SIXTY young people from across Central Bedfordshire recently took part in the MORE 16 and MORE Drive courses to improve their driving knowledge and skills.

Three workshops, covering driving skills, maintenance and safety, were run by vehicle inspectors and collision investigators from Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, Three Shires Driving School and Millbrook’s proving ground and offered real-life experience from professionals at the top of their field.

The MORE 16 programme gave 16 year-olds their first taste of driving on a Millbrook track, whilst also offering guidance to parents on choosing a driving instructor and on how to help their teens when practising. Parents attending even receive a high-speed passenger ride around a track with a Millbrook pro-driver with competition history in motorsport such as rallying or racing.

MORE Drive offered 17 to 24 year-olds, who have already passed their driving test, the chance to drive on a skid pan and experience ABS braking systems. As well as practising emergency stops at speed to demonstrate the distance it takes to stop at varying speeds.

Twenty-year-old Dani Page who attended the MORE Drive course said: “It was a great way to learn about real dangers on the road and how to deal with these situations when faced by them. I now have a greater knowledge of a wide range of hazards, how to control a car in a skid and in emergencies to what to do in the event of an accident.

“This knowledge was gained from hands on experience with professional drivers and demonstrations from Police collision investigators and the Fire and Rescue Service. It has changed the way I view things and given me an insight in how easily an incident can occur and what I could do to avoid any situation that I may encounter.”

Councillor Budge Wells, Deputy Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services, said: “The MORE programmes are a great way for our young people to learn new skills and improve their driving ability.

“I am delighted that demand for the courses has been so high. Everyone who attended took away useful new skills and a better appreciation of what it means to be a safe and responsible driver.

“Courses will run again on March 3 and 4 and it would be wonderful if as many of our young people as possible could attend.”

For more information on either the MORE 16 or MORE Drive programmes, or to attend the events in March, email roadsafety@amey.co.uk.

]]> 1.3548764 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/football_seven_heaven_for_super_town_1_3549188

LEIGHTON Town have enjoyed a dream few days – scoring seven goals and conceding just one on their way to six priceless league points.

Craig Wells’ men comfortably saw off Chertsey Town in a 3-1 home win on Saturday before sending Uxbridge on their way in an even more impressive 4-0 Bell Close victory on Tuesday night.

The Town boss had targeted eight points from the club’s four home games on the spin, but it’s now looking like they’ll do even better than that, with bottom side Marlow next to visit this Saturday.

Those six points in three days have done wonders for confidence at Bell Close, and also given the Evo-Stik League Division One Central table a better look to it from Town’s perspective.

They may sit 16th in the table, but Town now have a seven-point cushion between themselves and the bottom three.

With their recently postponed fixture against Aylesbury also rearranged, Town now have no less than five home matches in succession.

League leaders St Neots Town represent the most difficult of those games on paper, but no side will particularly fancy coming to Bell Close, especially after the manner in which Leighton sent play-off chasing Uxbridge packing on Tuesday night.

New recruit Layne Eadie scored on his full debut in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Chertsey, and he picked up where he left off with another excellent performance, scoring twice more against Uxbridge.

His 17th minute opener set the home side on their way before Simpson doubled Town’s lead and McBride added a third five minutes before the break to cap an incredible first 45 for Town.

Eadie added his second with a quarter of an hour left to play – by which time Uxbridge were well beaten and Town had their second win in three days.

A double from Ben Gallant completed the Town scoring on Saturday, with Chertsey’s only response a consolation from the penalty spot.

After scoring just three goals in five games in January – including two wins, two defeats and a draw – Town’s have shown fantastic improvement in their last two outings, and now few would bet against them making it a superb hat-trick of wins when basement boys Marlow visit on Saturday.

They are without a win in nine games, although they did earn a creditable point from their trip to North Greenford United on Tuesday night – three days after losing at home to the same side.

Mark Tyler: 6 – Largely untested and no chance with the goal.

Greg Taylor: 7 – (pictured) Energetic running and battling spirit meant he saw most of the ball.

Keith Keane: 6 – Great to see him return and fitted in seamlessly at right-back.

George Pilkington: 6 – Coped well with the Barrow barrage without ever dominating.

Alex Lawless: 6 – Harried by the opposition which, coupled with the poor weather, meant his composure counted for little.

Craig McAllister: 6 – Made his mark in the first half, but desperately needs a goal and could have had a couple.

Stuart Fleetwood: 6 – Looked quick and threatening but provided more service than he received.

Aaron O’Connor: 6 – Tireless runner but should have put Town ahead with a close-range header.

Jake Howells: 6 – Not as prominent in a midfield that was at times redundant.

Andre Boucaud: 6 – In the thick of the action but couldn’t unlock the solid Bluebirds.

Janos Kovacs: 6 – Put under pressure by Barrow’s direct approach and harshly booked for an ‘elbow’.

Adam Watkins (sub): 5 – Struggled to get into a game where the midfield was bypassed.

John Paul Kissock (sub): 5.5 – Tried to carry the ball, in the thick of the action and had Town’s only real second half effort.

Ratings by Mark Wood

]]> 1.3549069 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:06:27 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/join_waterside_s_cast_of_south_pacific_1_3548771

ASPIRING young performers in the Leighton and Aylesbury Vale area are being invited to audition for parts in the sensational musical South Pacific which comes to The Waterside Theatre this spring.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s lavish musical is currently on a nationwide tour and comes to the Waterside for two weeks starting May 15.

