A PEDESTRIAN has been hospitalised after a hit and run in Oxted.

Just before 8.30pm on Saturday, the man in his 20s collided with a moped on Red Lane, Oxted.  The bike and its rider failed to stop and fled the scene.

Police, ambulance and fire services were called to the scene and the pedestrian was taken to hospital with a head injury.

Officers from Surrey Police are now keen to trace the moped and it's rider, they believe the bike may have sustained some damage and the driver may also be injured and require medical attention.

Road closures were in place in the immediate area while emergency crews attended the scene, but all roads reopened at around 11pm.

Call Surrey Police on 101 with information quoting reference P14245488. 

THE compassion of a Tadworth carer has been recognised after she was shortlisted for a national award.

Ashleigh Webb is one of five of 7,000 Home Instead employees shortlisted for a Caregiver of the Year accolade.

Ms Webb, 45, has worked at Home in Epsom for three years and has cared for more than 30 clients.

One of her clients was a lady with advanced dementia who lived with her husband. With Ms Webb's help, social outings were finally made possible.

When her client died, her husband was diagnosed with bowel cancer shortly after.

Ms Webb cared for him for six months, offering all the support he needed, often at the expense of her personal arrangements.

Owners of the firm, Paul and Jill Tame, said she was a "credit" to the team, adding: "It's the little things she does for her clients that make the biggest impact.

"Aside from her commitment to her day-to-day role, she is also passionate about learning."

Ms Webb is currently studying for her QCF level 2 and recently passed the University of Sterling Dementia course.

The overall winner of the Caregiver of the Year award will be announced in September.

THE area's wartime heritage is set to be remembered permanently in a major transformation of a 150-year-old church.

A Battle of Britain chapel is at the heart of an exciting vision for St Luke's Church, in Whyteleafe.

The plans, which have been out for public consultation, aim to make the church in Whyteleafe Hill a community hub.

Vicar Rev Tim Goode said: "There is very limited community space in Whyteleafe for people to come together to celebrate, commiserate or hold public meetings.

"In recent years, Whyteleafe has lost its Royal British Legion building, St Thomas' Church and also St Luke's Hall.

"Ours is an ambitious project.

"Re-ordering St Luke's would make the parish church better placed to serve the needs of the people of Whyteleafe for this generation and future generations."

He said the current church and hall looked "tired", are not disabled-friendly and the kitchen is inadequate.

Flexible seating and modern facilities would open it up for a host of community uses, he added.

Proposed for the Battle of Britain chapel is a glass window depicting some of the Whyteleafe area's most memorable times, including the wartime and also the construction of the train station.

Buried in the churchyard are more than 30 pilots who served at nearby Kenley Airfield during the Second World War.

In August 1940, St Luke's became the first church in Britain to be damaged by enemy action when a bomb landed nearby.

And every year the church holds a Battle of Britain memorial service.

Churchwarden John Ritchie, who chairs the committee behind the project, said the project's total cost could not be determined until the specific details are confirmed.

But he said: "It will obviously run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

"All being well, it is hoped the scheme will be complete in "about two to three years' time".

He said the venture had been put out for consultation both among church members and among villagers, who attended the Whyteleafe Fete last month.

Mr Ritchie concluded: "The feedback was very positive, which was heartening."

Future uses of the church complex could range from a nursery and a coffee shop to functions and hosting local organisations.

SURREY County Council has spent almost £30 million in two years maintaining school buildings in the county – and a trio of East Surrey schools were atop last year's bill.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed the five most expensive schools for the council to maintain in each of the last two financial years.

In the year 2013/14, the council spent £11,276,200 on building-related maintenance for all schools and de Stafford School in Caterham, Reigate Priory School and Merstham Primary School were among the five most expensive.

The most expensive school was King's College, in Guildford, which cost the council £667,220 in the last financial year.

De Stafford, in Burntwood Lane, was the second with a maintenance cost of £640,258. The school is currently in the midst of installing a £1.5 million new canteen, which has been paid for by the county council.

The figures only relate to capital maintenance – funding for specific large maintenance projects – rather than the day-to-day running costs of the school.

Day-to-day costs and grounds maintenance are dealt with by schools themselves using a budget from the county council which was not included in the figures released.

Reigate Priory, based in the Grade II listed building in Priory Park, required £595,358 last year.

The school's former head teacher Noel Lellman, who stepped down at the start of the summer holidays after 11 years at the helm, admitted running the school in such a building did present challenges, but he maintained the benefits outweighed the costs.

"The building is very important historically but it also has Reigate's future in it," he said.

"Most buildings are built in a particular style, but Reigate Priory is a bit of everything.

"We are very fluid with the space we have because this was not built as a school, so we have to work to make the most of the space we have." The school has faced challenges in recent years after snowfall damaged the roof and two rooms in December 2010, which have required extensive repairs.

In the 2012/13 financial year, the council spent £17,553,600 in capital maintenance on schools in the county.

Surrey County Council freedom of information officer Peter Ward added that some schools pay a subscription to the council's building maintenance buyback scheme, which means the council then provides some day-to-day maintenance. Those figures were not included in the costs released.

As the Mirror went to press, it was unclear what work has been paid for at Merstham Primary School.

The council has been contacted for a comment.

A REDHILL man, who had been missing for almost three weeks, has been found safe and well in London.

Dennis De Dreyer, 28, was last seen in Station Road, Redhill at around 3.15pm on August 6 but was located in south west London shortly after midnight today (Monday) and has since returned to Redhill.

Surrey Police thanked members of the public and the media for their assistance with the search.

A HORLEY teenager needs your support to get to the final of a dance competition on national television tonight.

James Black,18, is part of a dance troupe which has made it through to the live semi-finals of Sky 1's Got To Dance, which is being aired at 7.30pm.

He and friend Louie Shepherd, 18, joined Dance Illusion in March after being recruited through James's mum, Caroline Black, who runs Stages Performing Arts in Ifield.

After sailing through the auditions with their act, which involves a high-energy dance routine with elements of magical illusion, they were recruited by street dancer Ashley Banjo, one of the judges.

Along with fellow judges, Kimberley Wyatt of the Pussycat Dolls and tap dancer Adam Garcia, Ashley has chosen six acts to coach, including Dance Illusion, which has 19 members.

They are up against the five other acts under Ashley's tutelage tonight (Monday) in the first of three live semi-finals, when they will dance in front of a studio full of people as well as millions of viewers.

James has been dancing since he was three.

"It's been a bit of a blur [since we have been on the show] because it has gone so quick," said James, who went to Oriel High School in Maidenbower and lives in Darnth Way, Horley. "You don't realise how big Ashley Banjo is in real life. He's 6ft 5 and it's a bit surreal to find ourselves being coached by him.

"When we first went out on stage it was nerve wracking. I didn't know what to expect. But it went so fast. It was the quickest one minute and 30 seconds of my life."

Competitors have to get three gold stars from the judges to get the chance to go through to the next stage. And when those coveted stars lit up James was actually disappointed. He explained: "I thought they were red. Watching it back on TV I saw my face and it dropped while everyone else was cheering, then I quickly realised [my mind had played a trick on me]."

Only three of tonight's acts will go through after a public vote, so James and Louie are calling on Crawley residents to back them.

Louie, who lives in West Way, Three Bridges, and started dancing aged seven, said: "We feel like we do have a chance of winning because our act is so different. We're hoping the people of Crawley will back us. We need them to watch the show and vote for us."

The routine they performed for their audition ended with a young girl being made to disappear by way of a magical illusion. James joked: "She disappears and we never seem to be able to find her because we don't know where she has gone. She always turns up eventually."

*Got To Dance is on tonight (Monday) at 7.30pm on Sky 1.

A HORLEY teenager and his dance team have reached the final of Sky 1's Got To Dance.

Earlier today we told you 18-year-old James Black, from Horley, and his Dance Illusion teammates needed the public's help to reache the final of Sky 1's dance competition Got To Dance.

The team are mentored in the show by Diversity member Ashley Banjo and tonight's semi-final saw Ashley's teams dance-off against each other to secure a place in the final.

Dance Illusion qualified, thanks to a public vote, alongside Bitter Harvest and Boyband.

There will be two more semi-finals on Tuesday and Wednesday to decide who will join them in Friday's final.

A RENOVATION appeal for Nutfield Village Hall is £500 better off, courtesy of the Tandridge Community Fund (TCF).

The hall's treasurer Peter Talbot received the cheque from TCF on August 14.

The fund accepts donations which it can put in the bank to earn interest.

Then the money is apportioned to deserving causes – so far it has helped 16 voluntary groups and a couple of individuals in the district.

Anyone who wants to help the fund should send cheques – payable to Tandridge Community Fund – to Mike Moss, 40 Gordons Way, Oxted, RH8 0LW.

A £400,000 boost and a research study are in hand to revive Tandridge's ailing economic fortunes.

It follows a report which reveals that, although firms locally seem content with life, the district is not performing strongly in the world of business.

For instance, Tandridge is among the poorest performers in the South East for overall economic output.

And a string of high-profile names including E.ON Insurance and Commercial Insurance have migrated away from the area since the mid-1990s.

The cash injection – from the Government's Growth Fund, given to the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership – will go towards regenerating as-yet undisclosed derelict sites in Caterham and Oxted in the next financial year.

Dorking-based business consultants Matthews Associates have commissioned a study for Tandridge District Council on the main issues and possible options to lift financial fortunes.

The consultants' initial observations outline that the local visitor economy could be stimulated; a need to revive "eyesore" sites of Rose and Young, in Caterham, and the former Oxted gasholder; and the desirability of developing small-scale business growth rather than seeking large-scale sprawl.

A report on practical measures to take things forward will go to the council's resources committee on September 24.

Piers Mason, the council's chief planning officer, said: "We have low unemployment, which is great.

"The feedback from local businesses is that they are positive about Tandridge as a place to trade. He added: "And both Lambs Business Park, in Godstone, and Hobbs Industrial Estate, in Newchapel, have waiting lists for companies wanting to move in.

"But business start-up rates locally are low and we don't tend to attract big businesses.

"Some of these economic factors aren't enough to get the red light sirens out for, but we need to know why we aren't keeping up with the rest of Surrey in some areas."

Councillor Barry Compton, who chairs the resources committee, said: "A healthy business economy is vital for the wellbeing of the whole district.

"Our aim is to encourage growth and support local businesses."

A PROPOSAL to build a solar farm the size of 34 football pitches has generated national outrage.

As previously reported in the Mirror, Flanchford Solar Park Limited has applied for permission to install thousands of solar panels on a 60-acre site, stretching across three fields to the north and east of Flanchford Farm, off Clayhall Lane, in Reigate.

A 2m-high security fence, CCTV and new access tracks for each field, which are currently used for arable farming and walkers, are also proposed.

Since the application was submitted to Reigate and Banstead Borough Council on July 25, it has received more than 140 objections, including comments from people in London, Brighton, Kent, Milton Keynes and Berkshire.

William Albright, of Warwick Way in London, wrote to the council: "I grew up in Reigate and I have family still living there. Please don't ruin the fields around there with solar panels. It's such a beautiful place and it doesn't need an industrial site to diminish it."

David Ruston, of Littleton Grange, in Reigate, told the Mirror: "Everybody that goes past is absolutely gobsmacked. We have got nothing against solar panels but they've got to be in the right place.

Mr Ruston and his wife Lin have lived next to one of the fields earmarked for development for nine years. They have been out leafleting against the proposal, which they say many are still unaware of.

Mrs Ruston believes residents do not know about the application because it was submitted during the summer holidays.

Nearby authorities and businesses have also expressed concern.

Surrey County Council, which is responsible for the roads surrounding the fields, is worried about HGVs leaving and entering the proposed site during its construction and has asked for a revised plan.

Gatwick Airport has also requested the application be put on hold until risk assessments have taken place to ensure there will be no safety issues with glint or glare from the panels.

Many of the other objections to the proposal focus on its green belt location; the effect a solar farm would have on the landscape; and the impact it could have on flooding and traffic levels.

Other comments submitted to the council support the plan. Paul Walters, of Chart Lane, Reigate, writes: "One reaction we can make to climate change is to embrace energy sources such as wind, wave and solar, and generally the negative impact from solar and wind farms where councils reject such proposals comes from visual impact. I do not believe that as a nation we can afford to allow this reason to stunt the growth of renewable energy installations over our land."

And documents drawn up by Dowsett Mayhew Planning Partnership on behalf of Southern Solar Limited, which will install the farm, say the site is temporary and designed with a 30-year life span.

The documents also state there is no flood risk and the proposed solar farm is "screened" by vantage points from nearby properties.

Hugo Black, whose family owns the fields, said: "We fully understand why local residents may feel anxious about the solar park. I have been to a number of them and found them to be quiet and unobtrusive. The panels are only 2.4 m high and this is generally below the hedge-line. The parks become wildlife havens once constructed, due to them no longer being intensively farmed with high inputs of pesticides and artificial fertilisers.

"Southern Solar has spent a huge amount of time and money to mitigate visual impacts and the site is very efficient in relation to its connection to the grid and visual intrusion.

"The solar panels at Flanchford should produce enough electricity for about 3,500 homes, about 16 per cent of Reigate's total population of 22,000. The UK Government is legally obliged to meet 15 per cent of the UK's energy demand from renewable energy sources by 2020 in order to achieve energy security away from the increasingly volatile Russian and Middle Eastern energy supplies, and carbon reduction objectives. The solar park would achieve Reigate's share of this obligation in one solar park."

A date for when the application will go to the council's planning committee for discussion has not yet been set, but the Mirror understands it will be in late September.

Comments on the proposal can be sent until Monday. Go to planning.reigate-banstead.gov. uk/online-applications reference 14/01297/F

A FORMER Met police sergeant has admitted to a two-month stalking campaign against his ex-partner, which left her suffering from anxiety and panic attacks.

Trevor Wood, of Spencer Way, Redhill, became "jealous and obsessive" after a relationship with a woman he met on holiday broke down.

Appearing at Redhill Magistrates' Court via videolink from Highdown Prison, the 60-year-old admitted one charge of stalking without fear, alarm or distress, which included taping a tracking device to the victim's car.

The court also heard, on Thursday, how Wood, now a driving instructor, sent a semi-nude photo of the woman to her ex husband.

He also bombarded her with texts and e-mails and turned up uninvited at her home, also in Redhill.

Prosecuting, Fahmina Islam told magistrates the pair met on holiday last year and began a "non-serious sexual relationship".

The victim, who was living with her estranged husband, called off the relationship with Wood, stating she wanted to work on her marriage.

This year, the holiday couple rekindled their relationship, which was described as "more serious" than the first time.

But in May, Wood's behaviour changed.

"The victim noticed the defendant's behaviour was becoming more and more obsessive towards her, trying to control her," Ms Islam said.

"He became jealous of her living with her ex-husband."

The victim then ended the relationship "in no uncertain terms", collecting her things and leaving a letter telling him it was over.

Ms Islam said despite this, Wood "continued to show harassment behaviour".

He taped his iPhone, which has a GPS tracking app, to the chassis of her car to find out where she was going.

He also left flowers on her car, and went to her home, looked over her fence and through her front door.

Wood also sent her e-mails and text messages, to which the victim responded.

In a victim impact statement, the mother of two said: "I have gone from a fun-loving, confident person to someone who is always looking over my shoulder to see if anyone's following me."

She added she took time off work because of anxiety and panic attacks, and she set up CCTV at her home to feel more secure.

Defence solicitor Michael Jones said Wood, who was held in custody for five weeks, wanted "nothing to do with this woman ever again".

"He admits this has been a nasty situation for this woman but there's not been any physical violence," he said.

Mr Jones also suggested the victim "brought it on herself."

He added: "He didn't know whether he was coming or going".

However magistrates dismissed the claim. Wood apologised for his "stupid actions".

