Shahzaad Ahmed, aged 26, from Ripley Road, Tilehurst, Reading was arrested in Winslet Place, shortly after 4pm on 7/9.

He has been charged with two counts of wounding with intent relating to an incident outside a KFC restaurant on October 22 2009, where two men were assaulted.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 8/9.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

The Reading library is now open at 9am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and until 7pm on Tuesday nights.

Along with the new hours, Whitley Library in Northumberland Avenue has many new activities starting in September.

A monthly board game club begins on September 27th and takes place from 2pm-3.15pm on the last Monday of every month.

A range of board games can be played, including Jenga, Dominoes, Mastermind and Scrabble or people can take along their own board games.

Be Crafty art and craft drop-in sessions for adults start on September 10th. Sessions are 10am-11.30am every second Friday of the month.

From September 9th, an extra Rhyme Time will be held on Thursdays at 10.30am. This is in addition to the Tuesday Rhyme Time at 2.15pm. Story time will continue on Thursdays at 2.15pm.

For children aged 8-10 years , a library club will run on the first Friday of the month between 3.45pm and 4.30pm with a chance to play games, choose books and meet friends.

Tom Stanway, lead councillor for Reading culture and sport, said: "Reading Borough Council libraries are extremely popular and offer a great range of facilities. The extension of opening hours at Whitley and the new sessions on offer complement the services on offer to residents of all ages."

Reading Borough Council

Reading, Berkshire ~ Website Design & Hosting
Website design, Hosting and SEO

About us:

Websites (UK) knows that your website is your portfolio, your shop window, it needs to make browsers want to pop in and look around, ultimately, it needs to sell your product or service.

We specialise in helping start up/small companies with their first website, creating a simple low cost 4 or 5 page site as a starting point.

Search the internet and make a note of a few websites you like the look of, so we know what you have in mind, then meet with our team and let us know what your website needs to convey.

We will send you updates on a regular basis to ensure it is developing to your approval and payment is not taken until you are happy and the site is up and running.

Contact Details:

Websites-UK
6 Ridgemount Close
Tilehurst
Reading
Berkshire
RG31 6YZ

Telephone: 0118 942 5338

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Paul Franklin has decided to trial holding a surgery on a Saturday and the first one will take place on 18 September.

Reading PCSO Franklin said: “Many policing surgeries take place during the normal working week and I am aware that it can be difficult for some people to attend.

“I’ve decided to trial this Saturday surgery in Oxford Road to see what the levels of interest are like and if it proves popular I will continue to organise them.

“I am really keen to attract people from Oxford Road, Zin Zan Street, Russell Street and Baker Street, as well anyone else in the neighbourhood who has any issues or concerns that they want to raise.”

The surgery will take place in Café Morena, 167a Oxford Road, Reading between 11am and 12.30pm.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

Land which lies underneath more than fifty Reading properties in the Field Road & Coley District area will be investigated during the project, which is being funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) following a successful bid by Reading Borough Council. The properties are all sited within a Derelict Land Clearance Order Area (DLCOA) and therefore qualify for 100 per cent funding.

Phase 3 of the long-running project will include further detailed ground investigations of the land in the area, involving borehole drillings and dynamic probing techniques. Following this investigative work, properties will be stabilised if necessary.

Some disruption to residents is expected as heavy plant machinery will be needed to carry out some of the work. Temporary parking arrangements and some temporary road closures may be necessary, depending on what work is needed. The Council will also seek householders’ permission for the contractors to access their land and carry out the investigations.

Reading Borough Council has written to all households affected giving them details of Phase 3 of the Field Road and Coley District Project and inviting them to a public meeting on Tuesday September 14 (6.30pm, Council Chamber, Civic Centre) where they can talk to the engineers leading on the project and ask any questions they may have.

Site work is programmed to begin in January 2011 and a Public Liaison Officer based in the area itself will be on hand for the duration of the works to keep residents up to date and answer any questions they may have.

The investigations into historic chalk mines in the area are long term. Historical Ordnance Survey and Tithe maps dating back to 1802 showed there were a number of historic brick, tile and pottery works in Field Road and adjacent streets. Brickworks were also located in Coley Park and Deepdene Close. Investigations were prompted by the collapse of ground in Field Road in January 2000.

The stabilisation of Field Rd Phases 1 and 1B were completed at the end of 2001 and Reading Borough Council secured funding from the HCA for further investigative work which began in 2005. This was Phase 2 of the works.

The Council has now been successful in securing the additional funding of £4.3 million from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) for more investigative work and, where necessary, stabilisation work to take place. Phase 3 is expected to last about 12 months on site.

Richard Willis, Lead Councillor for Transport and Planning at Reading Borough Council, said: "This is vital work for the residents affected in Field Road and Coley District. The extent of the danger posed by these old chalk mines is still not fully understood and the grant from the HCA will enable us to undertake further investigation and take the necessary remedial action."

Trevor Beattie, Director of place making at the HCA said: "The HCA has invested millions of pounds in new and affordable homes in Reading and the surrounding area this year, yet this less visible side of our work is just as important, and I am pleased that we have been able to provide the funding. It is a great example of how our investment and technical expertise can help local councils meet the needs and priorities of their residents."

The Council is also in discussions with the HCA about possible funding streams for extending investigative work to a wider area at a later stage. These discussions are on-going.

Reading Borough Council

Anna Swift and Ollie Gibbs, of Gibbs Catering Trading Limited, were awarded the highest accolade for their excellent standards of food hygiene and confidence in management, at ‘Wraps and Baps’ food stall in the Reading campsite.