The roles up for grabs are Ngana and Jerome, the illegitimate children of Emile de Becque. Ngana (female) and Jerome (male) would need to be of a playing age between 7 and 11 years, black, mixed-raced Caucasian/black or similar dark skin tone, with some singing and movement skills.The producers also need to find a female child to play Bloody Mary’s native helper, who would have the same skills and appearance as, and understudy both the roles of, Ngana and Jerome.

To audition you need to send an email with name, photograph, age and contact details to jo.hawes@virgin.net to arrange an audition, which will take place in Aylesbury in the week of Mar 19.

The lucky children will get to work alongside stage and screen star Sam Womack and former EastEnders hardman Alex Ferns.

INCIDENTS of scam emails being sent from hacked email accounts is on the rise, says Buckinghamshire’s Trading Standards team, who are reminding members of the public to be aware.

The fake emails, which look like they have been sent from the genuine email address of a friend or a family member, are sent to all addresses in the address book of the hacked email account. The email will usually be titled “I need your help” or “I’m in trouble”, and will ask the recipient to send a ‘loan’ in excess of £1,000. The cause of these types of emails is usually that the sender’s email address has been hacked into by a cyber criminal.

Martin Phillips, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, said: “If you receive an email of this nature, we advise you to try to establish if your friend or family member really is in need of help. If it’s your email account that has been hacked into in this way, contact your email service provider who will be able to restore your email address for you.”

All major web-based email service providers are aware of the problems with account hacking and now offer a system to quickly restore email addresses if they are hacked.

For more help on email scams check with your email service provider or visit the Trading Standards webpage at:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/trading_standards/coldcalling/scams_cons.page?

]]> 1.3548730 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:43:06 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/gordon_cooks_up_interest_in_leighton_firm_1_3548356

A LEIGHTON firm exhibiting at a national leisure show were delighted to have controversial celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey as their guest.

But it’s a good job the Events Incorporated team didn’t ask the mighty mouth chef to whip up a tasty dish because lookalike Martin Jordan makes his living as a Ramsey double.

He joined real life Saturday Live chef James Martin at the stand at the Motorhome, Caravan and Camping

Show at London’s Excel

“We’ve had a great time here,” said Events Inc founder and MD Sonia Dean, “And it was brilliant with Gordon Ramsay from the Chippendoubles.

“We’d only booked him for the Friday but, bless him, he came back as we’d worked out how he could meet James Martin on Saturday – thankfully our Gordon doesn’t do all the swearing like the real one.

“Everyone had been doing double-takes when they saw Gordon at our stand and watching people when they saw the two chefs together was really funny.”

Events Inc, who are based in Stanbridge Road, were exhibiting as part of their links with the Bourne Leisure Haven Owners Exclusive Club and they are about to start their fourth year running the activity roadshow for club members at 34 parks around Britain.

IT was all flipping good fun at this year’s pancake race in Heath and Reach when teams from the village, and the school children, took part.

The event was organised by Heath and Reach WI.

Although the LBO could not raise a team this year your pancake-loving newspaper sent along video reporter Natalee Hazelwood to record the event.

Click on the video icon to view the fun.

FRUSTRATED centre-half Dean Beckwith has admitted he would be open to going out on loan to play first team football if he can’t get it at Kenilworth Road, writes Mark Wood.

Signed in the summer from League Two neighbours Northampton Town, Beckwith was a regular fixture in Luton’s defence before getting sent off in the game against Lincoln on September 17.

Since then he has struggled to get past the successful centre-half pairing of George Pilkington and Janos Kovacs – signed in his absence – and a calf injury that ruled him out for almost two months has further added to his woes.

While Beckwith has his sights set on winning back his place in the Luton starting 11 he would also be prepared to look elsewhere in order to play.

He said: “Maybe I can go out somewhere and play some games. I’m 28 years old and I don’t want to be not involved.

“Training’s good for your fitness but there’s nothing like playing games and getting match fitness that way.”

For the full story, see this weeks Luton News/Dunstable Gazette on sale now.

EIGHT “luxury camping pods” are being planned at Whipsnade Zoo as charity chiefs aim to make it a year-round attraction.

The Lookout Lodge pods are set to open up a new market for the 80 year-old hilltop attraction.

“Everything we do has mission overlay,” said Zoological Society of London (ZSL) director David Field. He explained that the zoo wants to give visitors experiences that turn them into champions of Whipsnade and to reconnect people with nature.

Mr Field became a champion of nature at a very young age and wants other people to have experiences that do the same for them.

ZSL aims to put 10 per cent of its turnover into conservation efforts around the world. In a good year that can add up to £10million.

Also on the cards this year are a sophisticated indoor play area and refurbishment of the sealion enclosure as the zoo aims to give visitors more of what they want from a day out in the Chilterns.

Last year, some 500,000 people went through the zoo’s gates, with more than ever during the warmer than average winter months.

“We want to encourage people to visit the zoo throughout the year, not just during bank holidays in August,” said Mr Field. He added that by encouraging people to make repeat visits, its conservation efforts can continue into the long term.

