The latest court appearances at Luton Magistrates court of people from Chronicle Country

On July 24

On July 24

>A father from Shillington has been fined a total of £570 for failing to ensure his children attended school regularly over a one month period.

>A mother from Shillington was fined a total of £570 for failing to ensure her children attended school regularly over a one month period.

>A mother from Sandy has been fined a total of £240 for failing to ensure her child attended school regularly over a four month period.

> Alexander Stoeri-Smith aged 31 of Partridge Piece, Sandy, was fined a total of £305 and received three penalty points for speeding on the A1 at Sandy on November 2.

> Christoforos Christopoulou aged 45 of Station Road, Sandy, was fined a total of £1,031 and received six penalty points for speeding and driving without insurance in Moggerhanger on January 20.

> Martin Guildford aged 49 of Sun Street, Biggleswade, was fined a total of £335 and received three penalty points for speeding on the A603 
at Moggerhanger on January 20.

> Paul Hodge aged 56 of Brickle Place, Clifton, wsa fined a total of £195 and received six penalty points for speeding in Millow Dunton on January 24.

On July 25

> Mrs Amy Jenkins aged 30 of River View, Shefford, was fined a total of £1,691, and banned from driving for 12 months for driving without a licence, insurance and MOT, and driving while children in the back of the car were not wearing seatbelts in London Road, Bedford on August 3.

> Daniel McAuliffe aged 40 of Turnpike Lane, Ickleford, was fined a total of £937 and received seven penalty points for speeding on two occasions in Bedfordshire last year.

Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has been accused of making racist comments during a heated public meeting in Dunstable.

Kathryn Holloway compared the budget spent on overseas aid with the amount spent on British policing, saying she “felt very strongly about it,” and saying she thought others in the room should as well.

“We spend as much, in fact slightly more on overseas aid than we do on the entire British policing budget,” she told the meeting at Dunstable community fire station.

“Now I suspect you might feel quite strongly about it. I feel very strongly about that.”

The meeting was called by the PCC as part of her roadshow to explain work she had carried out since she became commissioner.

But residents in Dunstable also used it to vent their frustration at what they say is a lack of policing in Dunstable and Houghton Regis.

Her comments were condemned by Houghton Regis councillor Tracey McMahon who called it a “low blow” on social media.

She said: “The ‘Foreign Aid’ card was a low blow I thought. Many people are under the misconception that this is UK taxpayer money that is just given away. It’s not. Aid is given in the form of loans. The UK government and ‘other’ investors actually make money from ‘giving’ aid. Foreign Aid is a money making mechanism for the government. No wonder they pay more into it than our police service. The police service doesn’t make money!”

Another commented: “Lets fan the flames of racial tension, why dont we. I will be putting in a formal complaint when i find out who is the boss of the PCC. Unacceptable and irresponsible.

Another person at the meeting later commented: ”I was very dismayed to hear this as tensions have been high lately to immigrants etc. This was a very manipulated response from her & she shouldn’t do that.”

Another person said: “The commissioner has been fully aware of the situation in our town, so to have created a diversion tactic by pulling out the funding and foreign card instead of responding head on is a low blow. This tactic has worked to distract us. Funding is a factor but not a full preventor. It’s like she’s saying until I get a further £10m I’m happy for my town to be infested with ASBO, theives, Peado and the rest. There are more effective ways to work with a set budget and divide our force up. This is what I wanted to hear from Katherine Holloway last night.”

When approached by the Dunstable Gazette Mrs Holloway said: “There is nothing whatsoever that is racist about stating the simple fact that the government spends as much on foreign aid as it does on the entire policing budget for England and Wales.”

One of the most important things in any football club is communication, off the pitch as well as on it. The left hand has got to know what the right hand is doing and it is amazing how often, even in the biggest of organisations, clubs come up short in this department.

We are no different, which is why we have appointed Tim Brown as technical secretary to the senior side with a brief to keep a watchful eye over the under23s and the development programme we have with Stevenage and act as a conduit between them and Jimmy Martin and the rest of the first team management set up.

