The European Health Insurance card covers necessary medical treatment abroad

A Lewisham woman who sustained serious injuries after falling 30 feet from a balcony during a honeymoon in Greece will be able to fly home for treatment thanks to the donations of well-wishers.

Carrie-Anne Dudbridge, 27, fractured her spine in the accident, which happened on 14 August, during the holiday in Corfu with her new husband Michael, 29.

After returning from a romantic meal, Mrs Dudbridge, a primary school secretary, slipped and lost her footing on the balcony of their hotel room in Kavos.

With Mrs Dudbridge in hospital, paralysed by her injuries, the couple missed their flight back to the UK and were left stranded abroad with little money.

Language difficulties, no travel insurance cover, and the expensive special air ambulance that would be required to transport  Mrs Dudbridge home in her present condition meant that the situation seemed bleak.

The couple had believed that their European Health Insurance cards would cover any costs, but had failed to understand the terms of their coverage, which includes necessary medical treatment abroad but not repatriation.

But now, the pair will be able to return home after concerned strangers who saw their story in the British media donated more than £16,000 towards helping them.

Expressing the couple’s surprise and gratitude, Mr Dudbridge said: “We’re completely overwhelmed by the support. A huge thank you to everyone involved, and we can’t wait to thank everyone properly when we get home.”

Photo: Francesca Waite

Plans to trial extended police powers controlling drinking in the streets of Lewisham have been given the go-ahead by Lewisham Mayor Sir Steve Bullock.

The  measures will give police discretionary powers to stop people and confiscate, demand and dispose of any alcohol within the boundaries of Lewisham borough. A public consultation has now been launched, which is a legal requirement before the scheme can be introduced.

There are currenly two drinking control zones in Lewisham: The Lewisham Drinking Control Zone which extends along Lewisham High Street from Lewisham Central to Catford, and Upper Brockley Road Drinking Control Zone – implemented in April 2008.

The order, known as a Designated Public Place Order (DPPO) would extend the police powers throughout Lewisham. The order is a measure that can assist in tackling problematic street drinking linked to anti-social behaviour. Police and the council say the intention of the DPPO is to provide police with a tool to address alcohol-related disorder, not to ban public drinking.

Failure to comply with a request from the police to hand over alcohol could result in an arrest and/or a fine of up to £500.

The DPPO would be reviewed following a 6-month trial period.

Sir Steve said: “The difficult issue of anti-social behaviour brought about by street drinking needs to be tackled and the implementation of a pilot borough-wide DPPO will enable us to review its effectiveness and look at our options, once the results have been analysed at the end of the pilot.”

Borough Commander, Detective Chief Superintendent Jeremy Burton, said: “The use of this power is not directed at stopping people drinking responsibly in public; it is a further tactic in our drive to reduce anti-social behaviour associated with alcohol abuse and misuse. We will continue to work with Lewisham Council and our communities in combating alcohol related disorder and I look forward to the results of this pilot.”

To take part in the consultation go to www.lewisham.gov.uk and click on the ‘Check our active consultations’ and then ‘Lewisham Designated Public Place Order’.

Comments can be emailed to communitysafety@lewisham.gov.uk

The consultation ends on 27 August.

To see the full announcement from the council, go to the Brockley Central blog:

http://brockleycentral.blogspot.com/2010/08/public-drinking-public-consultation.html?showComment=1281622777839

Leon Fyle has been found guilty of the November 2009 murder of Destiny Lauren. Photos: Metropolitan Police

A Catford man has been convicted of the ‘brutal and pre-meditated’ murder of a prostitute at her home in Kentish Town in north London last autumn. (more…)

Photo: See-ming Lee 李思明 SML @ flickr

Blackheath residents have expressed their concern about the planned closure of their local library, which they say would prove harmful to children and elderly people.

A meeting to discuss the closure of Blackheath Library produced mixed responses from local people, with some condemning the plans and arguing that the village is increasingly dominated by leisure venues for young adults, alienating other members of the community.

More than fifty people attended the meeting on Wednesday night at the Leamore Centre  in Lewisham.

Lewisham Council’s decision to close Blackheath Library – as well as four other Lewisham libraries, as part of a swathe of cuts announced by Mayor Steve Bullock – was source of concern for many local people.

Although the closure of the library is likely, alternative options were put forward.

The meeting was chaired by Malcolm Smith, the executive director for regeneration in Lewisham, who answered questions alongside Aileen Buckton, the executive director for the borough’s community services.

Ian Mills, the chair of local charity Age Exchange which helps the elderly, presented a ‘fallback position’ should the library close. His solution involves moving some of the library’s services to the nearby Reminiscence Centre.

The three Blackheath councillors, Kevin Bonavia, Amanda De Ryk and Chris Maines, all attended, asking and answering questions themselves.

Although much of the meeting discussed how the closure of the library would be managed, many local people are still opposed to the library closing altogether.

Hubert Spall, a 39-year-old web developer from Blackheath, said that he didn’t think the library should close at all.

He went on to say that he has a 6-year-old daughter who is a regular user of Blackheath Library and would suffer without it, and added: “It is a real problem is if children grow up without a library.”

