CRYSTAL PALACE'S hopes of securing one of the two automatic promotion spots took a major blow as they fell to defeat at league leaders Cardiff City on Boxing Day.

It all started superbly for the visitors, who took an early lead thanks to captain Mile Jedinak, but they were pegged back by Craig Noone's close-range shot before the break.

And in a poor second half for Ian Holloway's men, they conceded to Aron Gunnarsson's powerful header on 73 minutes to throw away at least a point.

With Damien Delaney suspended, Danny Gabbidon came in for his first Palace start against his former club, while Dean Moxey began at left-back and Jonathan Parr switched to right-back in place of the injured Joel Ward.

The Eagles got off to a fantastic start after just four minutes when Jedinak lost his marker in the box and fired home Owen Garvan's corner from 12 yards out after good work from Yannick Bolasie to win the set-piece initially.

Malky Mackay's side mustered their first chance of the match after 17 minutes when Noone fired wide from the edge of the box, but the visitors should have doubled their lead midway through the half on three separate occasions.

First, Glenn Murray found himself through on goal after Parr's clearance, but the striker's first touch let him down and allowed goalkeeper David Marshall to collect.

Then Wilfried Zaha cut in from the left, dinked past two defenders and curled an effort towards the top corner but struck the crossbar, while Garvan was denied by Marshall after curling a free-kick over the Cardiff wall.

Craig Bellamy was then denied an equaliser after finding himself through on goal but Peter Ramage got back to put the front man off for a corner.

Referee Gibbs seemed to frustrate both sides throughout the half with some strange decisions, with both Zaha and Bolasie receiving bookings, while Cardiff's next chance fell to Jordan Mutch from outside the box, but the midfielder shot woefully wide.

However, the hosts were back on level terms a minute before the break when Bellamy beat Parr down the left and cut the ball back for former Brighton & Hove Albion winger Noone to smash past Julian Speroni.

Murray blazed an effort over inside the box as the Eagles looked for an instant response, while the final action of the first period fell to Jedinak, who curled a free-kick over the wall but Marshall held well.

Bellamy should have put Cardiff in front just before the hour mark but he was foiled by Speroni from close range, while the Welshman went close soon after by hitting the post, only to be flagged offside.

Zaha thought he should have had a penalty minutes later after beating his marker, while Bolasie dragged a scissor kick wide from inside the box after getting ahead of Hudson.

Cardiff substitute Aron Gunnarsson sent a header wide from a Peter Whittingham free-kick midway through the second period, but the attacking midfielder made amends shortly after when he headed home from a corner to put Mackay's side in front.

Parr then went into the book for a late foul on Noone, while Andre Moritz entered the fray with 15 minutes to go for Bolasie, who was walking a tightrope from his earlier booking.

Whittingham nearly added a third after 78 minutes when he clipped the top of the crossbar direct from a free-kick, while Kagisho Dikgacoi went into the referee's notebook for dissent.

Palace battled for an equaliser but they had hardly deserved it after a poor second half showing, summed up by Gabbidon's wasteful shot over the bar from way outside the box with five minutes remaining.

Jermaine Easter came on for Parr in a bid to get something out of the game, but Cardiff were comfortable in the end and probably deserved to take all three points, but only just based on their second half performance.

A YOUNG woman has taken on the fight against homelessness after being thrown into the situation herself.

Jessica Chipperfield said she left her father's home in Addiscombe after his partner learned she was gay.

The 20-year-old has launched the Youth Homeless Campaign to help others in similar situations.

Jessica, who is sofa-surfing between friends, said: "I want to raise awareness of homelessness so people can understand the reasons for it – it is not the person's fault.

"Young people need to be given better advice and help in their way, rather than getting pushed and shoved about."

Jessica said she was also spurred into action after being disappointed with help she received from Croydon Council over her housing problems.

She said: "They gave me an information pack and told me I can get rent for £290 to £340. There is a lack of help and advice."

Jessica and co-founder Michael Castle, from New Addington, are now developing the campaign, talking to homeless people, gathering contacts and learning about the problem.

She said: "On Tuesday we started off at Queen's Gardens where they run the soup kitchen.

"We spoke to the homeless people and spoke to the volunteers. We went and searched for shelters and at car parks and other places.

"We spoke to one guy who was really friendly and said he had school and qualifications but was homeless due to his mum kicking him out.

"Another guy was sofa-surfing and his friends got fed up and so got me kicked out onto the street and beaten up.

"We spoke to as many people as we could; it is all about building it up now."