He will also perform the same role as a link between the ladies first team and the younger girls sides.

In many clubs every side runs the risk of becoming its own little kingdom and a close liaison and co-operation is vital to ensure that everyone sings from the same song sheet.

One person that has known right from the start about the importance of communication has been our Academy head, Fran Constancio who is constantly involved with all the sides contained within the Academy. He is now so busy monitoring all sides, watching games, liaising with coaches, parents, team secretaries, league officials et al, that his coaching role has had to take a bit of a back seat, even though I know it is what he loves doing the most.

He came to us on the recommendation of Pako Ayestaran, the former assistant to Rafa Benitez and ex-manager of Valencia and Las Palmas who rated him very highly indeed. He wasn’t wrong.

Every six weeks he organises a coaches meeting where he or a special guest will give a special master class on something relevant to coaching. He looks after the finances, chases sponsorship and devotes himself wholeheartedly to the growth and improvement of our Academy. He is an essential part of our club – one of the many we have at Biggleswade United – and a fundamental reference point to what we are trying to build here and we are truly blessed to have him on board.

But he knows, as we all do, that we’ve still got a long way to go; our journey has only just begun. With people like Fran putting their shoulder behind the wheel I know it is not a matter of ‘if’ we get there, but rather ‘when’. Trust me, we will prevail; of that I am certain.

And speaking of the Academy we are currenly looking for a goalkeeper to join our under 16 side. Anyone interested should contact team coach Darren Hunt on 0754 745 0556.

I am writing this in Spain, but by the time you read this I will back in Biggleswade preparing for my favourite night out namely, FA Vase football and, as a special bonus, played on a Friday night, the best possible way to kick off the weekend. We welcome Wormley Rovers for this FA Vase match. I can’t wait.

Biggleswade town centre is on the up.

That’s the message from the town council after a number of new businesses have opened their doors.

And the council is on target to appoint a Town Centre Manager in the next few weeks.

Cllr Mark Foster, chairman of the Town Centre Management Committee said: “We’re delighted by the direction the town centre is going in. We recognise that life on the High Street is not easy anywhere these days, but to see Biggleswade buck the national trend is great news.

“With the new businesses we now have a broad range of shops, restaurants, pubs, bars, takeaways and other outlets which residents can come and enjoy.

“For councillors any decision around the town centre is always tricky because we know how valued it is - but whilst some talk it down, it’s very refreshing to see it has the support of the vast majority of our residents - long may it continue!”

Since the start of the year, the town centre has seen eight new shops open and two more are on the way. The new businesses include an art shop, a gym, a fish & chip shop, a Caribbean takeaway, an up market lounge bar, a cocktail bar, an independent Italian restaurant and a vape shop. The two on the way include a shop selling chocolate and a Turkish restaurant.

Some of the shops have taken over units which have been empty for several years and now have been completely transformed.

The transformed buildings range from old and tired units, to a former Morrison’s store stretching the full length of the High Street from St Andrew’s Church to London Road. In the same period, only one unit stands empty when it wasn’t before - a pub on Hitchin Street.

This leaves around six empty units in the town centre - far fewer than most other towns the size of Biggleswade and a real imporvement compared to previous years.

Cllr Ian Bond, who takes a particular interest in Town Planning, said: “Town centres everywhere are having to adapt to the changing face of retail and Biggleswade is no exception to that. Recent years have been hard with the closure of the bridge and the added competition of the retail park - life is still tough for people whose livelihoods depend on the success of the High Street.

“But to see more businesses starting up is a real vote of confidence in the future of the town centre.”

The town’s market is also doing well. The past few months has seen an increase in stalls and there has also beena quarterly teenage market and Flavours of the World Market.

The Town Council is also recruiting a Town Centre Operations Manager, who will be responsible for managing and improving the markets, implementing an A-Board licensing scheme and managing the Town Council’s car parks, including maintenance, charging and dealing with the Central Bedfordshire Council Enforcement Team. among other tasks.

