Dunstable News Desk

From a portrait by Sophie Gresswell Artist Dunstable Library will be hosting an array of events on the 17th July centred around the chosen theme of 'Identity' as well as running a Self Portrait competition which will be displayed in Dunstable Library and judged on the day by their artist Sophie Gresswell.  The day will begin with all entries of the Self Portrait Competition being displayed within the library for the public to enjoy. A winner for the competition will be chosen later in the day. Customers can also enjoy a variety of novel-themed quizzes and competitions, with Superhero Identity kit bags to give away for children. Event timetable 10:00-10:45am - Panto-Dame Mama G will host a story time with a difference for the whole family.  11:00 - 12:15pm - Portrait Painting Workshops* with artist Sophie Gresswell. 12:45-2:00pm - Portrait Painting Workshops* with artist Sophie Gresswell. 2:30 and 3:00pm - Sophie will read a poem to accompany the artwork created. Plus, a

Police have issued CCTV images in an appeal for information, following a burglary in Dunstable. In the early hours of Monday (21 June), an offender entered a house in Hillcroft, and took car keys and a wallet, before leaving the scene in the victim’s car. Officers investigating this incident would like to speak to the man pictured , as they believe he will be able to assist them with their enquiries.  Detective Constable Jason Wheeler said, “ We would like to speak to this man, as we believe he has information which can help with the investigation. Although these images are not clear, we do believe someone will recognise the man’s distinctive coat and face shape. “If you have information about the incident, or recognise the person in the photos, please get in touch.” Anyone with information is asked to get in touch by visiting the force’s online reporting centre or by calling 101 and quoting reference number 40/31717/21. HELP IS AT HAND In an emergency ring 999.  In a non-emerg

Child exploitation is happening across Bedfordshire and police have teamed up with a huge range of partner organisations in an unprecedented series of activities to raise awareness and come up with solutions. Children and young people are often targeted by criminals who sexually exploit them for their own purposes or manipulate and coerce them into taking part in criminality, such as stealing, carrying drugs or storing weapons. Bedfordshire Police is working with the Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Unit (VERU) and a whole host of other partners for the next project in the  Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation  (BAVEX) campaign, to shine a light on these issues by helping people to spot the signs of exploitation, report anything suspicious and get support. It marks a month-long period of activity which will include: BAVEX messaging . Look out for this at The Mall in Luton, on Spotify, Mumsnet and Snapchat. A series of community engagement events in Luton on 12, 13 an

Anyone over 18 can have their first vaccination by using a walk-in centre to get their jab.  No appointment needed. Drop-in COVID-19 vaccination sessions available for people aged 18 and over Anyone aged 18 and over can walk into a number of vaccination centres across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes this week without the need for an appointment – making it even easier to get protected against COVID-19.  The vaccine you receive will be dependent on your age, see below for details. For the first time in the area’s local vaccination programme, drop-in sessions are being offered at our large vaccination centres to make the most of available vaccine supplies. That’s why, for a limited period, people who have yet to book their vaccine can turn up at a number of sites in our region during opening hours to receive their first or second dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine. Anyone who is 18 or over or eligible to be vaccinated for another reason should ideally bring their NHS num

Did you witness a road traffic collision in Dunstable? At 8pm on Wednesday 9 June , police were called to attend to a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian on Verey Road, Dunstable. The vehicle failed to stop at the scene and left the victim with serious injuries. PC Wright from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said, “The driver failed to stop at the scene leaving the victim with serious injuries, alone and very shaken by this incident. “Unfortunately, due to the fast nature in which this incident occurred, the victim is unable to give us descriptions of the vehicle or driver. “If anyone has any information about this incident or saw a motorcycle or moped driving around this area at the same time, please let us know.” If you have any information that can help the investigation, please call 101 or use the online reporting tool  and quote reference 478 of 9 June . You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s Patient Transfer Service is currently based at Dunstable ambulance station on Kingsway .  The Trust have sold the site to Central Bedfordshire Council, who have agreed that the Trust could relocate their Patient Transfer Service to the former highways depot on Brewers Hill Road . Central Bedfordshire Council have recently demolished an existing single storey administration building on the site due to its condition, leaving the floor slab remaining. In order to occupy the site the Trust are proposing to erect a single storey modular building, which will provide an office and rest facilities including a locker room. The new proposed buildings are expected to have minimal impact and will be of similar scale of the recently demolished former administration building. Planning Application details Target date for planning decision by Central Bedfordshire Council: 29 / 07 / 2021 Make a Public Comment : LINK

