There will be four different bands performing at The Wheatsheaf in Leighton Buzzard at the weekend.

The band Dead Frequency will provide the entertainment on Friday night. The Northamptonshire band’s music is passionate, upbeat punk rock, mixed with a fun glam-rock spirit of adventure with some catchy anthem choruses to sing along with.

The current band line up has been together for around four years and they have recently been gigging at venues all around England.

On Saturday, promoters Juicebox bring along three great bands to the Wheatie with Spacejunkie, from Leighton Buzzard, headlining with support from Shotplate and Candidates.

Spacejunkie are an alternative grunge rock band. They have recently brought out their debut album, Space 1989. Shotplates are an electro pop band from Milton Keynes who mix pop punk guitar riffs and pulsating electronics, while Candidates, also from Milton Keynes, are an Indie/Rock ‘n’ Roll band formed earlier this year.

Music starts at around 9.30pm on both nights and entry is free.

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway has sent a last-ditch plea for extra funding to Policing Minister Nick Hurd.

Mrs Holloway has described the Bedfordshire Police Demand and Finance Report 2017 as “the most important document” the force has ever sent to the Government.

Beds Police hopes it may sway ministers to provide extra funding ahead of next month’s Spending Review.

Highlighting the growing gap between police pressures and limited resources, Mrs Holloway said: “I firmly believe that if this shortfall is not met, Bedfordshire Police’s future is unsustainable.”

As evidence to support her case for Bedfordshire Police, the PCC has provided the following statistics :

lAn 11% increase in 999 calls this year.

l16% increase in 101 calls.

l24% increase in calls requiring an immediate response by officers (in the 12 month period from May 2016 to May 2017).

She said: “[This document] provides evidence for the £10 million Bedfordshire Police needs each year to meet a level of demand for its services that has never been seen before.

“Even though I’ve supported the Chief Constable Jon Boutcher in recruiting 96 new police constables ... the force still needs 300 frontline officers at a cost of £8 million – and 80 detectives to meet the demand for investigations, costing a further £2 million.”

Mrs Holloway rejected any merger between Bedfordshire Police and the neighbouring forces of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, arguing that the extra investment would still be necessary.

She said: “The taxpayers of our neighbouring counties are not about to agree to the policing they pay for being sucked into Bedfordshire as a county and most particularly the Luton area, which the [report] has proved absorbs some 40% of all Bedfordshire Police’s total policing resources.”

Crime levels rose in Bedfordshire by 12.2% between April and August 2017, a pattern widely seen across the country.

Policing Minister Nick Hurd is receiving funding reports from every UK police force after a review of the old formula was halted in the wake of the Manchester and London terror attacks.

The Spending Review, which will announce the funding settlement for policing in 2018/19, will take place on November 22.

The MK Biergarten and York House will collaborate to celebrate Oktoberfest, the most famous of all German beer festivals, on Saturday.

In the main room of York House, staff in traditional Bavarian dress will be serving Paulaner Oktoberfestbier, Hacker Pschorr Weissbier and traditional Paulaner lager.

Hornes Brewery from Bow Brickhill will have a small Real Ale bar upstairs.

The brass band Der Huffunpuffers will entertain the thirsty crowds from 7pm with Bavarian style oompah music.

Franzi Florack, the manager of the Biergarten, said: “Oktoberfest in Germany is a time of community, dressing up in your finest and celebrating the best food and drink Bavaria has to offer.

“As an experienced Oktoberfest visitor myself, the Biergarten has worked very hard to make the event as inviting and authentic as possible.”

Entry is £10 on the door or £8 in advance at www.mkbiergarten.co.uk and includes a commemorative glass and a first pint. Entry will be limited to 500 guests so advance purchase is advised. Traditional dress is encouraged.

Sabah Khan has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years after murdering her sister in a pre-planned and frenzied attack..

Khan pleaded guilty to the murder of her sister 34-year-old Saima Khan at their home in Overstone Road, Luton, in May 2016, on the first day of her trial at the Old Bailey on Tuesday. She was today handed a sentence of life behind bars, and ordered to serve a minimum of 22 years.

The court was told Sabah Khan “had been in a sexual relationship” with her sister’s husband and wanted him for herself.

Taking advantage of an unexpected family funeral, Sabah lured her sister back to the house they shared on the evening of 23 May on the pretext her children were unsettled, before using the opportunity to brutally murder her.

The 27-year-old calmly removed her blood-stained clothing and protective gloves before concealing them in a bin bag with the bloodied knife and hid it in her bedroom. She then staged a burglary and delivered a false, though well-rehearsed version of events in which she repeatedly claimed no involvement in the death – a claim which caused significant alarm and unrest within the community.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Saima showed the mother-of-four suffered numerous traumatic injuries that led to her death, including 68 stab wounds. The sheer number of her injuries meant all individual wounds could not be counted.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Gallop, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, led a team which produced overwhelming evidence which disproved her lies, no matter how polished, leaving Sabah no option but to admit the vicious attack.