The job application closes on September 10, to find out more go to www.biggleswadetowncouncil.gov.uk.

Houghton Regis based Whitbread PLC is planning to sell Costa Coffee to The Coca-Cola Company for £3.9 billion.

The move was unanimously agreed by the Whitbread Board to be in the best interests of shareholders

It will allow Whitbread to reduce its financial indebtedness and make a contribution to the pension fund, which will both provide room for further expansion of Premier Inn in the UK and Germany

The Transaction is conditional upon agreement by Whitbread’s shareholders and various other approvals, including anti-trust approvals, and is expected to complete in the first half of 2019

Whitbread will now focus on the growth opportunities for its leading hotel business, Premier Inn, in the UK and Germany.

Alison Brittain, Whitbread Chief Executive, said: “This transaction is great news for shareholders as it recognises the strategic value we have developed in the Costa brand and its international growth potential and accelerates the realisation of value for shareholders in cash.

The sale of Costa to Coca-Cola is another landmark in the 276-year history of Whitbread. Whitbread acquired Costa in 1995, for £19 million when it had only 39 shops and successfully grew the business to be the UK’s favourite and largest coffee shop company.

James Quincey, Coca-Cola President & CEO, said: “Costa gives Coca-Cola new capabilities and expertise in coffee, and our system can create opportunities to grow the Costa brand worldwide. Hot beverages is one of the few remaining segments of the total beverage landscape where Coca-Cola does not have a global brand. Costa gives us access to this market through a strong coffee platform. I’d like to welcome the team to Coca-Cola and look forward to working with them.”

A man has been arrested after a police incident in Potton and Biggleswade yesterday (Thursday).

There had been reports of a car being driven dangerously in the area before it rammed a police car then drove off at high speed and collided with members of the public and rammed a police car again on Kings Road.

The driver tried to run off but was detained and is now in custody.

The road was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident.

Police say no-one was injured.

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Which parish the Sainsbury’s store falls into was at stake, as Central Bedfordshire Council debated parish council governance issues.

A review of the size of town and parish councils and several boundary issues, were being considered by its general purposes committee last Thursday.

Northill Cllr Frank Firth said he couldn’t accept the store moving out of Northill.

“Biggleswade is expanding rapidly, mainly to the east. So why do they want this small piece of land in the parish of Northill?.”

But Biggleswade North Cllr Steven Watkins said: “I think it’s pretty arguable that Sainsbury’s primarily services the residents of Biggleswade. It’s absolutely common sense it comes within our boundary”.

The council’s democratic services manager Brian Dunleavy said at Thursday’s meeting: “The (consultation) committee turned down the idea of expansion into Sutton and Dunton.

“But it did consider there may be merit to move the boundary from the River Ivel to what is the A1 because Sainsbury’s in Biggleswade is not Sainsbury’s in Northill.”

The committee decided the number of parish councillors on Biggleswade Town Council remain unchanged at 15, but altered to five in each of the Holme Ivel and Stratton wards. They also agreed some changes to the parish ward boundaries for Holme and Stratton to provide a fairer ratio of electors to seats.

But by six votes to three the committee rejected redrawing the parish boundaries between Northill and Biggleswade.

The latest court cases from Luton Magistrates court

On July 26

> Ms Gail Izzard aged 40 of Pinemead, Shefford, was fined £455 for stealing food from Tesco in Sandy on May 1, and breaching a conditional discharge.

> Steven Abrahams aged 37 of Mayfield Crescent, Lower Stondon, was fined £105 and received a conditional discharge for being in possession of drugs in Lower Stondon on January 1.

On July 27

> Ben Clarke aged 30 of Glebe Road, Biggleswade, received a 12 week jail term, suspended for one year and was fined £200 for theft from TK Maxx in Bedford on July 26.

On July 30

> Ashley Harding aged 24 of Barn Field Close, Biggleswade, was fined £726 and banned from driving for a year for drug/driving on Banks Road in Biggleswade on March 4.