Luckily for her, she planned to go to her mother's in Mitcham for a few days over Christmas.

She said: "At the moment I have not got a job and people are saying to me because I am homeless I cannot get a job.

"I am taking each day as it comes and seeing what the next challenge is going to be. It is a struggle every day, not knowing where you will be sleeping."

A Croydon Council spokesman said it was sorry Jessica was disappointed with the service she received from the council but families with children had to come first.

He said: "Like many local authorities, the council currently has a shortage of temporary accommodation and has to prioritise families with children and those who are deemed vulnerable.

"We assisted Ms Chipperfield by offering guidance on finding her own private-rented accommodation and gave her an advice pack which included information on housing benefit, landlords, deposit schemes and hostels."

Visit the-yhc.blogspot.co.uk for more information

A LANDMARK ruling over the use of bed and breakfasts as emergency accommodation may leave the council open to legal action by other homeless families, housing chief Dudley Mead has said.

Last week the Local Government Ombudsman ordered Croydon Council to pay £2,500 compensation to Shemiyah Andrews for placing the mother-of-three and her children in a B&B.

The report reiterated government guidelines which state that homeless families should not be placed in such accommodation for more than six weeks.

Mr Mead, cabinet member for housing, said the ruling set a "dangerous precedent" which has left the council vulnerable to similar complaints from dozens of the 543 families currently in emergency accommodation.

However, he confirmed the council will continue to use B&Bs due to the lack of available alternatives.

When asked about the ombudsman's report, published last Thursday, Cllr Mead replied: "I'm pretty angry about it, to put it mildly. We have a crisis going on and all the ombudsman can do is criticise.

"It could set all sorts of dangerous precedents. What I would say is that we will rigorously defend our actions in all these cases because I think we have been given an impossible situation.

"We have very little resources to deal with. What people don't consider is that we lost 60 houses during the riots. A lot of the stock we had has gone and hasn't been replaced. We are in the middle of a perfect storm."

The ombudsman ordered the council to apologise to Ms Andrews, 31, after ruling that housing officers had failed to take into account that the mother-of-three had declared herself homeless after fleeing her home in terror when threatened by intruders armed with hammers in April 2010.

The council offered her a place at Gilroy Court, in Thornton Heath, which the report deemed "unsuitable".

In total the council took 23 weeks to deal with Ms Andrews' homelessness application, failed to recognise her "desperate need" for accommodation, despite 37 phone calls, and also failed to consider anything but B&B accommodation, despite government guidelines.

As well as instructing the council to apologise and pay compensation, the ombudsman said frontline staff should be retrained in how to assess whether an applicant's particular circumstances warrant something other than B&B accommodation.

Cllr Mead said the council had considered appealing but decided it would not be a good use of public funds.

He said: "Of course we have apologised, but we feel the criticism is extremely harsh.

"I feel a great deal of sympathy for officers who are working under a lot of pressure only to have their slightest mistakes reported to the ombudsman .

"It would take enormous cost and resources to fight the ombudsman and I wasn't willing to do it."

Government guidance indicates that B&Bs are not appropriate for families but, as a last resort, should only be used for six weeks. Figures in October showed that of 254 families in Gilroy Court, 189 had been there longer than recommended.

A homeless family placed in a B&B in Wandsorth told the Advertiser this week that they intended to complain to the ombudsman.

MEMORIES of the Olympic Games came flooding back last Thursday when the Torch arrived at the Quest Academy in Selsdon.

Some of the students in Year 9 at the school, in Farnborough Avenue, were given the chance to have their individual photographs taken with the Olympic Torch.

It was brought in by school sports co-ordinator Mary Mangan, from Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School, in Central Hill, Upper Norwood, who had carried it through the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on July 26.

She explained to the pupils why becoming a Torchbearer for the day had been a monumental experience in her life.

A BRAZEN thief stole a pensioner's wedding and eternity rings while she lay seriously ill in her hospital bed.

Bridget Coughlan, 70, had been given the diamond bands by her late husband.

But while she lay half-conscious at Croydon University Hospital someone forced them off the Kenley resident's arthritic fingers. Mrs Coughlan, a former Nestlé employee and charity worker, died never knowing her beloved rings had been taken.

Now Linda Davies, one of her closest friends, is appealing for help in her bid to reunite the rings with her family.

"Bridget absolutely loved those rings," said Ms Davies. "She would have been devastated to know they had been stolen.

"She used to say her wedding ring reflected her mood – if she was sparkling then it would sparkle. She would have felt as if she had lost a part of herself."

