Graffiti vandal's broken promise

Youth breaks vow to clean up mess

A graffiti vandal who pledged to scrub clean his mess after being tracked down by police has never finished the job.
His trademark tag, Paso, can still be spotted around the town, including in Frogmore Street East car park
behind the old Budgens site and the alleyway from Station Road to Mortimer Hill.
The youngster, who was 17 at the time of his graffiti attacks - which started in May 2004 - defaced various spots across the town during a three month graffiti spree.
Tring Community Police team gathered evidence to catch the youth, who worked at night.
Community sergeant at the time Kevan Booles said during the investigation Tring had never suffered this sort of damage before, which made police even more determined to catch the culprit.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, vowed to scrub clean his graffiti and was let off with a verbal warning by police, because he was so remorseful and the fact it was his first offence.
He also wrote a letter of apology to the police.
He confessed to more than 20 graffiti attacks, including those at the skatepark in Pound Close, the A41 bridge over Duckmore Lane, the public footpath between the car parks in Frogmore Lane and the High Street, the public footpath between Silkmill and New Mill and Sutton Court.
Work to remove graffiti across Dacorum costs the taxpayer about £50,000 a year according to Dacorum Borough Council.
Tring Town Warden Colin Jones, who makes regular checks of the town and reports his findings to Tring Town Council, said: “It seems ridiculous, the kid is
more than likely running around the town laughing his head off.”
He says police should have followed up the case by charging the youth when he failed to clean off the graffiti.
The police say they are unable to enforce the clean-up pledge made by the youth.
A spokesman from Herts Police said: “The police are not able to attach any condition to a police warning, only a magistrate can attach a warning.
“If he said he would clear it up then that is voluntary for him to do that. It is not an enforceable condition.”
Police say they will not be contacting the youth, who is now believed to be 19.
The spokesman from Herts Police said: “The person who committed the offences is now above the age of visiting by the Youth Offending Team, so it would only be if he was to come back onto our radar by committing another criminal offence that we would speak to him.”
Mr Jones added: “The majority of children in Tring are well behaved. They are great it is just the odd one that lets the others down.”
He believes if young people had more to do in the town there would be less nuisance behaviour.

Town backs troubled ref

RESIDENTS of Tring have jumped to the defence of referee Graham Poll after the football official made an embarrassing mistake in the World Cup tournament.
The 42-year-old from Tring became the centre of attention at the tournament in Germany after forgetting that he had already booked Croatian Josip Simunic when he showed him a second yellow card in the dying minutes of their match against Australia in Stuttgart.
The Croat defender should have been sent off as a result of this, but Poll failed to bring out a red card and Simunic stayed on the pitch.
He was finally sent off at the final whistle by Poll after receiving an unprecedented third yellow card.
Football pundits slated the blunder and said it could cost the Miswell Lane resident his chance to referee at the World Cup final.
This week however, residents in Tring said Mr Poll had been let down by his assistant referees and that he still deserved his reputation as a top official.
The landlord of the Kings Arms pub in King Street, Tom North, said Poll's first pint back in Tring would be on the house.
He said: “It was a very difficult situation and I think he was let down by his fellow officials. He's getting all the flak but they make mistakes as a unit.”
He added: “I think he'll get some banter the first night he's back, then everyone will forget about it.”
At Mr Poll's local shop - the Old Stables convenience store in Miswell Lane - owner Gurunathan Prapaharan said he had seen the match between Croatia and Australia on a small screen while watching the counter.
He said: “I couldn't believe the other two referees didn't tell him he'd already yellow carded the player.I felt sorry for him. I think we all make mistakes. I think he's a very good referee – no doubt about it.”
Mr Poll is due to find out today (Wednesday) whether he will be selected by FIFA as referee for any more games at this year's World Cup.

