Shocking CCTV footage has been released to help put the brakes on reckless drivers hitting refuse workers as they push past in their cars and mount pavements to avoid bin lorries.

In a bid to crack down on the risks posed to refuse collectors, waste company Biffa fitted all new lorries with 360 degree cameras to help pursue prosecutions.

The company said workers had previously seen dangerous drivers as an occupational hazard, and estimates there are 30,000 incidents of motorists driving recklessly on pavements every month - or about 1,000 per day.

Video footage shows drivers mounting pavements in trucks and vans to avoid the lorries and even bumping into workers.

In one shocking near-miss, a little boy riding his bike along the pavement is just a few feet away from being hit by a driver who veers towards him to get past a bin lorry.

A spokesman for Biffa said: “The issue is far, far greater than the industry, or the public, could ever possibly imagine.

“The careless behaviour of drivers has been accepted by our staff as ‘part of the job’.

“Up until recently, many rarely reported such incidents to their managers, let alone the police.”

Two years ago Biffa started fitting cameras to bin lorries in a bid to prompt workers to report the incidents, as 94 per cent went unprosecuted despite driving on the pavement being banned in the Highway Code and also the Highways Act.

The waste company says that one in three incidents is now being prosecuted in Staffordshire, where the police force helped design a template for reporting dangerous driving.

Since a campaign, Driving Recklessly on Pavements (DROPs) was launched, more and more police forces are now on board, halving the number of incidents in some areas.

One in three of the 300 reported incidents of illegal driving by Biffa staff led to prosecution according to police figures.

Some older trucks are still not fitted with cameras but Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents praised the initiative.

Matt Adcock reviews The Ritual (15), starring Rafe Spall

This is the unhappy tale of what happens following the untimely death of a nice guy called Rob (Paul Reid) whose pal, Luke (Rafe Spall), hid rather than stepped up to try and save him. Ridden with guilt, Luke joins his other friends Hutch (Robert James-Collier), Phil (Arsher Ali) and Dom (Sam Troughton) on a hike in Sweden in memory of Rob. But it’s not long before the group are being hunted through the forest wilderness by something terrifying and the body count starts to rise.

The Ritual is an effective survival horror which takes tropes from films such as The Blair Witch Project and The Wicker Man and mixes them up with some nasty Nordic mythology. The acting is strong for a horror and the build up works really well. Each of the friends have their own demons but together they are a good bunch of guys who bring some quality believable banter and plenty of laughs before they start to come apart (literally in some cases). Having real empathy with the protagonists makes you care about them when things start to get bad – and the nerve shredding slow burn build up is expertly handled.

Director David Bruckner has a great eye for visuals and some of the Swedish landscape cinematography is just stunning. The friends I saw this with were suitably freaked out as the group stumble upon sinister warning signs after taking an ill advised short cut through a creepy forest.

When the running and screaming starts it delivers a fascinatingly twisted scenario and the plot shifts from a tense stalk'n'jump horror to full on crazy Nordic ‘pagan-em-up’. It’s a shame that the ending – however unsettling - feels a but rushed and silly after the excellent work that has gone before.

Even as the friends find themselves in a horrific life or death situation the chemistry and group dynamics hold firm elevating what could have been a very average horror effort to something that is really worth checking, as long as you have the stomach for grisly goings on.

The ‘big bad’ in the film is something that hasn’t been seen on film before either which is a plus, but the trim running time means that there isn’t enough bridge from the hidden killer to the ‘well that’s just freaky’ monster mash.

If you go down to the woods today, you’ll be both scared and entertained but might not make it out alive…

In a split second, someone’s life can be changed forever.

It could be when they are Picking their kids up from school, when making their way home from a night out, or, as it did for Miriam Parker, when walking across the road at a pedestrian crossing.

Miriam, a teenager and aspiring nurse, was hit by a driver who jumped a red light in 2014.

