The man accused of stealing Spongebob the squirrel monkey from Chessington World of Adventures last July described himself as an animal lover when he appeared in Kingston Crown Court today. Marlon Brown, 23, from Bowater Close in Brixton, denies stealing
London Mayor Ken Livingstone says Heathrow should not get a third runway. Mr Livingstone came out against the extra runway during Mayor's question time on Wednesday, saying carbon emission fears meant all airport expansion needed to be reconsidered.
A lorry crashed in to the railway bridge in Norbiton before 4pm this afternoon, halting trains for an hour causing road blocks and tailback traffic around Galsworthy Road and Coombe Lane. The top and side of the lorry were ripped off and police and
Guarding your parking space with traffic cones will soon have the spot filled with a police car, officers have warned. Surrey Police have warned Spelthorne residents trying to guard their parking spaces to stop putting ones and other barriers up on what
To see the video appeal by Kulbir Singh click here The brother of murdered Croydon man Sukhwinder Singh has joined an international appeal for information. Sukhwinder Singh was found dead at Epson racecourse on January 21 last year. Speaking through
Those of you hailing from Leatherhead, you will be flattered to learn that the town has been selected - against some pretty stiff competition across the country - to be the basis of a new star-studded film that hits the nation's cinemas this week. But
Rarely has a play been so suited to performance in a studio space as Alexei Arbuzov's The Promise. Set over 18 years in one small Leningrad apartment - or "housing allocation" in Communist speak - this Russian take on the classic tale of a love triangle
Brentford frontman Ryan Peters has joined AFC Wimbledon on loan until the end of the season. Peters is the second player contracted to the Griffin Park side to join the Dons within the space of a week after goalkeeper Clark Masters signed on loan for
England U19 captain Hugo Ellis, on loan at Rosslyn Park for the rest of the season from London Wasps is calling on his forwards to provide the platform for an explosive performance against World Championship rivals France this weekend. Coach Nigel
Politics and art. Clang! Cannot compute, sorry. They go together like a horse and marriage and there is enough earnest lecturing in the newspapers to let real world issues' invade our fun as well. So says the knee-jerk reaction to something called Human
Sittingbourne always looked the stronger in a dull game that took an hour to come to life and were indebted to some superb finishing from their ex-Gillingham striker Lee Browning for putting away the few chances that came his way. Casuals for their part
Crisis club Hounslow Borough were suspended again last week for non-payment of fines, but the ban was lifted on Tuesday in time for them to play the following night's home Hellenic League game with Wantage at Bedfont. Manager Dennis Bainborough revealed
Sutton United boss Ian Hazel has completed the signing of former Bromley and Weymouth midfielder Solomon Taiwo. Hazel has brought Taiwo to Gander Green Lane from Lindsey Wilson College, in Kentucky, USA, where he was on a football scholarship. He said
Leatherhead assistant manager Steve Wood says his side is suffering from a lack of confidence as their promotion challenge continues to stutter. The Tanners drew a blank against lowly Whyteleafe on Tuesday in a 0-0 draw that has all but ended their Ryman
A landlord told a court how his tenant from hell' accused him of murdering teenager Sally Anne Bowman in one of a series of abusive letters. Janet D'Sa also accused Derek Jenkins and his wife Annette of exposing their naked bodies and of indulging
A ninth person has been arrested in relation to the murder of 16-year-old James Andre Smartt-Ford at Streatham Ice Rink. Police confirmed a 16-year-old male from the South Norwood area was arrested last night. He is currently in custody at a south London
A long-awaited government announcement of plans to tackle the sewage situation in the River Thames in line with EU clean water laws has been welcomed by London's Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Baroness Sarah Ludford, who took a petition to the European Parliament
Epsom-based Kojo Kyereme smashed the course record in winning the weekly Wimbledon Common 5km time trial on Saturday. The Shafesbury Barnet runner, making his first appearance in the event, took advantage of the relatively dry conditions to race away
Aspiring young athletes from Surrey, Middlesex and London, will be among the hundreds converging on Leeds for Saturday's annual English schools cross country championships. Sutton schoolgirl Sinead Long, who finished runner-up in the senior girls' race
Today on my trek to work I couldn’t help but smile at the realisation that the world is - please forgive this cliche - small after all. Yesterday I was standing outside of Wimbledon station waiting for the number 93 bus. I was running really late to