Young people to put up £10,000 ‘wish list'

YOUNGSTERS at Tring Youth Town Council will be asked to draw up a wish list of fun activities they would like to see in the town.
Tring Town Council wants to hear ideas of what £10,000 allocated from the council budget for youth projects could be spent on.
One idea by Cllr Penny Hearn is holding roller skating events. Cllr Lloyd Harris said: “What I think we need from Tring Youth Town Council is a wish list and then we can consider that wish list.”
The cash is not expected to be spent on the project for a ball park in Miswell Lane, as the youth council is already seeking grants to pay for the play area, which is expected to cost £38,000.
Both councils are still hoping to open another Streets Café following its closure last year. Tring Town Council clerk Susan Johnson agreed to talk to Tring Youth Town Council clerk Emma Cave on how best to decide how the funds should spent.

Groups get charity cash

TRING Town Council has pledged hundreds of pounds in grants to local community groups and charities.
During the council's finance and policy meeting on Monday, June 19, councillors agreed to give £305 to Tring Community Centre to buy a new computer.
£100 was donated to The Hospice of St Francis to help towards the cost of building the charity's new hospice.
The 1066 Club for the Blind and Partially Sighted People in Berkhamsted has been awarded £100 and £500 was pledged towards this year's Tring Christmas Festival.

Scarecrow Rooney strikes a chord at village show

A CROSS between Wayne Rooney and unorthodox cartoon character Shrek bagged Melinda Price first place in the scarecrow competition at the Wigginton Village Show.
Melinda, 22, spent four weekends creating her masterpiece, which plays on striker Rooney's cruel tabloid nickname Shrek.
She used chicken wire and papier-maché to create the footballer and even handmade the England shirt, because she could not find a real one big enough.
A bandage and crutch represented the injury to his foot before the start of the World Cup.
Rooney proved a hit at the village show on Saturday, where visitors had their photos taken with the scarecrow.
Melinda was presented with first prize in the competition, winning a disposable camera.
She said: “I was trying to think of a famous person and Wayne Rooney sprang to mind because of the World Cup.  I read in The Sun his nickname was Shrek, because he looks a bit like him, so I decided to do a cross.”
Other attractions on offer during the day included Jack Russell racing and classic cars on show.
All of the money raised from the event goes towards the village firework display in November and any extra funds are donated to local charities.

Reservoirs are more than half full

DESPITE being in the midst of the worst drought since 1976, Tring's Reservoirs, which collect water to top up the local canal network, are surprisingly full.
Although the water levels in the four reservoirs are below British Waterway's long-term average for this time of year, they are all more than half full.
Tringford Reservoir is at just under 90 per cent of its full capacity, Startops End Reservoir is about 82 per cent full and Wilstone Reservoir is just under 70 per cent full.
Marsworth Reservoir is coping the best during recent dry conditions and was completely full up when checked on June 12.
British Waterways Spokesman, Louise McCarthy, said: “We are closely monitoring demand and have a number of water management systems in place, including electronic and manual water level monitoring, improved back-pump systems and weekly water budget meetings to co-ordinate water usage across our canal network.
“We do not, at the moment, expect shortages to cause restrictions later in the boating season and are confident that we will effectively manage the water supply.
“We will ensure as much as possible that there is little or no impact on boaters, anglers, or our other customers,” she added.
Even though the reservoirs are in good condition, British Waterways says it would still welcome rain, to replenish groundwater levels and top up the reservoirs.
Boaters and members of the public can help save water by sharing wide locks and making sure local paddles are fully closed after usage.
British Waterways bosses said the recent announcement by Thames Water, that it is to apply for a Drought Order, would not affect their reservoirs or water management.

