Crime

A LONG serving female ambulance worker who was assualted when she attended to a drunk patient saw justice prevail when he was sentenced to a Young Offenders Institute.

Gillian Hurford, 49, an emergency medical technician on the Fulham unit suffered a head injury from the attack, for which Michael Barrett was handed a 12 week spell at the Feltham establishment.

SUPERMARKET giants Sainsbury's were shamed in court for repeatedly leaving a large wheelie bin in the road putting drivers in grave danger.

The Local branch on Fulham Palace Road was ordered to pay more than £3,500, for blocking the road with an orange bin for the first half of 2009.

Tens of thousands of illegal cigarettes were seized from four Shepherd's Bush businesses in a joint raid by police and customs officers.

The teams seized 7,600 packets of cigarettes, 25 kilos of tobacco, 14.5 kilos of tobacco seeds and 36 bottles of vodka operation on which no duty had been paid following the operation on Tuesday afternoon (2).

Gangs drawn to late night shisha cafés in Uxbridge Road are responsible for a spate of violence which saw five people stabbed over the Christmas period, according to the prospective Tory MP for Shepherd's Bush.

One 24-year-old man was hit over the head and stabbed twice in the back after being set upon by a group of six men just before midnight on Christmas Day, on the corner of Warbeck Road.

A pair of pit bull terriers and two puppies which police believe may have destined for use as 'weapon dogs' were seized in a raid in Shepherd's Bush.

Specialist handlers from the Met's status dog unit were brought in to tackle the animals at a house in Norbroke Street following a tip-off from a member of the public who recognised the illegal breed.

A new website offering opinions on all Hammersmith and Fulham's public services has been slammed as a waste of time and money by town hall chiefs despite painting a rosy picture of life in the borough.

The Oneplace service unveiled today (9) was created to give people an independent overview of how their council, police and health service are performing on issues such as crime, levels of affordable housing and general quality of life.

Three members of a family who ran a construction firm that is believed to have helped build Westfield were jailed following the discovery of a massive tax fraud.

Amarjit Singh Sidhu, cousin Surjit Singh Dhindsa and brother-in-law Rajinder Singh Bhattle stole more than £771,000 from the public purse in an elaborate scam, part of which involved setting up fake National Insurance numbers for labourers working on construction sites in White City.

A con artist from Shepherd's Bush who used a forged blue badge to park in disabled spaces was fined nearly £1,000 after being caught out by police and council officers.

Michael Downey, of Devonport Road, was fined £994 at West London Magistrates' Court last month after being convicted of using the fake badge on two occasions.

Two other men from outside the borough were also fined for similar offences following the clampdown.

Amanda Roles, of Hammersmith & Fulham Mencap, said: "It is extremely selfish and inconsiderate. Non-disabled people don't realise how doing everyday normal tasks are so much harder for someone with a disability."

A crack house was raided and boarded up this week after neighbours in the White City Estate complained about a constant flow of drug users visiting the flat.

The closure is the first in the borough in six months and is being hailed as a breakthrough by police, who say they have struggled in the past to gain the trust of people living on the vast estate.

Veteran BBC broadcaster and Shepherd's Bush resident John Humphrys will host a 'quiz the leaders' event in the town hall next week.

Council, health, police and fire bosses will be under one roof on Tuesday evening to face a grilling from members of the public on subjects of their choice.

Jeff Zitron, chairman of NHS Hammersmith and Fulham, said: "Public bodies need to work together to provide good quality, value for money, services. At the heart of getting it right is listening to and talking with residents. The summit is a great opportunity to do just that and I'm looking forward to hearing what local people have to say."

The meeting will run from 7pm to 8.30pm. To register and submit questions in advance visit www.lbhf.ogv.uk