Reading

Two Reading primary schools and a children’s centre in Reading are the first in the borough to have solar panels installed on their roofs under a Council scheme to tackle rising energy costs and reduce the town’s carbon footprint.

Ranikhet Primary School in Tilehurst, Christ the King Primary in Whitley Wood and Caversham Children’s Centre are all having solar panels fitted on top of their school buildings this week.

By using solar panels to generate power, energy bills will be cut. Solar energy is environmentally friendly and will help reduce bills too.

The Reading Council launched a significant investment scheme last year to invest in schools and public buildings – such as children’s centres, libraries, sheltered housing units and community centres – in order to generate energy efficiency savings in the long-term.

The scheme sees an initial spend to save investment of around £5million, which would be repaid, with a Government tariff scheme funded by the energy companies, paying Reading Borough Council for each unit of electricity the panels produced.

The solar panels are due to be installed by British Gas at all three sites by the end of this week. Each school will then put up real time energy monitors in their reception areas to demonstrate to its pupils the renewable energy being generated by the sun and the carbon savings being achieved as a result.

Paul Gittings, lead Reading councillor for environment and climate change, said: “The Council is committed to using forms of renewable energy to generate savings on the energy bills of public buildings and this project is a great example of how that can be achieved. The investment will ensure some real savings in the medium to long-term which will benefit everyone living in Reading.”

John Ennis, lead councillor for Reading education and children’s services, said: “Its great to see children’s centres and schools being the first in the borough to receive solar panels and benefit from the savings produced from using solar energy. I am sure many children at our primary schools will get a lot out of seeing how renewable energy is generated.”

In addition to the panels being installed at Christ the King, Ranikhet Primary and Caversham Children’s Centre, solar panels are also being introduced at EP Collier Primary School in York Road.

The Reading school has recently reached its target of raising over £10,000 from businesses, community and individuals to install solar panels on its roof after signing up to take part in the Solar Schools scheme run by the charity 10:10.

Reading Borough Council

Reading Thames Valley Police has released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with a theft at Asda, Lower Earley, Reading.

A man entered the Reading store on Chalfont Way, at around 7.15 pm on Friday 13 January, walked up to two unmanned tills, opened them and stole the contents. One till contained £740 and the second till contained £850, a total of £1,590.

It appears no damage was caused to the Reading tills and the offender may have used a key to gain entry. The offender was talking on a mobile phone throughout the theft and walked out of the store unchallenged.

The offender is white, approximately 5ft 10ins, slim to medium build and has light-coloured facial hair on his chin. He was wearing a black beanie-style hat, a lime green shirt under a dark charcoal-coloured coat and black trousers.

Anyone who recognises the man pictured, witnessed the Reading offence or has any information is urged to contact PC Julie Susel at Loddon Valley police station via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 101.

If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

Vulnerable people in Reading are being pressured into paying too much for mobility aids by unscrupulous door-to-door salesmen.

Reading Borough Council Trading Standards is backing an Office of Fair Trading campaign to raise awareness of misleading claims being made by sellers of products including scooters, wheelchairs and walk-in baths.

Cllr Pete Ruhemann, chair of the Reading Access & Disabilities Working Group, said: “There is a big market in selling mobility aids to people in their own homes and many companies operate ethically, however this area is becoming more popular with rogues who use pressure techniques to secure a fast sale to vulnerable people.

“Our advice to people who use mobility aids and their relatives is not to do business on the doorstep, to get proper advice and to shop around for the best deal instead of handing money over on the spot and, most importantly, to make sure the product is suitable for their needs. Especially if you are thinking of buying a big item like a wheel-chair or hoist you really need specialist advice from an Occupational Therapist first – else you might end up paying a lot of money for something which is unsuitable for your needs and perhaps even dangerous.”

The OFT offers the following general advice to any Reading consumers purchasing at the doorstep:

- Think twice before you buy and if you are made to feel under pressure to make a purchase, have the confidence to say no
- Be wary of time-limited or exclusive offers that need to be signed on the spot – this can be a high pressure sales tactic
- Double check the facts. Do you fully understand the costs and know whether it includes extras like installation, on-going serving charges or warranties?
- Always shop around to compare products and prices
- Talk to someone you trust for a second opinion

If you spend more than £35 with a trader on the doorstep, you usually have seven days in which to cancel (subject to certain conditions)

If you would like to report a problem with sales of Mobility Aids please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040 506.