‘Don't ride a mini moto'

13-year-old crash victim warns others of dangers of mini moto bikes

THE mother of a Tring teenager who suffered a broken leg in a mini moto crash last week says her son has vowed never to go near the vehicles again.
Julie Wood's 13-year-old son Jason broke his left leg and suffered a deep cut under his left eye when the petrol-powered trike he was riding on crashed into a flint wall in Pond Close park on Monday, June 19.
Now back home, after four nights in hospital last week, Jason has told his mother and his friends that he'll never ride another mini moto.
Julie, of Eight Acres, said: “He's still in pain and he's off school. He's lost an awful lot of enthusiasm about everything.
“He says he won't go on the trike again. His friends have talked about it and he told them he thinks they're mad if they go on it.”
Julie added that she hoped her son would be able to return to school before the end of term.
Jason was riding on the mini moto trike with his friend Sophie Blanden, 11, when the accident happened.
Sophie, who was driving, suffered grazes to her cheek, chin and knee.
Neither of the two children were wearing helmets.
Police estimate that the vehicle - borrowed from a neighbour's child - was travelling at around 30mph when it lost control and smashed into a wall.
The parents of both children have warned other adults to keep their children away from mini moto vehicles.
A further warning has also been issued by mini moto experts over the danger of using cheap import bikes.
Paul Smyth, a manager of the British Mini Moto Race Team, said the current boom in miniature motors was being fuelled by low-cost replicas.
He said: “The bikes started off being made in Italy in the late 1980s as a way of getting kids into the sport.
“In the last few years the Chinese have started to build them but not to the same standard.
“The Italian bikes can cost over £2,000 but you can get a Chinese bike for under £80.
“Because they're so cheap, they've flooded the market, but there's no one giving kids safety advice.”
He added that staff at the team's race track in Swindon regularly have to sweep up parts which have dropped off cheap replica bikes used by guest riders.

Council get fly to tippers

A mammoth 19 tonnes of rubbish has been collected by workmen involved in the massive clean up operation on the A41 .
Among items collected were fridges, tyres and kitchen units, which had been dumped by passing motorists, as well as rubbish thrown from cars.
In total workmen covered 27 miles of grass verge from Tring to Kings Langley and then back up to Tring.
The Gazette recently reported that Dacorum is the most dumped on borough in Herts.
In a bid to combat the problem Dacorum Borough Council has been using hidden cameras to catch flytippers.
In May an offender dumping bags of waste in the countryside near Kings Langley became the first to be caught on camera.
He was traced through his car registration and stung with a hefty £75 fine.
Offenders could face fines of up to £50,000 and end up with a criminal record.
Secret cameras could be used to trap flytippers along the A41. A Dacorum Borough Council spokesman said: “You just don't know when you're being watched.”
Up to 20 flytipping incidents are reported in the borough everyday.
On average, 60 per cent of waste dumped illegally is rubble, 30 per cent is tree cuttings and 10 per cent is made up of household items like fridges and sofas.
Dacorum Borough Council is hoping to arrange for another rubbish collection along the A41 later in the year.

Fatal crash driver was three times over limit

A DRIVER who died after his car spun out of control smashing into several homes, was nearly three times over the drink driving limit, an inquest heard yesterday.
Mark Mosley, 24, lost control of his red Vauxhall Vectra, as he approached a traffic calming chicane, while speeding in Chesham Road, Wigginton.
Residents rushed out from their homes at about 1am on Thursday, November 17, after hearing loud bangs and crashing noises.
Mark, his two brothers, Wayne and David and another passenger, Paul Beck, had not been wearing seat belts and were all thrown from the car.
The inquest revealed Mark had 234 milligrammes of alcohol in 100ml of his blood. The limit is 80 milligrammes. There were also traces of cannabis found in his urine.
He suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including fractures and injuries to his internal organs.
Hertfordshire coroner Edward Thomas said: “This would have meant he would have died instantly, which meant no one could have helped him.”
PC Timothy Hill said four parked vehicles were damaged and the front porches of two homes were also wrecked in the accident.
Two nearby residents with medical training had attempted to resuscitate Mark, of Benafield Close, Oxford, and paramedics who took him to Hemel Hempstead Hospital continued to try to revive him.
PC Theron Pearman, the crash investigator, said Mr Mosley had tried to travel around a left hand bend too fast and had then over-steered to attempt to bring the car back under control.
It then collided with the first parked car, a Vauxhall Yaris. PC Pearman said: “At that point the Vectra started to spin quite violently.”
He added: “The vehicle almost over-turned as it span violently and probably took off from the ground.”
The collision with parked cars and cottages, which formed part of Hollybush Row, caused one of the rear doors in the Vectra to fling open, allowing passengers Wayne and Paul to be tossed out. All three passengers survived. PC Pearman estimated the car was travelling between 67 and 82mph when the accident happened.
Mr Mosley, who was travelling back to Oxford, was the owner of the Vauxhall Vectra, but was not insured.
Mr Thomas said: “Basically when you're in trouble in a car, with three times the legal alcohol limit and whatever affect cannabis may have had, this impairs the judgement to take the appropriate action.”
He added: “The key is obviously that this is a 30mph road with very appropriate traffic calming measures to avoid people going far too fast down that road.”
He recorded an accident verdict.