> See our video interview with David Field at www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/business

Described as “24 for grown-ups”, Homeland has already won a Golden Globe and critical acclaim. As the show begins in Britain on Channel 4, its main star Damian Lewis talks to Shereen Low about portraying a US marine sergeant suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and why he really wants to play Don Draper from Mad Men.

Damian Lewis has been up since 7am, but is on remarkably fine form – and has an admission to make.

“You need to know I’m in my pyjamas, clasping a coffee,” he reveals, chuckling down the phone from America, where the working day’s just starting.

The London native, best known for being in The Forsyte Saga, Band Of Brothers and Life, has made North Carolina his temporary home for the past five months to film new US TV series Homeland.

In doing so Lewis has made the ultimate sacrifice – being apart from his family, actress wife Helen McCrory and their two children, five-year-old daughter Manon and son Gulliver, four.

“North Carolina is a beautiful place and I like it here a lot. But I miss my family when they’re not here with me, although they were with me all summer,” he admits in his clipped Old Etonian accent.

“I also miss London because I love London – it is the greatest city in the world. I miss the culture, the vibrancy and bombing around on my bicycle from one place to the next.”

Homeland, the Golden Globe-winning psychological thriller, which also stars Claire Danes and fellow Brit David Harewood MBE, was created by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa – the brains behind 24.

“The parallel with 24 is inevitable, but this is far more of a psychological, political drama. It’s something we don’t see often – plus you need a black man and a redhead on a show!” he quips.

Lewis, pictured, plays US Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody, who has been held as a prisoner of war for eight years by Al Qaeda and presumed dead.

He is celebrated as a war hero on his return, but mentally unstable CIA agent Carrie Mathison (Danes) suspects he has been ‘turned’ into a sleeper agent and is now a threat to Homeland security.

“Ambiguity is a complex thing to play. You have to be lightning quick and nimble, there’s a mental and imaginative agility in the performance which is really fun,” says Lewis, 41.

“Inserting a bipolar disorder into the heart of a paranoid thriller is a brave move, as it conveniently allows us to judge Carrie. Is this man a danger to the United States or is she over-reacting? It’s intense. You’re going to love it!”

The series, which has been renewed for a second season, already has famous fans, with US President Barack Obama and his cohorts reported to have called in four DVD box sets.

“It’s exciting when you’ve entered the cultural zeitgeist in such a way,” says Lewis, who last worked in the US on the short-lived NBC cop drama Life.

“The Clintons are now watching it, and it’s gone right through to the top levels of the American administration. They’re all asking for box sets so they can see what their bosses are watching.”

But it could all have turned out differently as Lewis admits: “I very nearly said no to Homeland.

“My experience on Life, which I loved, was at quite a lot of personal cost, from a family point of view. That sounds a bit melodramatic - we’re all still together - but it was long hours working, with Helen sitting in the house with the kids.

“I wasn’t prepared for quite the workshop hours you work on some American TV shows, so I said to my agent I would do this only if it’s extraordinary and is on cable TV.”

The actor particularly enjoys his scenes with Romeo And Juliet actress Danes. “Danesy is whip-smart, extremely committed and focused. She plays that interactive Scrabble game, Words With Friends, endlessly.

“She has about five or six games going on with different people, and got half the crew doing it as well. It’s her way of relaxing.”

Like the audience, Lewis is kept in the dark about his character’s plotlines. “The fundamentals of my character were discussed but the details weren’t fleshed out,” he says.

“It’s fun getting surprises with the episode each week, like reading a novel. It keeps it fresh and interesting.”

The British actor - who attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company - did what little research he could.

“I spoke to soldiers, read a lot of literature, looked at documentary footage and tried to understand what it is like to be held as a prisoner of war.

To be authentic in its portrayal of Afghanistan prisons, Lewis had to endure routine torture scenes in which he was stripped of his clothes and subjected to gruelling punishment.

The scenes don’t affect him though, and he jokes: “It leaves me needing a beer! I don’t take my work home with me. I’m not that kind of method actor.

Lewis seems content with his lot, but there’s one person he’d gladly switch places with - Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame.

“I wish I had got the Don Draper role. I’ve got a little bit of a man crush on him!” he laughs.

]]> 1.3546104 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:04:20 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/alan_dee_how_purple_paint_could_prick_the_binge_booze_boil_1_3531713

SO, our whole economic system is suffering from a massive hangover but it’s binge drinking that’s going to get sorted out.

You may wonder whether that nice Mr Cameron has got his priorities right – but there’s no denying that, if he can make some headway, he’ll have made as big a contribution to public health as his unlamented Labour predecessors did by introducing the smoking ban.

There’s a strategy on the way, of course, but for starters the PM has called for bars and supermarkets to help tackle a problem that costs the NHS £2.7bn a year.

But it shouldn’t be about money, and we shouldn’t even be thinking about a ban.

And the PM ought to be looking to recruit far beyond the pint-pullers and grog floggers to help achieve this admirable end.

It’s one of those issues – like seat belts and the smoking ban, which have been great successes, and the ban on using your mobile at the wheel, which is still a boil to be lanced – where the vast majority of us are just waiting for someone to take a sensible lead.

And the way to do it is to make life more difficult for the drinker – and when I say drinker, I don’t just mean the lager-fuelled lout or the alcopop addled teenager – I mean all of us.