The team unpicked the case and found that Sabah had spent months researching online ways to kill someone including poisoning, hiring a killer and buying poisonous snakes. Sabah paid substantial sums of money seeking online advice and guidance on how to rid herself of her sister.

The night of the killing Sabah also took to the internet to search ‘how long does a Muslim funeral take’, clearly identifying her window of opportunity.

Strong forensic evidence undermined Sabah’s story by placing her in close proximity to the glass in the back door at the time it was smashed. Tiny fragments were identified on the clothing she had discarded in the bin bag next to her bed, together with the murder weapon.

Just days before, she purchased the knife from a supermarket and kept it in its packaging until using it to inflict such horrific injuries that Saima had no chance of survival. CCTV footage was obtained from the store showing the moment she bought the murder weapon.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Gallop, senior investigating officer in the case, said: “The exceptional work of all involved from first responders through to the search teams and painstaking forensic work ensured there was no stone left unturned.

“This was a brutal act of jealousy. It was not a case of honour killing, nor was this the burglary that Sabah Khan tried so hard to create. Sabah wanted her sister’s life. She wanted her children and her husband. Hearing the news that they were planning to leave the family home together was the final straw and she took her sister’s life in a bitter envy.

“Everyone working on this case has struggled to comprehend the extent of the force used and injuries sustained at the hands of this young woman’s own sister. These actions can only be fuelled by a deep level of hatred; hatred that had been concealed from the rest of the family.

“I am pleased that the sentence reflects the pre-meditated actions that cut short a young woman’s life and deprived four young children of growing up with their mother.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in bringing the case to resolution, and the local residents and community for their patience in this complex and difficult investigation.”

A Luton woman who murdered her sister after starting an affair with her brother-in-law has been jailed for life with a minimum of 22 years behind bars.

Sabah Khan, 27, brutally murdered her older sister Saima, 34, on May 23 last year because she wanted Saima’s husband Hafeez Rehman for herself.

Khan lured her sister Saima to their home at Overstone Road in Luton as the rest of the family attended a funeral, and went on to stab her 68 times in a frenzied attack before staging a burglary.

Passing sentence at the Old Bailey, Judge Christopher Moss QC told her: “It was your intention that your sister should die. The attack was brutal and prolongued.”

The court was told that even after Saima had died, evidence showed the younger sister had tugged at clothing to inflict even deeper knife wounds.

Saima’s family returned to the house to find her lifeless body in a pool of blood. The sound of their screams rang out in the street and alerted neighbours.

Today at the Central criminal court in London, Sabah Khan appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty earlier this week to the murder of her sister.

Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff QC told the court that Sabah lived at the Overstone Road address with her sister Saima and brother-in-law Hafeez Rehman, along with their four young children. Also under the same roof were the sisters’ elderly parents and another brother.

The court heard that Sabah Khan “had been in a sexual relationship” with her sister’s husband Hafeez for around four years and had at one time even had an abortion.

On May 23, 2016, while the rest of the family attended a funeral, Saima left the house at around 10.15pm to go to work but, half an hour later, she received a text from her sister that one of the children was crying and she should come home quickly.

A neighbour’s CCTV system captured the moment Saima arrived outside her home and entered at 11.07pm.

Miss Bickerstaff said “On entering the house, Saima turned on the downstairs hallway lights and 45 seconds later, the lights went off, so the downstairs was in darkness.”

The prosecutor said that had been the moment when Sabah Khan struck as she waited in the darkness to carry out the “brutal attack.”

Miss Bickerstaff said “She lay in wait for her sister and 45 seconds after Saima got into the house, she was murdered in the hallway.

“There is no evidence that she ever managed to leave that area by the front door. It was a vicious and sustained attack.”

The prosecutor said that in the days that followed, Sabah Khan maintained her story to police officers that an intruder had killed her sister in a botched burglary.

But seven days after the murder, a forensic officer discovered a black binbag in the defendant’s bedroom which contained blood-stained clothing, the knife and the gloves she had worn.

She was arrested and told police that she had loved her sister and was shocked to be accused. But Sabah’s mobile phone was examined and text messages were found referring to her sister as “a bitch”.

In one message to Hafeez, the younger sister said: “That bitch you constantly text 24/7, but me you don’t have time.”

In another message two months before the murder, she wrote: “I don’t know why you are treating me like this, I don’t know why you don’t respect me? Nothing in the world can change my feelings for you.”

Police officers unpicked the case and found that Sabah had spent months researching online ways to kill someone including poisoning, hiring a killer and buying poisonous snakes. Sabah paid substantial sums of money seeking online advice on how to rid herself of her sister.