You can also look for suppliers who are members of the Buy With Confidence scheme.

Reading Borough Council

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after two burglaries in Reading, which they believe may be linked.

The first incident took place between 6pm on Saturday (28/1) and 10.30am on Sunday (29/1), when offenders forced a rear door to gain entry to a house in Rodway Road, Tilehurst, Reading.

Once inside they stole a Dell laptop, a HP laptop, and a 37ins black Panasonic Vierra television.

The second incident took place between 10.15pm on Saturday (28/1) and 6.15am on Sunday (29/1), when offenders forced a rear door to gain entry to a house in Brendon Close, Tilehurst, Reading.

Items stolen include a 60ins black LG television, a white iPad 2, a black/silver E Systems computer, and a 19 inch black/silver Dell monitor.

Sgt Ade Hall, of Reading police station, said: “I urge anyone who may have seen someone acting suspiciously in the area, or who has any information, to come forward.

“Due to the size of a TV taken from one address it is believed a vehicle was involved and could have been in Kentwood Hill or Rodway Road area.”

Anyone with information about this Reading incident should contact Sgt Hall via the new non-emergency single number 101

If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

As the winter evenings are with us, now is the ideal time to look at your home security. If you’re not at home during the hours of darkness, you may be at an increased risk of burglary.

If no light is on in your home, curtains are not drawn, and no car is in the drive, it’s an obvious sign to an opportunist burglar that nobody is at home. At this time of year it pays to secure your home. There are a number of simple low cost, or free ways to do this, all of which will help reduce the chance of your home becoming a target.

Visit a local retailer to pick up a 24-hour segment timer for under £5. The timer can be used with a lamp, radio or TV to give the impression that someone’s home. Remember to use an energy efficient light bulb

Keep valuables out of sight

Look your doors and windows, if you have a UPVC door, make sure you have double locked it.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

Monday morning motorists will be welcoming the reopening of Cow Lane, Reading after the first phase of widening work.

The Reading thoroughfare has been closed since mid December, when Network Rail started work to remove and replace the southern bridge and lay a new road under the structure. The demolition of the old narrow barrel arch at Christmas has paved the way for a two lane highway, with a cycle lane and pedestrian footpath.

Work to the Reading northern Cow Lane bridge will finish in 2015, as it cannot be completed until the tracks above it are moved on to the new viaduct. At this point, motorists will feel the full benefit of the project, including a further reduction of congestion and double-decker buses allowed on the route.

The railway above Cow Lane was closed to trains on Christmas Eve. On Boxing Day a huge, 66-axle transporter lifted the 1,600 tonne bridge into place. Work finished on schedule with freight trains able to run again on 27th December.

Bill Henry, Network Rail’s programme director for the improvements at Reading said: “Since Christmas our team has been working hard, along with our partners Reading Borough Council, to re-model the drainage system under the bridge, complete the embankment works, clad the structure with bricks to enhance its appearance and provide a new road surface.

“We’re very thankful to the patience of local residents and commuters who bore with us while we finished off this very important phase of our works. Of course this is only the first step in widening Cow Lane and just one part of a huge project which will see an improved train service in Reading, as well as a fully upgraded station.”

Reading Motorists will also be able to see the extensive work that has also been done to the north bridge during the last month. A new deck has been installed which will allow work to continue in the area without any need to close the road again.

Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “The huge amount of works on-going in and around the station will be obvious to everyone. However for Reading’s residents the widening of the bridge at Cow Lane is an important landmark, particularly residents who live in the area or pass through it. Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists will all benefit and I’d like to thank everyone for their patience while the works took place.”

Reading Borough Council

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after an attempted robbery in Reading last night (23/1).

At just after 8pm, a 21-year-old man was walking home from Coronation Square along an alleyway to Ashampstead Road and Hatford Road, Reading when a white man ran past him, with two black men chasing him.