She spent a month in intensive care, underwent five major operations and had to re-learn to walk, talk and eat. The driver received a fine and a driving ban.

This is just one example of how in a split second an irresponsible driver can cause carnage to a completely innocent person’s life.

It’s an example too of how our justice system has fallen short in providing for punishments that fit the crime.

Likewise, drivers who bring death and destruction onto our roads because they are speeding, drunk or high on drugs should face the full force of the law.

But too often, victims and their families are left feeling justice has not been done.

Too often, they watch as the defendant who was behind the wheel gets only a handful of months or years in prison or leaves the court with just a fine or a driving ban.

I have heard this anguish from victims first-hand.

That’s why last year, we put forward our proposals in a consultation to increase the powers judges have to hand down tougher sentences in these cases.

The fact that there has been such an overwhelming response – including from victims, bereaved families, road safety groups and charities – shows just how important this issue is to so many.

Today, following that consultation, we are announcing our plans, including two key changes to the law.

First, we will bring in tougher penalties for the very worst cases.

An offender who kills someone as a result of driving dangerously, or carelessly whilE under the influence of drink or drugs will face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Second, we will create a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving. This will allow judges to hand down much tougher penalties in cases like Miriam’s.

Nobody who has inflicted such horrific and life-changing injuries from behind the wheel should only face a fine or a driving ban.

This new offence will close that current gap in the law.

Of course, no sentence can make up for the anguish caused from a loved one being killed or seriously injured.

However, these changes will allow families a sense that justice has been done, that the punishment fits the crime.

The tougher penalties will also act as a deterrent which can, in turn, save lives. The message will be that if you drive and destroy innocent lives, you will feel the full force of the law.

These measures are just one part of this government’s wider action to improve safety on our roads, following recent devastation caused by dangerous and irresponsible motorists and cyclists.

We must do everything we can to ensure our roads are safe for all of us who use them – and that we have the right punishments and deterrents at the disposal of our courts to achieve that.

Dominic Raab is Conservative MP for Esher and Walton and Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice

The latest news as Ophelia – the storm expected to bring 80mph winds to Britain and Ireland today (Monday) – was first tracked nearly 900 miles off the coast of the Azores on October 9.

We bring you the latest updates as Storm Ophelia hits the UK. Follow our live feed for news throughout the day.

The largest repatriation scheme in British history ended today when the last flight to rescue Monarch holidaymakers touched down in Luton Airport.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s two-week flying programme ended at just after 03:30. The flight from Tel Aviv with 122 passengers on board brought to a close the programme that was launched in response to the Monarch Airlines administration.

The final day included 23 flights with seats for 4,500 people from 20 destinations.

The 24/7 CAA operation saw more than 60 aircraft, from 27 global airlines involved in the programme, with support from many government departments and agencies, a wide range of aviation industry operators and businesses at home and abroad. During the operation, almost 85,000 people flew to six airports in the UK, from more than 30 destinations in 14 countries across the Mediterranean and beyond, including Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Sweden and Israel. In total, the operation has flown more than 1.5 million miles.

Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority, said: “This has been a phenomenal challenge and one that has required the cooperation and support of many businesses, government departments and individuals. I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has played their part. Completing this unique two week flying programme has only been possible because of the dedication and commitment of so many people.

“It was a very sad day when Monarch went into administration and our thoughts remain with all the Monarch employees who have lost their jobs. We know that companies across the aviation sector are identifying opportunities for Monarch staff and we will do all that we can to offer support where possible. The UK has a strong and successful aviation industry and the skills offered by Monarch employees are sure to be in demand.

“We’ve operated almost 570 dedicated flights to return passengers to the UK, with 98 per cent of passengers arriving home on the day of their original departure. Like any other airline, we faced operational challenges, including bad weather and air traffic control strikes. Despite this, so much of the feedback we have received from passengers has been very positive. This was not a job that any of us wanted to do but we are pleased to have all played our part in Britain’s largest peacetime repatriation.”