On the night of the killing, Sabah also took to the internet to search ‘how long does a Muslim funeral take’, clearly identifying her window of opportunity.

Forensic evidence undermined Sabah’s story by placing her close to the glass in the back door at the time it was smashed. Tiny fragments were identified on the clothing she had discarded in the bin bag next to her bed, together with the murder weapon.

Just days before the murder, CCTV captured her purchasing the murder weapon from a supermarket. She kept it in its packaging until using it to inflict the horrific injuries .

An impact statement made by Hafeez Rehman was read out in court, in which he said: “My wife Saima was a lovely, caring and kind wife and mother. I feel completely ashamed about my affair with Sabah.

“I know the affair should have stopped but I never imagined anything like this would happen. Saima was such a good mum. I try my best with the children but I can never replace their mum.”

He said his eldest daughter would never be able to understand why their auntie had killed her mother.

He added: “Not a day goes by that I don’t regret my affair with Sabah.”

Passing sentence, Judge Moss told Sabah Khan: “Not only did you intend your sister to die, but this was no spontaneous event. You had been planning her death for weeks and had paid no less than £5,000 to a fixer in Pakistan.”

“You enticed her to come home from work so that the killing could be carried out. The killing was astonishingly brutal” said the judge.

After the hearing, DCI Adam Gallop from the Beds, Cambs and Herts major crime unit, who was the senior investigating officer, said: “The exceptional work of all involved from first responders through to the search teams and painstaking forensic work ensured there was no stone left unturned.

“This was a brutal act of jealousy. It was not a case of honour killing, nor was this the burglary that Sabah Khan tried so hard to create. Sabah wanted her sister’s life. She wanted her children and her husband. Hearing the news that they were planning to leave the family home together was the final straw and she took her sister’s life in a bitter envy.

“Everyone working on this case has struggled to comprehend the extent of the force used and injuries sustained at the hands of this young woman’s own sister.

“These actions can only be fuelled by a deep level of hatred; hatred that had been concealed from the rest of the family.

“I am pleased that the sentence reflects the pre-meditated actions that cut short a young woman’s life and deprived four young children of growing up with their mother.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in bringing the case to resolution, and the local residents and community for their patience in this complex and difficult investigation.”

It is one of the most beloved musicals of all time, but the nerves are not putting Louise Redknapp off from playing a role made famous by Liza Minnelli.

She plays Sally Bowles alongside Will Young in Cabaret coming to Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday, October 31, to November 4. It is her first role in a musical.

She said: “The film is very different because Sally is an American in it and, of course, she’s played brilliantly by Liza Minnelli.

“But the show is based on the original book where she’s very British, very well-spoken, and she’s gone over to Berlin to be a cabaret star.

“I’ve watched the film many times and I’ve loved it since I was a young girl, but I’ve tried not to watch it now I’m doing the show because the stage musical has a very different take on Sally Bowles to the film.”

It is also a show which she feels women will be relate to, especially with her character.

Louise said: “I think lots of women will relate to how she puts on a brave face and always soldiers on, even when she’s terribly wounded and terribly hurt and insecure and unsure.

“I think many women can relate to elements of that, though maybe they don’t go as far as Sally does.”

And the character is one that she is relishing playing.

Louise added: “She’s such a different character to the person I am. She’s very ballsy and sexy, very over-the- top and eccentric. That’s one of the reasons the role was so appealing, but also she gets to sing some of the most incredible songs.

“And because of the political and historical setting the show has such a lot of grit to it as well as the jazz hands, the big notes and the sexy outfits. It’s got a really strong story that gives it such a lot of depth.”

It is Louise’s first role in a musical theatre production but despite her many years as a singer, she admits to still having nerves.

Louise said: “I’m so nervous. It’s a massive role with massive songs, a huge storyline and a huge script, with dancing thrown in.

“I don’t want to let myself down and I don’t want to let down the people around me.

“I want to do everyone proud and I want to do Sally Bowles proud.

“But I think nerves show you care and that it means a lot to you. I don’t take this role lightly and I don’t take being in the theatre lightly. I know it’s hard work and you have to give it everything you’ve got.

“People are spending their money to come and watch you and you don’t want to disappoint them. You want them leaving the theatre really satisfied.”

And a certain popular dance show has helped Louise prepare for this role.

She said: “Strictly helped me hugely and it reminded me more than anything how much I love to perform.

“When you have a family you don’t do it for a long time.

“It’s very easy to fall into a comfort zone, thinking I used to do that.

“Strictly reminded me how much I love playing characters.

“For all of my dances I was always a character, with a bit of a storyline to invest in being someone else for three-and- a-half minutes.

“I realised again how much I love singing, dancing and performing.

“The thought of not having the opportunity to carry on doing it was kind of devastating for me, but luckily this opportunity came along and I thought ‘Right, I need to give this a go’.”

Tickets for the show cost from £15.