I’m fed up of all sorts of expensive measures being put in place to pick up the pieces of other people’s lack of self-control. The aim has got to be to stop people regarding the act of getting completely hammered as an option for a night out, or even a night in.

So here are a few ideas to throw into the mix, for the PM to consider over a relaxing glass of wine one evening.

Number 1, ban all alcopops. Strong drink isn’t supposed to taste like lemonade.

Number 2, restrict the sale of all spirits to people over the age of 25. If I had my way I’d also make it illegal to use mixers to soften the taste of hard liquor, for the same reasons that alcopops have to go, but I do enjoy the occasional gin and tonic so that one will have to stay on the drawing board.

Number 3, by all means introduce a higher unit price for alcohol but don’t penalise those who enjoy a bracer but know when to stop – jack up the pub prices only after the first two drinks, introduce maximum purchase rules in supermarkets and the like just like they have for painkillers these days, and halt the sale of alcohol in containers larger than one litre, especially if we’re talking about super strength cider.

Number 4, forget street pastors and people being paid by the public purse to get drunk and incapable kids home safely. Employ them instead to wander town centres at closing time, corner people who have had a skinful, and paint their faces purple.

The paint should not be permanent, of course, but it should be pretty much immovable for a week or so as evidence of a bender that would last a lot longer, and be a lot more visible, to the world at large than a hangover.

Then it would be for the rest of us to bring peer pressure to bear, and sneer and snigger at the victims for long after whatever memory they had of a good night out had faded. Purple paint would make them pariahs, and we’d soon change their habits.

Blue Square Bet Premier

Barrow 1 (0) Luton Town 0 (0)

TOWN’S hopes of promotion fell flat as a pancake as they lost 1-0 to Barrow on a wretched evening in the north west last night, writes Mark Wood.

Victories for the top two of Fleetwood and Wrexham look to have all but killed off Luton’s automatic promotion hopes, while Alex-Ray Harvey’s late second half strike vanquished Hatters on as Barrow beat them for the first-ever time in the Conference, ending Town’s 13-match unbeaten league run.

Before kick off, Luton’s directors handed out scarves to the 70 travelling supporters who had made the mammoth journey to Holker Street where the crowd of 925 was Barrow’s lowest of the season.

Town made two changes from the team that beat Tamworth 3-0 at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

Right-back Curtis Osano was ruled out through injury and John Paul Kissock dropped to the bench as in came Keith Keane at full-back with Craig McAllister leading the line.

Young keeper Lewis Kidd, meanwhile, was named on the bench following the shock retirement of Kevin Pilkington.

Hatters started with a strong wind at their backs and McAllister turned well in the opening moments but dragged his effort wide, while a flowing move saw Aaron O’Connor have his shot deflected over.

The conditions were having a telling influence on the game and Luton had another opportunity on 10 minutes when McAllister burst on to Janos Kovacs’ ball over the top but he could roll tamely at Shaun Pearson.

A Keane cross was then headed goalwards by McAllister but it was again too easy for Pearson, before the Hatters should have taken the lead on 20 minutes.

A good passing move ended in Greg Taylor picking out O’Connor in the six yard box but he could only glance his header straight at the keeper.

The tackles began to fly in midway through the half as the game developed some bite, while O’Connor and Stuart Fleetwood combined well on 25 minutes but Jake Howells was just unable to get on the end of the cross.

In a scrappy half, Luton were the only ones playing with any real quality as McAllister was just unable to connect with a hanging Howells cross.

The Bluebirds finally threatened after half an hour. Jack Mackreth having his effort blocked and the lively Richie Baker firing straight at Mark Tyler.

Another good chance went begging for the visitors 10 minutes before the break when O’Connor’s flick fell for McAllister, but the target man blasted wide of the mark.

With the wind at their backs Barrow looked a different side in the second half.

Andy Cook robbed Kovacs five minutes in but flashed wide when he should have found the net.

O’Connor had shouts for a penalty turned down just past the hour as the game continued to simmer, but there was little quality on a dreadful night.

Referee S Duncan was struggling to keep control of the game and Mackreth almost unlocked the Luton defence when he got in behind on 71 minutes, but his low cross went begging.

Accustomed to the conditions the hosts finally made the breakthrough two minutes later when the ball was pulled back to Harvey and his low shot crept inside the far post.

Substitute Kissock almost threaded Fleetwood through but he was just beaten to it by the keeper.

Town pushed for an equaliser as Kissock’s low free-kick was straight into Pearson’s midriff with two minutes to go.

The Bluebirds almost added a second in the last minute when Paul Rutherford wriggled free on the left and Cook would have found the bottom corner but for a combination of Tyler and the post.

Both sides squared up in the second minute of injury time and the final whistle soon followed as the Bluebirds’ victory was given a rapturous reception by the gleeful home supporters.

Bluebirds: Shaun Pearson, Paul Smith, Gavin Skelton, Phil Bolland (C), Danny Hone, Jack Mackreth, Richie Baker, James Owen, Alex-Ray Harvey, Andy Cook, Chris Turner (Paul Rutherford 67). Substitutes not used: Alex Cairns, Andy Nicholas, Andy Ferrell, Cliff Moyo.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Greg Taylor, Keith Keane, George Pilkington (C), Alex Lawless, Craig McAllister (John-Paul Kissock 80), Stuart Fleetwood, Aaron O’Connor, Jake Howells, Andre Boucaud (Adam Watkins 63), Janos Kovacs. Substitutes not used: Lewis Kidd, Danny Crow, Shane Blackett.

