A new report, published today (Wednesday 15 December 2021), shows improvements have been made to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). The report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) showed an improvement in six out of the 11 categories assessed – five of which have been rated as ‘good’. … Continue reading
24 new full-time firefighters graduated from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service today. Fire and Rescue Service recruits showcased their skills at a ‘passing out parade’ after completing 13 weeks of training. A series of demonstrations including tackling a fire, performing a rescue from a third floor window and dealing with a road traffic collision took … Continue reading
Surrey and Buckinghamshire’s trading standards service has celebrated forging partnerships with 100 businesses to help them thrive. The service welcomed Squire’s Garden Centres as the 100th firm to join its scheme to cut red tape for businesses, supporting them to grow and provide excellent service to customers. To mark the milestone, trading standards officers teamed … Continue reading
Steve Owen-Hughes has been appointed Chief Fire Officer for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. Mr Owen-Hughes (pictured right) joined the service in 2010 as Assistant Chief Fire Officer and has been acting in the role of chief for the past few months. He said: “It’s a great honour to have been appointed to serve Surrey … Continue reading
A skip hire boss who pressured customers into paying extra charges for skips to be removed from outside their homes has been ordered to pay fines and court costs of more than £30,000. Brian Place, director of 1st Place Grab & Skip Hire Ltd, was sentenced by Guildford magistrates for using aggressive commercial practices after … Continue reading
A doorstep rogue trader has been jailed after conning a retired Surrey teacher with excessive charges for substandard work to her house and garden. Tom Watson was jailed for two years for running a fraudulent business following a prosecution brought by Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards. He was handed a further four years’ imprisonment for … Continue reading
A doorstep rogue trader has admitted fleecing a retired Surrey teacher with excessive charges for substandard work to her house and garden. Tom Watson pleaded guilty to running a fraudulent business after he was brought to court by Surrey trading standards officers. Their investigation found that the former teacher, an elderly widow from Stanwell, had … Continue reading
The county council’s Cabinet has approved plans to relocate Surrey’s fire and rescue headquarters and other key facilities and upgrade Reigate Fire Station. Watch Denise Turner-Stewart, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Fire and Resilience, set out how the plans will enable closer working with partners, “drive further service improvements” and provide equipment and technology that … Continue reading
A pair of sniffer dogs uncovered a stash of illegal cigarettes and tobacco hidden in a box of crisps in an Epsom shop. The duo guided trading standards officers to the illicit packs after the team paid a visit to Simran Mini Supermarket, trading as Save & Smile, last summer. Pippa alerted officers to the … Continue reading
Surrey’s trading standards team – jointly run with Buckinghamshire – has been awarded a contract to help protect consumers and businesses from misleading print and other non-broadcast advertising. The service has been appointed by National Trading Standards to provide enforcement services to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). It means the ASA will now refer businesses and … Continue reading
Surrey and West Sussex fire and rescue services are to move to a joint 999 mobilising system. It follows a decision taken by West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger Communities today (1 February). West Sussex made a full assessment of the options available for mobilising systems with other fire and rescue services. It … Continue reading
A roofing boss has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after failing to use scaffolding at a Surrey home and charging the elderly residents £7,200 for repairs when a worker fell through the roof. John Thompson (pictured right), 43, left a gaping hole in the couple’s roof when he sent a labourer up without providing scaffolding, … Continue reading
A builder has been ordered to pay more than £4,000 after forging a building regulations certificate for a customer who raised concerns over his work. Thomas Peare, 28, of Langley Vale, near Epsom, was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,180 after pleading guilty to an offence under counterfeiting and forgery laws. He … Continue reading
Participants in this year’s Prudential RideLondon events have raised more than £13 million for charity to set a European record for a one-day cycling event, beating the previous year’s record of £12.75 million. It brings the total raised for charity to more than £66 million in the first six years of the festival of cycling. … Continue reading