A family have launched a large fund raising campaign to raise £40,000 for an operation to cure their son of cerebral palsy.

Tracy Smith, 36, of Frobisher Gardens, in Stanwell, needs to to raise the money by October this year so she can send her six-year-old son Oliver to America to cure his mild cerebral palsy.

A 10-month-old Beagle saved the day when he alerted his owners to an arson attack in their back yard.

At around 3.30am this morning (Wednesday March 10) fire fighters from Staines and Egham were called to the blaze in Bremer Road, Staines, after arsonists struck at a shed in the back yard of the home of Lee Papworth and his girlfriend Natalie Taylor.

Six Spelthorne schools started a competition on Saturday (6) for the chance to win their very own allotment.

The competition, which is co sponsored by the Staines Informer was launched at The Elmsleigh Shopping Centre and will see pupils competing for a raised bed allotment and seeds, gardening equipment and expert advice on how to get started.

Pupils from Buckland Primary School, in Berrycroft Road, Staines, Kingscroft Junior School, in Park Avenue, Staines, Manorcroft Primary School, in Manorcrofts Road, Egham, Shortwood Infant School, in Stanwell New Road, Staines, Hythe Primary School, in Thorpe Road, Staines and Stanwell Fields School, in Clare Road, Stanwell, will be encouraging people to vote for their schools.

Firefighters from Staines were called to a suspicious car fire in Cleveland Park on Monday night (March 8).

One appliance from red watch attended at 11.47pm and took a few minutes putting out the blaze, which is believed to be an arson attack.

Two hose jets were used.

Campaigners for a safer Stanwell have spoken of their happiness at Spelthorne Council's decision to keep the village warden.

Residents were worried that the area would suffer after the council launched a consultation earlier this year to review the role of Stanwell warden Mick Raynor.

Spelthorne council is one of the 68 local authorities in the country who have microchips installed in their bins.

The news comes after campaign group Big Brother Watch sent a Freedom of Information Request to every council in the country to find out if they micro chipped household collection rubbish bins.

Spelthorne's prospective Conservative MP has joined the fight against replacing Heathrow airport with one in the Thames Estuary.

Eton educated Kwasi Kwarteng, who was voted in by borough residents at an American-style open primary at Kempton Park Racecourse in January this year, has spoken out against Mayor of London Boris Johnson's idea to create an artificial island for a six-runway airport off the Kent coast.

Residents in Spelthorne will face a 0% increase in council tax and staff will forgo any increase in pay or allowances as the budget for 2010/11 was announced on Thursday (24).

In a full council meeting held at the Civic Offices, in Knowle Green, Leader of Spelthorne council John Packman also declared that cuts were to be made to make savings in an effort to balance the budget.

Mr Packman stated that due to the economic downturn the council needed to help residents that were finding times tough.

Fire fighters took an hour and a half pumping flood water from Long Lane on Sunday.

Crews from Staines were called at 4.20pm as a foot and a half of water was encroaching on people's houses due to the heavy rain.

Watch manager Alistair Lofthouse said: "It was close to getting into people's houses, but we were able to clear it. We are still on flood watch at the moment due to the river's around here."

An elderly man who suffers from a chronic chest infection has hit out at his housing provider after his last service charge statement topped the £3,100 mark.

Arthur Fryer, 81, lives in Vanguard House, in Douglas Road, Stanwell, which is an A2Dominion run property.