For further information about the musical, or to book tickets in advance, call the box office on 0844 871 7652 or alternatively visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.

The clocks go back this weekend, here’s all you need to know.

British Summer Time comes to and end on October 29 at 2am and the UK reverts to Greenwich Mean Time. So make a note in your diary so you don’t forget.

Why do we do this?

According to wonderlopolis.org, daylight Saving Time (or “summer Time’ as it’s known in many parts of the world) was created to make better use of the long sunlight hours of the summer.

By ‘springing’ clocks forward an hour in March, we move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Of course, this reverses when they go back, meaning it gets dark earlier in the afternoon.

Should we bother?

Every so often the debate as to whether or not we should bother springs up again - a 2015 YouGov poll found that 40% of the British public would support no longer changing the clocks, compared with 34% who supported the status quo.

It’s a view that has also reached Parliament and in 2011 Conservative MP Rebecca Harris floated a bill calling for an end to daylight savings.

It’s a more controversial issue the further north you go however - an end to daylight savings would mean the sun wouldn’t rise in parts of Scotland until 10am.

In response to the 2011 bill, then leader of the Scottish National Party Alex Salmond reacted angrily accusing the campaign of wanting to ‘plunge Scotland into darkness.”

Can’t get enough of pumpkin spice lattes? Discount supermarket Aldi is stocking a Pumpkin Spice Irish Cream liqueur - just in time for Halloween!

Stores across the country have also announced a limited edition range of spooktacular beers and ciders for you to toast the scariest night of the year.

If you’re partial to a tipple of cider, both toffee apple and rhubarb and custard flavours hit the shelves earlier this month, costing £3,79 for four.

The discount supermarket will also be stocking a selection of Wychwood beers - including a seasonal Dunkel Fester, a darker beer to go along with a cold autumn evening (and we’re going to have plenty of those).

Gargantuan and addictive.

WWE 2K18 has received mixed reviews across the board but I make no apologies for saying from the outset... I like it, in fact I’m addicted.

The first thing fans of the series will notice is the huge step up in graphics which are supreme and really adds to the experience.

Then there is the simply garganntuan roster of stars from various eras of wrestling. If you thought the roster on Marvel vs Capcom Infinity was impressive wait until you see this... there are (wait for it) 187 wrestlers to choose from including DLC...one.hundred.and.eighty.seven. Wow.

If that isn’t enough the creation suite is so detailed it probably takes the top title for that too,

Road to Glory adds a purposeful spin to competitive multiplayer which is one of the game’s crowning achievements in my opinion.

But it’s not all about quantity and WWE 2K18 is far from perfect - although it is nowhere near as mediocre as some reviews have painted it to be.

Glitches are a pain but these should be ironed out with patches so we can park that issue.

MyCareer is pretty woeful and the script and dialogue is cringeworthy.

Loot boxes have received a mixed reception too and while their use is quite restricted they do add a fun element.

The core of any fight game, particularly wrestling - though is the gameplay and that is where WWE 2K18 excels.

Perhaps you could argue too much of the game was set aside for the awful MyCareer mode - or perhaps not enough time/care was put into making it a success.

There is nothing quite like getting into an eight-player match and with the endless roster this year’s game has plenty to keep casual gamers going.

It is the hardcore fans of the series which may be a tad more disappointed but even they will be clotheslined by the awesome graphics but perhaps put to sleep by the career flop.

A horrifying craze which brought terror to the streets of Britain last Hallowe’en is back - after a woman was terrified by a KILLER CLOWN.

Teenagers wearing creeping clown masks have been spotted jumping in front of cars while wearing orange jumpsuits and scaring mums walking with their children.

Witnesses said they saw “teenagers in clown masks leaping out in front of cars and jumping in front of people”.

The sighting was reported to police who confirmed officers went to the scene in Canterbury, Kent, at around 7.20pm on Tuesday over “road safety concerns”.

A mother said she saw the men, one of which was wearing an orange jumpsuit, while she was with her seven-year-old child.

She said: “Be careful. Teenagers have clown masks and other masks on jumping in front of cars and jumping out in front of people.”

Daisy-Louise Taylor‎, who reported the incident to police, warned: “Anyone who is walking or driving by sorting office and council be careful teenage have clown mask and other mask on jumping in front of cars and jumping out in front of people I have called the police.”

Kent Police could not confirm if the teens were wearing clown costumes as they arrived after the group has fled the scene.

A spokesman for the force said: “Kent Police received a report of teenagers running in and out of moving traffic in Military Road, Canterbury at 7.17pm on Tuesday 17 October 2017.

Safety concerns

“Due to road safety concerns, officers attended the scene but the group had dispersed before officers’ arrival. No further reports were received.”

Other residents around the Kent town had also seen groups dressed as clown, some riding bikes, other knocking on front doors.