While the main repatriation programme has now ended, the CAA is proactively contacting all 1,000 ATOL protected passengers still abroad in order to arrange alternative flights to get them home when their trip has ended. Our dedicated website ‘monarch.caa.co.uk’ will remain online with additional information for passengers still abroad.

Andrew Haines, continued, “We will continue to support ATOL protected customer yet to return to the UK and have already started to refund ATOL protected passengers who have sadly lost their holiday.”

South Beds Friends of the Earth is heralding the virtues of Leighton Buzzard’s Farmers’Market, which it says reveals that the farmers have comparable or cheaper products than three major supermarkets.

FoE carried out the snapshot price comparison between the shops and two farmers who are speaking at a public meeting in the town on October 18 (All Saints Church at 7.45pm) and who will be selling their produce at the farmers’ market on Saturday, October 21.

It showed that some products such as joints of beef and stewing steak from Morgan Pell Farms were significantly cheaper than comparable products such as Aberdeen Angus brands at Tesco and Waitrose. Cold pressed Chiltern Rapeseed Oil from Wilstone Great Farm near Marsworth sells for 10p cheaper per 100ml than Tesco and 40p cheaper than Waitrose.

Victoria Harvey, of South Bedfordshire Friends of the Eart, said: “This price comparison shows that the farmers’ market is the same price and is sometimes significantly cheaper for quality meat and rapeseeds oil as supermarkets as well as very good value for money.

“The food is traceable and the farms support wildlife and the environment.

“The food comes straight from the farm to the farmers market rather than travelling hundreds of miles on motorways to supermarket distribution centres.

“Supporting our local farmers makes sense for so many reasons.”

Andrew Selous MP added: “It is really important to support our local farmers. We have got great producers locally and we can reduce food miles as well.”

Frustrated shoppers were stuck for up to half an hour in Leighton Buzzard’s West Street car park, after broadband troubles meant the barrier wouldn’t open.

One 73-year-old driver, who contacted the LBO, had hoped to leave the car park at 11.10am last Tuesday, but was trapped until about 11.35am, as a faulty broadband connection meant the camera couldn’t recognise car registration numbers in order to raise the barrier.

Each motorist had to press the exit intercom to contact security, and escaping the “dingy car park” proved to be a slow process...

The Heath Road resident, who was late for an appointment, claimed: “There were about ten cars in front of me and the barrier wasn’t going to let us out. I was on the second floor but I think the queue went up to the third.

“People were just turning their cars off, waiting politely and being very British.

“When you got to the barrier you had to press the button and speak to the security company, but when I told the lady I was in Leighton Buzzard car park, she said: ‘where are you?’ The clue had been in the statement ‘Leighton Buzzard car park’!

“I have been caught out before since the council got the new number plate recognition system, and the camera has not recognised my car’s registration number.

“The payment machines are also in the dark, they no longer have a full-time attendant and there is a lot of litter.”

The resident contacted Central Bedfordshire Council and received an apology, informing him that there had been a BT broadband issue.

A Central Bedfordshire Council spokesman, said: “The new number plate recognition equipment was installed in May 2017 as the preferred method of technology.

“BT can suffer the same issues you may have at home where occasionally you can lose broadband connection.

“Unfortunately this meant the equipment went down for a short time at our Leighton Buzzard car park. When this happens we override the barriers to let people out.

“There are still security patrols at the car park, with three patrols a day.”

>Have you experienced diffulties at the car park? Email new@lbobserver.co.uk

Police officers have been receiving extra lessons in high-speed car chases - by playing a PlayStation VIDEO GAME at Silverstone race track on the border of Northants and Bucks.

PlayStation has partnered up with Lincolnshire Police for a trial in order to provide extra tuition to specialist drivers using Gran Turismo Sport.

The project - which aims to boost skill and safety - has seen officers clock an initial lap time at nearby Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix.