Mrs Coughlan was wearing the rings when she collapsed after suffering a fit at her home in Welcomes Road on November 30.

After being taken to Croydon University Hospital she had a second fit and was admitted to Heathfield 2 ward.

Ms Davies, 53, visited her twice a day. On the afternoon of November 7 or 8 she noticed her friend's wedding and eternity rings were missing. The thief ignored a third, plainer, ring on the same finger.

"Her hand was out from underneath the sheet and two of her rings were gone," she told the Advertiser.

"I could see there was an impression on her fingers where the rings had been. She suffered from arthritis so her fingers and joints were quite swollen. Whoever did this had to physically pull them – they wouldn't have slipped off.

"To do that to someone who is clearly in a weakened state is such a violation.

"She was very weak and couldn't drink without a straw. She was not unconscious but was very out of it. In terms of being absolutely vulnerable – she was.

"Whether it was a hospital worker of a visitor, I'm not sure. What I do know is that the only people who went to see her were with me or one of her brothers."

Ms Davies reported the theft to the hospital and the police but the rings have yet to be recovered.

They were given to Mrs Coughlan by her late husband and had deep sentimental value.

After he suffered brain damage following a road accident in the 1960s, Mrs Coughlan became her husband's carer, while raising their young son and working as a purchasing manager for Nestlé in Croydon.

In her spare time she was a keen golfer and became friends with Ms Davies after meeting at Purley Downs Golf Course.

Mrs Coughlan was also a popular socialite and, after her retirement, worked for a charity Grandparents Plus.

She never recovered from developing aspiration pneumonia after being admitted to hospital.

One of the rings is described as a platinum set single stone diamond ring, with three small diamonds on each shoulder.

The other ring is described as a white gold nine-stone diamond half-eternity ring.

Detective Constable Lucy Brookshaw, from Croydon CID, is investigating the theft.

"If the rings have been stolen as we suspect, then it is likely the thief will have tried to sell them on, so we are hoping somebody might have seen them," she said.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting DC Brookshaw's name.

A YOUNG mum stabbed to death in front of her six-year-old daughter has been named as Rebecca Sessacar.

Bulent Sessacar, the 25-year-old's husband, who has been arrested on suspicion of murder, was taken from the house on a stretcher and rushed to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.

Police were called to Duppas Court, a block of flats on Duppas Hill Terrace, at 3.20pm last Thursday after neighbours reported screaming and shouting coming from the couple's ground-floor home.

Officers knocked on their door but received no answer. They questioned Mrs Sessacar's neighbours before leaving.

Ten minutes later they returned with a battering ram and forced entry into the couple's flat.

Kurunanithy Mukunthan, 33, who lives in the same block, saw the couple's daughter leave the flat.

He told the Advertiser: "She came out a few moments after they had broken down the door. She had blood on her clothes and was holding a teddy bear. She was shaking and looked very frightened. Within a few seconds she had been taken away by one of the police officers."

Croydon Council has taken the girl into emergency foster care.

Mr Sessacar, 28, a personal trainer, was taken out of the flat on a stretcher about two hours later.

His wife was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was removed from the flat several hours later.

Police believe she was killed between 10am and 3pm. Her daughter, who goes to Parish Church CofE Nursery and Infants, in nearby Warrington Road, did not attend school on the day of the killing.

A post-mortem examination gave Mrs Sessacar's cause of death as multiple stab wounds.

She worked at Asda, Wallington, while training to be a teaching assistant at Aerodrome Primary School in Waddon.

Nick Harris, manager of the Asda store, in Marlow Way, said: "Our store is shocked and saddened by the news of Rebecca's death.

"She was a valued member of the team and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with her family."

Mr Mukunthan described his neighbour as a "lovely, friendly person".

He added: "Whenever we saw her she would smile and say hello. She was really nice, very friendly.

"When my wife and I were looking for a school for our daughter, she brought us an application for Parish Church.

"A while ago Rebecca had a trampoline on the grass outside the flats. She dropped notes through all the doors saying that other children were welcome to use it.

"My wife saw her on Wednesday and said she was fine. They were talking and laughing together. Everything seemed OK."

The murder investigation is being led by Detective Chief Inspector Russell Taylor from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4868 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

THIS colourful quartet made quite a scene in Croydon town centre last Sunday.

The furry trio and their banger were raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, ahead of their forthcoming rally in aid of the charity.

Their 400-mile Two Tower Challenge from Crystal Palace to Blackpool must be completed in cars costing no more than £250, specially painted or decorated for the journey.

