Crime

A HARROW man has been arrested by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in connection with an investigation into suspected fraudulent calls.
The 33-year-old was released on police bail while a second man, Arunkumar Vettivel, 24, from Bristol, was charged with fraud by false representation.
Detective Inspector Ian Butler from SOCA said: "We are continuing our investigations into these crimes where it is believed the caller purports to be a police officer and asks for bank details.
"I am very keen to prevent further victims and would take this opportunity to remind people that only in very rare circumstances would a police officer ask for bank details and they would never ask for your Personal Identification Number (PIN) so, if you have a call of this nature, do not give any personal details to the caller and call police as soon as possible."

EMERGENCY services had to deal with three roads crashes in as many days.
The first happened on Saturday evening at 8.30pm when a pedestrian was in collision with a car at the junction of Honeypot Lane and Streatfield Road in Harrow.

WORK has begun on a kiosk that will allow police officers who patrol Harrow town centre to spend more time on the beat.
Members of the nine-strong town centre team, jointly funded by Harrow Police and Harrow Council, currently have to return to their office at West Street Police Station, West Street, Harrow on the Hill, in order to complete paperwork and record crimes.
But the new £150,000 glass-sided structure, nicknamed the iPlod and to be located outside BHS in St Ann's Road, will provide four desks for wireless laptop working and act as a drop-in centre for officers on patrol.
The building is being fabricated off site and will be lowered into place by a crane in mid-March.
This week engineers began the six week long task of preparing the foundations.
Councillor Susan Hall (Conservative), the council's portfolio holder for the environment, said: "We believe putting a police base into the heart of a shopping street provides extra reassurance to residents and is a sign of our commitment to providing cleaner and safer streets.
"This new base is a really practical and wireless base that officers can drop in and out of while on patrol. It means that officers will spend the maximum time possible on the beat."
Harrow's borough commander Chief Superintendent Dal Babu said: "This is excellent news for the borough. The town centre team has already made a big difference in terms of reducing crime in the town centre.
"Having a police base located in the heart of the town centre will mean that the team are even more visible and should help to reduce crime even further."

A BRICKLAYER has been jailed for four weeks for punching a male Tube worker and grabbing hold of a woman during an argument at Harrow-on-the-Hill station.
Laurence Glaze, 32, was sentenced on November 30 at Harrow Magistrates' Court over the incident that happened this summer in full view of other passengers and London Underground staff.

HARROW Magistrates' Court in Rossyln Crescent, Harrow, could become more accessible if plans are passed by Harrow Council.
The proposals are to replace the entrance ramp, adding handrails in the first courtoom, build a new baby changing cubicle and improve the public toilets.

TEACHER-turned-crime author Leigh Russell will be signing copies of her detective novel 'Cut Short' at Waterstones in St Ann's Road, Harrow, on Saturday, December 5.

A burglar broke into a house in St Paul's Avenue, Harrow, on Friday (06/11) between 9am and 6pm and stole a laptop, a personal music player and £500 cash belonging to a 36 year old man.
It is thought the thief climbed on to a flat roof and reached in through a small open window to open a larger one.

TEENAGERS will be telling police what they think about stop and search policy at an upcoming meeting of the Harrow Police and Community Consultative Group.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to quiz senior officers from Harrow Police on matters of local concern.
It takes place on Monday November 16 at 7.30pm at Harrow Civic Centre.
For further information contact Damian Markland on 0208 424 1785.

A TEACHER from Harrow accused of a two-year fondling campaign involving two 11-year-old boys is to stand trial next year.

Bearded and bespectacled Michael Gordon, 55, of Thrush Green, faces 14 specimen charges of sexually touching the pupils on various dates between September 1 2007 and April 9 this year, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act.

The French and Latin teacher pleaded not guilty to the charges - which carry a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail - at Southwark Crown Court in south-east London on Tuesday last week (27/10).

His trial was fixed to begin on January 25 2010 at the same court and had been given bail in the meantime.

A POLITICAL delegation from Harrow will meet the Home Secretary on November 4 in an effort to explore what powers he has to stop December's planned Stop The Islamisation of Europe protest.
Tony McNulty, Labour MP for Harrow East, confirmed to the Observer that he and his Labour colleague Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, are to talk to Alan Johnson along with a cross-party group of councillors from Harrow Council and Councillor Navin Shah, Labour Assembly member for Brent and Harrow.
He said the meeting would take place on Wednesday next week at either the House of Commons or the Home Office.
Next month's proposed demonstration by Stop The Islamisation of Europe outside the replacement Harrow Central Mosque in Station Road, Harrow, follows an aborted protest on September 11 which drew an anti-fascism counter-protest up to 2,000 strong and resulted in nine arrests.
The Metropolitan Police said it cannot ban the December march because it is a legal static protest.