Bookings: Kovacs 30, Boucaud 56, Fleetwood 61.

Referee: S Duncan.

Assistant Referees: M Dicicco and S Hudson.

Fourth Official: K Mulraine.

Attendance: 925 (Hatters 70).

Star Hatter: Greg Taylor. Solid and forward thinking on a night where quality was at a premium.

For all the latest Luton Town FC news, reports, stats, player profiles, live match updates, prediction table and a complete fixture list, visit our {http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/football/hatters-microsite|Hatters Microsite|Click here for the Hatters Microsite}.

]]> 1.3545393 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:48:21 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/peace_and_goodwill_over_leighton_s_christmas_weekend_1_3545144

THE choppy waters have been calmed between the town council and the I Love Leighton Buzzard Group over plans for this year’s Christmas Shopping Weekend.

Things had been frosty between the two since Leighton-Linslade Town Council launched a takeover bid of the showpiece event. But in a series of meetings, the two groups have buried the hatchet and agreed to work together to produce a bigger and better event for the good of the town.

The events sub-committee at the council will recommend to the partnership committee that funding of £15,000 be allocated for proceedings, while I Love LB will continue, alongside the council’s events organiser, to have input into the three-day shopping event to include the Christmas lights switch-on.

For more on this story see the February 21 issue of the LBO.

PLANS are underway to re-locate Leighton’s job centre to Bossard House, in West Street, Leighton, with other Central Bedfordshire services.

The plan is to move in Spring 2012 and move the Job centre out of its current home in Waterborne Walk, into the ground floor with the council’s customer service team - only a couple of minutes away from its current home.

A single storey 30 square metre extention is also planned to create a waiting area. All jobcentre outreach services in Children’s Centres will continue as normal.

It is proposed that all jobcentre services will be transferred by March.

A NEW strategy to increase the number of passengers and staff travelling to Luton Airport by public transport has been announced.

The airport says it wants more than 40 per cent of people travelling to and from the airport to do so via public transport by 2017.

And it wants the proportion of staff travelling alone by car to and from the airport to be 60 per cent or lower by 2017.

Currently, 71 per cent of non-shift workers drive alone.

]]> 1.3541297 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:01:21 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/inside_today_s_issue_of_the_lbo_1_3544651

Headlines:

Left for dead in a bin... Puppy discovered by dog walker had had its leg eaten by its mother

Stabbed five times... Shocking assault by three men at a block of flats in Leighton

Pelted by chocolate eggs... Robbers with a gun threw miniature Easter eggs at a shop worker and then fled the scene

Another big cat on the loose?... Reader speaks of black leopard encounter in the countryside

Food crisis... Charity reveals plight of the homeless in Leighton

Plus:

Great offer: Fantastic £5 European holiday deal

Three pages of the latest village news

Cash in with the LBO: Community can benefit from collecting our Target Stamps

Give us a clue: Can you beat our crossword?

Get the Buzz: Your top guide to the world of leisure.

]]> 1.3544651 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:25:36 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/boucaud_hoping_for_a_better_outcome_at_barrow_1_3544606

HATTERS midfielder Andre Boucaud is hoping for a better outcome when he takes to the field at Holker Street with Luton Town tonight, writes Mike Simmonds.

Back in November, when playing for York City, the 27-year-old was sent off in the 90th minute along with former Luton striker Jason Walker as the Minstermen were held to a 0-0 draw.

Boucaud, who impressed on his Hatters debut at the weekend, said: “I got sent off about three or four months ago there, so it’s not the greatest of places but that’s gone now.

“I’m at Luton now and I want to go and get three points for Luton.”

Speaking about the game with Barrow, who are still in with a shout of the play-offs themselves, Boucaud added: “It’s going to be difficult with the conditions of the ground and the pitch isn’t the greatest.

“But you have to stand up and be counted. You’ve got to go and get a result which is the main thing and I think we’ll do that.”

For all the latest Luton Town FC news, reports, stats, player profiles, live match updates, prediction table and a complete fixture list, visit our {http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/football/hatters-microsite|Hatters Microsite|Click here for the Hatters Microsite}.

]]> 1.3544606 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:11:25 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/puppy_left_for_dead_in_bin_1_3544604

Ignorance and panic were blamed for a Leighton Buzzard woman discarding a puppy she believed to be dead in a wheelie bin, Luton Magistrates Court heard yesterday (Monday).

Dawn Foster, 37 of Lammas Walk, pleaded guilty to charges brought by the RSPCA of ‘causing unnecessary suffering to a puppy by placing the animal, which was suffering pain due to an injury, into a wheelie bin thereby exposing the animal to further suffering from pain, cold temperature and blood loss and failing to ensure the puppy was deceased before putting the animal into a wheelie bin exposing it to pain and suffering’.

Magistrates heard how on September 28, 2011, a dog walker had been out in the early hours of the morning and his dog had reacted to screaming coming from a nearby wheelie bin.

