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Police save suicidal man on bridge
A SUICIDAL man was saved by police as he tried to jump from a bridge over the A41 bypass near Tring last week.
The incident happened on Friday morning (August 11), when a man from Berkhamsted climbed over the railings of the Ridgeway Pass footbridge.
The man, described as smartly dressed and in his 40s, was seen standing alone on the bridge for around 20 minutes before the police were called.
Officers arrived at the bridge at around 9.50am and began talking to the man – a police block on the A41 northbound was also ordered.
At around 10am, as police moved closer to him, the man climbed over the railings of the bridge and stood facing the A41 40 ft below.
The officers on the bridge reacted quickly and managed to grab hold of the man before pulling him back onto the path side of the railings.
He was detained by police on the bridge before being taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
Hertfordshire Police Sergent Simon Mason, who was at the scene, said afterwards: “The role of a police officer is very diverse and dealing with people in these types of situations is all part of the job.”
The incident follows the tragic death of 26-year-old Matthew Lovell from Tring, who fell from the bridge to his death last month.
Jail term for church-going paedophile
A Church-going man sobbed in the dock as he was jailed for having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl he had befriended.
Terrence Ockendon admitted abusing the girl over a period of 20 months.
After her 16th birthday he had a full sexual relationship, St Albans crown court heard.
The girl ended the five year relationship while at university and went to the police when she was aged 20, said Sheryl Nwosu prosecuting.
Ockendon, 59, told the police, who had seen emails between him and the girl, that their relationship was ‘deep and meaningful' and he loved the girl. The grandfather and his wife had divorced in 2002.
Ockendon, an engineer, of Station Road, Long Marston near Tring, pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault and indecency with a child between February 1, 1998 and October 12, 1999. He was a man of previous good character.
Defence barrister Adrian Amer said Ockendon was ‘highly regarded by his employers' and was involved with a church.
He was studying for an Open University Degree in Maths and Physics. Mr Amer said that offences like this would ‘never, ever happen again'.
Judge Findlay Baker QC told him: "You were three times the age of your victim.
“You befriended the girl. It was an innocent relationship at first but when she was 14 it developed into an improper relationship."
He jailed him for 15 months and ordered him to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
He passed a two year extended sentence which means Ockendon will be supervised for two years after the end of the sentence.
Children cheer up pub menu
A BUDDING seven-year-old chef has helped spice up the menu for kids visiting a village pub.
Charlotte Ketteridge was drafted in by pub staff at The Village Swan in Ivinghoe Aston to create some tasty dishes that youngsters will love
She came up with the idea herself because the pub, which is owned by a team of local villagers, did not have a menu especially for little-ones.
After telling her dad Clive, a part owner in the pub, that she wanted to create some of her own recipes young Charlotte got to work.
She came up with drawings and names for the meals, which have now been added to the everyday pub menu.
Pub committee member Jill Dickinson said: “We had a meeting and decided this was a really good idea. It's good healthy food so rather than taking the kids to a fast food restaurant parents can take the kids down to the pub and have a healthy meal - and everybody benefits.”
Charlotte's healthy choices include Super Stir Fry, Rock ‘n' Roll Risotto, Terrific Tuna Pasta and Yummy Scrummy Shepherds Pie.
The Village Swan was bought by local villagers, who clubbed together, after the pub came under threat from property developers in 1997.
It has also undergone a £10,000 revamp including a kitchen refurbishment and some alterations to the bar.
So far the new kids menu, which was officially launched on Saturday, August 5, has been a hit with youngsters.
Even Charlotte's brother Alex, four, enjoyed his healthy ham salad after earlier crying because he was told chips were off the menu.
One village mum Sarah Oliver, whose children Nancy, eight, and George, five, happily tried out the dishes, said: “I'm not sure who's more pleased me or the children. It's a great idea, much nicer than fast food and who knows I might have to cook a little less in the future, yippee!”
The kids meals cost just £3.99 and include a dessert of Sorbet Surprise, Funky Fruit Jelly or Musical Milkshake.