> Travis Spring aged 23 of Heather Drive, Biggleswade, was fined £100 for assaulting a police officer in Luton on July 13.

> Miss Pearl Naidoo aged 19 of Sheffield Close, Potton, was made the subject of a community order and fined £220 for assaulting a special constable in Bedford on July 17.

On August 1

> Miss Elena Catania, aged 21 of Osprey Close, Sandy, was fined £415 and received five penalty points for speeding on the A1 at Sandy on October 23.

> Dr Kevin Johnson aged 57 of Upton End Road, Shillington, was fined a total of £1,185 and received five penalty points for speeding on the A507 at Clifton on November 1.

> Darren Spicer aged 44 of Regent Street, Stotfold, was fined a total of £235 and received a conditional discharge for stealing a quantity of electricity in Arlesey on March 21, and failing to surrender to custody at Luton Magistrates court.

Pugs (and their owners) are joining forces to break a Guinness World Record

On September 9 five regional pug groups will gather to organise the largest ever pug walk.

Their aim is to break a Guinness World Record and raise funds and awareness of the number of pugs being surrendered to Pug Dog Welfare and Rescue Association.

The event will take place at 11am at Hitchin Priory on Tilehouse Street, Hitchin, and will be run and organised by North Herts Pugs, Bedford Borough Pug Group, Bucks Pugs, Cambridge Pugs and Northants Pug Group.

Participants can register their interest on any of the groups’ Facebook pages and pay a £5 donation to be part of this fantastic event.

Limited edition anniversary T-shirts and sweatshirts can be purchased ahead of the event and anniversary dog leads on the day at the event.

The Huckle family from Biggleswade took part in a freefall parachute jump on 25 August to raise funds for the Road Victims Trust in memory of their father and husband, Alan Huckle who was killed in a road traffic collision in July 2014.

His daughters Tanya and Kayleigh were joined by friends Chris, Sammy, Char, Beth, Alice and Hannah who ski dived out of a plane from 12,000 feet and raised in excess of £2,000 for the Road Victims Trust.

Clair Bradley, Fundraising Manager at the Road Victims Trust said: “This was a fantastic achievement by all of the team and the money raised will go directly to supporting other local people affected by road death.”

If you would like to make a donation please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tanya-Huckle1

A former Bedfordshire Police officer who accessed police systems to check on a case involving his relative has been found to have committed gross misconduct.

Former PC David Holmes searched for information on an ongoing case on 15 April 2013 and 7 December the same year. There was no evidence that he passed the information onto a third party.

An investigation was carried out by the Beds, Cambs and Herts professional standards department and as a result a special case hearing for gross misconduct was heard at Police HQ in Kempston on Thursday, August 30.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher found that PC Holmes’ conduct amounted to gross misconduct for confidentiality and discreditable conduct. The sanction was deemed to be a final written warning had he been a serving officer – he resigned in April.

Mr Boutcher said: “It is a personal frustration that former PC Holmes accessed this material some five years ago.

“I am inherently aware of the trust put in police to hold such data and of the negative impact such a misuse of police systems has on the trust that we rely on from our communities.”

Fans have blasted the Van Morrison concert at Wrest Park as a ‘disgrace’ after they waited three hours to leave the venue.

Ticketholders also complained of hour-long queues for a cup of coffee, bars running dry and food running out and gridlock in the car park at the Silsoe venue.

It took three hours for some drivers to get out of the car park after the 9,350-capacity gig ended at 10pm.

Some who arrived with picnic hampers were forced to eat outside the gates after security stopped people taking food or drink into the venue.

Richard Franklin, who fired off a complaint to the organsers said: “It was the worst event I have ever attend and feel cheated. The whole evening was a rip off, and certainly in no way represented value for the cost of the tickets. “That’s not withstanding the attitude of the main act, which I found rude.

“I am aware that Van Morrison has a reputation for being arrogant and aloof, but not even saying hello, goodbye or even thank you was very disrespectful.

