for their son.

The couple’s 16-year-old son, Connor, was diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome when he was 11.

It is a condition where a change from sitting up to standing can cause an abnormal increase in heart rate, it typically causes dizziness, fainting, among other symptoms.

Connor suffers from muscular pain and has constant headaches.

Tony’s wife Sue was proud of him for taking on the challenge, something he will not be doing again in a hurry.

She said: “Considereing he did not put himself forward for the jump, and was the first out of the plane - not his choice either - he did very well.

“Although he said he is not in a hurry to do it again and is never planning to jump again!

“He has now raised £910 plus gift aid for the charity, an amazing amount.”

Carers in Bedfordshire provide support for carers of family members and friends throughout Bedfordshire.

The charity has supported the family over the last two years with monthly meetings, places to go, treatments and first aid training.

To make a donation to the charity, go to: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tony-james5

Eight vehicles were seized and over 200 speed checks were carried out as part of a road offences day of action yesterday (Wednesday) in the Leighton Buzzard area.

The Beds Police Op Sentinel team carried out the enforcement action in conjunction with officers from the Joint Protective Services (JPS) and the Northamptonshire cross-border team.

During the day:

> Eight vehicles were seized for having no insurance

> 200+ speed checks were carried out on the A505 bypass, with seven drivers now facing prosecution

> 22 intelligence reports were submitted

> 14 traffic offence reports were made

> One man was arrested on suspicion of a number of burglary offences

PC Luke Blackburn, from the Op Sentinel team, said: “Proactive days of action such as this are vital in helping to make Bedfordshire a safer place.

“We were really pleased with the results of the day and this was a fantastic example of us using partnership working to help crack down on those flouting the law.

“Hopefully this also serves as a lesson to other road users that if you do intend to break the law, whether it’s by speeding, not having insurance, or any other road-related offences, then we will be taking action.”

Bedfordshire Police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a Leighton Buzzard man have requested anonymity, an inquest hearing was told.

24-year-old Josh Pitt was shot dead by a firearms officers responding to a call in Hibbert Street, Luton, on November 9 last year.

A full inquest into the death of Mr Pitt has been scheduled for later this year.

At Ampthill Coroner’s Court today, The Police Federation appeared along with solicitors. They confirmed the officers involved have requested anonymity, however the coroner has yet to grant approval.

An investigator from the Independent Police Complaints Commission also attended the hearing, as did a solicitor for Mr Pitt’s partner. Both agreed to a full inquest in late November or early December following further submissions.

Mr Pitt’s mother is currently seeking legal representation.

Dad’s Army golfers at Leighton Buzzard’s Plantation Road club been shooting their way to victory at home and “abroad”.

Leading the charge, 77-year-old former Senior skipper Mike Bluett hit the lowest score of the 113 players in the July club medal, his nett 64 beating fellow senior and section vice captain David Roberts, Stephen Schmidt and Dharm Naveen Diwakar by a single shot.

The top Division One players were Darren Alexander and former County age-group champion John Tarbox who both carded nett 66s.

Mike, a retired IT civil servant, who has been a member of the Leighton club for 18 years along with wife Betty, teamed up with Rob Tate and Kelvin Young to finish runners-up in the Dunstable Downs Seniors invitational, losing on countback to Harpenden Common, with Kelvin’s individual score of 39 points being the best of the day.

A Leighton Seniors team consisting of skipper David Debell, David Roberts, Robbie John, George Darbyshire, Denis Leitch and Peter Myrants won the hotly contested Rhys Richards competition at Stowe, beating the hosts, Aspley Guise and North Oxford with a 195 point total.

For good measure, Leighton Seniors, after sharing the spoils against Stocks in a 3-3 draw, beat South Beds 6-2. Ron Dickinson and Keith Camp and David Roberts and Christopher Figg won their games against Stocks, with Mike Manning and John Halstead and Morley Smith and Kelvin Young halving their games.

In the victory over South Beds, Terry Wright and David Debell, Mike Bluett and Denis Leitch, Christopher Figg and George Darbyshire, Graham Avery and Kevin O’Donoghue and Michael Perkins and Gerry Ferris all carded winning scores.

Leighton Seniors Over 70 competition for the Tom Davis trophy was won by Peter Norton with a nett 69, with Mike Bluett runner-up.

Talks over the handover of a community lake from a developer to Central Bedfordshire Council are still dragging on after several years – as Beds Police issues a summer warning about the dangers of swimming in risky water areas.