The four drivers then received specialist training using the game, including a new virtual reality mode.

Any areas for improvement such as under or oversteer, braking late and carrying too much speed in corners were identified, with GT Sport used to demonstrate correct techniques.

The officers then went out on a second lap and demonstrated markedly improved results - with one shaving 5.7 seconds of their initial lap time.

Between them, the four officers improved their times by 14 seconds after being taught using the video game, which hits the stores on Wednesday (18/10).

Shaun West, police spokesman, said: “There will never be a replacement for traditional training methods but we are always looking for innovative ways to supplement the learning of our officers and staff.

“If Gran Turismo can help to train world class racing drivers, then we were keen to explore whether it could offer anything to our officers and help expand the way we think about evolving and refreshing our training methods.

“It’s important to emphasise that exploring other methods such as this is not in any way seeking to substitute the rigorous training we already have in place but is simply another way to potentially bolster those existing programmes that our officers undertake.”

“Because road safety is of paramount importance in Lincolnshire we want to ensure our practices are as up-to-date and innovative as possible.

“Our F4tal 4 campaign focuses on the four main causes of injury and death on the roads: drink/drug driving, speeding, mobile phones and seatbelts.

“Anyone who chooses not to comply with the standards outlined in Fatal4, and is therefore putting themselves and other members of the public at risk, must do so within the realms of a game like GT Sport or on a racetrack like Silverstone.

“We don’t want that kind of driving on Lincolnshire’s roads.

“Also, we’re really keen to progress our immersive learning and exploring this type of training fits that brief well.

“What more could we do to ensure our officers are trained to the highest standards while also accommodating the needs of a workforce that works varied hours, in a number of locations, and has different needs and expectations of respective roles?

“Taking technology like we have trialed in GT Sport, and the software that is in devices like our Mobile Data Terminals which, for example, may allow us to offer immersive learning in areas such as Child Sexual Exploitation, means we are exploring different ways to enhance and augment our traditional training methods.

“Ensuring we utilise the skills and learning of our officers and staff means they can only offer a better service to the people of Lincolnshire.

“For all of these reasons, not to mention the fact that this also offered us a chance to do something different, we were really pleased to work with PlayStation on this experience and found the results of this really interesting.

“It’s something we will certainly take away and think about and see if we can use any elements of it in the future to add on to our established training methods.”

Leighton Town are up to fourth in SSML Premier Division after making it three leauge wins in a row on Saturday, beating Tring Athletic 4-2.

Following their excellent midweek 2-1 win over Hoddesdon, Scott Reynolds’ side were looking to extend their fine run of form, which has seen them win five of their last six outings in all competitions.

But they had to come from behind against Tring, who took a surprise lead early on. James Hatch equalised after 25 minutes but Leighton would go in at the break trailing after some poor defending gifted Tring the lead once more.

They had to wait until midway through the second half to draw level again though, when Lewis McBride cut through the Tring defence after some clever work by Dom Marsala and drove a low shot into the bottom corner.

Lorrell Smith, who missed the midweek win, came off the bench to fire Town ahead with 20 minutes to go, after rounding the keeper.

Smith would turn out to be the game changer for Leighton as he played a key role in the fourth too. Sprinting into the box, he was tugged back by a Tring defender, leaving the referee no choice but to award the spot kick.

Marsala made no mistakes in firing Town 4-2 ahead with 12 mintues to go, holding on to claim victory while moving into the top four in Premier Division.

The face Burnham in the FA Vase this Saturday.

Ten new jobs have been created for the community after Hockliffe’s McDonald’s recently received a digital makeover.

After significant investment from Ismail Anilmis, who runs the Hockliffe restaurant, customers now have more options when ordering food and a table service is also now available.

The new table service aims to take the stress out of finding somewhere to sit when carrying food, sometimes with children, bags and buggies.

Customer feedback has been positive with families enjoying the ease of not having to leave children unattended while queuing, and people feel it means they have more time to chat with friends and family.