“I bought 5 tickets, at a cost of £65 each and have registered a complaint for a full refund.

“Having worked all day, I arrived at the venue expecting to be able to purchase some food.

“No such luck. The queues were horrendous. Having queued for half and hour, missing mos.

He added: “I read that this decision was made, under advice from the police.

“Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to see evidence of this Personally I think it was just a ploy to rip off event goers, with exorbitant food and drink prices.

“A hot dog starting at £6, a portion of chips £4, burger concessions running out of fries, queues for food, merging with queues for toilets.

“Banning people from even taking in water is just unacceptable.

“Having returned to seat in time to catch the appearance of Van Morrison, on the screens, as he was too far away to actually see him or in fact anything other than a bank of lights.

“I was appalled to find I could not hear anything.

“I thought I had gone deaf. Then I realised that there was no speakers further back, and only around the stage area.

“The video and sound were so far out of sync, that we would hear a complete line in a song, and silence.

“THEN we would see the mouth move on the video. At one point a sax was being played, stopped and then Van Morrison put the Saxophone to his lips and played on the video screen.

“The venue was just completely wrong for an event such as this. The stage was at the end of the tunnel of trees. The crowd were funnelled into this area, with no room to spread out to the sides, which meant people went further and further back.

“Having driven to the event, I was not personally exposed to the rip off that was the bar.

“However my guests were. Two cans of beer and two tonic waters £16.

“Having mentioned that I drove to the venue I was charged £5 to park in a field. I was in the middle, neither close to the entrance/exit or furthest away. At the end of the event, we left at 9.55pm. We returned to the car park to find that temporary lighting had been provided, but with only a few units, 75% of the car park was pitch black.

“Finding footing was difficult enough, but nothing compared to the free for all, in trying to exit the car park. There were young lads, trying to direct traffic, who quite frankly had no idea what they were doing. There was no one of authority visible, managing the situation. It took me over an hour just to leave the car park, two of my guests who were parked further back took over and hour and a half to get out.

“The whole event was a disgrace, and I feel cheated out of the money that I paid.”

SimoneC said on Twitter: “Wrest Park... a terrible venue for a concert. Van Morrison (yeah, I’m that cool) tonight and the venue sold out of wine, pretty much all food, coffee and now one of the car parking stewards has offered to ‘spark out’ a v angry man in the car park (we’ve moved for 30 mins).”

An English Heritage spokesman said: “This concert was an independent event organised by GCE Live who were responsible for all aspects of it, including the traffic management plan which was in place for the evening.”

In a statement GCE Live said: “We would like to apologise to those who had difficulty oin leaving the Wrest Park site on Friday after the Van Morrison concert.

“Despite the best efforts and hard work of the specialist traffic management company contracted to safely get patrons off the site, a bottleneck in the village of Silsoe and the sheer number of vehicles created unnecessary delays.

“We thank those who waited patiently as we worked to resolve the problems on the night.

“We are currently investigating why this happened and how we can guarantee this doesn’t happen again at future events.”

Customers had been warned in advance that food and drink would not be allowed on site, a spokesman added.

A man was attacked at his home in Langford, near Biggleswade, on Friday.

At around 7.45pm, the victim was at his home in Riverside Gardens when he saw a person approach the back door. After opening the door, he was assaulted and slashed with a sharp object. The offender then fled.

Officers are seeking anyone in the area who may have information on the offender. He is described as a white man, in his early 20s, with short dark hair. He was wearing a black hooded jacket and a black pair of trousers.

Detective Constable Olyver Tomlinson, investigating this incident, said: “This was a vicious attack in which offender targeted the victim in their own home.

“We are keen to speak to anyone who might have witnessed anything suspicious in the area at this time to come forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Bedfordshire Police on 101 or visit online reporting centre on the force’s website, quoting reference number 40/21820/18.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A former Sandy teacher who launched racist rant against Jews on Facebook has been banned from the country’s classrooms indefinitely.

