On Wednesday 20 December officers from the Hayes Town Police Safer Neighbourhood Team arrested one of the most persistent beggars but the Crown Prosecution Service refused to charge her. The woman concerned is well known to the Police and many people who use the Town Centre and she has been warned numerous times about her conduct. The arrest was in line with the priorities set by the Ward Panel of local community representatives to give more attention to begging and pending prosecution she was detained in a Police cell because of the risk that she might abscond.

The CPS decided it would not be in the public interest for a prosecution to go ahead because of health issues but they clearly had no idea about what the actual public think. Many people in the Town believe that she is part of an organised group who come on a regular basis to take advantage of the generosity of local people. It would be good to find any definite evidence to back up this view. Despite the setback on this case the Safer Neighbourhood Team are committed to tackling the begging issue.

Note: the picture is of a beggar from elsewhere and not the woman involved.

From Wednesday 3 January until Saturday 6 January the Beck Theatre in Grange Road will be hosting a project for young refugees and asylum seekers. Organised by a specialist group called Compass Collective the aim will be to build the self-confidence of the young people taking part and to help them integrate in the UK's way of life.

It is very short notice but if you would like more information or know of anybody who might benefit please send an email to Sasha at Compass Collective or a WhatsApp message to 07843 168657.

From Friday 5 January Botwell Green Library will be starting what it describes as a friendly English conversation group for people looking to improve their language skills. It will run from 11 30am until 12 30pm and take place weekly. The sessions are free but you must book in advance.

To find out more and to make a booking please use this link.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is responsible for key services including Transport for London, the Mayor's Office for Policing & Crime (who oversee the Metropolitan Police Service) and the London Fire Brigade. His draft budget for the coming 2024/25 financial year is currently open for consultation. You can see what he is proposing by using this link and you can also make your views known. The closing date for comments is Wednesday 10 January.

The Government's proposed changes to the law governing leasehold properties was reported in an earlier edition of Hayes Town News and this prompt comes from a reader who is keen that as many local residents as possible respond to the public consultation. It affects a lot of local residents including many in High Point Village (pictured).

A critical aspect of the proposals is about the level of ground rents that landlords can charge leaseholders. There are 5 options in the consultation document which respondents are asked to put in a ranking order but the National Leaseholders Campaign is urging everybody to support only the lowest level - the so-called "peppercorn". To read the consultation document use this link. The deadline to respond is Wednesday 17 January.

In case you have ever wondered, the origin of a "peppercorn rent" is said to go back to the 16th or 17th centuries. In those days rent was, in fact, a single peppercorn a year and a peppercorn was valued as a rare spice,

Not long before Christmas the Government announced that £8.3 billion of the money saved by cancelling phase 2 of the High Speed 2 rail project will go on increased funding to deal with potholes. It is reported that the total amount available will be £150 million for both this year and next and the funding will cover the period up to 2034.For the first time for years some of this will come to London.

It is not known how much Hillingdon will get or how it will be allocated but one way of making sure that Hayes gets a look in is to report local potholes whenever you see them. You can do that by using this link.

Council officers have highlighted that the car park in Blyth Road does not meet current regulations and safety standards. A report has gone to the relevant Cabinet member proposing the following improvements:

Subject to approval of the proposals it will then be necessary to appoint contractors for the concrete repairs. The car park will have to be closed for six weeks to allow the improvement works to be carried out. You can see the report by using this link.

Did you know that the Hayes Campus of Uxbridge College has hair and beauty services that are open to the public? They are provided by Distinction Hair & Beauty Salons who train students in the skills needed for this very competitive industry. You can get your hair cut plus a range of treatments including manicures, facials, massage and waxing. They are all performed by students under close supervision by staff. Prices are said to be "reasonable" and vary with the level of the training courses.

To find out what they have to offer use this link. Opening hours vary and you need to send an email or call 01895 853666 to get the current information.

Talking of Uxbridge College, they have published their latest dates for employability skills and customer services training. They also have links with lots of employers who offer guaranteed job interviews on successful completion of the courses. These include part-time vacancies for reception/admin roles at numerous GP surgeries across Hillingdon Borough. To find out more click here or call 01895471044 or 07960 162737.

If my circle of friends is anything to go by, there is a surge in the number of people getting Covid. The subject does not get featured much on the media and that could help explain why there has been such a low take-up nationally in the most recent boosters.

To find out where you can get a jab in Hillingdon use this link. It is noticeable that there is a lack of provision locally in Hayes.

As a result of the efforts of a small number of people in Heathrow Villages they have had visits by the Vaccination Bus and the next one will be in Harlington on Tuesday 16 January between 10am and 4pm on the green near to the Baptist Church. To find out who is eligible click here.