Officer takes on Basra charity run
A TRING army officer, who is risking his life in Iraq, has won a special charity run in aid of blind ex-service people.
Lieutenant Chris Crauford ran the 10km race at the Basra Air Station as dawn broke at 6am to avoid the hot desert temperatures.
He completed the gruelling task in an impressive 34
minutes and 16 seconds - 19 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
Lt Crauford said: “I was under pressure from my troop to win. I think they want me to auction off the I-Pod which was first prize.”
The fun run was held to raise cash for the St Dunstan's Charity, which helps ex-service people with significant loss of sight to regain their independence, their optimism and make the most of the opportunities available.
The 25-year-old officer's good performance helped his team from the Armoured Engineering Squadron, normally based in Germany, to win the team trophy.
His proud parents Diana and Jim still live in Tring.
Lt Crauford is posted at the Basra base where he is
building new army accommodation.
He said: “This is the biggest task we've had so far and the lads are really busy.
“Heat is a massive issue here. So we start at 4am and work until about 12.30pm, with about an hour for breakfast. If we've got a lot of work we start again at 4.30pm.”
Could chemical spill be from water company?
Reservoir tank will be drained
THE MYSTERY surrounding contaminated drinking water at a reservoir near Tring deepens this week with Thames Water saying the toxic chemical may have leaked from their own disinfectant equipment.
Last week Thames Water bosses believed the drinking water could have been spiked with a chemical weed killer by a saboteur who broke in to the site.
But now a spokesman for the water company says the chemical herbicide may have come from their own cleaning equipment.
The water storage tank, which supplies drinking water to homes in Tring, had to be shut off after a Thames Water staff member discovered the break-in, thought to have happened on Monday, July 31.
Emergency tests at the Dancers End Reservoir revealed traces of the chemical herbicide sodium chlorate in the water.
Nicola Savage a spokesman for Thames Water said: “We have no evidence to suggest that anything was put into the reservoir. We had to check because there was a break-in. There were small traces of chlorate found but tests showed there wasn't anything added to the water supply.
“We understand that the chlorate may have come from the disinfecting equipment that was used but it is a minute quantity.”
She said that drinking water would not normally have a herbicide in it and the contaminated water will be drained from the reservoir tank, which will then be cleaned before being refilled.
Thames Water is still investigating how the contamination occurred and as part of this the disinfecting equipment is being considered.
The reservoir stores treated drinking water which is fed to homes in Tring and a small area east of Aston Clinton near Halton in Bucks.
Last week a major investigation was launched as Thames Water and Thames Valley Police believed someone who had forced their way into the reservoir had deliberately contaminated the water supply.
Thames Water has insisted that the drinking water remained safe for their customers to drink during the incident.
Police are still investigating the break-in. Anyone with information about the incident can call 0845 8505505.
New study may save hostel
OPTIONS for the future of Ivinghoe Youth Hostel will be looked at again by hostel bosses as part of a wider study of accommodation in the Chilterns.
Top bosses from the Youth Hostel Association have agreed to consider the viability of keeping the historic hostel open.
The move is in response to campaigners who have
bombarded YHA chief executive Roger Clarke with postcards calling for the hostel to be saved.
However, YHA regional manager for London, the South East and the East of England Caroline Sier stressed that the hostel is still expected to close next year.
She said: “It remains the case that the hostel is due to close in October 2007.
“The YHA board of trustees haven't reversed their decision they have considered it three times and it follows a five year review of the hostel, so it is not just an overnight decision.”
The YHA has asked for the backing of the Chilterns Conservation Board to work with them in ordering the special independent viability study, which would look at the need for hostel accommodation in the Chilterns and the market potential.
The study would be done by an independent professional and would include looking at the future of the Ivinghoe hostel.
Mrs Sier said: “As part of that study of the whole of the Chilterns area we would include the possibility of developing the site at Ivinghoe, so that it meets the needs of YHA guests in the future.”