Harpreet Singh, 49, who was head of maths at Sandye Place Academy at Sandy from September 2016 to June 2017 wrote : “Every sane human is anti semitic. Because you bastards have made Zionism synonymous with the mistreatment of Palestinians. Billions are anti semitic and proud of it. Israel should be wiped off the planet. Dogs! The chosen race?!?!?!! What an insult to God!”

The school suspended him on June 7, 2017 after concerns over the comments were raised by colleagues.

Now a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) disciplinary panel has found him guilty of conduct which would bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

In addition to the finding of “making offensive/and or racist comments” on Facebook, the panel which heard the case in Coventry also found that Mr Singh had:

>inappropriately facilitated use of his school laptop by someone else who had used it to view sexual material;

>used the computer while teaching to browse for alcohol and to view properties and cars; and in respect of his Facebook rant had he demonstrated a lack of tolerance and respect for the rights and/or beliefs of others.

Striking him off indefinitely on behalf of Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, but leaving the way open for him to seek to have the ban lifted after three years, TRA Chief Executive, Alan Meyrick, said : “I have concluded that a prohibition order is proportionate and in the public interest.”

The panel said : “The panel considered the comments posted on Facebook by Mr Singh, and found that this behaviour demonstrated intolerance and/or hatred on the grounds of race/religion, as the comments demonstrated offensive language and referred to the Jewish race and religion directly.”

The findings say that Mr Singh had shown “insight to an extent” and had told the panel he was sorry for his comments and understood they were offensive and racist.

However, the findings say that if he “was riled” in the future the panel were not convinced he would “have the capacity to act appropriately.” In those circumstances they recommended that he should be banned.

As he imposed the ban, Mr Meyrick, who referred to the “offensive and racist nature of the comments made,” stressed that before Mr Singh would be allowed to teach again he would have to satisfy another panel that he was fit to return to the classroom.

He said: “In my judgement the lack of complete and full insight means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this risks a repeat of this behaviour. I have therefore given this element considerable weight in reaching my decision.”

It is open to Mr Singh, to challenge the findings and the ban in the High Court.

Families in Bedfordshire are being urged to talk during Organ Donation Week as new figures show 23 people from the county have died waiting for a transplant in the last five years.

NHS Blood and Transplant wants people to tell their families that they want to save lives through organ donation. Last year, 54 people in the county had their lives saved by a transplant.

During Organ Donation Week (September 3 to 9), the NHS is urging families to talk about donation with the message – ‘Words Save Lives’. Councils and organisations around the country are lighting buildings pink, which is the colour of the donor card, in support of the organ donation campaign.

Anthony Clarkson, Interim Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It’s tragic that so many people from Bedfordshire have died waiting for a transplant – what is shocking is that many of those lives could have been saved, had more families agreed to donate organs. We need more families in Bedfordshire to say yes to organ donation, so that more lives can be saved.”

To register visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

A teenager who forced the closure of dozens of schools in Bedfordshire has admitted making bomb threats to thousands of schools and a United Airlines flight travelling from the UK to San Francisco last month.

Yesterday at Luton Magistrates Court, George Duke-Cohan, 19, from Hertfordshire pleaded guilty to three counts of making hoax bomb threats following an investigation by the National Crime Agency.

Duke-Cohan sent the bomb threats that resulted in over 400 schools in the UK being evacuated in March 2018 for which he was arrested just days later.

In April whilst under investigation, he sent a mass email to schools in the UK and the US claiming that pipe bombs had been planted on the premises.

On 9 August, the hacker group known as ‘Apophis Squad’ claimed on their Twitter page that flight UAL 949 had been grounded due to their actions.

National Crime Agency investigators working with the FBI identified that whilst on pre-charge bail for the threats to schools, Duke-Cohan made bomb threats to the US-bound flight via phone calls to San Francisco Airport and their Bureau police.