Rail staff will refuse to impose fines

TRAIN ticket inspectors who fear being attacked will refuse to issue penalty fines to Silverlink passengers from midnight on Sunday.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union wants the train operator to put safety systems in place to protect its members from those passengers who might turn angry and abusive when caught travelling without a ticket.
An RMT spokesman said: “Assault levels on the railway are already running at epidemic levels and that's before one of our members has to issue a penalty fare to someone who might not take it very kindly.”
Silverlink runs the local Tring to Euston service. It re-introduced a £20 penalty fine plus the cost of a standard single ticket earlier this year. The operator abolished its penalty fares system in 1999 largely because Silverlink recognised its facilities for buying tickets was causing too many problems. Since then passengers without a ticket needed only to buy one when discovered by inspectors.
But in January the train operator decided to start issuing penalty fines.
Silverlink spokesman Graham Bashford said: “We want to sort out this problem with the RMT union and are surprised that they are taking industrial action while our discussions with them are still ongoing.
“Not all of our revenue protection staff belong to the RMT union and they will be issuing penalty fares.”
In a ballot of the 70-plus affected RMT members working for Silverlink, 39 voted in favour of action short of strike and not one voted against.
RMT general secretary, Bob Crow, said:”The extraordinary ballot result returned by our members underlines the anger they feel at Silverlink's attempts to re-impose a system that puts them at risk and hits their earnings.”

Chamber has special offer

TRING and District Chamber of Commerce is offering free membership for next year to businesses who attend their annual meeting.
The chamber is holding its AGM at the Rose and Crown Hotel, High Street, Tring, on Wednesday, July 5 at 7.30pm.
Chairman of the chamber, Melanie Matthews, said: “Works to the High Street, the old Budgens unit in Dolphin Square and continuing concerns over parking charges are just some of the issues facing local businesses. With so much going on we need your support and more importantly this year with some key issues affecting the town we need your input.”
The chamber is holding an open forum. Everyone is welcome and companies attending will receive free membership for next year.
To reserve your place call Melanie Matthews on 01442 827979.

Mobile station beats it to Tring

Tring Community Police team are holding police ‘surgeries' from their mobile police station.
Officers will be on hand to answer questions and give crime prevention advice on Monday, July 3.
They will be outside St Peter and St Paul Church in High Street, Tring from 9.30am and Tesco in London Road from 1.30pm.

Bard tickets sale

TICKETS for the 57th Pendley Shakespeare Festival go on sale on Monday, July 3. This year the grounds of Pendley Manor Hotel will play host to The Comedy of Errors and King Lear.
The popular festival evolved from a presentation of famous scenes from Shakespeare presented by a drama group when Dorian Williams opened his family home, Pendley Manor in Cow Lane, as an Adult Education Centre in 1945. The Comedy of Errors will run from August 1-5 and King Lear will be staged from August 8-12.
  To book tickets call the Box Office from July 3 on 01442 820060
or visit www.pendleyshakespearefestival.co.uk.

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