Rally organiser Simon Chapman said: "We had a great, if a little cold, day in Croydon.

"We collected a very healthy-sounding bucket and tin full of loose change, and even some paper money.

"We were blown away by how generous people were."

The rally will leave in January and currently involves some ten cars.

Mr Chapman added: "This is our chance to make a difference by supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust, which helps young people affected by the ravaging disease of cancer."

For more information, to see upcoming fundraisers, or to donate, visit www.justgiving.com/TwoTowerChallenge or www.facebook.com/groups/TwoTowerChallenge

A MAN has been charged with death by dangerous driving and grievous bodily harm after the death of a hotel receptionist who was hit by a car as she waited at a bus stop.

Nathan Davis, 27, of Normanton House, SW4, was arrested and charged last night (Thursday) after he attended a police station.

He is in custody and will appear at Camberwell Magistrates' Court today (Friday, December 28). 

Vanessa Chango-Alvarez was killed when an Audi A3 crashed into the bus stop she was waiting at in Streatham High Road at around 5.30am on Saturday.

The 31-year-old was staying with her mother in Streatham High Road and was on her way to work in central London.

A 51-year-old man who was also standing at the bus stop remains in a critical condition in hospital.

PALACE boss Ian Holloway felt his side deserved to add to their early lead at Cardiff City on Boxing Day, but was left to rue a number of missed chances as the Bluebirds stormed back to take all three points.

It was a disappointing second half for his side as they allowed Malky Mackay's men to run them ragged and it was the Eagles' inability to force a late equaliser that left Holloway frustrated.

"We started well and ended terribly, basically," he said.

"Wilfried Zaha hit the bar and Glenn Murray tripped over the ball when clean through, but I thought we stopped creating chances, and in these games you can't do that.

"You know Cardiff are going to come back at you with a crowd they have and I'm disappointed with the last 15 minutes because if any team looked like they were going to score another goal, it was Cardiff and not us.

"After they scored the second, I didn't think my team did what they needed to do. In fact, we got worse, not better."

And the manager hinted again that he will be looking to add some more firepower to support Glenn Murray in attack during the January transfer window, but with a few sloppy goals given away in recent games, he may even look at his defensive options as well.

"We are still playing well, but what we needed was the goal to go in with our play we already had," he said.

"Glenn Murray has got 20 goals and the rest of our team, I think Wilfried is next, has five.

"We need more goals in and around the place but unfortunately things have been going in at the other end and if you give someone a free header six yards out, they don't normally miss.

"I just didn't like the way we ended the game because you always should look like you know what you're doing, and we should have been probing them and they should have been hanging on, but they broke out and looked like they might get a third.

"That would have been the last thing I would have wanted so we've got to look at that part because that could be vital by the end of the season."

Meanwhile, with the transfer window fast approaching, Holloway was questioned about Wilfried Zaha, who went close with a thunderous shot against the crossbar and had an appeal for a penalty turned down in either half.

"I wasn't confident I was going to keep him on the pitch because he got booked," said the boss, who was frustrated with the referee's decisions going against his star winger.

"How dare he get fouled and tripped up so many times!

"Do I know if anyone is going to offer us anything for him? Do I know, based on his performance at Cardiff? Who knows?

"Unfortunately, he hit the bar with a brilliant bit of skill and it didn't go in. I wish it did. That would have been interesting, wouldn't it?

"I can't believe it [the penalty appeal] in the second half. I've looked at it, and if that isn't a penalty, then, you don't get that at Cardiff, not even a free-kick.

They go up the other end and get one. So, well done, good luck to them, maybe the colour red might make the difference – I doubt it because it's normally down to good players. "

One of those players came in the shape of Craig Bellamy, who picked up the man of the match award for a tireless display down the left, including the assist for Craig Noone's equaliser in the first period.

And Holloway was quick to praise the forward following the game.

"Players like him don't grow on trees," he said. "Players like him, as I said to my lads, they probably shouldn't be at this level but he's got a special affinity with Cardiff and he wanted to come and play here.

"He could probably retire but he wants to do something special for his hometown club, and he's quality.

"But I'm not saying my players aren't quality. Unfortunately, when we needed that bit of quality in the game, we didn't quite produce it even though we were on top."

With the games coming thick and fast, Palace travel to Nottingham Forest tomorrow looking to end the year on a high and go back to the automatic promotion places ahead of the match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on New Year's Day.

But Holloway insists there is still a long way to go and that nobody in the Championship has made a clear statement just yet.

"Nobody has done anything yet [in the league]," he said.