Winning the Reading top prize means Anna and Ollie – whose baby is due is about three weeks – are entitled to a free pitch at next year’s Reading Festival.

The silver Alfresco Award was won by Chinese Noodle bar run by Bill Kayes, Country Grill, Salisbury, Wiltshire. The Reading stall holder will be entitled to 20% off their pitch for next year’s Festival. Five other food outlets were awarded ‘bronze’ status which entitled them to preferential locations for Reading Festival 2011.

Duncan Willby, Food Law Manager of the Consumer Protection Team at Reading, said: "Food safety is of paramount importance and harder to achieve outdoors. We congratulate Gibbs Catering for their award winning food safety performance."

In order for the Reading traders to be eligible for the award the food trader must achieve 5 stars in the food safety star rating scheme which looks at hygiene, structure and confidence in management of the trader. The 5 star trader must also have all round good management as well as good standards of health and safety and a regard for environmental issues.

Reading Borough Council

The incident happened in Sherwood Street, Reading, on 31/8, between 12pm and 4pm.

Three men approached the Reading home of a 91-year-old woman and told her that drainage work needed to be carried out in the area.

They were allowed into her property and once inside one of the men took the victim into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him to talk to her.

While they were in the kitchen the two other men searched the entire house and stole around £2,000.

All three men then left the Reading property.

Det Con Lynsey Kania, from Reading CID, said: “This is an awful crime where three men have deliberately targeted and elderly, vulnerable lady living alone and taken advantage of her trust.”

Reading Crime Reduction Officer John McNicholas added: “For the offenders to have been able to commit this offence they have relied on the co-operation of the householder.

“Once they are allowed in through the front door the situation becomes very grave and the risk increases dramatically.

“These conmen prey on the elderly and vulnerable but this type of crime is preventable.

“My advice is to get a door chain or bar fitted if you haven’t already done so and make sure you use it. But quite simply – if you are unsure, don’t open the door.”

Anyone with any information about this Reading incident should contact Det Con Kania via 0845 8 505 505.

Alternatively, if you do not want to speak to police or leave your name, please contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police ~ Reading

Reading, Berkshire ~ Dancing
Indian Arts Centre is set up to teach the different Indian art forms and languages

About us:

Indian Arts Centre was established in June 2010 to provide a central point to people of the Indian sub-continent in and around South East England, to sustain and promote the rich cultural heritage of India.

This is for the first time in Berkshire such an organization has been set up to teach different art forms at the same place.

Indian Arts Centre has started classes in contemporary and kathak. The classes take place every Sunday at 4 pm in The warehouse, 1a Cumberland Road, Reading RG13LB.

Everyone is welcome to join the classes.

Indian Arts Centre has also started Classical and rabindrasangeet classes every alternate Thursday at 7 pm in The Warehouse, 1a Cumberland Road, Reading RG13LB. The Music classes are affiliated with Dakshini (the renowned Music school of Calcutta). This is an unique opportunity for students living in and around Reading to learn Rabindrasangeet from the famous Dr Ananda Gupta and get a degree from Dakshini.

We will soon start other classes.

Come and join the classes and enjoy the journey with us.

Contact Details:

Reading Indian Arts Centre
24 Primrose Close
Reading
Berkshire
RG8 8DG

Telephone: 07912 357722

At Reading Magistrates’ Court, On Wednesday, August 18, Claudette Springer, of Whitley Wood Road, admitted falsely claiming £1,124 of Council Tax Benefit. She also admitted falsely claiming £1,203 of Job Seekers’ Allowance.

Mrs Springer was given an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs.

The Reading Council’s Fraud Unit began an investigation after it received a tip-off that Mrs Springer owned a property in London Street. When claiming benefits, Mrs Springer had declared ownership of her home in Whitley Wood Road but failed to disclose ownership of the London Street property.

Under Social Security legislation, the value of a property is considered to be capital and if a claimant has more than £16,000 of capital, benefit is not payable.

It also emerged during the investigation that Mrs Springer had failed to disclose a quantity of money she had in a building society account, including £18,730 she had paid into the account in 2009.

On the same date, Mikayla Miles, of Essex Street, Reading, admitted falsely claiming Housing Benefit of £2,396 and Council Tax Benefit of £399.

Miss Miles was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs.

During an investigation by Reading Council fraud officers, Miss Miles – who co-operated fully with the investigation – admitted she had been claiming Working Tax Credit but had failed to disclose this when her entitlement to Housing and Council Tax benefits was being assessed.

Cllr Andrew Cumpsty, Leader of Reading Borough Council, said: "This sort of behaviour is anti-social and totally unacceptable. Anyone considering such actions needs to know that this Council will not tolerate it and will press for full sanctions against the perpetrator.

"It is the hard-working silent majority who have to pay for this selfish and greedy behaviour, so it is entirely right that these criminals get the full punishment that they deserve".

Reading Borough Council

Seven cabs and eight private hire cars were stopped in Wokingham Road and Oxford Road, Reading on Wednesday, August 18.

All were found to have the correct licence and insurance documents and also received a clean bill of health in vehicle safety checks by an inspector from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

This is the first time in recent years that a spot check exercise on black cabs and private hire cars in Reading has produced an "all clear" result.

Clare Bradley, Reading Environmental Health Manager, said: "We are never complacent about anything that affects the safety and welfare of passengers in hackney carriages and private hire cars in Reading. But this is a very encouraging result and a great tribute to the Council’s enforcement team and our partners in Thames Valley Police and VOSA, who work hard to keep standards high. It is also a credit to the drivers whose vehicles were stopped that nothing was found to be amiss."

Reading Borough Council