Harlequins RL centre Paul Sykes has decided to hang up his kicking boots for the time being after missing four from four attempts on Saturday. The 25-year-old is still to find the prolific form that saw him voted supporters' player of the year in 2005
Would it be possible for me to thank the wellwisher who posted and also paid the postage on my letter for Canada. I thought this letter had been lost forever in the streets of Sutton. It was a nice surprise when I received the reply, which also had the
As a pensioner, I heartily agree with the letter from R McPhail. However, with regard to council tax, pensioners can do something. There is an organisation already fighting' this cause. This is the Isitfair' Campaign, free to join, non-political and
Twickenham's Chemmy Alcott put in a season's best giant slalom performance to finish 15th at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals in Switzerland on Sunday. The 24-year-old had become the first British female skier to qualify for the end of season finale
A girl who vanished on her way to school a fortnight ago may be in Battersea, police have said. Sindy-Ann Regis, 15, from Tulse Hill, was last seen at 8.30am on March 8 as she left home to go to Norwood Girls School. Police said she failed to make it
The Croydon Guardian has won a Mighty Men of Valour Award for its commitment to the local community. The news team was nominated for the award alongside companies including Crystal Palace Football Club and the Croydon Advertiser to scoop the award
The inaugural Dragonfly Stakes Day takes place at Kempton Park on Saturday, with a listed race, the inter casino.co.uk Dragonfly Stakes, the main attraction. The Dragonfly Stakes has attracted a decent field, including last season's Goodwood Cup runner-up
Number eight Nick Easter faces a race against time to be fit for NEC Harlequins' clash with London Irish on April 7. A neck injury suffered in England's win over France at Twickenham earlier this month ruled the 28-year-old out of Saturday's defeat
Should David Strettle need help in coping with the pressures of international rugby at this early stage of his career, he could do worse than look to stand-in Wales fly-half James Hook, writes Jo Rooney. The 21-year-old won only his 11th cap in Saturday's
A popular chat show with celebrity guests. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday until Thursday 31st May. Shows LIVE on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Doors at 11.45am. Show live at 12.30 - 1.30pm. Also on Monday and Thursday. Doors at 4.45pm. Show
A second-half onslaught saw London Welsh go down to a 31-27 defeat at Pertemps Bees on Saturday, but they showed great tenacity in the closing stages to secure a bonus point, writes Vicky Cheavers. Welsh made a strong start with Tom Marks' penalty opening
Richmond's revival came unstuck at promotion-chasing Ealing on Saturday when they lost 40-14. Ealing's huge front five took control and the home side gained a 13-0 lead with a penalty and two unconverted tries in the first 30 minutes. Two more tries
Twickenham held Tabard at bay for the first 25 minutes of Saturday's London Two North clash, but finished up on the wrong end of t a 33-17 scoreline. The damage was done in a second quarter with Tabard scoring four tries to lead 26-0 at half-time. Twickenham
Grasshoppers were beaten 25-20 at home by Hammersmith & Fulham in a classic game of two halves on Saturday. Playing down the slope in the first half, Grasshoppers led 20-0 at one stage thanks to tries from Matt Nemeth, Ian Macey and Charlie Hacker.
Budding boxing star Perry Lovejoy, from Earlsfield Boxing Club, has battled through to the national round of the Amateur Boxing Association's Golden Gloves finals, supported by the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. The 12-year-old was up against other
Karaoke singing competition every Wednesday - we are still looking for "the voice" to win £1,000 prize! Our favourite local female singer Nikki Aston, winner of Chicago's Rock Idol, is back on Saturday 24th March. Don't miss hypnotist Steve Marshall
Elmbridge Council's decision to ban the disposal of green waste in household bins will only result in a large increase in fly-tipping. I do not have the space for a third wheelie bin or a compost heap and can not afford to pay out for another tax which
London Scottish chalked up another substantial win on Saturday, this time by 69-5 over visitors Bishop's Stortford, to ensure that their favourable points difference would probably secure the London League Division One title even if they were to lose
Three brave Belmont men smashed their way into a burning flat to save their elderly neighbour from the flames inside. Daniel Musgrove, Louis Lane and Tony Janaway were enjoying a Friday night drink when they smelt smoke and went to investigate at about
Surbiton went down 4-3 to East Grinstead in their final Slazenger EHL National Premier Division away fixture of the season on Saturday. It was a match they should have won. The Sussex side had five players yellow-carded, meaning the visitors were playing
Walton Casuals manager Kim Harris is trying to sign striker Sol Pinnock from high-flying Dulwich Hamlet as he looks to bolster his relegation-threatened squad. Harris told the Comet he was on the verge of bringing the forward to Franklyn Road and also