Tina Smith wrote: “One in an orange jumpsuit? They passed me with my kids and kept watching people walking past.”

Lisa Braden said: “They were down Vauxhall Road (outskirts of Canterbury) yesterday my daughter come in and told us.

Tia Hernaman said: “They were down Sturry Road (outskirts of Canterbury) had been spotted.”

Leanne White added: “They knocked on my door yesterday and just stood there.”

Clowns on bikes

Mandy Baker added: “There were a couple on bikes in Thanington (2.5 miles from Canterbury) last week.”

Canterbury City Council, near where the sighting took place, said it was warning its staff to be careful leaving their offices and was monitoring the situation with CCTV.

A city council spokesman said: “As far as we are aware, none of our staff have been targeted by people wearing clown masks. Our CCTV control room is monitoring the situation.

“We have asked members of staff to take extra care when leaving work and to report any incidents to the police. Members of the public should do the same.”

In September two clowns were spotted in Chelmsford, Essex, and were linked to the release of Stephen King horror movie IT.

Last year at the height of the craze, more than 50 incidents involving clowns were reported to Kent Police in just three days between October to 7 and 10.

Thames Valley Police were called to 14 reports of people being intimidated or frightened by people dressed as clowns over the course of two days.

Gloucestershire Police received six reports in 48 hours, while in Leicestershire one woman was scared so badly she went into early labour.

“Armed”

In Plymouth man posted a video online showing him being confronted at night in the town by a clown armed with a hammer.

Multiple reports were received of people dressed as clowns, including one near a school bus. Another incident saw children chased through woodland.

A mother says a group of seven ‘Killer Clowns’ jumped out at her as she walked down the street.

The woman said she was confronted by a gang of youths, wearing clown masks and screaming, before jumping out at her.

During the incident on Tuesday evening in Canterbury, Kent, one of the ‘Killer Clowns’ was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

She said: “I was walking home and heard screaming then someone jumped out at me with a clown mask on and then walked on.

“I saw another one jump in front a of car and a man shouted from the sorting office. I’m not 100 per cent sure what he said.

“There was a group of them, about seven wearing clown masks and other ones, but mainly clown mask and then I rang police and was told they would go and have a look.”

Local farmers and a brewer talked to an interested audiences about the challenges they faced.

About 60 people gathered in All Saints Church on Wednesday, October 18, to hear three local farmers and the local brewer talk about the tough financial challenges they faced as well as their huge practical commitment to the environment and supporting the local economy.

The UK presently produces 62 per cent of its food and has some of the highest animal welfare and environmental standards, yet farmers are really struggling to make ends meet due to low prices for their produce.

Fiona Peck explained that the price they got from the Milk Marketing Board was below the cost of producing the milk so they could no longer afford to have a milking herd.

Both Fiona, of Pecks Farm near Egginton, and Simon Mead, who sells his rapeseed oil on the Leighton farmers’ market and at Yirrell’s in Linslade, had to diversify as the income from traditional farming did not make ends meet

Kevin, of Morgan Pell Farms, highlighted the difference between the increasingly low prices paid to farmers for their produce and the profits made in the food industry, and said: “Let’s take the humble potato. The farmer at the moment gets between £100 and £130 per tonne. When you buy crisps, even at a multipack price of 10p for 25g, that is £10,000 per tonne! Who is making a significant profit out of the food you eat?”

With the challenges of Brexit, Kevin highlighted that other countries had less restrictions and lower standards than the UK and that UK farmers needed a level playing field.

He argued it should be a right to have safe food and clean water, but it all comes at a cost and that high UK standards are not necessarily the cheapest forms of production.

He added the UK can import cheaper food in terms of pounds and pence but at what cost. Very often this is from areas of the world where locals can be hungry, they are already short of clean water and their wages are way below Western levels. Is it morally and ethically right to produce our food in these parts of the world. He asked ‘is it right to produce our food in areas capable of supporting rain forest?’

Simon Mead is a fifth generation farmer with 770 acres near Marsworth, with four acres of wildflower meadows as well as buffer strips, a traditional orchard, 200 Aberdeen Angus, 95 ewes and oilseed rape.

He explained that unless you are a very large farmer, you need to diversify. The challenges of pests and weather can mean that whole crops are lost.

He started a farm shop, including a bakery, which sells the farm’s produce and which now employs 30 people. He also produces his own Chiltern Cold pressed rapeseed oil from his own crop.

He feeds the residue to his cattle and sheep, saving waste, and sells the meat in his farm shop.

Kevin has beef cattle and sheep on the family farm near Bedford and has been selling on farmers’ markets for 18 years.

The way he farms is closely integrated with protecting the environment. The soil in Bedfordshire is much more suited to grass rather than other crops, and without grazing or management, the land would be scrub. He farms with large hedges and small fields of 10-25 acres.