"I'll have a chance to think about Nottingham Forest, but then we've got Wolves. How good are these teams? Forest have got a big investor, someone who demands success.

"Wolves, their fans are baying for blood and they want success in a wonderful division.

"At the moment, Cardiff are doing better than everybody, but it was a lot closer between us in my opinion.

"If we had gone two-nil up, because we would have deserved to at that time of the game, what would it have been? Who knows."

"We'll lick our wounds and see what we can do against Forest, who aren't bad. But we aren't bad either."

A MAJOR overhaul and expansion is on the cards for the Woodcote Grove House care home.

Friends of the Elderly wants to knock down the Selkirk Wing of the home, in Meadow Hill, Coulsdon, and replace it with a nursing and dementia home.

The development would create 48 care beds and three respite beds - an increase of 31 beds on the old wing, which is not fit for purpose.

Nick Pryor, a consultant from JTS planning, said: "The Selkirk wing was built in the early 1950s so you can imagine 60 years ago it was built to the standards of the time.

"It does not meet current care standards and is nearly empty."

The charity Friends of the Elderly is preparing to submit a full planning application to Sutton Council (the site borders Croydon and Sutton), and held a public viewing of the plans at Woodcote Park Golf Club on Monday afternoon.

The development is on green belt land, set back from the road, and would take the home's overall area from 2,000 square metres to 2,700 square metres.

Mr Pryor said that the consultants have held discussions with the council and hope the project's "special circumstances" will let them expand on green belt land.

He added: "I have to say, in my 35 years of dealing with planning policy, this is one of the strongest I have had to deal with. They are very persuasive and powerful special circumstances: increasing need for dementia care.

"There is a quantitative and qualitative shortfall of nursing and dementia care, and this will build on the established care facility."

The new wing is expected to employ roughly 69 full- and part-time staff, adding to the 79 who already work at the home.

Richard Furze, chief executive of Friends of the Elderly, said the development was critical to the long-term success of the home.

He added: "It is a really important development for us.

"All the people who have been in our homes have been very supportive.

"Clearly they see the need for people with dementia to have really good care.

"It is great if they can stay at home for as long as possible, but there comes a point where the carer may not be able to cope as they feel too stressed."

The developers said they hoped to secure planning permission by spring.

1. The most-read story in March was an article about Croydon Police Station being evacuated after an explosion. Seven people were hurt in a blast in the basement of the Park Lane building on March 20. A builder was flown by air ambulance to a specialist burns unit in Essex, where he was treated for extensive burns, while another man was rushed to St George's Hospital in Tooting. It is thought that builders were upgrading a firing range when the explosion and subsequent fire happened.
2. Also popular was a story about a lorry striking a bridge at Coulsdon South train station. The vehicle overturned, and the driver was treated for minor head injuries. A pedestrian told the Croydon Advertiser she was lucky to be alive following the crash.
3. Also in March, a 14-year-old boy told the Croydon Advertiser he'd been threatened with a knife by another pupil at the Archbishop Lanfranc School on Mitcham Road. Charlie Marsh said he was suffering stress due to constant bullying, and his mother Kelly said he'd required treatment at hospital for injuries sustained at the school. Kelly said she would do what she could to help other children affected by bullying.
4. Chris Isted was stabbed to death on Croydon High Street. The 25-year-old, who was engaged and due to become a father, died following the attack outside The Ship pub. His friend Kevin Millward was also hurt, and said he was plagued by terrifying flashbacks. In September Carlton McKay admitting murder and wounding with intent, and last month the 27-year-old was jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years. The judge was told the murder was the culmination of a dispute over noise which involved the victim's mother and the defendant's brother.
5. In mid-March the burger offered by Purley restaurant Burgers at Blacks was officially named Britain's biggest burger. The 14lb meal, named 'The Beast', contains 15,000 calories. "It's definitely not for the faint-hearted," said restaurant owner Vas Herodotou. Reporter David Churchill visited the business to take on the challenge.
6. In March the Croydon Advertiser also brought you the story of Lizzie Griffiths, who was spending her savings on paying for chemotherapy for her pet bearded dragon. Lizzie, 25, adopted George from a pet rescue centre, and nursed him back to health. The story was picked up by outlets around the world, from the Huffington Post in America to the Daily Telegraph in Australia to The Sun, Daily Mail and Metro newspapers in the UK. In May George was given months to live, and he was put to sleep in October after the cancer spread to his brain.
7. Reporter Ross Lidbetter met architect Laura Clark, who had bought the public toilets under the pavement at Crystal Palace Parade to turn into a flat. Ross returned to meet Laura in April, to see how the project had turned out. You can find the full gallery of the converted public toilets online here
8. The Croydon Advertiser also covered the story of two women, who were found dead in Upper Norwood. The pair, named as 51-year-old twin sisters Stephanie and Jacqueline Berry, could have been dead inside their home for a month before being discovered. A joint funeral was held for the pair, and in October the Croydon Coroner Dr Roy Palmer recorded an open verdict, concluding that the pair had probably starved to death. Councillor Pat Ryan, who lived on the same road as the sisters, said the deaths could and should have been avoided.
9. The paper also caught up with Crystal Palace hero Julian Speroni. The 32-year-old goalkeeper, who is adored by Eagles fans, said he was loving his time at Selhurst Park. Speroni, who won the club's player of the year title for three consecutive seasons, added: "I would love to play in the Premier League before I retire, and would love to do that with Crystal Palace."
10. Oasis Academy students wrote to Kate Middleton and David Cameron as part of World Book Day to ask about their favourite reads. Both replied, with the Duchess of Cambridge saying she favoured Anne of Green Gables, with the Prime Minister plumping for history bestseller Our Island Story. The Queen and Jamie Oliver replied but kept their choices secret.