The man opened the bin to find a plastic bag containing a soaking wet puppy with a missing front leg inside.

He took the puppy home and made it comfortable then called the RSPCA. A vet said the puppy’s leg had been chewed off and it was in pain, had very low body temperature and suffered blood loss. The puppy had to be euthanized on welfare grounds.

Miss Foster was described in court as of previous good character, with no previous convictions or experience of the court system and was traumatised by her court appearance. Her defence also said she had never been cruel to an animal before and she genuinely believed the pup was dead.

The magistrates took nearly an hour to decide that Miss Foster should receive a fine of £250, plus pay RSPCA inspector fees of £365.91, Vets fees of £28.91 and legal fees of £444.

For the full story see today’s LBO. On sale now.

BARROW have been one of the major surprise packages in the Blue Square Bet Premier this season, writes Mike Simmonds.

An 18th place finish with 50 points to their name last campaign, gave little impression of a potential promotion push this time round, but they are currently sitting pretty in 11th place, just two points from beating their previous points tally with 14 games to go.

Nabbing a play-off spot isn’t beyond them either as the Bluebirds are ony seven points behind another team many didn’t expect to feature at the top end of the table this year in Southport.

Off the pitch, the club have been in a period of change during the last few weeks with joint manager Darren Sheridan first suspended from his duties following an internal investigation and then swiftly leaving by mutual consent.

Sheridan had been part of a double act with former Luton defender Dave Bayliss for the past five years, leading the club into the Conference, but Bayliss has since confirmed he remains committed to the role.

Recent results have been up and down with Barrow beating Kettering at the weekend, but losing four of their last seven matches, including being dumped out of the FA Trophy at Wealdstone.

On home soil they remain an extremely tough proposition though as they haven’t lost in eight matches, and that was a 2-1 home defeat to League Two Rotherham United in the FA Cup on November 12.

You have to go back even further for the Bluebirds last home league defeat, a mightily impressive 11 games when they went down 3-2 to Mansfield on September 17.

Strikers Adam Boyes and Andy Cook have been in scintillating form, with Boyes on 14 in the league this year, and Cook netting 15.

The club have continued to strengthen too with former Accrington and Burscough winger Chris Turner signing after impressing in a practice match,

Burnley duo Alex-Ray Harvey and Joe Jackson also joined on loan, while Leeds goalkeeper Alex Cairns has been brought in on a month-long deal.

Games between the two sides haven’t exaclty produced a flurry of goals in recent times either, apart from the 5-1 demolition handed out by Luton at Kenilworth Road earlier this season.

Three out of the four times the sides have met in the Conference, Luton have won by just the single goal, with the other match ending 0-0.

Town have conceded just once in their last five meetings home and away, although Barrow did enjoy better luck when they were a Football League club, beating Hatters 2-1 and 3-0 back in the 1960s/70s.

Team news: Hatters are still without joint leading scorer Amari Morgan-Smith and midfielder James Dance, while defender Dan Gleeson is also struggling as is Curtis Osano who was substituted with a tight hamstring on Saturday.

Keith Keane, Dean Beckwith, Charlie Henry, Shane Blackett and Ed Asafu-Adjaye are all fit though while young keeper Lewis Kidd may be on the bench after Kevin Pilkington left to join Notts County as a goalkeeping coach on Monday.

For Barrow, Kelvin Lomax is available after his suspension, but Adam Boyes and Joe Jackson are both banned.

In charge: Dave Bayliss – Liverpudlian centre half who made his name at Rochdale, playing over 150 times for the club, before a spell on loan with the Hatters, where he made 37 appearances between 2001-2005.

Eventually moved to Barrow, where he became player manager in 2007 and has been an undeniable success, leading the club to the Conference and also an FA Trophy Final win over Stevenage in 2009.

View from the opposition: Manager Dave Bayliss - “We want to make sure our home ground is a fortress and to get to 10 wins is a really good achievement so far. But there is many more games to come and we have to make sure we get more wins.”

One to watch: Andy Cook – young striker who has been a revelation at Holker Street this season.

Started life at Carlisle before two loan moves to Barrow ended in a permanent deal in January 2011.

Began with a bang this season, notching a hat-trick in a shock 4-0 win over Fleetwood, before another treble followed against Hayes & Yeading.

Netted another two in the victory over Kettering on Saturday and has six in his last six games, making it 15 in 26 league appearances this season.

Last time out: Hatters battled their way to a 1-0 victory last season thanks to Matthew Barnes-Homer’s 37th minute winner.

The game saw a Town debut for midfielder Godfrey Poku against a Barrow side indluding former Luton striker Jason Walker.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Dan Gleeson, Freddie Murray, George Pilkington, Zdenek Kroca, Jake Howells, Claude Gnakpa (Godfrey Poku 66), Keith Keane, Andy Drury, Matthew Barnes-Homer (Taiwo Atieno 75), Danny Crow (Amari Morgan-Smith 60).

Attendance: 1,416.

For all the latest Luton Town FC news, reports, stats, player profiles, live match updates, prediction table and a complete fixture list, visit our {http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/football/hatters-microsite|Hatters Microsite|Click here for the Hatters Microsite}.