Re-using materials, saving money and preventing waste is key to the farm. The winter sheds were built from second- hand electric poles with roofs made from second-hand corrugated iron; solar panels on the roof supply the freezers; rain water is collected to provide drinking water for the stock; all the fertiliser is created on the farm; antibiotics are only used when clinically necessary and trees are planted to screen the farm buildings and create habitat. Datis Gol, the founder of Bucks Star Brewery, based in Milton Keynes, puts a huge store on ecological credentials using only organic malt for the beer with no added sugars, and using solar panels for power.

He only uses Growlers, which are glass bottles that are sterilised and reused instead of disposable containers to save on energy and waste.

He said: “Re-using is far better for the planet than recycling, which is better than throwing away, because you only have to clean the growler for it to be re-used, instead of having to use energy to smash up the glass or cans and turn them into bottles and cans again.”

Nick Rau, from National Friends of the Earth, stressed the organisation had always supported local farmers’ markets and is committed to supporting UK farmers and helping share best practice.

A charity dinner organised by the owner of an Indian restaurant raised money for a cancer charity.

On Monday, October 16, Badrul Choudhury, the proprietor of the Curry Garden Restaurant and Horseshoes pub in Eggington, hosted a charity dinner in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Regular customers and Macmillan supporters enjoyed a delicious meal and complimentary drink planned and organised by Mr Choudhury and his staff.

A raffle was also held during the evening.

At the end of the evening Mr Choudhury was able to present a cheque for £700 to the charity, which was warmly welcomed by Sheila Banks, the chairman of the Leighton-Linslade Fundraising Group for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The group would like to thank Mr Choudhury and his staff for their continued support along with everyone who went along.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “Macmillan know cancer can affect everything and want to give the support needed.

“Almost half of us will get cancer, and Macmillan need people’s help to make sure that people get the support they need to face one of the toughest fights of their lives. Events like this help us to do so.

“Our next event is a quiz night on Friday, November 3, at Leighton Buzzard Rugby Club. Tickets cost £8, including supper, from the club.”

Woodland owners and managers on and around the Greensand Ridge are invited to attend The Greensand Trust’s first annual Woodland Networking Event to share information, good practice and meet others.

This event will focus on the latest funding opportunities for woodland creation and management from The Forestry Commission and The Greensand Country Landscape Partnership, and will also include an update on The Greensand Trust’s Working Woodlands initiative.

The event will take place on Thursday, November 16, from 10.30am – 4pm at the head office of the trust – The Working Woodlands Centre, Maulden Wood, Haynes West End, Beds MK45 3UZ.

The event is free to attend with lunch and refreshments provided and has been made possible with funding from the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership which is supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Register at www.greensandtrust.org/Event/woodland-networking-event

Sitting down at work is often blamed for poor health, but office workers are less likely to die early than a builder, according to a new study.

Cleaners, factory workers and building site or farm labourers are more than three times as likely to suffer premature death, according to new research.

Mortality rates differ over three-fold between occupational groups, say scientists.

In some jobs - such as domestic cleaning - women are more likely to die early than they were 20 years ago.

The worst jobs for health include those in factories, construction, farm labouring or housekeeping and call centres, the study shows.

The best include those in medicine, business and public services, finance, teaching and IT.

The study - which tracked about half a million Britons for 20 years - showed low pay and social circumstances play a bigger role in premature death than having a sedentary desk job.

Keep on moving

Lead author Dr Vittal Katikireddi said: “That is not to say moving around at work is not important.

“Recent research has focussed on the changing patterns of work in the UK and how having a desk job can raise the risk of an early grave by reducing exercise.

“That of course is true. But we have shown labourers for instance - who are active at work - have high mortality rates.

“There needs to be greater emphasis on helping people lead healthier lives at work.

“It goes beyond advice to encouraging HGV drivers for instance to get out of their cabs regularly and offering them the opportunity to eat healthier foods.

“This could be provided by their companies.”

Occupational health

Dr Katikireddi and colleagues at the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at Glasgow University looked at records from 1991 to 2011.

Using census and death records they confidentially compared mortality rates with occupational data in England, Wales and Scotland - the first study of its kind in the UK in 30 years.

Dr Katikireddi said: “Detailed assessments of mortality by occupation are scarce.

“Ongoing changes in the labour market make a reassessment of mortality by occupation timely.

“In particular - trends in the job market - such as the rise of so-called zero-hours contracts - could adversely affect health and health inequalities.

“It cannot be assumed patterns identified in the 1970s - which still underpin our contemporary understanding - continue to apply.”

The results showed doctors and other health professionals have very low death rates while factory workers and cleaners have amongst the highest.

Medical matters

During 4.51 million person-years of follow-up among 20 to 59 year-old working age adults there were over three-fold differences in mortality rates among 63 occupations.