The meeting was attended by the Blackheath Village Library Users Group which is also strongly opposed to the closure of Blackheath Library. Yet Anne Bennet, the writer of the group’s newsletter, added that the money needed to fund the library ‘just isn’t there.’

Other issues were talked about, as some local people voiced concerns that the library is one of the only places left for the elderly in Blackheath Village, which some believe is becoming overwhelmed with pubs and cafés for younger people.

By Tom Hilton

Murder victim Nathan Williams. Photo: Metropolitan Police

Police investigating the murder of 24-year-old Nathan Williams in New Cross exactly a year ago  are offering a £20,000 reward for information on his killer.

Williams, from Kennington, was shot in Ludwick Mews, SE14, in the early hours of 28 July 2009.

He was discovered by police lying in a pool of blood in a Volkswagen Golf. He had been shot several times, sustaining serious injuries. He died later in hospital.

It is believed that four males may have been involved in the killing, but so far only one person has been arrested in connection with the case and was subsequently released with no charges.

Now, officers from Operation Trident, which tackles black-on-black gun crime, are backing their appeal for information about Williams’ murder with a substantial financial reward.

£20,000 is offered in return for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Detective Chief Inspector Gordon Allison said: “It’s now a year on from Nathan’s murder and we believe that the local community hold the answers as to who did this.”

“This was a brutal execution of a young man and those who did this should not be tolerated by the community – if you have information I would urge you to come forward and work with police, who can protect your identity.”

“Nathan’s family deserve justice for their loss and the community deserve to live without fear of those who commit these terrible crimes.”

If you have any information, you can call the Incident Room on 020 8247 4554. Alternatively, for anonymity, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Eoin Colfer by Michael Paynter

Eoin (it’s pronounced Owen) Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series, appeared at Forest Hill School, Lewisham, on July 20th in a performance streamed live over the web. (more…)

Photo: jayneandd @ flickr

One man has died, and a second sustained serious injuries, after being stabbed in Lewisham on Saturday night.

Police have launched a murder investigation following the incident, which took place in Downham Way, Downham, just before midnight on 17 July.

The victim, who has now been identified as Lenny Kempley, 54, of Edward Tyler Road, SE12, was taken to hospital by emergency services but died a short while later.

The second man involved, who is in his twenties, was taken to a different hospital, where he remains in a serious but stable condition. He has since been arrested.

The incident is believed to be isolated, with no suggestion of links to organised crime.

Three other men and a woman have been arrested and bailed in connection with the incident, but police are appealing for further information about Saturday’s events.

Detective Chief Inspector Damian Allain of Lewisham police said: “I believe the murder is linked to an altercation at the Downham Tavern pub in Downham earlier on Saturday night.”

“I need to hear from anyone who witnessed the altercation at the pub or the subsequent stabbings in Downham Way.”

If you know anything about the crime, you can call the police incident room on 020 8721 4805 – or, for anonymity, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Flags at Lewisham People's Day. Photo by Olivia

On one of the hottest days of the year thousands of people flocked to south London for Lewisham People’s Day, at Mountsfield Park in Catford on Saturday, where there was music, food and activities to enjoy.

Now in its 26^th year, the aim of Lewisham People’s Day is to celebrate the local community and provide an entertaining day out for people and visitors. This Saturday was no exception.

The atmosphere in the park was generally positive and upbeat, with large numbers of families attending.

There were many stalls selling a wide variety of goods and food, including jewellery, secondhand clothes and homemade cakes. Several different stages hosted a variety of music that everyone could enjoy including: rock, reggae, jazz and hip-hop.

The main stage attracted people of all ages to a “Big Dance”, as well as a performance by the legendary band The Beat, who promoted a simple message of love and unity.

The Bonkersfest Bandstand was supported by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, who put together a line-up which aimed to celebrate culture and creativity. Reggae, rock and ska produced by bands including, Jazzman John, and Black Star, could be heard booming out from the bandstand to an audience of mainly adults.

Dance event Spitfire Bounce enticed many adults to revisit their youth by dancing and jiving to jazz and swing, leading to happy faces all around and much handclapping.

The area named Rocklands was a creative hub for younger people, with local bands The Real Bad Habits, and Shiva, from New Cross, winning over the crowd. The Dance for Life stage provided a huge variety of acts and music, ranging from local rapper Gifted K to belly dancing and a Bollywood performance.

If music wasn’t your thing, there was plenty more on offer. Free arts materials were provided and some amazing pieces of art were produced, including many “I Love Lewisham” slogans.

There seemed to be something for everyone, including sports fans (free boxing and football tasters were provided by Millwall Football Club). Lewisham Multi-Sports had a presence, providing a mini football arena for young children.

A variety of food was available but the Jerk chicken wrap proved to be the favourite with locals. Its delicious aroma was the enduring smell of the day.

By Tom Hilton

Photo: See-ming Lee 李思明 SML @ flickr

Five libraries in Lewisham are set to close under new money-saving proposals from the borough’s council.

As part of its attempt to cut public spending by around £60 million over the next three years, the authority is planning to axe libraries in Sydenham, Blackheath, Crofton Park, Grove Park and New Cross. (more…)

Care nurse Leah Questin was murdered by IT specialist Clinton Bailey last year. Photos: Metropolitan Police

A Lewisham man has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, stealing her savings and dumping her body in a suitcase. (more…)