The Reading victim, a 39-year-old man from Shinfield, was attacked in St Mary’s Butts at around 4.30pm on Tuesday (7/).

He suffered serious head injuries and is currently in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in a serious but stable condition.

A 20-year-old man from West Reading, a 21-year-old man from East Reading and a 17-year-old boy from Charvil have been arrested on suspicion of GBH and are currently in custody at Loddon Valley police station.

Det Sgt Elton Evans, from Reading CID, said: “At this stage we do not know exactly what has happened to this man.

“It appears that he may have been involved in some form of altercation that developed in to a serious assault. His injuries were at first not considered to be too serious, but he deteriorated and is now is a serious condition.

“We are taking this incident very seriously and have made three arrests. However, we still need to trace other people who may have witnessed this incident.

“We believe that it took place close to a bust stop, so it likely that there would have been a number of people in the area at the time.”

Anyone with any information about this incident should contact Reading CID via the Force 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

Free accommodation has been made available in the communal areas of Reading’s homeless hostels for anyone who would otherwise be sleeping rough. The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is a partnership arrangement between Reading Borough Council, Hamble Court, the Salvation Army, Waylen Street and St Mungo’s and is activated whenever the Met Office forecasts three nights or more with a minimum temperature of 0°C or below.

This emergency response gives St Mungo’s outreach workers an extra opportunity to encourage rough sleepers into accommodation and support services. Local homelessness charity Launchpad Reading is also supporting this year’s SWEP by providing camp beds, duvets, food packages, toiletries and warm clothes for anyone helped by the scheme.

With the support of one of their sponsors Launchpad has funded additional staffing for the Reading hostels taking part. This has meant they have been able to increase the number of emergency beds available this year, as well as helping to ensure that the accommodation is supportive and secure.

Rachel Eden, Lead Councillor for Reading Housing and Neighbourhoods, said: “It’s essential when the weather turns bitter to ensure everyone finds somewhere safe and warm to sleep. For anyone in Reading who find themselves homeless the council’s partnership with the voluntary sector can be a lifeline at this time, but can also be a step towards more permanent accommodation. If you know of somebody sleeping rough, please let us know so that we can contact them and offer them emergency shelter”.

Reading Borough Council

Thames Valley Police has charged a man in connection with the thefts of whisky from a supermarket in Reading.

Matthew Doran, aged 36, from Brighton Road, Reading, had been charged with two counts of shoplifting at Waitrose, in Church Street, Reading, on 18 and 22 January.

He has asked for a further five offences at the same location to be taken into consideration and has been released on bail to appear at West Berkshire Magistrates’ Court on 22 February.

Police continue to appeal for the public’s help in identifying second man believed to be involved in the Reading incidents. He is white, 6ft, and is seen on CCTV wearing a black zip up Adidas hooded top, black jeans, a black woollen hat and black trainers.

If you recognise this man please contact investigating officer PC Aaron Gibbs by ringing our new single non-emergency 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.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

With some of the mature Cedar trees in Cintra Avenue now coming towards the end of their natural life, Reading Borough Council will next Wednesday (Feb 1) be planting five new trees on the edge of Cintra Park and the road.

Local Reading residents and visitors to Cintra Avenue are passionate about the evergreen Cedar trees which are a characteristic feature of the road, and last Autumn residents were assured that replacement trees would be planted.

The planting of those five new Cedars this week is a further demonstration of Reading Council’s on going commitment to planting new and replacement trees where possible, and particularly where trees are an integral part of a local area.

Tony Page, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “This delivers on a promise I gave to local residents last October to undertake planting of a new row of 5 trees in Cintra Park, adjacent to a group of mature trees fronting Cintra Avenue originally planted by the Sutton family. It underlines our strong commitment to delivering new and replacement trees as part of the Council’s Tree Strategy.”

Many residents, community groups and several Reading businesses have joined the Council embarking on a campaign to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come in celebrating the Queens Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by planting trees across Reading this year.

This is in addition to the Council’s continued committment to plant replacement street trees following the adoption of Reading’s Tree Strategy in 2010

Last year Reading Council planted 5,000 trees and shrubs as part of the M4 Junction 11 improvements and over 300 trees in other areas of the Borough. This planting season, Reading Borough Council is planning to plant a further 300 trees to demonstrate a continual commitment to greening Reading from a host of funding opportunities.

Reading Borough Council

At about 11.40am, a 16-year-old boy was cycling through Prospect Park, Reading texting on his phone. As he came to a stop, he was kicked off his bike and his black BlackBerry 9360 phone was stolen.

The Reading offenders are two black men, about 5ft 9ins, wearing white trainers and dark blue hooded top with the hoods up. One was also wearing a black bandana.

There were people in the Reading park at the time, including dog walkers, and police are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the offence or saw the offenders hanging around the park.

Anyone with any information should contact PC Andy Beeney 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

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

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

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

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