There are now two self-order kiosks which allow customers to browse the menu, look at nutritional information and personalise their meals, giving people more time to consider what to order.

Ismail Anilmis started working for McDonald’s over 35 years ago and now runs 10 restaurants.

He said: “Since we’ve re-opened last week we’ve noticed a change in how our customers are treating our restaurant.

“People who used to pop in for a quick bite to eat are staying longer to make use of the tech we now have on offer, such as our tablets and free Wifi – it’s great to see!

“These changes have been designed to make our customers’ experience as positive as possible and the new technology benefits everyone – whether that’s providing people with a chance to get to grips with using a tablet in a relaxed environment, or providing mums with a quick and easy way of ordering their food.

“We’ve had such great pleasure in welcoming our regular customers back into the restaurant and meeting new ones.”

The changes that have been made in store have been designed with changing customer needs in mind.

A total of over 400 top cyclists from around the region descended on Leighton Buzzard last Sunday for the third round of this year’s Central Cyclocross League, successfully organised by the Leighton Buzzard Road Cycling Club.

Now in its second year, the event attracted nearly 100 more entrants than the 2016 edition, with competitors of all ages blessed with much better weather and a challenging, extended course on the playing fields of the Cedars Upper School.

The hour-long senior men’s race was won by Richard Jones (Renvale RT), who pulled away from nearest rival Joe Peake (Rapha Racing Team) in the second half to win by a minute and 20 seconds.

Of a healthy home contingent of 11 LBRCC riders, Ben Sampson was the highest finisher, placing 20th in a strong 60-man field, followed by Dan Brennan in 24th and Neil Green in 32nd.

Alice Winfield of LBRCC took 2nd place in the Junior Ladies for the club.

Hollie Bettles (Renvale RT) claimed top honours in the women’s race, beating Fran Whyte (Bicester Millennium CC) by 19 seconds.

>> Leighton Buzzard Road Cycling Club are always keen to hear from riders who would like to join the team. If you’re interested, visit www.lbrcc.com

A Husborne Crawley pub is back open after a car crashed into one of its windows and a diner was thrown from her chair.

On October 5, a road traffic collision involving two vehicles occurred in Mill Road at 5.15pm, causing one vehicle to smash into the front of The White Horse Pub.

Both the female diner and the driver were taken to hospital as a precaution, with the diner still requesting the meal she had ordered before they were evacuated by the fire service!

However, staff are pleased to announce that the pub is now back open (as of Thursday, October 12) and that they are looking forward to a busy Christmas season.

Matt Henman, landlord, said: “Thank you to everyone for their support. We are currently back open and trading!

“We are waiting for the window to be sorted but that is going to be a few weeks yet; we are open as normal and are taking Christmas bookings.

“We’ve not had a bad weekend, and the road was also back open on Wednesday (October 11).

“The window is all boarded up and boxed in. There are acrow bars, which are basically a prop going from the floor to the ceiling for support, while the wall and the window get rebuilt.

“You can’t see them though, as we’ve had a wooden wall put up inside. I have painted it and put some pictures on it. I am also looking to bring more lighting into the pub.

“My family and I moved back to the pub on Friday night and now it’s just a case of getting everything sorted and back to normal.”

A Bedfordshire Police spokeswoman, said: “One of the vehicles had damaged the exterior of the White Horse pub.

“The vehicles were recovered and those involved were treated for slight injuries. The damage caused by the car at The White Horse.”

Officers are investigating the circumstances of the collision and anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101 quoting reference 300 of Thursday, October 5.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokeswoman, said: “We were called at 5.11pm on October 5 to reports of a road traffic collision on Mill Road.

“An ambulance crew was dispatched to help. At the scene they assessed a woman, believed to be in her 50s. “The patient was taken to Bedford Hospital for further care.”

The fire service also reported a male casualty.

A Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue spokesman, said: “We were called at 17.17pm (on October 5) and sent pumps from Ampthill and Kempston and the Special Rescue Unit from Kempston.

“When we got there we didn’t need to free the male casualty from the vehicle but paramedics did take him to hospital.

“We assisted in making the scene safe and a structural engineer was called in from Central Bedfordshire Council.

“Highways Agency closed the road for a while and we didn’t leave the scene until 21.53.”

> To make a booking for when the pub reopens, email: whitehorsehc@gmail.com

Leighton Buzzard’s miserable season continued on Saturday with their fifth defeat in a row, this time going down 42-10 to Bugbrooke.

While they took on opposition from the bottom half of the table for the first time this season, a poor second half performance saw Buzzards well beaten, and only their opening day league win is keeping them off the bottom of Midlands 1 East.

Three new faces lined up for their Buzzards debuts, and for the first half at least, it was a tightly contested battle.

Despite falling 10-0 behind after 18 minutes, Matt Stacey, pictured above, capitalised when Reece Harris-Smith broke through the Bugbrooke line as Leighton pulled it back to 10-7.

A penalty shortly before the interval saw the home side extend their lead, but at 13-7 it was still all to play for heading into the second half.

Leighton though capitulated and allowed Bugbrooke to run in four unanswered tries.

It took just two second half minutes for Bugbrooke to extend their lead, despite a knock-on in the build-up, to open the gap to 20-10.

And it seemed to swing the momentum of the game, with Bugbrooke kicking a penalty before another score from Adam Pepper saw them go well clear.

A lucky bounce of the ball allowed Bugbrooke another try togo 35-10 ahead, but worse was to come as Eddie Wiggins, Leighton’s biggest threat, left the field with suspected ligament damage.

There was still time for another Bugbrooke score to rub it in, completing the rout at 42-10.

A golf club in LBO land has met with another act of mindless vandalism after thieves broke into the centre on a Sunday night – damaging buggies and stealing their batteries.

It’s a difficult blow for Tilsworth Golf Centre as each buggy costs an estimated £8,000 and the centre is forced to rely on its insurance to cover the loss.

It is also the second time the centre has been targeted, with around three buggies written off following a previous incident last Christmas.

In a statement on the group’s Facebook page, it was stated: “I’m sorry to report that we have had a further attack from those mindless idiots.

“[They] have trashed all our buggies rendering them out of action. Please bear with us whilst we seek a temporary arrangement.”

Golf professional Richard Webb said: “We found two of the buggies on the car park where they smashed through a fence to get in.

“Another three of them were up by the course. The buggies themselves are worth thousands and we’ve had about £1,800 worth of damage this time.

“The police don’t really do anything. Every time they come in and say there’s no fingerprints.”

It understood that Aylesbury Vale Golf Centre was also targeted during the same night, suffering similar damage.

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: “We received reports of theft and criminal damage at Tilsworth Golf Centre on Monday, October 9.

“It is believed between 8pm on Sunday 8 October and 6am on Monday 9 October a group of men attended the club on Dunstable Road and caused damage to five golf buggies, before making off with the batteries from the carts.

“Officers attended and lines of investigation have been pursued.

“Anyone with information or has been approached by anyone selling heavy duty batteries is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference JD/43039/2017.”

It was another weekend to remember for Harlequins after they crowned seven new county champions at the General County Floor and Vault.

In Level 1 aged 8/9, Elena Young took a bronze medal on vault with a score of 10.05 and the gold medal on floor with a score of 10.9, scoring 20.95 overall to become county champion.

Also at that level, Marcia Winter took gold on the vault with a routing scoring 10.15, and finished fourth overall.

In Level 2 Male aged 8/9 Charlie Blaker had a clean sweep. He gained gold medals on both pieces, with a score of 10.2 on vault and 10.85 on floor, to become county champion.

In Level 2 aged 10-12, Imogen Ward took the gold medal on vault with a score of 10.1, took the silver medal on floor with a score of 10.85, to score 20.95 overall and take the title of county champion.

Tia-Lily claimed bronze on the vault and gold on the floor to take silver behind Imogen, while Abigail Partridge claimed silver on the vault and bronze on the floor to take third overall as Harlequins completed the podium.

In Level 2 Male aged 10-12, Jamie Sparks took the silver medal on vault with a score of 9.9, took the gold medal on floor with a score of 11, to score 20.9 overall and become county champion.

Fionn Clancy took the bronze medal on vault with a score of 9.65, took the silver medal on floor with a score of 10.85 and took the silver medal overall with a score of 20.5.

In Level 3 aged 9/10, Emily King came 10th on vault with a score of 10.15, earned a bronze medal on floor.

In Level 3 aged 11/12, Grace Anderson won bronze on the floor, with Jasmin Karatas took the gold medal on vault coming third overall.

In Level 3 aged 13-15, Lily Bierton took three bronze medals, with a score of 10.7 on vault, 10.1 on floor and 20.8 overall. Freya Clawley took two gold medals with a score of 11.7 on vault and 10.6 on floor, to become county champion overall with a score of 22.3.

Lily Bierton took three bronze medals, with a score of 10.7 on vault, 10.1 on floor and 20.8 overall.

In Level 4 aged 10/11, Ruby Rayner took a gold medal on vault with a score of 11.6, took the silver medal on floor with a score of 10.75, to earn the title of county champion overall with a score of 22.35.

Freya Blackwell took the silver medal on vault with a score of 11.3, took the gold medal on floor with a score of 10.95, to take the silver medal overall with a score of 22.25.

In Level 4 Male aged 10/11, Joshua Skidmore took gold medals on both pieces, scoring 11.2 on vault and 10.65 on floor, to take the title .

In Level 4 aged 12-14, Tallulah Cotgrave took the gold medal on vault with a score of 11.05, came 4th on floor with a score of 10.7, to take the bronze medal overall with a score of 21.75. Maisie Spooner came 9th on vault with a score of 10.55, came 6th on floor with a score of 10.5 and came 9th overall with a score of 21.05.

Ellie-Mae Eaton came 7th on vault with a score of 10.7, came 10th on floor with a score of 10.2 and came 10th overall with a score of 20.9.

A recently refurbished Linslade play area has become the scene of anti-social behaviour and drug-taking among youths, an anxious resident has claimed.

A large group of teenagers were spotted inhaling substances in Mentmore Park on Saturday, October 7.

The man – who was with his young daughter – said the group dispersed after he began taking pictures, leaving the park littered with drug paraphernalia.

He said: “A group of 15 to 20 youths were littering, smoking drugs, inhaling nitrous oxide and there was also a motorbike on the play area.

“I’m not surprised there was no-one else at the play area as this would have been intimidating for any parent with their children.

“I called the police and explained the situation. I waited over 15 minutes and they didn’t turn up. The kids noticed me taking photos of some of them left the park.”

After the group dispersed, the man spotted the drug paraphernalia left behind, some of which was in brightly-coloured, patterned wrappers.

He added: “These are attractive to a small child to pick up and could easily lead to harm. It’s not an isolated incident but this particular turn in behaviour is a worrying trend. There are no police patrols, no visual presence and it appears in this instance there was no timely response if any.”

A Leighton-Linslade Town Council spokesman said: “This is news to us and it is slightly disappointing that the public do not make the town council, who are responsible for the upkeep of the park, aware.

“In the usual way, we will bring this to the attention of the police and ask they step up patrols within the area.”

lIf you spot anti-social behaviour in the park call Beds Police on 101.

The bomb squad and police were called to Wing Sports and Social Club yesterday afternoon (Monday) after a customer brought World War Two ammunitions to the club to show his friends.

