Author: Sonja Francis

A MAN and a woman have been jailed for their role in an armed robbery at a jewellery store in Thame.

Kalum Lamptey, aged 23, and Katy Brown, aged 24, were both jailed at Oxford Crown Court in connection with the robbery at Robert Gatward Jewellers in High Street, Thame, on April 15, 2010.

During the robbery, a car pulled up outside the jewellers carrying three people, including Lamptey, who acted as the getaway driver. The car, a Peugeot 407, had been stolen during a burglary in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.

Two men armed with hammers then entered the store and smashed display cabinets stealing a quantity of rings. The robbers then drove to near-by Long Crendon, where they abandoned the stolen Peugeot and drove away in two other cars stolen during a burglary in Milton Keynes.

During the raid, a male member of staff was punched and was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he was later discharged.

Lamptey, of Dudley Street, Leighton Buzzard, admitted a charge of robbery, and was sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment on March 10, while his girlfriend Brown, of Taylors Rise, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, who detectives established had gone into the jewellery store a few days before the robbery to reconnoitre the scene, was found guilty of aiding and abetting robbery following a trial at Oxford Crown Court. She was sentenced April 1.

Investigating officer Det Sgt Alun Watkins, of South Oxfordshire CID, said: ?I am enormously grateful to all the witnesses who were present in the High Street, Thame, and in Long Crendon on the morning of the robbery and who took the time to pass on vital pieces of information that allowed us to catch and convict these two criminals.?

PHOTO: Police investigating the scene of the crime shortly after the robbery at Gatwoods, Thame, in April 2010.

LOCAL residents are being warned to be vigilant after a after a number of people were targeted by a council tax scam.

Residents have reported receiving calls from people claiming to be from the South Oxfordshire District Council, saying that they can arrange an immediate refund on their council tax if the resident provides their bank details.

SODC does not, and would not, make these telephone calls nor would staff ask for bank or credit card details by telephone to process a refund.

You should never give your bank details out over the phone to someone for a refund of council tax.

If anyone receives such a call they should refuse to disclose information and contact the District Council as soon as possible on 0345 302 2315. Council staff will confirm whether any refund is outstanding and if so arrange a refund in the normal manner.

Payments are taken securely by telephone every day from residents, but refunds are not processed over the phone.

If you have passed your bank or credit card details to anyone recently regarding a council tax refund, please contact your bank branch or card company.

Picture courtesy of: www.123f.com

UPATE: 18;40 hrs – Several road diversions are in operation due to the fire (see below)and are expected to be in place for much of the night as firecrews work to extinguish the blaze and carry out regular inspections. Residents near-by are being advised to keep windows closed because of the continuing smoke.

THE roofs of two, semi-detached thatched cottages in Haddenham, near Thame, are still billowing black smoke as firecrews battle to remove the burning thatch and prevent the fire from spreading.

A total of eight fire crews from both Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue, as well as turntables and other vehicles, are currently at the scene of the fire at Stockwell, in Haddenham.

The alarm was raised at around 3.40pm this afternoon by a member of the public. The cause of the fire is not yet know for certain, but by-standers and neighbours are saying that they saw flames coming from ivy on an old witchart wall between the properties and a Chinese restaurant where rubbish was seen to be burning earlier. The supposition is that a spark from the burning ivy was carried by the wind to the thatch.

SOURCE: Eye witness account and Bucks Fire & Rescue Service recorded information for the Press.

FOUR Blue Plaques commemorating the homes of some of Thame’s more illustrious past residents will be unveiled in the town on Thursday, April 14.

The initiative is sponsored by The 21st Century Thame Partnership in association with the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board and all residents are welcome to the attend. The unveiling ceremonies will take place as follows:

11.30 am at 14 Wellington Street (site of the former workhouse) where Henry Boddington, founder of the famous Manchester brewery, lived as a young man. He had been born at Thame Mill in 1813, the son of the miller who later became master of the workhouse. In 1832 the family went north to Manchester in search of greater prosperity. Henry found employment with Strangeways Brewery and rapidly rose to the top. He went on to build up the brewing empire known as Boddingtons which remained under family direction until 1989.

11.50 am at 39 North Street where Alfredo Campoli, virtuoso violinist, lived in retirement. Thame was the home town of his wife, Joy. Born in Rome in 1906, he became famous as a child prodigy, making his debut as a soloist at the age of 13 at the Wigmore Hall. In the 1920s and 30s, he became a household name through radio broadcasts and recordings, performing with his Salon Orchestra at the Dorchester Hotel and other palm court venues, and in wartime gave many recitals for civilians and the armed services. After the war he re-established his reputation as a great classical performer, going on concert tours all over the world, to huge acclaim. His playing was characterised by an extraordinary beauty of tone and phrasing, likened to bel canto singing.

12.10 To the James Figg Pub for the unveiling of the plaque to James Figg, famous early prize fighter, born 1684 in Thame, possibly in Priestend. The former Greyhound Inn (now named after him) is traditionally held to have been his headquarters in his early days. His boast was: “Here I am Jemmy Figg from Thame. I will fight any man in England.” Most of his life was spent in London and from 1719 he could claim the title Champion of England for all kinds of contests of skill whetherit was boxing, wrestling, swordplay or fighting with cudgels. He was only once defeated. He was tutor and trainer as well as contestant and opened Figg?s Amphitheatre on Oxford Street, much frequented by the nobility.

14.15 at 42 High Street. William Butler Yeats, the great Irish poet and Nobel Laureate lived here during 1921 and this house was the birthplace of his son Michael Butler Yeats, the Irish Senator.

THE Thame Cattle Market Action Group (Cmag), unhappy about proposals to build a supermarket on the site in North Street, says that there is an alternative.

The action group has been lobbying for many years for the site to be used predominantly for community use and has issued the following statement today:

“It is clear that many people in Thame see no need for another supermarket in the town, least of all on the Cattle Market site. There is a strong feeling among many residents that this prime town centre site would be best used for the benefit of the whole community and from local research it is evident that what Thame most needs is a multi-use community space: a building which could offer various options: for example, a flexible performance space, with a capacity which is useable by both local and professional theatre groups and musicians, as well as being a meeting space for local organisations such as Thame U3A, which has over 300 members; additional smaller rooms and workshops offering rehearsal space, meeting space for groups such as mother and toddlers and facilities for health, further education classes and activities such as music/video mixing and editing, art, craft, photography and an exhibition area.

“There might also be a general meeting space with caf