HM The Queen’s Birthday Honours List for 2021 has been announced and includes seven Bedfordshire recipients.  Those who have been successful are as follows:  Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Professor Helen Valerie ATKINSON CBE FREng (Bedford) Pro-Vice Chancellor, Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University For services to Engineering and Education   Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) Professor Martin Graham CHRISTOPHER (Bedford) Emeritus Professor of Marketing and Logistics, Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University For services to Business, Academia and the UK Economy  - Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) Ms Grace Louisiana COLLINS (Bedford) Leadership Advisor, Local Government Association For services to Local Government   Mrs Caroline Jane COSTER (Bedford) For services to Education in Bedfordshire and to Charity in Africa   Ms Maria Freda LOVELL (Luton) For services to the African Community in Bedfordshi

Central Bedfordshire receives £432k boost from Safer Streets Fund Central Bedfordshire Council , in partnership with the Police and Crime Commissioner, has been awarded  £432,000 in funding , from the  Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund , to help improve community safety in areas affected by neighbourhood crime. The Safer Streets Fund enables Police and Crime Commissioners and Local Authorities to bid for investment in initiatives, that has been proven to prevent neighbourhood crime, including burglary, robbery, and vehicle crime. The fund aims to reduce neighbourhood crime, make residents feel safer and reduce demand on the police.  The council will use the funds to make improvements in a specific area. They include  significant investment in new CCTV cameras, improvements to street lighting, fencing, landscaping, and maintenance and improvements to parking areas. The funding will also be used to offer residents in hotspot areas  Ring doorbells  and  Smart water kits , which is a tr

Police are appealing for witnesses after an attempted robbery in Dunstable on Wednesday (2 June). At around 9pm, the victim was on his moped at the crossroads of High Street North and High Street South, when he was approached by two men on a motorcycle. They started shouting at the victim and demanding he handed over the keys to his moped. When he refused, one of the men pulled out a knife and then pulled the victim from his moped. The victim managed to get back on his moped and drove off along West Street, with the suspects pursuing him for a short time. The driver of the motorcycle was described as white, around 5’6’’, and wearing a grey hooded top with dark jogging bottoms. The passenger was described as black, stocky and around 6 feet tall. He was wearing grey jogging bottoms and a black raincoat. Both men were wearing black helmets. Detective Constable Kimberly Anderson, from Bedfordshire Police’s Crime Investigation Department, said, “This was a dangerous and frightening inci

Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, a man has been sentenced to more than two years’ imprisonment after he was convicted of drug supply offences in Aylesbury. Dennis Kamau, aged 30, of Morcom Road, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to a count each of possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and possession with intent to supply heroin in a hearing at Amersham Crown Court on Friday (28/5). He was sentenced to a total of two years and four months’ imprisonment. At around 3pm on 19 April this year, officers from the Aylesbury Stronghold team detained Kamau for a stop and search on Tring Road in the town. A quantity of class A drugs was recovered and following a search of an address linked to Kamau, further quantities of crack cocaine and heroin were seized to a value of more than £1,000. Kamau was charged the following day (20/4) and remanded in custody, before pleading guilty to the offences. Investigating officer PC Ben McNeill of the Aylesbury Stronghold team, said: “We wi

Last Wednesday, South West Bedfordshire MP, Andrew Selous spoke on the Environment Bill calling for the end of the increasing production of single-use plastic and harsher fines for those caught fly-tipping. Mr Selous also requested that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs look into the ‘Fairtrade’ style scheme for rainforest commodity sourcing. Andrew Selous said, “While I welcome the measures in the Bill to standardise the collection of plastic waste across all local authorities, I remain very concerned at the continued increase in the production of single-use plastic . Too much of this plastic ends up as litter around our country and around the world, harming human, animal and marine health. We must start to reduce the amount of single-use plastic we make, as some of the projections for its continued production are truly alarming. “ We also need to massively improve our performance on littering and fly-tipping . In my constituency, part of the area that a group