Previously highlighted as a hazard, Pratts Quarry at the Sandhills Estate in Leighton Buzzard was due to be handed over by developers Arnold White Estates to CBC as part of Section 106 planning agreements.

The recreational lake - which filled in a crater at Pratt’s Quarry - was built by Arnold White Estates when they constructed the estate.

It was always intended that the responsibility for the lake would be handed over to Central Bedfordshire Council as a recreational facility, but negotiations stumbled over the amount of money that would be handed over to run the lake.

Back in February it was indicated to the LBO by Taylor Wimpey that an agreement was on the verge of being completed, but that appears to have been premature.

Three summers ago councillors, as well as the Southern Residents Group, urgently called on Sibelco to take action at the site after youngsters got through fencing to wade into the water.

Town and CBC councillor Amanda Dodwell said at the time: “My greatest concern is the hazard posed by the lake.

“A number of residents have reported seeing children playing in the water, and I fear that as we approach the summer months this type of activity will only increase.

“I don’t want to be a killjoy, but playing in a flooded quarry is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Even on a hot day, the water will be extremely cold, and even the strongest of swimmers can very quickly get into difficulty.”

This week, following the Beds Police warning, she added talks on the lake remained in a stalemate.

Cllr Dodwell said: “The negotiations between the owner of the lake and Central Bedfordshire Council are ongoing. However, part of the section 106 agreement between AWE and the council does make provision for the area around the lake to be opened up for recreational use. I hope that we will very soon see progress on this.”

A spokesman for Central Beds Council added: “The owners of the lake, Arnold White Estates, offered the lake to Central Beds Council. However, this was declined as the council decided that the package offered would place an unacceptable ongoing financial burden on the council and there is no requirement for the council to adopt the lake.

“The legal agreement in place still requires the lake to be managed and access to be provided by public rights of way. It will be up to the owner either to do this themselves or via a third party and bear the costs associated with this.”

When the lake’s future is finally resolved it will lead to Anglian Water adopting the sewerage network from Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey, which in turn should result in Central Beds Council adopting the roads across the development.

Building of the estate began in the early 2000s, but despite 1,500 houses now being constructed, so far just three roads (Johnson Drive, Kestrel Way and Turnham Drive) have been taken on by CBC.

> This week’s Beds Police warning stated that taking a quick dip could have potential tragic consequences.

The force is encouraging people to pay a visit to the county’s many leisure centres and lidos instead.

Those walking, running or cycling near open water should also ensure they stay well clear of bank edges to avoid trips and falls.

Chief Inspector Hob Hoque said: “Even the strongest of swimmers can get into difficulty as a result of undercurrents and deeper water, a bit of fun splashing around can soon turn into something a lot more tragic - as we have unfortunately seen in previous years.”

Two people have died and more than 120 have been injured in an early morning earthquake off the coast of Greek islands and Turkey.

The quake, said to have been up to a magnitude of 6.7, struck south of the Turkish city of Bodrum and east of the Greek island of Kos - areas popular with British holidaymakers.

Buildings on Kos were damaged by the tremors, which prompted a small tsunami, flooding parts of the island.

Tourists had to flee their hotel rooms when the quake hit at around 1.30am, and have been experiencing aftershocks throughout the night.

A number of Britons have spoken of their fear when they felt tremors as the quake struck.

Lauren Duffy, from Merseyside, said glass and broken pieces of marble statues were among the debris strewn near her hotel in the wake of the earthquake.

The University of Chester student, who is staying at the Atlantis Hotel in Lambi, a short drive from Kos Town which is believed to have been worst affected, spent the night outside with fellow guests as aftershocks continued to rock the island.

The 20-year-old, who is on holiday with her mother and sister, told the Press Association: “We were woken up by really aggressive shaking.

“We didn’t know what it was. You couldn’t find your balance. It was just a scary situation.”

The trio are due to leave Kos on Sunday but said: “I think if the option came up to fly home early I think we would accept it at this stage.”

Naomi Ruddock, who is on holiday in Kos with her mother Eleanor, said a staff member told her it was the worst earthquake the area had seen.

The 22-year-old from London, who is staying at the Akti Palace Hotel in Kardamena said: “The restaurant manager just said that he’s never seen anything like this ever happen ever around this area or ever in Greece. He said it was like something out of a film, and it was.”

Describing the quake she said: “We were asleep and we just felt the room shaking. The room moved. Literally everything was moving. And it kind of felt like you were on a boat and it was swaying really fast from side to side, you felt seasick.”

Former footballer Kevin McNaughton said he is near Dalaman, around 120 miles from Bodrum in Turkey.

The ex-Cardiff City player tweeted: “Jesus just experienced earthquake in turkey, literally crapped myself room shaking allover place, Just stood outside now no sure what to do.”

The effects of the quake were felt by people miles away from the epicentre. Many ran from their homes or holiday apartments with pillows and blankets, according to one Briton who is staying in Didim, around 60 miles from Bodrum.

Kristian Stevens, from Nelson in Lancashire said he felt the building he was in “shake like a jelly”.

Sophie Wild said she fled her third floor accommodation in Altinkum, around 500 miles from Bodrum, when she woke to a loud banging noise.

The 21-year-old from Canterbury in Kent said she was woken by a loud banging noise. She told the Press Association: “ When we realised it was an earthquake, we got an immediate sense to get out, we thought the building was going to crumble around us. We ran down our stairs (were on third floor).

“People were running out of rooms, banging on people’s doors to make sure they were out. Everyone just ran outside and waited for a couple of hours - it’s only now that people are starting to go back to their rooms. There are a few cracks in the walls but otherwise staff says it’s safe.”

The Foreign Office advised Britons in surrounding areas to follow the advice of local authorities and tour operators. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are speaking to the Turkish and Greek authorities following an earthquake off the coast of Bodrum and near the island of Kos.

“Any British people in the areas affected should follow the instructions of local authorities.”

Crime across Bedfordshire is up 5% in the year up to March 2017 according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics.

Nationally the rise is 10%

The county’s Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway said it was “common sense” that the national trend in rising robbery, burglary and violent crime is down to a lack of neighbourhood policing.

But she also said increases in certain crime types reflect a growing confidence in reporting them to the police.

“Ten years ago robberies and burglaries in Bedfordshire were at a higher level than today but I’m not going to duck the fact that here, as across the country as a whole, these volume crimes are starting to go up again. You cannot strip neighbourhood policing out of a county like ours - as happened four years ago - and not face the consequences down the line. That’s precisely why the Chief Constable and I are trying to wring every penny out of our budget and increase the frontline by almost 10% by April next year.

“It’s also absolutely true to say that ten years ago public confidence to report crimes like hate crime and, especially, sexual crimes like rape and historic child sex abuse meant we had far more hidden victims. It’s generally accepted in modern policing, in 2017, that if your recording of crimes like these is going up, the public have a higher level of trust in you so this study is absolutely genuinely a double-edged sword.”.

“Only funds to give me more neighbourhood police to prevent crime will work. I cannot wave a wand to produce more police without the money to pay for them even though I’m incredibly proud to have recruited 96 new officers over the last financial year and 100 more this year,” she said.

She said crime is changing and the police are having to adapt, both nationally and locally, to deal with new and emerging forms of offending.

“Ten years ago nobody would have forecast the need for Bedfordshire Police to spend more than £1m on a new cyber-crime unit as the Force did this year, because we are all more likely to be a victim of online crime than any other type. We also have brand new crimes now like revenge pornography, where former partners use sexual images to blackmail and cause great distress,” she said.

The Commissioner pointed to the reorganisation of Bedfordshire Police’s detectives into specialist units as proof that the Force is responding to changing crime demand but said she would not pretend that this alone would halt a rise in crime.

“In the first six months since the Force created Operation Emerald - the team dealing with rape, serious sexual assault, child sex abuse and domestic violence, it produced more charges than in the previous six years. The number of repeat domestic abuse cases also fell by 192.

“Bedfordshire Police is aiming for similar success with its other specialist units like Operation Boson which focuses on gang, gun and knife crime but there is only so much we can do in the face of overwhelming demand with around 1,000 officers for a population of 644,000.”

The figures have been published as Home Office data indicates the number of police officers is at its lowest since 1985.

In the year to March 2017 there were 42,765 reported crimes, including 10,273 for violence against a person, six homicides, 927 sex offences, 720 robberies, 21,436 thefts and 3,104 domestic burglaries.

Nine lifestyle and environmental changes starting in childhood could prevent a third of dementia cases according to an international study.

The panel of 24 international experts identified a range of modifiable risk factors they believe to be responsible for around 35 per cent of all instances of dementia, including Alzheimer’s.

Different risk factors were said to make an impact at different stages in life, having an accumulating effect.

Better education in early life and addressing hearing loss, high blood pressure and obesity in mid-life could reduce the incidence of dementia by up to 20 per cent, the research suggests.

In later life, stopping smoking, treating depression, increasing physical activity, managing diabetes and enhancing social contact could reduce dementia rates a further 15 per cent, according to the findings.

Professor Lon Schneider, a member of the team from the University of Southern California in the US, said: “There’s been a great deal of focus on developing medicines to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

“But we can’t lose sight of the real major advances we’ve already made in treating dementia, including preventive approaches.

“The potential magnitude of the effect on dementia of reducing these risk factors is larger than we could ever imagine the effect that current, experimental medications could have. Mitigating risk factors provides us a powerful way to reduce the global burden of dementia.”

The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care brought the experts together to review a wealth of existing research and data and make evidence-based recommendations.

Their conclusions are published in The Lancet journal and were also presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London.

In the UK an estimated 850,000 people are living with dementia, most of whom have Alzheimer’s.

An estimated 90,000 people have dementia in Scotland. Around 3,200 of these people are under the age of 65.

The Lancet commission also looked at the effectiveness of non-medical treatments for people with dementia.

The experts found that psychological and social interventions were better than anti-psychotic drugs for treating dementia-related agitation and aggression. Some forms of non-medical therapy such as group cognitive stimulation and exercise led to improvements in mental ability.

Sixteen child sex offences involving adults in positions of trust, have been recorded in Bedfordshire since 2011-12, new figures show.

But the NSPCC fears the true extent of abuse is much worse, because the law doesn’t apply to youth work roles such as sports coaches and leaders of religious groups.

There has been a 57% increase in recorded Abuse of Position of Trust offences in England and Wales where professionals such as teachers or care staff have sexual contact with 16 or 17-year- old

children they work with. In total, 1,290 offences have been recorded since 2011-12.

In Bedfordshire there have been 16 recorded offences since 2011-12.

The NSPCC’s #TrustToLead campaign is calling for laws on Position of Trust to be extended, to better protect children in sport and other youth activities.

A legal loophole means adults with regular and intense contact with children in sport and other activities are able to groom them from a young age, and abuse that trusting relationship to have

sexual contact as soon as the child turns 16.

This was what happened to Lee* who was befriended by youth leader, Adam* at his church group when he was 15. Adam began texting Lee and asking to spend time together outside of the group.

Lee said: “Adam started by sitting closer to me on the sofa, trailing his finger on to mine. Things which I thought were weird but not big enough to react to.”

Things escalated to kissing and sexual contact when Lee turned 16.

He added: “I was so confused but knew what he was doing was wrong. I wanted it to stop but part of me was afraid to speak out because I didn’t want to get him in trouble.”

NSPCC Head of Policy, Almudena Lara, said: “Safeguarding in children’s clubs should not end suddenly at 16. The NSPCC has been told of a number of cases where in sports and other youth work settings,

leaders have used their position to groom children, and then take advantage of them as soon as they

turn 16.   

“It is baffling that sports coaches and other youth workers are not deemed to be in a position of trust, given the significant responsibility, influence and authority that adults in these roles have over

the children they are there to look after.

“Sadly, we know that this trust can be abused and it is therefore vital that this legal definition is widened to include sports coaches and other youth workers, bolstering protection for teenagers at risk of grooming once they pass the age of consent.”

Francis today - go online to see more photos of Mr Pierozynski’s teaching days at www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk

Francis Pierozynski, known to students as “Mr P”, first came to the school in 1982, and says that the children, his colleagues, and the setting of Southcott, have meant he has never wanted to leave.

He told the LBO: “Every morning I come in and when I look out the window it’s like being in a park. Whatever the weather, whatever time of year, it’s beautiful out there.

“It’s just a beautiful environment to work in.”

Francis has actually 
worked under every headteacher in Southcott’s history, from Mr Davis (“He made me very welcome from my first day,”) to Mrs Middleton (“A real people person who just loved the children,”), Mrs Ellyard (“Very good, particularly with all the changes that were taking place in education,”) and then Mrs Varney (“A very nice lady,”).

And the current headteacher Mrs Laundy has been known to Francis for many years - as she first came to school as a work 
experience student in his 
lessons: “I knew within two days I knew that she would be awesome as a teacher.”

Although youngsters know Francis as “Mr P”, even the first name he goes by is not his real monicker.

He was actually born as Zbigniew Pierozynski, and was brought up as a boy in Lemington Spa with Polish as his first language.

He said: “The first word the teacher taught me at school was ‘Toilet’ so I could put my hand up if I need to be excused in class.

“I always thought I was one of the thick kids at school - I was ever any good at education as a student myself! 
But I think that’s helped me to empathise with all the 
children of all abilities.

“Now I’ve done my time though, and I’m going to look after my own family.”