Health

A husband and father of two boys who died in a frozen lake was 'one of the most caring and loving people.'

Philip Hughes, 45, known as Beano to his friends, passed away at the World Professional Darts Championship when his body was found in an icy lake at Lakeside Country Club, in Frimley Green on Thursday January 7.

Mr Hughes, who grew up and lived in Ashford for nearly all of his life, has been described as popular, loving, caring, funny, and kind by his family.

Wife Cherie Hughes, 44, said: "He was such a caring person who would have done anything for anybody. We were the complete opposites but were soul mates."

Please see the January 21 edition of the Staines and Ashford/Egham News and Surrey Herald Shepperton and Sunbury edition for the full interview and pictures.

Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals have warned the public not to visit A&E unless it is an emergency in the wake of a fortnight of unprecedented levels of activity.

Icy conditions on the roads, coupled with the increased risk of an outbreak of the norovirus in the winter months have put increased strain on hospital staff.

MAUD Ellis - believed to be Spelthorne's oldest resident - celebrated her 108th birthday with friends, family and staff at Sunbury Nursing Home.

One Monday (September 28) Mrs Ellis enjoyed tea and cake with nephew Gordon Cockill, who visits her by bus every week, and opened her eighth congratulatory birthday card from the Queen.

PARENTS have criticised a decision to keep Sunbury Manor School open after two year eight pupils contracted swine flu, which has now been declared a pandemic.

The boy and girl started to feel unwell on Wednesday last week and were diagnosed with the virus the next day. They were immediately told to stay away for seven days.

Sunbury teacher Melissa Huggins finally begins her £160,000 lifesaving treatment on Monday and not even the prospect of losing her hair is dimming her defiance.

The 27-year-old St Ignatius Primary School teacher, on Friday underwent final preparations ahead of a daily six-week course of pioneering proton radiotherapy treatment and was told there'd be a strong chance some of her hair would fall out.

Tennis courts in Spelthorne are to be refurbished after the borough council allocated 110,000 over the next three years.

The money will be spent resurfacing the courts in Cedars Park in Lower Sunbury, Clockhouse Lane in Ashford, the Lammas in Staines, Stanwell Recreation Ground, Fordbridge Park in Ashford, Staines Park and Bishop Duppas Park in Shepperton.

An alcoholic woman died in a house blaze in Sunbury after setting her clothes alight leaning over the hob as she lit a cigarette, an inquest heard.

Margaret Jyssum's clothes could have been smouldering for up to 20 minutes before catching alight, fire investigator Bryn Strudwick told Woking Coroner's Court on Thursday November 27.

When he visited the house in Heathcroft Avenue he found traces of tobacco around the hob and there was 20% fire damage to the kitchen, which suggested that was where the blaze began.

A policeman on a motorbike training exercise was taken to hospital after his bike was in collision with a car.

The constable was driving along Staines Road East in Sunbury when the accident happened outside the BP filling station on Friday (November 21) at about 11.20am.

An air ambulance and two road ambulances were dispatched and the officer was taken to St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey, reporting pains in his lower legs, although a sergeant at the scene reported he was "smiling" as he was being treated.

Rosie Jones from Sunbury is The Sun newspaper's latest Page 3 girl - but she's worried what her old teachers will think.

"I'm worried they'll be ashamed", said the 18-year-old who formerly attended St Ignatius School and St Paul's Catholic College, before quickly emphasising she's "100% comfortable and at ease" with her new career.

Two jockeys were taken to St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey, after a 'five horse' pile-up in a race at Kempton Park.

The incident on July 30 left two horses dead and jockey Jamie Jones with three broken vertebrae, and Mark Coumbe with two broken vertebrae, a bruised lung and an injured arm.