CHRISTMAS was cancelled for the family of missing schoolgirl Shelley Pratt with yesterday marking the seventh week since the teenager disappeared.

Lisa Pratt has not seen her daughter since she disappeared on November 8 after school.

CCTV images of the 14-year-old on the night of her disappearance have been circulated but there have still been no reported sightings.

Mrs Pratt said: "We aren't doing anything for Christmas, we won't be celebrating anything until Shelley comes home.

"It's been seven weeks and I don't know how to go on any more. It's getting harder and harder. We haven't seen or heard from her since then and that is just not our Shelley, she wouldn't do that."

The family of eight, Shelley being the youngest girl, will not turn on the many lights decorating their home in Crowther Road, South Norwood, as they feel they can't be festive without their child.

Mrs Pratt said: "Her dad just broke down the other day. He just sobbed for an hour and a half. It's just become too much for us. Shelley loves Christmas, she wouldn't want to miss it, I know someone's got her and won't let her go."

The Westwood College student was last seen on CCTV images in the early hours of November 9 with an unknown young man in Croydon High Street.

Approximately five minutes later, her Oyster card was used to board a route 60 bus towards Coulsdon. Since then there has been no sign of her.

Mrs Pratt said: "I pray we get her back before the new year."

Shelley was last seen wearing her school uniform trousers and a distinctive purple hooded jumper with the slogan "I love (heart symbol) London". The teenager is white, about 5ft 6ins to 7ins tall, with long brown hair.

Anyone with information about Shelley's whereabouts is urged to call the incident room on 020 8721 4906.

ALDI has emerged as the third high street supermarket chain vying to open a store in the south of the borough.

The German budget supermarket group this week confirmed it wants to develop the car park on the former Red Lion pub site in Brighton Road.

The news comes after the Advertiser previously reported Sainsbury's aim to open a store at the existing Blockbuster Video site, in Purley High Street, and Waitrose's talks with Croydon Council to build a store in Lion Green Road, Coulsdon.

The Aldi proposal has already divided opinion between those who have raised fears it could have an impact on local traders and others who say it would boost the town's appeal.

Coulsdon West councillor Ian Parker said: "My main concern would be the impact on the local businesses, that it is in keeping with the rest of Coulsdon and how it ties in with the Masterplan and the Cane Hill development.

"Having supermarkets at both ends of the town is perhaps not such a bad thing but this goes beyond that, so we would have concerns about that and need to look at it.

"In its current state, the site is clearly not acceptable. We have had various complaints from people who park there and it doesn't look very attractive.

"Aldi owns it and have a right to say what they can develop there. My main concern is local shopkeepers with a Waitrose already close by."

An Aldi spokesman confirmed it is in "pre-application negotiations" with Croydon Council, with the supermarket chain expected to submit a planning application in the new year.

Charles King, chairman of East Coulsdon Residents' Association, said his group recently conducted a survey that found 55 per cent of people do not shop in Coulsdon and that a big-name store is needed to increase the town's appeal and give families more choice.

Mr King said: "It's not bad news. Coulsdon badly needs a larger supermarket. There's a huge leakage of retail out of Coulsdon.

"To bring the footfall in, you need a large supermarket. People are forced to travel out of Coulsdon to find somewhere that has the full range of goods for their family and this is a key spot in the town centre."