As the man reached his own front garden in Brunel Road, someone grabbed him around the neck from behind. The Reading victim managed to shake him off and banged on his front door. The offender was then joined by four other black men in the victim’s front garden, who all began punching the victim, before one of them pulled a black firearm from his pocket and demanded the victim’s belongings. The victim stated he didn’t have anything with him, and the victim’s mother then came to the front door. All the men left the garden and walked off.

Nothing was stolen in the Reading incident. The victim sustained bruising to his ear.

Det Sgt Andy Beeney, investigating the Reading incident, said: “Fortunately the victim was not badly injured in this incident, however he was left very shaken.

“We do not know whether this was an imitation firearm or not at this stage and are keen to track down the people responsible. We are especially keen to speak to the white youth the victim saw being chased just before he was attacked.

“Anyone who saw the group or has any information about the incident, please contact us via the non-emergency number, 101.”

If you don’t want to speak to police or leave your name, call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

Inconsiderate Reading dog walkers who fail to clean up their pets mess will be targeted this week as part of a council blitz.

A footpath that runs between two schools – Geoffrey Field School and Christ the King Schools in Whitley – will be the focus of the Reading enforcement blitz after complaints by walkers and the two local schools.

Dog mess regularly left along the footpath is a growing problem, with children regularly walking dog mess into the school buildings as a result.

Each year thousands of complaints are received by local authorities nationally about dog mess. While the majority of owners are responsible and pick up after their dog, a careless few are still giving dog owners a bad name. And locally Reading Borough Council’s recent ‘We Need To Talk’ consultation showed one of the major areas Reading residents wanted strong action on were anti-social dog walkers who failed to clean up after their pets.

Next Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th of January, Reading Council enforcement officers will be positioned along the footpath in Whitley, both before the school day begins and after school, to target inconsiderate dog walkers. Any dog mess left behind will be sprayed pink to highlight the problem and fines of £75 will be issued if necessary.

The Council’s Streetcare Team is contacting the schools to ask if children can design posters which can then be placed along the footpath fence to help educate dog walkers.

Paul Gittings, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Environment and Climate Change, said: “It is not a surprise that the recent ‘We Need to Talk’ consultation showed dog mess up as one of people’s major bugbears. We as councillors regularly receive complaints about it. I hope this small initiative in Whitley can be replicated elsewhere in the borough and will help to educate some inconsiderate dog walkers about how important it is to clean up after their pets.”

Reading Borough Council

Joint Reading CPS and TVP press release

A young woman and two men found guilty of sex offences against a 16-year-old Reading girl have been sentenced today (19/1).

Amber Roderick, aged 19, of no fixed abode, Joseph Lawrence, aged 29, from Oxford Road, Reading, and Patrick Maughan, aged 26, from Sun Street, Reading, appeared at Reading Crown Court today and were sentenced to an indeterminate prison sentence (due to being deemed a dangerous offender), seven-years imprisonment, and six-years imprisonment respectively. All three were also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

At Reading Crown Court on 6 October 2011, Roderick pleaded not guilty to assault by penetration and causing a person to engage in sexual activity, Lawrence pleaded not guilty to rape, and Maughan pleaded not guilty to attempted rape and rape. They were all found guilty of their respective offences, by a jury on 9 December 2011 after a two-week trial at Reading Crown Court.

The court heard that on 3 April 2011, the 16-year-old victim (now 17) was taken, with her consent, to an address in Reading by Maughan in his van. She had arranged to meet Roderick at the address, but found there were a number of other men present, including Lawrence. The trio gave the victim alcohol and subjected her to an ordeal of sexual abuse, during which she was threatened by Lawrence with a knife and raped by him. Maughan attempted to rape her, and when he was unable to do so, with the aid and encouragement of Roderick, he raped her orally. Roderick also sexually assaulted the victim.

The court was told that on a couple of occasions the Reading victim tried to ring for help and tried to seek refuge in the bathroom before eventually escaping.

Victoria Griffiths, Senior Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “These were horrendous offences committed and encouraged by a supposed friend. The use of force upon the 16-year-old girl and the fact there were a number of people involved, increases the severity and seriousness of these offences.

“Roderick was an 18-year-old girl at the time of the offence and was on licence for very serious sexual offences committed when she was just 15, in Cardiff.

“In this case, Roderick appeared to be the ringleader. She befriended the 16-year-old girl in Reading and lured her to the address she was staying at and where Lawrence and other men were present.

