October 2009 Archives

The victim of devastating fire in Stanwell earlier this month has died in hospital.

Maria Jones, 64, of Windermere Close, suffered burns to her arms and legs after she was dragged out alive from her house on Monday October 19 by two neighbours.

Mrs Jones passed away on Sunday October 25 in St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey, and post mortem examination carried out at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford concluded she died from injuries sustained in the fire.

The cause of the fire, which occurred at 4am on the day and completely gutted the house, is no longer being treated as suspicious by police.

A police spokesman said: "Following a joint Surrey Police and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service investigation the cause of the fire at a residential address in Windermere Close, is believed to have been the result of an electrical fault."

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An Ashford pub has come to the rescue of a Stanwell nursing home.

For the first time, Ashford House Care Centre, in Long Lane, Stanwell, is hosting a Christmas dinner in December for 16 of its residents who suffer from dementia.

Wendy Ward, activities organiser at the home, tried numerous pubs, who said they couldn't cater for dementia sufferers, until the Kings Head, in Feltham Road, Ashford, stepped in.

Firefighters from Staines were called to a suspicious van fire on the morning of Friday October 30.

At 5.15pm two firemen wearing breathing apparatus took about ten minutes putting out the van in Town Lane, Stanwell.

Two people were arrested on suspicion of theft of a car after failing to stop by the police during a motoring campaign.

Surrey Police held an operation as part of their year-long Drive SMART campaign with Surrey County Council to cut down on anti-social behaviour around Spelthorne on Friday October 23.

A disabled woman suffered a fright recently when she woke to find the bonnet of her car had been stolen.

Jeanne Stroud, 63, of Falcon Drive, Stanwell went to bed on Sunday October 25 and woke up the next morning to find something wrong with her Vauxhall Astra's rear window.

An extremely rare brown shrike was spotted on Staines Moor prompting thousands of birdwatchers to drop everything and flock to the beauty spot over the last ten days to catch a view of the small brown spectacle. Herald & News reporter Russell Butt donned his wellies and grabbed his binoculars to see what all the fuss was about.

There's not many things more frustrating than when your holiday plans go awry.
So imagine the surprise of one small, brown bird who should be heading from Siberia to South East Asia for the winter, but has found himself perched atop a hawthorn bush in Staines.

Imagine its further surprise to instantly achieve celebrity status on arrival, with more camera lenses being pointed at it than Kate Moss gets stumbling out of a Soho nightclub.

Front and back number plates were stolen from three Spelthorne addresses recently.

The first incident occurred in Hereford Close, Staines between 8-11pm on Saturday October 17, while the second took place in Stanwell Gardens, in Stanwell on Friday October 16 night.

The third incident happened when a family where away on holiday between October 4 and 16 in Feltham Road, Ashford.

Anyone who witnessed anything should call the police on 0800 125 2222.

An extremely rare bird has been sighted in Staines Moor, attracting a throng of bird watchers in the process.

A Brown Shrike was first spotted on Monday October 11 in some Hawthorn bushes on the moor, about 100 metres north east over a concrete bridge over the River Colne.

A woman in her 60s was dragged out of her burning home alive by her next door neighbour on Monday morning.

The incident started at 3.47am in Windemere Close, Stanwell, after neighbours witnessed the fire starting in her garage before spreading to the roof.