In a recording of one of the phone calls which was made while the plane was in the air, he takes on the persona of a worried father and claims his daughter contacted him from the flight to say it had been hijacked by gunmen, one of whom had a bomb.

On arrival in San Francisco the plane was the subject of a significant security operation in a quarantined area of the airport. All 295 passengers had to remain on board causing disruption to onward journeys and financial loss to the airline.

In an operation supported by Hertfordshire Police, Duke-Cohan was arrested by NCA officers for the third time at his home in Watford on Friday 31 August.

Officers recovered multiple electronic devices belonging to him, the use of which was in contravention to the pre-charge bail conditions imposed on him.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Luton Crown Court on 21 September.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Marc Horsfall said: “George Duke-Cohan made a series of bomb threats that caused serious worry and inconvenience to thousands of people, not least an international airline.

“He carried out these threats hidden behind a computer screen for his own enjoyment, with no consideration for the effect he was having on others.

“Despite being arrested and having conditions imposed restricting his use of technology, he persistently broke those conditions to continue his wave of violent threats.

“Law enforcement take such offences extremely seriously.

“This investigation proves that operating online does not offer offenders anonymity. We will identify you and you will be brought before the courts.”

Bedfordshire Police has led a series of drugs warrants at properties in the area today (Wednesday).

Searches and other enquiries have been carried out at 14 locations in Dunstable, Luton, Gamlingay, Leighton Buzzard, Eggington, and London.

A total of seven people – one man aged 32, two men aged 29, one man aged 23, two men aged 21 and a boy aged 14 – have been arrested on suspicion of drug offences.

So far officers have recovered a quantity of suspected drugs and drugs paraphernalia, as well as other items for examination. More than 50 police officers and staff have been involved in the warrants and enquiries are continuing.

This follows another series of warrants in Luton and Dunstable last week, after which six people were charged with drug offences.

Today’s operation was run by Bedfordshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), with support from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) and the National Crime Agency.

Detective Inspector Justin Dipper, from Bedfordshire’s SOCU, said: “Illegal drugs will not be tolerated in Bedfordshire and we will always take a strong stance to disrupt those suspected of being involved in such crime.

“Drugs underpin a wide range of criminality, which is why it is so important we take action to address their supply.

“Communities across Bedfordshire should be reassured by today’s police action and have confidence that the force will work proactively to tackle the problem.”

People are being asked to walk under the stars to raise funds for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice at Moggerhanger.

The hospice is holding its sponsored night-time walk, the Starlight Hike, to remember loved ones and raise funds, on Saturday, September 22.

Don neon deely boppers and glow sticks and join the fun with a mass Zumba warm-up. Participants will then have the choice of a 5k or 10k route starting from the hospice and going through the surrounding countryside.

There will be plenty of entertainment for all ages on offer along the routes, including food and drink stalls, a glitter bar, choirs and a cheerleading squad. There will also be a stage so that local bands can entertain the crowds.

The hike will include a trip down Starlight Avenue, a quiet area of reflection where people will be able to display a star dedicated to their loved one.

Walkers will be rewarded with a well-deserved medal upon crossing the finish line.

Participants can arrive early evening to enjoy the entertainment, before the warm-up and hike.

The hospice is encouraging participants to try to raise at least £135, which would help fund a nurse at the hospice for an entire day. It costs the hospice £9,000 a day to run.

St John’s Hospice is there for people aged 18 and over who are living with conditions like cancer, heart failure and lung disease. It offers a range of services to communities across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, from inpatient care in its 15 bed hospice to day services.

The funds raised from the Starlight Hike will help the hospice to continue to support people like Fred Allen and his wife Gail, who was a patient at St John’s Hospice in 2014.

Fred said: “When my wife Gail was battling bowel cancer in the latter days of her life it was suggested that she spend some time in the care of St John’s Hospice. She did and they treated her so well that she became calm and relaxed and more able to face her future. Of course, myself and my family realised how hard the Sue Ryder nurses work to achieve this. I vowed that one day I would repay our debt to St John’s Hospice, even though it is not expected, so I am now a volunteer.”