An Aldi spokesman said this week: "We are currently in pre-application negotiations with Croydon Council regarding the site of the former Red Lion Public House.

"We are looking to open a new store on this strategic site to offer brand-like quality at everyday low prices."

The Advertiser asked how big the store is likely to be and if any on-site parking would be created, but Aldi did not respond before we went to press.

Do you have a view on this story? E-mail newsdesk@croydonadvertiser.co.uk or join the debate at www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk

And with 2013 knocking on the door I thought a fitting way to round off my last column of the year would be to look back at the best moments of the last 12 months. I'll start with individual performance of the season. There have been plenty from those in red and blue, particularly in the last three months where Palace have rocketed up the table but I'd have to say it was me while dancing with the Crystals cheerleaders back in February for Sports Relief. I mean, I totally nailed the dance routine. Seriously, watch the videos.

What about team performance of the season? There have been some great fightbacks from the Eagles, including at home to Cardiff where Glenn Murray nabbed a hat-trick, but I'm going to have to plump for my 'Crystallion' dancer team-mates during the Sport Relief half-time show in February. We were all in time during the three-minute routine, and not at all out of sync as some have claimed. Seriously, watch the videos.

Finally, we come to the style award of the season. Plenty of contenders, be it from Wilf's Mohawk haircut or Lennie Lawrence's suits he would don on the touchline during games, but for me it has to be the skimpy outfits we wore during the Sport Relief cheerleading dance on the pitch back in February. They were classy and cheeky, yet tasteful. Coco Chanel would have been proud. Seriously, watch the videos.

And that's it! Congratulations to the winners and I look forward to seeing more great action next year.

Have a brilliant 2013!

JOHN Goulston – the interim chief executive of Croydon University Hospital – has applied for the top job permanently, despite receiving a vote of no confidence from hospital board members due to dwindling standards under his watch.

News of the dissatisfaction in Mr Goulston's performance comes as a third director is set to leave Croydon Health Services NHS Trust – the trust that runs the hospital. Richard Parker, director of operations, will leave on January 11, the Advertiser understands.

It comes weeks after we revealed hospital chairman Michael Parker was "asked" to resign by NHS London – the strategic health authority which appoints the chairman – and a week after news that Karen Jones, a non-executive director, has stepped down.

The Advertiser understands Mr Goulston, who was hit with a vote of no confidence by the hospital's non-executive directors before Michael Parker's departure, sent an e-mail saying Richard Parker is being made redundant.

The further departure has heightened fears the hospital will continue to struggle longer than is necessary in getting its house in order, after a turbulent year of resignations, questionable decisions and damning reports.

Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell suggested everybody's role at the hospital needs to be scrutinised in the interests of care.

He said: "Someone needs to take a good look at the whole thing."

A spokesman for health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) added: "Poor or inconsistent management can have an impact on patient care."

The vote of no confidence in Mr Goulston would have allowed Michael Parker to bring his interim contract to a premature end, the Advertiser understands, but the chairman was asked to resign by NHS London before he could do that. A rift between the pair has been rumbling on for several weeks.

In August the CQC found standards at Croydon University Hospital had deteriorated further and issued two "major impact" warnings – the highest category and unprecedented in the hospital's history. Mr Goulston was appointed interim chief executive five months previously in March.

It has also emerged that Mike Spyer and Ruth Carnall, chairman and chief executive of NHS London respectively, advised the vice-chairman of the hospital, Constance Hall, not to become acting chairman after Michael Parker's departure – something the Advertiser was told may be in breach of Croydon trust's constitution.

An interim chairman will not be taking over until January 2, meaning the hospital will have been without a chairman for three weeks.

A source said: "NHS London is interfering with things in Croydon to the detriment of local healthcare services. To block the vice-chair becoming acting chair is just irresponsible when it comes to patient care."

NHS London and Croydon University Hospital had not commented at the time of going to press.