The hostel has been earmarked among 32 hostels to be closed, which will allow £18m to be invested in up-grading other hostels around the country.
The campaign group against the closure, which is headed by Buckinghamshire County Councillor Avril Davies, met with YHA chief executive Roger Clarke on July 20.
They agreed to allow architects to look at the threatened hostel and suggest ways to develop it.
Market tries new taste
TASTY samples lured shoppers to Tring's Friday Charter Market during a new-look market day last week.
Stall holders gave their sales a boost by letting visitors try their delicious fresh foods before buying them.
Youngsters enjoyed a free bouncy castle and charity stalls also joined the Brook Street Market.
The changes are part of a summer campaign called Fresh on Friday which aims to draw shoppers to the market and ensure they keep coming back.
It has been organised by market operators Bray Associates, the owners market site Tring Town Council and Tring Together.
Jane Randrup from Tring Together, the group that is working to improve the town, said: “It went really well. There were lots of new faces.
“The bouncy castle went down well with the children.
“The food sampling was popular and people that tried something and like it immediately bought it.”
Try before they buy will be on offer again during this week's Friday market on August 18. There will be face painting for little-ones on Friday, August 25. More charity stalls will be at both of the forthcoming markets.
The Friday Charter Market runs weekly at Tring Market Place, Brook Street, from 9am to 3.30pm.
A free minibus runs from the market to take people back to their homes after shopping at 10am, 11am and noon on Fridays. Priority is given to elderly people.
To book a place call Tring Together on 01442 828920 before noon on Wednesdays and leave your name, address and phone number.
Warning as burglaries buck regional trend
A DISTRACTION burglar tricked his way into the home of an elderly Tring resident in a incident police think may be linked with an attempted burglary in Watford.
The man posed as a water board worker saying he needed to check the water pressure at the woman's home in Faversham Close on Tuesday, August 8.
Once inside, at around 4.55pm, he checked sink taps and under cupboards but left empty handed when the victim questioned what he was doing.
The man is described as white, aged 18 to 20, of medium height and build with short black hair. He was clean shaven with round red cheeks and wearing a white t-shirt with a blue pattern, blue dark jogging bottoms with a broad stripe on the outside of the legs, white trainers and blue padded gloves.
Earlier on the same afternoon at about 3pm two men told an elderly woman in North Watford they needed to fix her water pressure after a leak. Both men entered the home but both made off when interrupted by a concerned neighbour.
In the last month there have been four attempted burglaries in Tring and one burglary all in the Mortimer Hill and Station Road area.
Berkhamsted has also suffered 22 separate burglaries, mostly north of the Grand Union Canal but also in the Potten End area.
The spate of burglaries is bucking the trend across Herts, which has seen distraction burglaries in the county drop by almost 50 per cent. In April, May and June of this year there were 61 distraction burglary offences across the county compared to 116 during the same period last year. This is a drop of 47 per cent.
Witnesses can call the Area Crime Unit on 01923 472428 or the non-emergency number on 0845 33 00 222 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Warning over water algae
VISITORS to Wilstone and Marsworth reservoirs are being warned to avoid the water, which is covered with toxic blue-green algae.
British Waterways says people can still enjoy a trip to the reservoirs but should avoid direct contact with the algae or the water close to it.
Contact can cause allergic reactions, including itchy eyes, skin irritation and hay fever-like symptoms. People are advised to wash all exposed skin as soon as possible after any contact.
Pets should also be stopped from drinking the reservoir water as toxins produced by the algae are poisonous to animals.
A spokesman for British Waterways said: “Blue-green algae is naturally occurring and when numbers are not excessive, together with other algal groups they are important contributors to the aquatic biology of natural waters.
“The algae only blooms and causes potential problems if the weather is exceptionally warm and calm.”
The spokesman said: “We are currently working with the Environment Agency to treat the water at Wilstone Reservoir with hydrogen peroxide, which kills the algae, enabling us to continue to use the reservoir's water to supply the canals.”
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