]]> 1.3544197 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:13:26 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/kovacs_it_wasn_t_my_goal_1_3544016

OVERJOYED Janos Kovacs admitted his excitement got the better of him as he celebrated Francino Francis’ own goal like one of his own in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Tamworth, writes Mark Wood.

Kovacs had already netted his third goal of the season to put Town 2-0 up, but conceded he had no claims over Francis’ late deflection.

On the number of goals he scored, the defender said: “One, just one. The second goal was an own goal so I just ran away to celebrate it, because as soon as I saw the ball was going into the net I was just happy and ran away and celebrated like it was my goal, but it was an own goal.”

For the full story, see the Luton News/Dunstable Gazette on sale tomorrow.

Central Bedfordshire Council want your views on the Development Strategy, a new planning policy document that will play a huge part in shaping the future of the county.

The Development Strategy will set out how much growth and development will need to be planned for, in areas such as housing, employment and retail. It will also suggest broadly where this should go. At a more detailed level, the Strategy will set out detailed policies to help determine planning applications.

Once adopted, the Development Strategy will replace the current Core Strategy in the northern part of Central Bedfordshire and the Local Plan and Core Strategy in the south.

Work on the Strategy has only just begun, but customer feedback on what the plan should contain is being invited from this early stage.

As part of the consultation the council will be holding four workshops to discuss the Strategy. On March 1 and 6 workshops will be hosted in Dunstable and on March 8 and 14 in Shefford. The workshops will be open to all but places will be limited. If you would like to attend, email at LDF@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.

There will also be a short questionnaire for people to complete. The survey seeks views on big issues such as the number of new homes and jobs we should be planning for and will be available online at http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations. Hard copies will also be available from libraries and customer contact centres, or by post on request.

As part of work on the Development Strategy the council is also running a ‘Call for Sites’ exercise where developers, landowners and other interested parties are invited to submit details of sites that they would like to see developed in future. Again, in order to find out more information about the ‘Call for Sites’, please visit our website.

Cllr Ken Matthews, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Strategic Planning said: “We want Central Bedfordshire to continue to be a great place to live and work and the Strategy should help us to secure this. We know our residents are concerned about how their children and grandchildren will be able to get on the property ladder, how they will get work and whether the character of our communities will maintained in the future. We share these concerns and look forward to working with local people to develop a Strategy that delivers the right balance of protecting our heritage and developing our future.”

The informal consultation will run until March 28. After we’ve gathered the results we will publish a Draft Development Strategy for comment in July 2012.

]]> 1.3541524 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/brabin_could_tinker_with_a_winning_side_1_3542479

HATTERS boss Gary Brabin hasn’t ruled out changing a winning team when Luton travel to Barrow tonight, writes Mike Simmonds.

Town eased past Tamworth 3-0 in their Blue Square Bet Premier clash on Saturday, but after the game, the likes of Keith Keane, Craig McAllister, Dean Beckwith, Shane Blackett, Charlie Henry, Ed Asafu-Adjaye and Godfrey Poku all took part in a mini-training session on the deserted Kenilworth Road surface.

With an almost fully fit squad to choose from, bar Amari Morgan-Smith and James Dance, Brabin now has plenty of selection headaches to contend with.

He said: “The lads who played have got to do the right recovery, get themselves right and up for it.

“Then the lads who haven’t been involved, we need to get them right and vying for places as there’s no guarantee people will be keeping the shirts.

“I genuinely picked a side that I thought was worthy and capable of winning the (Tamworth) game.

“It was pleasing we’ve achieved that, but that’s not to say that we take the lads on the fringe of things lightly.

“We’ve got Craig McAllister who’s come on and did really well, he’s going to be vying for a spot as well as Keith Keane who was disappointed he wasn’t in the 16.

“Danny Crow is back fully fit, we’ve got Dean Beckwith and Shane Blackett, Craig Henry and Ed, so we’ve got some players on the fringe of things who are desperate to play football.

“That’s what I want so lets see how the preparation goes.”

The right back position could be a quandary for Brabin with Curtis Osano needing to be substituted early on at the weekend, but despite Dan Gleeson looking like he’ll miss out too, the boss has plenty of options.

He said: “It does help when we’ve got a settled back four. It’s just the right back position that seems to be the problem.

“Gleeson is definitely struggling and we’ll see how Curtis is. Hopefully we’ve brought him off in time, it’s not too much of a problem and if not we’ll assess the situation.”

On whether Keane coud slot straight back in at full back, Brabin continued: “Keith just wants to play football for the club, he doesn’t mind where he plays. I’m sure if he had a start on Tuesday he’d gladly take the right back shirt, but there’s a few things we’ve got to look at and Keith is certainly in our thoughts.”

Opponents Barrow have been in turmoil recently after joint-boss Darren Sheridan left the club by mutual consent after five years in charge at Holker Street.

The 44-year-old had been suspended by the Bluebirds for undisclosed reasons while the club launched an internal investigation.

Former Hatter Dave Bayliss is now in sole charge and Brabin, who signed striker Jason Walker from Barrow last season, said: “We’re quite friendly with both the management duo and I haven’t really had a lengthy conversation so I don’t know what’s gone on behind the scenes there.

“They’ve done well over the years, got Barrow back in this division, so I’m sure they’re both gutted about what happened, but I’m sure there’s a reason for it.

“David will be gutted losing his partner, but I’m sure he’ll relish doing it on his own as equally as he was doing it in a partnership.

“I’m sure he’ll be right up for this game.

“We’ve just got to take that out of the occasion, we know when we go up there, we’re another big scalp for them, and weve got to make sure we’re right.”

Town won 1-0 at Barrow last year, thanks to Matthew Barnes-Homer’s strike and this season, the Bluebirds have impressed, sitting in 11th position, still in with an outside shot of making the play-offs themselves.

Brabin added: “I’m expecting it to be tough. All the things which we’ve got to expect against teams who look at us as a big scalp. They’re going to make it hard for us, we know that’s the norm now.

“We’ve just got to rise above that and try and put in another performance like we did on Saturday and get the right result as well.

“I know a lot of their players, they’ve got some good players, so it’s not going to be easy but no game is in this league.

“I’m delighted with the last few games and the last few results and we’ve just got to continue that.”

For all the latest Luton Town FC news, reports, stats, player profiles, live match updates, prediction table and a complete fixture list, visit our {http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/football/hatters-microsite|Hatters Microsite|Click here for the Hatters Microsite}.

]]> 1.3542479 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:31:24 +0000 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/football_impressive_town_return_with_three_big_league_points_1_3542462

THREE first half goals gave Leighton Town the perfect return to league action after an enforced three-week rest as they saw off Chertsey to put further distance between themselves and the Evo-Stik Division One Central relegation zone.

Buoyed by the signing of prolific striker Lawrence Bunker from South Midlands League Premier side Berkhamsted, Town’s first half performance was particularly impressive.

But maybe due to the three-week bad weather break, they were unable to maintain the pace and intensity after the interval and the visitors secured a consolation goal from the penalty spot to deny Town a clean sheet in their 3-1 Bell Close win.

Manager Craig Wells recalled goalkeeper Kevin Marsh after missing the last two games, while Bunker – who has netted 21 times for Berkhamsted this season – was only named amongst the substitutes, but got on for his debut in the second half for the best part of half an hour.

Leighton started at a high tempo and the visitors’ keeper was called into early action as he blocked one effort at the expense of a corner almost straight from kick-off.

And the Town fans didn’t have to wait too long for the opening goal – coming in just the fourth minute when keeper Norris was unable to hold on to the ball under pressure and Layne Eadie – another recent arrival making his home debut – was able to fire into an empty net.

Town fans were happy with the bright opening and they had even more to cheer about just two minutes later when Lewis McBride’s superb cross was met by the unmarked Ben Gallant who headed home the second goal.

Leighton were well on top, playing some excellent passing football on a very difficult pitch which had been saturated by heavy rain from about an hour before the game.

And they added a third goal in the 29th minute when Gallant calmly curled the ball around the keeper and into the bottom left hand corner of the goal after being set clear by a Shane Hill pass.

At this stage of the game it looked as if Town could easily reverse the 5-0 loss they suffered at Chertsey earlier in the season as they dominated proceedings and left Marsh a virtual spectator in the home goal.

The pace of the game was noticeably slower in the second half though and the visitors were more involved in the game, but Town could easily have gone further ahead in the 56th minute when Eadie ran onto an Enzo Silvestri free-kick, rounded the keeper, but fired well wide of the unguarded goal.

Two minutes later McBride was forced off through injury after an excellent display, and in the 60th minute Jack Copson replaced Eadie who looked tired after an encouraging performance from the wide man.

Chertsey enjoyed a spell on top after the changes and were soon handed a chance to get back into the game after a Copson challenge on the corner of the penalty area was adjudged to be a foul by the referee.

The penalty was coolly slotted home with Marsh diving in the opposite direction, but it sparked Leighton back into action, rather than giving the visitors a lifeline.

With a quarter of an hour to play, Jake Bewley – who was moved forward into the midfield when Eadie was substituted – ran past his marker but then put his shot wide of the near post with Leighton players queuing up for a cross.

And any hope Chertsey had of getting anything from the game disappeared in the 80th minute when Pomroy was sent off for a stupid and pointless second yellow card after handling a Leighton free kick.

Then visiting keeper Norris had to leave the pitch after sustaining an ankle injury after a Leighton corner. And replacement Shipperley had only been on the pitch four minutes when he was also injured following a tackle by Bewley.

Unfortunately the young keeper had to leave the field on a stretcher with a bad ankle injury. The referee, after consulting with his assistant, ruled Bewley’s challenge to be serious foul play and the youngster was sent off – the only sour note on an otherwise great day for Town.

Town saw out the remaining couple of minutes and secured three welcome points in their fight against relegation – they stay sixth from bottom of the table but with a bit more breathing space between themselves and the sides below them.

Despite a better showing from Chertsey in the second half, Wells’ men were never in serious trouble and in fact neither keeper had much to do in the second half.

But this was a good all round Leighton display and even on a tricky playing surface they moved the ball with precision and pace, and it would not have flattered them if they had been five goals in front at the interval.

And they will need to carry that sort of form into Tuesday night’s difficult fixture against Uxbridge. They beat Daventry Town 5-2 on Saturday and come to Bell Close with a play-off place in their sights. Leighton then host Marlow on Saturday.

]]> 1.3542462 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:27:38 +0000