1. In April we covered the story of a man secretly recorded by neighbours beating a dog with a plank of wood in New Addington. Lee Dyer attacked three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Bullet in King Henry's Drive, as well as throwing faeces over the fence. Dyer said he had done nothing wrong and that the dog liked 'playing rough'. The 28-year-old admitted failing to ensure the welfare of an animal and causing unnecessary suffering, and was given 200 hours' community service and ordered to pay £300 costs.
2. Also in April was the story of Surrey Heights, a reality show said to be Croydon's answer to TOWIE. Amelody Productions held auditions in town centre nightclub Shooshh, but said 'chavs' were banned from the cast. More than 5,000 people applied to be part of the show, but views were mixed over whether 'Surrey Heights' would be good or bad for Croydon. A poll on our website showed 51% of respondents thought the show would have a negative impact on our borough, while 28% thought it could be beneficial. Others raised concerns over the name, because Croydon is in London, not Surrey. There is no word from the production company over when and if the show will be broadcast.
3. Labour's Ken Livingstone was the third in our series profiling the candidates to become London Mayor. Mr Livingstone talked about overseas investment, the Crystal Palace tramlink extension and his ideas about reducing crime, but then stormed out of the interview after refusing to take part in a quick-fire quiz on Croydon. He scored zero out of five, compared to Boris Johnson's 2.5 and Brian Paddick's one out of five
4. In April the Croydon Advertiser also covered the story of a man sentenced after admitting possession of indecent images of children. Vernon Quaintance, who was then aged 68 and living in Upper Norwood, was sentenced to a 40-week jail term suspended for two years. He was also ordered to attend a sexual offenders rehabilitation course and to pay £300 in costs.
5. Croydon Advertiser reporter Gareth Davies revealed never-seen-before video footage of House of Reeves arsonist Gordon Thompson stealing from Iceland during the riots. The footage, recorded by Gareth and freelance photographer Greg Mack, shows 34-year-old Thompson in a distinctive red hooded top. The picture was used on the front page of the Croydon Advertiser following the riots, and he was arrested after a reader spotted him in Surrey Street. Thompson was later jailed for 11 and a half years.
6. In April Hollywood hardman Jason Statham was filming new movie Hummingbird in Old Palace of John Whitgift School. The film, said to star Statham as a former Special Forces soldier who becomes homeless, is due for release in the UK in early May 2013.
7. News editor Gabriel Shepard also interviewed Boris Johnson before the London Mayor elections. Mr Johnson, who was re-elected the following month, promised to extend the bike hire scheme to Croydon, and said the borough has 'absolutely everything going for it'.
8. Ross Lidbetter asked whether the Croydon cruise scene was getting out of control. Ross described the scene that greeted him on Purley Way one Thurday night, with motorbikers riding on one wheel and cars speeding at more than 70mph, while enthusiast John Carlos defended the events.
9. The digital switchover happened in South London in April. Our story about the Crystal Palace transmitter being lit up like a Christmas tree was widely read. You can also see our three picture galleries of the event here, here and here.
10. Our final two most-read pieces of the month were this story about some kittens getting stuck in a wall at a house in Purley, and the accompanying picture gallery. The day-old kittens had fallen through a tiny hole in the loft, where they were born, and become trapped in the cavity walls. Fire crews used special equipment to pinpoint the tiny animals' exact locations and to rescue them.

SELF-EMPLOYED decorator Colin Ford admits it was not the best piece of driving in the world.

He had reversed his van against the flow of traffic down the one-way Purley High Street after changing his mind about the direction he was travelling.

The manoeuvre led to a £55 fine – not for going the wrong way but for being parked on the footway. The 57-year-old is adamant he was not "parked" as CCTV photographs show the reverse lights on his vehicle.

But Croydon Council strongly maintains it was right to issue the ticket, having reviewed the footage this week.

Mr Ford, of Fernhurst Road, Addiscombe, said: "As if I would park my van like that.

"I was going to go left but then decided not to and I tried to get back on to the road.

"The cars were going by so I couldn't pull out straight away.

"I was dumbfounded, I knew I hadn't committed the offence. I go out of my way to park legally – I don't like to give them a chance."

Mr Ford, who has been driving since the age of 18, did pay the fine following the incident on October 15 just after 7.30pm.

He thought he might have inadvertently parked illegally somewhere in Purley.

Having been sent the still images from the incident though, it is a decision he deeply regrets.

He added: "Ideally, I just wish they would give me my money back.

"I just don't want it to happen to anybody else.

"It's not the best of driving but I certainly didn't commit an offence."

In a letter to the council, Mr Ford says he is even prepared to go to court.

A spokesman for Croydon Council said: "The council's penalty charge notice carries clear instructions as to how the PCN can be challenged if the motorist feels he's been unfairly penalised.

"In this instance, the motorist is to be commended for making prompt payment.

"Having reviewed the CCTV footage of the incident, we're convinced of the validity of the issuance of the PCN.

"The CCTV images clearly show that the vehicle was parked, with two wheels on the footway, for at least one minute.

"The matter is exacerbated by the fact that the motorist then reversed his car along High Street, a one-way street, against the flow of traffic."