It is understood the man had dug up the finds at work and took them to the club on his way home.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: “We were called at 4.45pm to the car park of Wing Sports and Social Club, Leighton Road, Wing as the caller had brought what looked like ‘little bombs’ to show a friend.

“The objects were described to police by the callers as ‘metal, very old, rusty around four-and-a-half inches in diameter and nine inches long’.

“Members of the Ministry of Defence’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal attended and removed the items to their base as it was established the items were unlikely to contain explosives or chemicals.”

Were you there? Email news@lbobserver.co.uk or call 01582 798512.

It was a good night for Elite TC as their fighters came out on top at Dunstable Leisure Centre.

Tommy Gibbs won his first title fight as he claimed the bantomweight title thanks to a win over George Caruna while Lee Anthony beat Norwegian Erlund Myhr.

Taking on Caruna, from McLeod Academy in Aylesbury, Gibbs had to deal with a number of high kicks in the early rounds. But the Elite TC fighter scored takedowns and worked ground and pound across all five rounds. Taking Caruna down at will, Gibbs was always in control of the bout, leaving the judges with no choice but to award him the split-decision win, and with it the title.

Anthony meanwhile set the pace in the opening three rounds against Myhr, landing uppercuts to the Norwegian. His control of the fight handed him the unanimous decision.

A social club landlady has told how the bomb squad arrived at the premises yesterday afternoon after a customer brought Second World War ammunitions into the car park.

June Tobin, of Wing Sports and Social Club, alerted the police when the man turned up at the bar and asked her to help identify two objects he had found earlier while working in Bedford on Monday.

She said: “One of our regulars was working at a private address in Bedford and on his way home he popped in the pub, he asked if I could have a look at something he had found when he was digging in the property’s garden.

“They were in the boot, myself and another person went and had a look and thought they looked like they may have been a detonator of some kind. I took a picture and sent it to the police.

“They decided to send a specialist out and the bomb squad was sent from Northolt to x-ray the devices, they were munitions of some kind. The bomb squad was also sent to the house in Bedford and more were found there.

“We were quite busy, we have a lot of traditional sports and last night we had a boules team and two darts team, about 100 people were in the pub at the time.

“I was quite worried that we might have to evacuate and get everyone out, but the bomb squad told us there was no immediate danger and we did not have to evacuate.”

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: “We were called at 4.45pm to the car park of Wing Sports and Social Club, Leighton Road, Wing as the caller had brought what looked like ‘little bombs’ to show a friend.

“The objects were described to police by the callers as ‘metal, very old, rusty around four-and-a-half inches in diameter and nine inches long’.

“Members of the Ministry of Defence’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal attended and removed the items to their base as it was established the items were unlikely to contain explosives or chemicals.”

The landlady added: “The gentleman that brought them was quite embarrassed by it all but I told him he did the right thing and they have now been removed and disposed of correctly.”

There was to be no denying Leighton Buzzard U14s as they conquered all comers to claim the match day tournament at Northampton Saints at the weekend.

There were twelve teams competing in the tournament, from as far afield as Ashby and Cambridge. The first stage split the teams split into four pools of three, with LB pitted against Old Scouts and Ashby.

They beat Old Scouts three tries to one before going one further against Ashby, winning 4-1 to go through to the next stage.

The first game against a physically imposing Cambridge side was a close affair, but again resolute work from the forwards coupled with the defensive line-speed of the backs, meant that Cambridge could not get on the front foot and LB claimed a 1-0 win.

The second game saw the boys go behind for the first time, as Towcester scored a fine try in the right corner. Rather than letting their heads drop, the boys rallied together to overturn the deficit, winning by 2-1.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the boys’ intensity dropped during the third game, but again the interplay and teamwork across the squad allowed them to grind out the 2-0 victory, sending them to the final.

Taking on Cambridge, there were more nerves on the sidelines than from the players, who cruised to a 4-0 victory, and were rewarded with a lap of honour around the Franklins Gardens pitch at half time of the game between Saints and Saracens.