Fred wants to encourage others to take part in the Starlight Hike in support of the hospice.

He added: “My advice would be to throw yourself into it wholeheartedly and enjoy the fun filled but important evening amongst similar minded people. Enjoy the company of other walkers and entertainment all the way whilst raising funds for an important charity that we would be lost without. Don’t be shy, enter, enjoy and finish it!”

St John’s Hospice Community Fundraiser, Aimee Jepson, said: “For one special night, we would love for people to be a star and join us for a magical night-time walk to remember loved ones and raise funds. With the choice of a 5k or a 10k route and plenty of entertainment this is an event for all ages and perfect for friends and families to do together. The funds raised through sponsorship will help us to continue to provide hospice care to our patients and their families, both here at St John’s Hospice and out in the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire community.”

To register for the Starlight Hike, go to: www.sueryder.org/stjohnsstarlighthike or call St John’s Hospice’s fundraising team on 01767 642 412.

An adult ticket costs £10, a child (under 16) ticket £5, an adult and a child ticket £15, family ticket (two adults and two children) £30, group ticket (four adults) £40. Team registration is also available.

This year’s Starlight Hike is sponsored by M&DH Insurance and the Paviour Doctor.

A historic community vineyard near Old Warden will be holding an open day on Sunday, September 9.

Visitors will be welcome to see the bumper crop of grapes following the hot summer, from 11am until 4pm at the Warden Abbey Vineyard, on Bedford Road, Old Warden.

Jane Markham, vineyard manager, said: “It is a great opportunity to see the vineyard at its best. The exceptional summer weather has been fantastic for our vines, which are laden with grapes, so we are hoping for a bumper crop this year.

“We are currently sampling and counting the bunches to determine just how good the harvest will be, but we are all hoping for enough grapes to produce more than 3,000 bottles of Warden Abbey still, or sparkling wines. It is a great time to visit the vineyard as we get closer to harvest.”

Visitors can see a copy of the first ever reconstruction painting of Warden Abbey, which shows how the abbey, which dominated the local landscape, might have looked around 650 years ago. The painting was crafted by renowned reconstruction artist, Peter Dunn, after four years’ painstaking research by vineyard volunteer, Margaret Roberts, and a 2017 “Time Team” style geophysical survey.

Margaret will be giving talks on her research.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to join wine-tasting classes from Master of Wine, Derek Smedley, and join vineyard tours.

Warden Abbey award-winning still and sparkling wines will be on sale and and there will be more local artisan food and craft stalls than ever before, plus plant and vine sales, Wonky Donkey burgers, and a petting farm for children.

There will also be Morris Dancing and free activities for children. There is a small charge for tours, wine classes and history talks.

Admission is £3 for adults, children under 16 free. Free parking on site.

Warden Abbey Vineyard is a Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity project.

Musicians are throwing a big bash in Biggleswade with a festival raising money to support vital hospital care.

The event is being held in memory of a Biggleswade man who died suddenly last month.

The Big Bash 4 Baz is being staged at the Golden Pheasant pub in Biggleswade High Street on Saturday, September 22.

A host of local groups and artists will be performing in the pub throughout the afternoon and evening.

100Ft Drop promise to deliver a great set with their indie and rock covers.

An impressive line-up includes the Daisy Keeble Band, Borderline, Sam Neighbour, Lewis Vince, Ross Godbold and All Star Jam Band.

Barry Sheppard, who lived in Biggleswade, died suddenly at Lister Hospital in Stevenage last month.

Now his family and friends have organised the music event in tribute to raise vital funds for Lister’s Stroke Unit, Pirton Ward.

Alongside the music there will be a barbecue plus a charity raffle – the event has been sponsored by PSP Electrical Services Ltd.

The Big Bash 4 Baz runs from 3pm until late and there is free admission.

Barry Sheppard died on August 2. The funeral service took place at Harwood Park Crematorium, Stevenage on August 21.