Dr Katikireddi said: “Among men in England and Wales health professionals had the lowest mortality - 225 deaths per 100,000 person-years - with low rates also shown in managers and teachers.

“The highest mortality rates were in elementary construction - 701 deaths per 100,000 person-years - and housekeeping and factory workers.

“Among women, teachers and business professionals had low mortality, and factory workers and garment trade workers had high rates.

“Mortality rates have generally fallen, but have stagnated or even increased among women in some occupations, such as cleaners - 337 deaths per 100,000 person years - in 1991 rising to 426 deaths per 100,000 person years in 2001.”

The study published in The Lancet Public Health also found men who were health professionals - medical doctors, dentists, psychologists, pharmacists, opticians and vets - had the lowest mortality rates.

Among women, teachers and business professionals had the lowest mortality.

However the highest mortality rates overall occurred in men who reported no occupation.

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), The Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (CSO) and Wellcome.

10 worst jobs for health: deaths per 100,000 person years

1 Elementary construction occupations - 701

2 Elementary process plant occupations - 672

3 Elementary personal services occupations - 650

4 Elementary agricultural occupations - 623

5 Admin occupations - communications 604

6 Elementary cleaning occupations - 592

7 Textiles and garments trades 569

8 Housekeeping occupations 567

9 Metal forming, welding and related trades - 563

10 Elementary sales occupations 556

10 best jobs for health

1 Health professionals 225

2 Business and public services professionals 228

3 Functional managers 233

4 Finance institution and office managers 234

5 Corporate managers and directors 250

6 Teaching professionals 262

7 Production managers 265

Protection services occupations 265

9 IT professionals 267

10 Business and finance associate professionals 269

Les Brioche is recalling its Les Brioche Pain au lait Brioche Rolls 8 Pack because they have been incorrectly packed with Les Brioche Chocolate Chip Brioche Rolls, which contain soya.

This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to soya.

The affected products come in a 280g pack, with Best before end date of 4 November 2017, and batch code: L09 14:43 UK1 279.

The affected product was only available in Co-operative stores, and customers are being advised that If they have bought the above product and have an allergy to soya, they should not eat it, instead returning it to the store from where it was bought.

A mum is warning parents of young children to check electrical appliances after her 23-month-old daughter got dragged inside a spinning tumble dryer.

Little Iiylah-Louise was playing when she opened the door of the dryer and got her finger caught on a blanket as it sped round the drum.

Horrified mum Shannon, 24, heard her daughter’s screams and managed to flick the machine off at the mains just as the tot’s head was pulled inside.

Iiylah was rushed to hospital following the freak accident at her home in Somercotes, Derby, last Wednesday (18/10).

She spent the day in King’s Mill Hospital, Notts., where she received treatment for tissue damage to the fingers on her right hand.

Shannon, who has three other children, has tried to contact the manufacturer of the Crusader CT31V tumble dryer but the firm no longer exists.

She is now warning parents to check their appliances to make sure they automatically cut out if the doors are opened.

Shannon said: “It was about 3pm and I was cooking the tea when it happened.

“The tumble dryer is in the dining room along with a load of toys, and she had obviously managed to open the door while it was still going round.

“The blankets and duvet covers in there had wrapped around her tighter and tighter and were pulling her in.

“I tried to pull her out, but nothing was working.

“Her head was slowly being pulled in, and I was worried that something awful might happen, because the momentum was pulling her in.

“I grabbed her but it was still pulling at her so I flicked the power switch.

“She was screaming but it could have been awful if her head went into the fast spinning drum - she could have been very seriously injured or even worse.

“The dryer is a few years old but it had always stopped spinning when you opened the door.

“I’ve thrown the dryer out now and I’ll never have one again. Thank god she was able to cry out and warn me about what was happening.

“It’s been horrible. It’s the most horrific thing that I have ever seen in my life.

“I just couldn’t get the blankets off her quick enough, it felt like everything was just taking ages.

“The next day, we put her to bed as normal, but at around 7pm she started screaming again.

“She was shaking all over, and started vomiting repeatedly. The doctors reckon it must be some sort of seizure, perhaps brought on by shock.

“Thankfully she is all ok now and on the mend.”

The appliance, which is believed to be around ten years old, was bought second-hand from Shannon’s mum Louise Evans, 44, in 2012.

It had a safety feature which ensured it stopped spinning when the door opened, but this is believed to have malfunctioned.

Shannon has now thrown out the faulty appliance, and, along with partner A-Jay Forbes, 30, is warning fellow parents to take extra care when it comes to washing.

Craig McClue, lead officer and policy executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “Product safety is a serious issue and consumers need to think carefully when looking to buy older second hand appliances.

“The safety of the product will be unknown and parts of it might be failing depending on its age.

“As a precaution trading standards recommend that a thorough safety check is carried out by a qualified technician.”

Residents in Central Bedfordshire are being given the opportunity to have a say on how local communities are represented by parish or town councils.