“The CPS takes all allegations of rape seriously and has specialist rape prosecutors who have expertise in dealing with sexual offences cases. We work with the police and the courts to ensure that victims are given the best possible support.

“Cases of rape and other serious sexual offences can be extremely difficult to prosecute. Such cases need to be dealt with very sensitively.

“The sentences given today recognise the severity of the offences and the vulnerability of the victim. We will continue to vigorously prosecute offenders who target young and vulnerable victims.

“I hope that today’s sentences provide the victim with some measure of justice that will help her put this terrible episode behind her and move forward in her life.”

Detective Constable Russell Prentice, of Thames Valley Police, said: “I am really pleased with the result of the trial and the sentence. I hope the outcome will help the young victim begin to put some closure to what happened. My colleagues and I have completed a lot of detailed work when investigating this sensitive and complicated case and worked closely with the CPS and their specialist rape prosecutors.

“Thames Valley Police takes all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously. We have specially trained officers available 24 hours a day to manage the needs of people reporting crimes of this nature and now have two Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCS) called Solace Centres to provide specialist facilities including medical care, counseling, sexual health services and provisions to gather evidence.”

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

Local Reading parents are being invited to two public meetings later this month to give their views and help shape the future of after school club services for their children.

Reading Borough Council fully understands just how valuable a lifeline after school clubs are for working parents who have come to rely on the provision to allow them to earn whilst ensuring their children are well cared for.

However, at the present time after school clubs based at East Reading and Coley are losing money due to low take-up levels among parents. This position is unsustainable for the Council and council tax payers in the difficult economic conditions.

The Reading Council is therefore planning to embark on a significant push to raise awareness of existing after school clubs in the areas, with a view to increasing the number of parents taking advantage of the valuable services on offer.

As part of that push, as many parents as possible are being encouraged to attend two separate up-and-coming public meetings, so they can tell the Council what would work best for them in terms of after school club provision. As users and potential users of the after school club service, the Council is also very keen to hear from parents themselves about any ideas they may on the most effective way to get more parents to sign up to the clubs.

For parents who are attending the East Reading After School Club – based at Newtown School – and other East Reading children who attend St Johns C of E Primary School, a public meeting is scheduled on Monday January 23 at East Reading After School club (based in Newtown School) at 6pm.

And for parents whose children currently attend Coley After School Club – based at Coley Community Centre – as well as Coley Primary School and Southcote Primary schools, a public meeting will be held in the main school hall of St Mary’s and All Saints School on Monday January 30th, also from 6pm.

The public meetings are open to all and will include the opportunity for questions and thoughts from the public audience. They will be chaired by John Ennis, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services.

Reading Cllr Ennis said: “We have already said we are fully committed to the provision of after school clubs, both in East Reading and Coley, but we need to find a way to make them more attractive to working parents who live in the area and whose children attend local schools. These public meetings are about engaging with local parents and getting their ideas on how to do this. In my experience some of the best ideas often come from parents and the schools themselves. We are in the process of inviting parents, via their schools, and I’d encourage as many people as possible to come along on the nights.”

Reading Borough Council

Thames Valley Police is currently investigating the report of a rape of a 17-year-old girl in Reading.

The girl was walking home some time around 6.30am on Saturday (14/1), when she was approached by an unknown man in Oxford Road, Reading who started talking to her and walking with her.

As they have walked along Elgar Road, the man has raped the girl before leaving the scene.

This incident was only reported to police yesterday (17/1).

The Reading man is described as black, 5ft 9ins, of medium to large build, in his late twenties and with a chubby face. He was wearing dark-coloured clothing.

Det Sgt Ashley Hannibal said: “I would like to speak to anyone who may have seen this man in the Oxford Road or Elgar Road area, who may be able to provide us with any information regarding his movements.

“I am also keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the girl and man together, or anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in this area at this time.

“We are working closely with the local neighbourhood policing team and they will be carrying out reassurance patrols of the area and speaking to any local residents who may have any concerns.

“I would urge anyone that has any information in connection to this matter to come forward and speak to us as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information should contact Reading Det Sgt Hannibal via the 24-hour Thames Valley Police Enquiry Line on 101. Alternatively, you can contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading