A JEALOUS and controlling husband, who couldn’t accept his marriage was over, stabbed his wife through the heart and then sent her a taunting text message as she lay dying, a court heard this week.

Lee Anstice is also said to have sent a voicemail message to his wife’s new lover, telling him: “Just want you to know having split her open in front of everyone on the driveway, you had better call your solicitor, you f......”

Twice-married Anstice had sat in his car eating sweets waiting for wife Tracy to arrive at her parents’ house in Flitwick last August.

By last summer their marriage was on the rocks and Anstice, a civil servant who had served in the RAF, had moved out of the marital home in Dunstable and gone to live with his parents in Oxfordshire.

Last August the prosecution allege he hatched a plan to lure her to her death.

After contacting her by phone to say he was on his way to her parents’ home to collect their eight-year-old daughter, he knew it would send her rushing to the house.

It worked, Luton Crown Court was told, because as 37-year-old Tracy arrived outside her parents’ home, Anstice pulled up in his car and attacked her on the driveway with a knife he had bought earlier that day in a supermarket.

Beverley Cripps, prosecuting, said the wife was trapped on the driveway between parked cars. Her screams alerted her parents Roger and Patricia Bagnall, who were inside the house.

The father rushed out to be confronted by his son-in-law pointing the knife at him shouting: “Do you want some of this?”

He then plunged the knife into is estranged wife’s body a number of times and one blow pierced her heart.

The court was told the father managed to drag his dying daughter into his home and called 999.

Anstice drove off but a short while later sent her a text in which he referred to their daughter and her boyfriend saying: “Are you taking her back for happy families? Not now.”

He is then said to have sent love rival Glen Feasey a voicemail message telling how he had just split Tracy open.

The 50-year-old civil servant pleads not guilty to murdering his wife on August 26 last year.

Outlining the crown’s case to the jury, Miss Cripps said “He refused to accept the relationship was over and her wishes that it should end.”

Miss Cripps described Anstice as “jealous and controlling”. The court was told as a result of his behaviour, which had included two suicide attempts, it was decided he should move out of the marital home.

The jury heard that, after his arrest for the murder of his wife, Anstice claimed to police he had been hearing voices telling him to hurt his wife just as she had hurt him.

Miss Cripps said Anstice had been treated for depression, which she said was getting better, and at no point in his dealings with health professionals and members of his own family had he once spoken about voices.

She said the claims about the voices were false and she said Anstice was guilty of a calculated killing that he had planned.

The case continues.

A UNIVERSITY management school has launched 20 new Master of Business Administration (MBA) scholarships to mark the London 2012 Olympics.

Each scholarship at Cranfield School of Management is worth £12,000 and will help eligible applicants fund their studies on the full time Cranfield MBA programme starting in September 2012.

David Simmons, executive director of the full-time MBA at Cranfield said: “The eyes of the world will be on the London Olympics, and we hope that our scholarships that honour London 2012 will attract the eyes of the most talented MBA applicants from across the world.

“We want to help the world’s next generation of business leaders to shine and achieve more by completing the Cranfield MBA which consistently performs well in the major MBA rankings.”

Around 75 per cent of the students on Cranfield’s full-time MBA come from outside the UK.

The London 2012 MBA scholarships have been made possible through donations from past students.

The deadline for scholarship applications is April 15. For further information or to apply for one of the scholarships contact Helen Knight on (01234) 754432, email MBAadmissions@cranfield.ac.uk or visit www.cranfieldmba.info

PLANS to build a new road linking the A428 and the A6 are set to be approved by council chiefs on Monday night.

Bedford Borough Council’s highways and direct works group has submitted an application to develop a single carriageway to link the A428 at Bromham Road at the junction with Gold Lane and Deep Spinney and the A6 in Clapham Road at its junction with old Bedford Road.

John Gambold, chairman of Biddenham Parish Council, claimed that his council agrees with the scheme, but that flaws need to be ironed out of the plans.

He said: “The bypass is a great idea but it’s not 100 per cent written yet and there are a couple of attendant problems to it.”

He added: “In itself it’s a fine idea and will reduce the traffic on Bromham Road and take the pressure off the traffic on the bottom of Ashburnham Road.”

The plans are recommended for consent by council officers but the final decision rests with the planning committee.

The proposals have received a number of comments from a public consultation from groups and organisations including The British Horse Society, Bromham and Clapham parish councils and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Bedfordshire Bat Group also made representations stating that bats and bat issues have been adequately addressed in the report.

Email your views to editorial@timesandcitizen.co.uk

A FILM-MAKER who is credited with getting David Gilmour his first gig with Pink Floyd has penned his first fictional novel.

Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon, 68, of The Green, Clophill who made music videos for the likes of 10CC, Squeeze and Donovan as well as cult film Syd Barrett’s First Trip, wanted to write a novel, but couldn’t think of a plot until the idea for the first chapter came to him in a dream.

He said: “I have always wanted to be a novelist but I didn’t have an idea.

“So I went to bed and I said to the universe give me an idea and I had the first chapter when I woke up.

“It just came to me in a dream.”

Nigel started his creative life as a poet and writer, but went into film-making when he met wife Jenny and wanted to settle down.

After attending film school Nigel got a job with director Hugh Hudson, who made the legendary film Chariots Of Fire.

He said: “I worked for Hugh Hudson’s company and for some reason Hugh took a shine to me, I hung out with Donovan and The Stones.

“Rock stars don’t mean anything to me and I have never been in awe of anyone, we all use the same roads.”

Nigel has also had an enduring and instrumental relationship with the band Pink Floyd, making Syd Barrett’s First Trip while still at film school and getting the band their first London gig at the Marquee Club.

He said: “Someone once said ‘Syd worships Nigel’. This was because I was a poet and he aspired to be a poet.

“He was a very beautiful young man, extremely handsome and elfin like. He was a painter and we used to go up to his house for jam sessions.”

But although Syd’s legacy in Pink Floyd has stood the test of time, he left the band in 1968 after suffering with drug problems.

Nigel said: “When Syd was really ill he used to go on stage and play other songs that the rest of the band weren’t playing.

“They were playing one night and I contacted David Gilmour and asked him to play and that was the start of David Gilmour being in Pink Floyd.”

As well as being involved with the music industry Nigel has made a number of commercials and corporate videos.

He had been involved in two books about fractal geometry the first of which was turned into a film for Channel Four featuring music by David Gilmour and content from science fiction novelist Arthur C Clarke.

Fractals are shapes that have special geometric, spiritual and artistic qualities. Nigel regularly speaks at universities on the subject and is giving a presentation at Imperial College London today.

Nigel’s latest novel Nothing and Everywhere is a comic thriller which tells the story of a young novelist searching for a book deal who finds adventure when his laptop is stolen.

He will be signing copies of the book at Waterstones, in Silver Street, Bedford on March 3 from 11am til 4pm.

Nigel said: “The exciting thing for me is that I don’t take credit for it.

“I really feel like kind of a conduit to which this stuff flows.”

He added: “It seems to come from the universal mind.”

To find out more about the novel visit www.gordonbooks.co.uk

To find out more about Nigel’s film work visit www.gordonfilms.tv

FANS of the Carry On series will recall the cheap and cheerful comedy brand’s take on package holidays, when a clutch of English stereotypes headed off to Spain to find that their hotel hadn’t been finished, they didn’t like the food, life was full of problems but they somehow made the best of it.

Fast forward 40 years and the world is a much bigger place, which is why The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, while essentially going over the same ground with an all-star cast, switches the action to India.

Shakespeare In Love wallah John Madden directs long in the tooth luvvies like Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy and Celia Imrie, along with Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel, in what would like to be a heartwarming comedy.

It’s the film version of a hit book – Deborah Moggach’s These Foolish Things, if you don’t recognise the title – and it’s always good to see actors of a certain age getting leading roles, even if it does always seem to be the same ones.

But this is a curate’s egg of a film, good in parts but failing to convince – yes, India looks vibrant and intriguing, the big names do their stuff, but despite their best efforts it fails to convince.

> Very few stars these days can lend class to any old rubbish just be being there. Denzel Washington is one – however daft the story, he somehow brings a bit of glitz and gravitas to the set.

In Safe House he teams up with flavour of the month Ryan Reynolds and the deservedly ascendant Brendan Gleeson in an action thriller set in South Africa.

Reynolds is a rookie CIA agent in charge of a safe house who finds himself playing host to Washington’s ‘most dangerous man in the world’ – a rogue agent who has been selling secrets to the highest bidder. The bad guys soon move in to rub him out before he can tell all he knows, and the pair go on the run. Bang! Kapow! You won’t have time to think as the action unfolds, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

> The top talking point about One For The Money must be this: OMG, Katherine’s gone brunette! Hollywood’s top blonde but essentially anodyne rom com star Katherine Heigl is unlikely private eye Stephanie Plum, the heroine of a whole series of comedy thrillers so the potential for a franchise is clear. Think My Cousin Vinny with a chick instead of a chap in the lead role, and no courtrooms.

> Films with animal stars seem to be all the rage these days, but even in The Artist they don’t get the name role.

That’s not the case in Red Dog, a family movie about a stray who sneaks in and steals the heart of a hard-bitten Australian mining community.

Again there’s a book behind this, written by Captain Corelli’s Mandolin author Louis De Bernieres, but it’s billed as a true story filled with earthy Oz humour, romance and tears. It has all the ingredients required to make it a sleeper hit, expect it to still be picking up punters long after the Marigold Hotel has shut its doors.

]]> 1.3531712 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:40:46 +0000 http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/geoff_cox_s_guide_to_new_dvds_1_3531711

TOM Hardy certainly has a commanding screen presence, as witnessed by his remarkable turn as Luton-born jailbird Charles Bronson.

And his performance is as powerful as one of his knockout punches in WARRIOR (12: Lionsgate), a rousing mix of sports and family drama.

The film makes an impact from its very first scene, with Tommy Conlon (Hardy) cutting a dark and brooding figure, simmering with pent-up anger, as he sits drunk on his estranged father’s doorstep.

It soon becomes evident that his alcoholic dad (Nick Nolte, deservedly nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) split the family, leading the young Conlon brothers to take very different paths.

The elder, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), throws in a promising career as a fighter to become a high school teacher, while Tommy joins the marines.

There’s bitterness and resentment on all sides and reconciliation seems impossible until the siblings enter a mixed martial arts tournament.

The pace of the story is faultless, with snatches of family history never undermining the action, and it’s all brought to a head in an emotional finale that rivals Rocky.

> Rowan Atkinson is back as the spy oblivious to his own incompetence in lively comedy sequel JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN (PG: Universal).

The bumbling secret agent retires to a Tibetan monastery in disgrace after a mission goes wrong, but he’s lured out of retirement by his former bosses at MI7 to hunt down an international group of assassins plotting to kill the Chinese premier.

Armed with the most high-tech gadgets the world of espionage has to offer, English sets off across the globe to bring the bad guys to book, unaware that the real threat may be closer to home.

Gillian Anderson and Dominic West as fellow MI7 operatives add to the fun with their straight-faced support, yet this is clearly Atkinson’s show from start to finish.

He’s great value as the idiot sleuth, although some of the stunts and set pieces would be better suited to the slapstick antics of Mr Bean.

> Well-crafted supernatural horror flick DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (15: Studio Canal) makes you jump on cue and really delivers the grisly goods.

Nasty critters appear in this remake of an acclaimed 1973 American TV movie.

Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison) goes to live with her architect father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes) at the 19th century Rhode Island mansion they are restoring.

Stumbling upon a hidden basement, Sally unleashes an ancient dormant force that puts everyone’s life in grave danger.

From its atmospheric Hammer horror opening to its expertly staged creature attacks, featuring imps travelling through air ducts with sharp weaponry, this superior flight of dark fantasy bears the unmistakable touch of class of writer Guillermo Del Toro and contains more than a few nods to his earlier Pan’s Labyrinth.

> Starring Timothy Spall and Honor Blackman, REUNITING THE RUBINS (PG: Kaleidoscope) is amiably amusing, but not the rollicking Jewish comedy that debut director Yoav Factor strives for.

He’s well served by the reliable Spall as retired lawyer Lenny Rubins, who postpones a well-deserved luxury cruise to reunite his bickering grown-up children for their ailing grandma (Blackman).

They may be peas from the same pod, but in Lenny’s eyes his children – a workaholic executive, an eco-warrior, a Buddhist monk and a rabbi – are not from the same planet.

His offspring are reluctant to answer the call, especially when Blackman reveals that she has bought the home in which they spent their unhappy childhood.

Preachy topics such as globalisation, human rights, religious intolerance and family ties are given an overblown airing, and a series of heart-to-hearts and medical emergencies produce little more than than a mediocre sitcom.

> BEST LAID PLANS (15: Sony), a tale of recessional Nottingham, represents a ham-fisted attempt to update John Steinbeck’s masterpiece Of Mice And Men.

Dreaming of living in a camper van, gentle giant Joseph (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) does everything wheeler-dealer protector Danny (Stephen Graham) asks of him, even if it means cage fighting to help his pal pay off his debts to a local lowlife.

But Joseph unwittingly jeopardises their safety when he becomes besotted with equally simple soul Isabel (Maxine Peake).

With Danny falling for a tart with a heart (Emma Stansfield), the film struggles to staunch the sentiment and cliche.

Contrived plotting and clumsy characterisation undermine it at every turn, although good use is made of the rundown locations and it conveys something of the struggle those on the lower rungs face to keep hold of fleeting pleasures.

Safe House

Prepare to see a lot more of director Daniel Espinosa in the next few years as his action-packed thriller Safe House, starring Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington, promises to please, writes guest reviewer Alison Devlin.

If you like fast car scenes, brutal fights and non-stop twists, Safe House is the film for you.

Matt Weston (Reynolds) is a normal guy. He has a girlfriend, a nine to five job and a good life. Doesn’t sound like an interesting thriller at first, but add in that he works for the CIA and that his office is a secret safe house and get ready for a film that keeps you on your toes.

One day the phone rings and Weston’s world is turned upside down when Tobin Frost (Washington) becomes his house guest. A newly captured rogue agent who has sold American intelligence all over the globe and who is currently holding one of the biggest secrets in the world, but what the CIA doesn’t know is others want his secrets, too.

Before the audience can blink, the safe house is compromised and Weston is drawn into a world of corruption and danger, followed by Frost in handcuffs.

“Rule number one – you are responsible for your house guest.”

During a recent interview Washington described his character as “the psychopath next door” and said his character, Frost, “would rather play with Matt, not kill him”.

Though Washington gives an amazing performance as usual, it is Reynolds who captivates the audience with an emotive performance throughout the film stealing the limelight from Washington. He begins the film as a boy, but ends it a man.

The film lacks a defining moment between Washington’s and Reynolds’ characters. They are both very secretive, but as their relationship develops, you expect and want them to open up more.

Unfortunately it never happens, and Espinosa makes up for that through explosions and gunfire.

So if you like to be put on the edge of your seat with your blood pumping and your heart pounding, this is a film for you.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Some fine British acting talents head up this comedy drama that rarely strays much from the Carry On Abroad template, thanks to a sugary coating that doesn’t do its talent justice.

A group of retirees head to India, believing they are going to spend time in a luxury resort.

Managed by the charming and engaging Dev Patel, it’s far from luxurious but, as you can guess, after initial disgust they let their prejudices slip away and the true India and the truth of their lives unfolds.

A nice film that is very sentimental, but thanks to its cast, including Dames Judi and Maggie, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson, is always watchable.

Red Dog

Talking of sentimental, this is an Australian ‘true legend’ of a red dog who united a community in the Outback.

It’s fun and fluffy and really sugary, but the lead canine is adorable and charming. Move over Uggie from The Artist.

PEACOCKS in Bedford closed it doors this afternoon, just one hour after it was announced the company had been sold.

Administrators KPMG revealed that the company has been sold to High Street retailer Edinburgh Woollen Mill. The sale saw 224 stores close, but 388 were saved.

Customers were told at around 4pm to leave the sore as it was closing down.

Administrators KPMG announced the sale of the business this afternoon at around 3pm that Edinburgh Woollen Mill, which is one of the UK’s largest high street chains, had acquired the Peacocks brand, 388 stores and concessions.

As well as the business’ headquarters and logistics functions in Wales. The deal has protected around 6,000 jobs in the UK.

Unfortunately the remaining 224 stores were not included in the sale and have ceased trading with immediate effect, which included Bedford, resulting in 3,100 redundancies. There will also be approximately 16 redundancies at the headquarters in Cardiff.

Chris Laverty, joint administrator and restructuring partner at KPMG, commented: “Today’s deal ensures the continued trading of a well known name on the high street.

“While it is unfortunate that redundancies have been necessary, we are pleased that we have been able to preserve the majority of the business and jobs.

“Like many other retailers, Peacocks suffered from a decline in consumer spending due to the tough economic conditions and this, combined with a surplus of stores and unsustainable capital structure led to the business becoming financially unviable.

“However, a strong brand presence and loyal customer following meant that Peacocks attracted a great deal of interest from both trade and private equity bidders, leading to today’s successful sale.

“I would take this opportunity to thank the management team and staff for their continued assistance in very difficult circumstances; their support has been invaluable in securing today’s sale.”

]]> 1.3549361 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:53:27 +0000 http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/a_new_hotel_for_bypass_1_3548948

PLANS to build a Premier Inn hotel on land by the side of The Branston Way will be discussed by council chiefs on Monday.

Premier Inn Hotels Ltd have applied to develop land abutting The Branston Way and adjacent to Marsh Leys roundabout in Kempston Rural.

The application includes plans for a hotel block, a pub and restaurant and associated car parking, access routes and an energy substation.

The application is recommended for consent.

What do you think? Email your views to editorial@timesandcitizen.co.uk

A WACKY potato head modelling competition is set to begin for children who visit a Willington garden centre.

Frosts at Willington is looking for the best looking spud around with their children’s competition.

Between February 27 and March 2, Frosts are inviting youngsters to give a potato a jazzy makeover and enter him into the competition which will be judged by the public over the centre’s Kitchen Garden weekend.

The winner from each of three age-ranged categories will win a wheelbarrow full of goodies and if the entry comes from a school the overall winning potato could scoop their school £200 of Frosts vouchers.

Managing director, James Frost said: “This is such a fun and exciting way to celebrate the potato and we hope that the children come up with the wackiest potato heads that they can.”

For more information on the Kitchen Garden Weekend visit www.frostsgroup.com

A FORMER leader of Central Bedfordshire Council has been shortlisted in a prestigious national awards scheme.

Current leader Councillor James Jamieson nominated former leader Councillor Tricia Turner for the Judges’ Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Local Government in the scheme, sponsored by Councillor Magazine.

Mrs Turner, who is now ward member for Northill, was first elected to the legacy authority Mid Beds District Council in 1976 and has been active in public life ever since.

Mr Jamieson said: “I’m delighted that Tricia has been shortlisted, which is in itself a real honour. “

“Having inherited the leadership role from her, I know what an amazing job she did in establishing our council. She is universally respected across party political lines for her commitment and her wisdom. Above all she is a pleasure to work with.”

The awards ceremony is being held on February 27 in London.

]]> 1.3545249 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/conservation_cash_for_community_1_3545147

CONSERVATION cash is now available for Bedfordshire charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations.

The £10million fund was launched in 2009 and is available to fund projects relating to biodiversity. Bedfordshire groups could receive grants of up to £250,000, but must apply before the deadline on Tuesday, January 31 this year.

Waste Recycling Environmental Limited (WREN), is in charge of the fund, which was generated by landfill taxes as part of a voluntary tax credit scheme. Last year, more than £2.2million was awarded to projects across the UK, but WREN are keen to see organisations submit more bids.

Peter Cox, managing director of WREN, said “We’ve already seen the positive impact that our funding can have on wildlife and habitats.

“Many precious habitats lie in close proximity to landfill sites, and it’s right that funding generated by household rubbish is used to protect, restore and revive natural landscapes for the future.”

Eligible organisations include charities, community groups and Local Authorities with projects that help to meet biodiversity targets. Applications must be made online at www.wren.co.uk before the end of this month.

THERE are certain words in Britain that are bound to arouse public interest and are often liberally doused over headlines or campaigns to add a touch of spice.

One such word is ‘secret’, which has been playing a starring role in many emails my office has received this week about the NHS risk register.

Before the Health And Social Care Bill was committed to Parliament, and while changes have been made to it on its journey through both Houses, comprehensive analysis has been conducted on the benefits the bill will bring and, crucially, on the risks it contains for the NHS.

Constituents across Mid Bedfordshire, campaigners all over the country, and the Parliamentary Labour Party, have all been clamouring this week for this information to be released and made freely available. There is an inherent public interest in this information and it must not be kept ‘secret’.

Unfortunately for the wider eyed members of society, the government agrees with this position and always has done. The information has been and remains freely available on the Department Of Health website, and my office has been sending out links to it to anyone who is interested.

I am quite fond of the modern trend for ‘click button campaigning’. However, the debacle over the risk register has revealed a flaw in the way this kind of campaign allows incorrect assumptions to spread.

Despite the wilder fantasies of conspiracy theorists, no-one in government is committed to secrecy for the sake of it. There is an NHS risk register and it won’t be released, but for reasons that are entirely understandable – the NHS uses a wide variety of commercial suppliers and letting some information into the public domain would seriously damage the NHS in achieving value for money.

To be clear and to remove any element of doubt I will state the following. I am totally committed to ensuring that high standards of universal healthcare are maintained in Mid Bedfordshire and across the country. As such, I will always support an NHS that is free at the point of use and available to all that need it.

EIGHT “luxury camping pods” are being planned at Whipsnade Zoo as charity chiefs aim to make it a year-round attraction.

The Lookout Lodge pods are set to open up a new market for the 80 year-old hilltop attraction.

“Everything we do has mission overlay,” said Zoological Society of London (ZSL) director David Field. He explained that the zoo wants to give visitors experiences that turn them into champions of Whipsnade and to reconnect people with nature.

Mr Field became a champion of nature at a very young age and wants other people to have experiences that do the same for them.

ZSL aims to put 10 per cent of its turnover into conservation efforts around the world. In a good year that can add up to £10million.

Also on the cards this year are a sophisticated indoor play area and refurbishment of the sealion enclosure as the zoo aims to give visitors more of what they want from a day out in the Chilterns.

Last year, some 500,000 people went through the zoo’s gates, with more than ever during the warmer than average winter months.

“We want to encourage people to visit the zoo throughout the year, not just during bank holidays in August,” said Mr Field. He added that by encouraging people to make repeat visits, its conservation efforts can continue into the long term.

> See our video interview with David Field at www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/business

A NEW supermarket will mark its opening with a £1,000 charity donation.

The Tesco Express store in Brickhill Drive, north Bedford, will officially open at 10.30am on Friday (February 24).

Two staff from Bedford Daycare Hospice will cut the ribbon, before receiving the store’s donation.

SO, our whole economic system is suffering from a massive hangover but it’s binge drinking that’s going to get sorted out.

You may wonder whether that nice Mr Cameron has got his priorities right – but there’s no denying that, if he can make some headway, he’ll have made as big a contribution to public health as his unlamented Labour predecessors did by introducing the smoking ban.

There’s a strategy on the way, of course, but for starters the PM has called for bars and supermarkets to help tackle a problem that costs the NHS £2.7bn a year.

But it shouldn’t be about money, and we shouldn’t even be thinking about a ban.

And the PM ought to be looking to recruit far beyond the pint-pullers and grog floggers to help achieve this admirable end.

It’s one of those issues – like seat belts and the smoking ban, which have been great successes, and the ban on using your mobile at the wheel, which is still a boil to be lanced – where the vast majority of us are just waiting for someone to take a sensible lead.

And the way to do it is to make life more difficult for the drinker – and when I say drinker, I don’t just mean the lager-fuelled lout or the alcopop addled teenager – I mean all of us.

I’m fed up of all sorts of expensive measures being put in place to pick up the pieces of other people’s lack of self-control. The aim has got to be to stop people regarding the act of getting completely hammered as an option for a night out, or even a night in.

So here are a few ideas to throw into the mix, for the PM to consider over a relaxing glass of wine one evening.

Number 1, ban all alcopops. Strong drink isn’t supposed to taste like lemonade.

Number 2, restrict the sale of all spirits to people over the age of 25. If I had my way I’d also make it illegal to use mixers to soften the taste of hard liquor, for the same reasons that alcopops have to go, but I do enjoy the occasional gin and tonic so that one will have to stay on the drawing board.

Number 3, by all means introduce a higher unit price for alcohol but don’t penalise those who enjoy a bracer but know when to stop – jack up the pub prices only after the first two drinks, introduce maximum purchase rules in supermarkets and the like just like they have for painkillers these days, and halt the sale of alcohol in containers larger than one litre, especially if we’re talking about super strength cider.

Number 4, forget street pastors and people being paid by the public purse to get drunk and incapable kids home safely. Employ them instead to wander town centres at closing time, corner people who have had a skinful, and paint their faces purple.

The paint should not be permanent, of course, but it should be pretty much immovable for a week or so as evidence of a bender that would last a lot longer, and be a lot more visible, to the world at large than a hangover.

Then it would be for the rest of us to bring peer pressure to bear, and sneer and snigger at the victims for long after whatever memory they had of a good night out had faded. Purple paint would make them pariahs, and we’d soon change their habits.

BLACKFRIARS tube station in central London re-opened this week, offering a new link to commuters from Bedfordshire.

The London Underground part of the station closed in March 2009 as part of a wide-ranging programme of service upgrades.

It now has platforms long enough for 12-carriage trains on the route between Bedford and Brighton.

A MOBILE fish and chip shop is giving people the chance to win a chippy dinner if they can guess what seaside is on the side of its van.

Teri Baker, who runs Youngs Famous Fish n Chips based in Maulden, has just invested in a bigger van due to the success of the business.

And to celebrate Teri, 61, has decorated her van with an image of a seaside, and is asking people to guess where it is.

And the lucky winner will fry with happiness with a free dinner for two.

Teri, who used to own a fish and chip shop in Barton Le Clay, said: “The business has been going from strength to strength. I just started it as a part-time thing, but it has been so successful it’s now full time.,

“We have now invested in a bigger van to cope and it is literally like the old shop, but in a van.”

The mobile shop is based at Burgoine Business Centre in Maulden, but travels around Mid Beds and Wilstead and Wixams. And Teri is also taking on new staff. Call her on 07813145112.