As part of its first ever Local Governance Review, the Central Bedfordshire Council is asking the public what changes, if any, they would like to see to the 78 parish areas within Central Bedfordshire.

Parish or town councils are typically responsible for looking after certain local facilities such as allotments, bus shelters, parks, playgrounds, public seats, public toilets, public clocks, village or town halls, maintenance of footpaths, cemeteries, village greens and various leisure and recreation facilities but this can vary between councils.

This review is an opportunity to look at parish boundaries. Although most boundary areas make geographical sense, as Central Bedfordshire’s population has grown, there are now some areas where the parish boundaries might seem strange. This review presents an opportunity to change this.

The Council wants to hear residents’ views on whether they think their town or parish council is properly reflecting the needs of their local community.

Cllr Richard Wenham, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Corporate Resources said: “This consultation is a valuable opportunity for people living in Central Bedfordshire to have their say, as part of the democratic process, on the local representation. We hope that people respond to the questionnaire to let us know if they think there should be changes to their parish or town council.

“This will be the first time in a number of years that residents will have had the chance to affect change in the way they are represented on a local level. It may be a boundary change, the number of councillors in their parish, creating a new parish, merging parishes or sub-dividing a parish into smaller wards. Although it may sound like quite an obscure thing to ask people to consider, it is something that will impact on the many communities within Central Bedfordshire.”

The consultation runs from 1 November 2017 until 1 February 2018 and is available at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations

Police are appealing for help in finding a 22-year-old man who has been missing from his home in Leighton Buzzard for more than a week.

Jack Bryden left his home on October 20 and has not been seen since.

He is described as white, 5ft 10ins tall, medium build, with brown curly short hair and a beard.

It is believed he could be in the Slough area.

Officers concerned for his welfare are appealing for anyone who knows of his whereabouts to get in touch.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number MPC/3401/17.

Leighton Town edged a five-goal thriller against London Colney to make it six wins out of six.

Scott Reynolds’ side sit fifth in the SSML Premier Division, but were twice pegged back at home to Colney before eventually securing a 3-2 win.

The sides shared a 2-2 draw last season, but heading into the game with five wins behind them, Town were keen to make it six from six, and it took them just eight minutes to open the scoring when Matt Hall’s deep cross from just inside the Colney half was brilliantly headed home by Dom Marsala.

It could have been 2-0 moments later when Lorrell Smith cut back for Carl Tappin but he put it over the bar.

Colney would capitalise on the miss though, equalising three minutes later, beating Tom Wyant from a tight angle.

Visiting goalkeeper Jack Metcalf had a busy afternoon, with Lewis McBridge and Alex Condon both testing him.

But when Marsala and Tappin combined to find Smith on the half hour mark, there was no denying Town as they retook the lead.

Once more though, the Reds were pegged back, with the lead lasting just seven minutes this time as Zach Holding fired in from range to make it 2-2 at the break.

A scuffle broke out between Condon and Joe Longworth shortly before the interval, but both would play big roles in the second period.

First, Condon took just three second half minutes to give Town the lead for a third time as he powerfully headed McBride’s corner home.

And shortly afterwards, Longworth was shown a second yellow card after a heavy challenge on Wyant sparked another scuffle.

Taking on the 10 men now, Town pushed for a fourth to make sure of the result. McBride was unlucky not to have a goal to his name after twice seeing shots blocked by the visiting keeper, while Alex O’Brien was also denied.

Colney thought they had scored an unlikely third equaliser of the game when Ronnie Smurthwaite headed past Wyant, only to have it chalked off as Town saw the game out.

Reynolds’ side have two more home games, against Wembley and London Lions in the FA Vase.

A woman who was pulled from her car after a road accident in Eggington has thanked the person who helped her.

The collision happened just after 8am in Leighton Road on Thursday, October 19, with the victim taken to hospital with injuries to her head and hands.

Louise Benesch, of Stanbridge, was on her way to work when she saw the car on its side and went to help.

She said: “I saw the car had rolled on to its side, it looked bad.

“The bonding on the front screen had come away and I was able to pull the window away and help her get out of the car.

“A lady called Michelle and a man called Darren also helped, we sat her in my car, called her partner and dad and waited with her until the emergency services arrived.

“Luckily, there was an off-duty paramedic, off-duty fireman and an off-duty policeman all on their way to work, who stopped and helped.

“The paramedic checked her over before the ambulance arrived.

“She was very lucky to get away with just bruises, the car was wrecked.

“The woman was looking for me on Facebook to thank for me helping her, she was very grateful and got me some flowers which was lovely of her. There were so many people that day who helped her, we all worked together to help her.”

The woman in her 20s who Louise helped, does not wish to be named, but told the LBO: “Louise was absolutely amazing.

“I admire her bravery and kindness, I don’t know where I would be without her.”