Molesey manager Steve Beeks has for the first time ruled his side out of an end-of-season promotion chase. After a run of results that has seen the side win just once in 10 games, Beeks has finally admitted defeat in his quest to make the Ryman Division
A Carshalton man exposed as a war criminal after being arrested for shoplifting has praised the British justice system for not sending him back to his native Croatia. Milan Spanovic, 44, of Stoneleigh Road, emerged victorious from an extradition hearing
Think classic British comedy, think Last Of The Summer Wine. Actress Sarah Thomas, who plays the character of Glenda in the gentle sitcom, admits that knowing she is part of the legendary comedy alongside the likes of Nora Batty and Compo fills her with
Celebrity fans do not come any bigger than this. Madonna - the most famous pop star on the planet - has just announced that she is a massive aficionado of Pam Ann, Caroline Reid's priceless spoof air-hostess. The singer enthused last week that Pam Ann
Not only did the BBC's Just The Two of Us programme entertain and arguably torture viewers with celebrity duet sing-offs last November, it also marked the resurgence of one saxophone-wielding musician in particular. Little did fans realise that the multi-platinum
The Central Band of the Royal British Legion will be playing their classics when they grace the Fairfield Halls next week. The live band will be joined by Major John Perkins from Classic FM for an evening of top class entertainment with something for
In my opinion, the term impressive' is over-used - but it's difficult to find another word to describe Lizzie Hopley's Pramface. Writing a play is one thing, starring in your own masterpiece is something totally different. But playing two characters
The old saying goes, if you want a job done properly, do it yourself. Croydon FC chairman Dickson Gill is an advocate of this. He was forced to take over the managerial reins last September, when the Trams parted company with first team boss Russell
Croydon FC 1 Whitstable Town 1 The honours were shared in this top-of-the-table clash, which means the Trams are likely to have to settle for second place. Whitstable took the lead in the 14th minute when James Strouts latched on to a through ball
Purley John Fisher 41 Gravesend 14 Purley John Fisher showcased their all round team capabilities this weekend outscoring Gravesend by seven tries to one. However, Gravesend seized the initiative to go 6 points clear in as many minutes, as PJF
Warlingham 22 Petersfield 7 Surrey champions Warlingham guaranteed themselves a third-placed finish in their first season in London 4 SW with a comprehensive victory against their closest rivals. In front of more than 150 former Warlingham players
Old Walcountians 5 Old Whitgiftians 50 Old Whitgiftians went to the top of the table after a comprehensive victory over Old Walcountians. The match promised to be a tight encounter and initially there was little to chose between them. The Old Walcountians
Croydon Ladies 5 Purley Walcountians 1 Croydon's revival continued with a stomping win over Purley Walcountians on Saturday. Croydon used their characteristic press in the first 5 minutes to create a number of opportunities in front of the PW's goalie
Crystal Palace striker Shefki Kuqi believes Eagles fans will now start to see what he is really capable of following a disruptive start to his Selhurst Park career. The 30-year-old's season has been hampered by injuries and a lack of match fitness, limiting
Hampton & Richmond are expecting a bumper crowd for this Saturday's promotion showdown with AFC Wimbledon. The fact that Hampton have won all three of their previous meetings with the Dons only adds to the interest surrounding a fixture that attracted
Hampton & Richmond are expecting a bumper crowd for this Saturday's promotion showdown with AFC Wimbledon. The fact that Hampton have won all three of their previous meetings with the Dons only adds to the interest surrounding a fixture that attracted
SATURDAY, MARCH 17 Guinness Premiership: Gloucester 34 NEC Harlequins 25. National League Division One: Birmingham & Solihull 31 London Welsh 27. National League Two: Harrogate 12 Esher 34. National League Three South: Rosslyn Park 12 Chinnor 13.
If you want to sample the best half-time pie in the country, you will need to make the trek to Everton's Goodison Park, according to Epsom football nut Andy Nethercleft. This weekend, the 30-year-old graphic designer will complete his one-man pilgrimage
A vicar stunned his congregation when, instead of passing round the collection plate, he handed out £1,600 in cash. The Reverend Stuart Lee, of St Matthew's Church in Durham Road, Raynes Park, gave every worshipper an envelope containing a £20 note from
Lambeth Council will owe millions of pounds in back pay, once it sets equal pay structures for posts traditionally held by women. Negotiations between the council and trade unions about the new system are still raging, despite a March 31 deadline to