He added: "I don't want to be incarcerated ever again. The reality of it is just too terrifying."

Chairman of the bench Dick Webber sentenced Wood to a 24-month community order with a supervision requirement.

In addition, he must also pay the victim £500 in compensation, £87 court costs and a £60 surcharge.

Mr Webber said: "I do not accept Mr Jones suggesting the victim was in some way to blame for the events that occurred, or accept the argument that psychological damage suffered by the victim should not result in any award for compensation."

A restraining order barring Wood from contacting the victim and her children was also imposed.

A PRIVATE audience with Winston Churchill is an experience few people can boast they have enjoyed.

Fewer still can tell tales of days spent sat with the iconic Prime Minister in his inner sanctum as he planned the British effort during the Second World War.

But one Reigate resident was there through Churchill's darkest and finest hours – unfortunately, though, she will no longer tell the tales.

Charlie, a blue-and-gold macaw, was Churchill's pet during his time in power, but despite her former owner's penchant for inspiring rhetoric, she now limits her conversation to "hello", "goodbye" and "how are you?".

While she used to say more, it is unlikely Charlie could do justice to all she has seen – at 114 years old she is also one of the oldest birds in the country.

Now enjoying her retirement at Heathfield Nurseries, off Reigate's Flanchford Road, Charlie is something of a celebrity in the area.

Nursery manager Sylvia Martin told the Mirror: "People do come down here especially to see her.

"Once we had some people that flew in from Canada and their first stop was to come straight here from the airport to see Charlie."

Following Churchill's death, Charlie was apparently given to Heathfield Nurseries' owner Peter Oram.

Mr Oram's father-in-law is said to have originally acquired Charlie in the 1930s, before selling her to Churchill shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Charlie was then reportedly given back to Mr Oram following Churchill's death in 1965.

She lived for a while in a pet shop in Croydon run by Mr Oram before moving out to Reigate for some peace and quiet in the late 1990s. Now Charlie, who was reportedly taught swear words by Churchill during her time with him, lives in an aviary with a small flock of rescue birds and her best friend – a five-year-old grey parrot named Rosie.

Sylvia added: "Originally Charlie was on her own here, but now she has got Rosie who she adores. They are great chums.

"Charlie doesn't talk as much as she did. She has become a bit aggressive and grumpy in her old age.

"But when they hear the car door they all shout 'goodbye'."

Because there are no official certificates for Charlie, Sylvia admits she does lose track of how old the aviary's senior stateswoman is.

"I used to say she was 108 not that long ago," she said. "Then I realised time had flown by."

Charlie once made national news for her foul mouth and anti-Nazi tirades and though some people have got in a flap debating the veracity of the bird's time with Churchill, Sylvia does not doubt it.

"I have to admit there is some argument about it, but I believe it," she said. "I was amazed when I was told."

A MAN has been hospitalised after his car came off the road and hit a tree this morning (7am).

The man, described as middle-aged, had to cut free from his vehicle by firefighters from Reigate and Horley following the collision in Woodhatch Road.

He was taken to East Surrey Hospital for treatment.

A DRIVER left his vehicle on the M25 to verbally abuse another driver in a road rage incident on Friday.

Officers from East Surrey CID are appealing for help in identifying two witnesses they believe could hold vital information following the incident between junction 9 (Leatherhead) and junction 8 (Reigate). The victim, a woman in her 30s, was in heavy, slow moving traffic when the suspect left his vehicle and was verbally abusive towards her at around 1.20pm on Friday.

Two people, a man and a woman, who were travelling in separate vehicles witnessed the incident and left their cars to intervene. Officers from Surrey Police want to trace these people as part of their investigation.

If you are one of the people officers are appealing for, or if you have any other information, call Surrey Police on 101 quoting reference 45140070372. Or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A MISSING 15-year-old schoolgirl from Caterham has been found safe and well.

Natasha Sandford, who was last seen more than two weeks ago at around 10.20am on August 10 in Foxon Lane, was found this afternoon (Tuesday) in Croydon.

Police have thanked members of the public for their help.