A look back at the biggest local stories from this day 20, 40 and 60 years ago.
1958:
Legal proceed-ings were being taken by Horn-church Council against the original committee of St George’s Ambulance and Nursing Corps for failure to produce its books.
The council called in all books up to March 1958.
Henry Reason, 60, of Harold Wood, the former chief sacked from St George’s earlier that year, said: “I suppose that means myself and the other two officers on the original committee.
“All of our books are with the auditors.”
Mr Reason spoke of a Sunday newspaper article in which he was accused of drawing £10 a week from collection funds for living expenses.
He said: “I drew £10 a week as manager of St George Enterprises, a private company formed by three officers nominated by the administrative council to raise funds for the corps.
“We sold first-aid cabinets and clothes.”
1978:
Phone help line services for smoking, alcoholism and VD faced with the axe.
Their future depended on whether a confidential report being compiled by local health chiefs thought they were worth the money.
If not, smokers alcoholics and people with sexually transmitted infections would find no instant advice at the end of a telephone.
The “value for money” report was being collated by the new area health education officer for Havering and Barking, Rick Young.
He said: “We want to see if the cash we’re spending on these services is worth it.
“If the answer is no then they could be scrapped. The services were due for review at this time. They were always very much pilot schemes and we are questioning their effectiveness.”
1998:
A motorcyclist was seriously injured and his pillion passenger was also hurt in what police were treating as road rage.
The incident ended in Turpin Avenue, Collier Row, following a high speed chase that may have begun in Abridge, police said.
A Vauxhall Cavalier car thought to have been involved in the incident, was later found abandoned in Millers Lane, Chigwell.
The motorcyclist, from Harlow, and his passenger, from Dagenham, were taken to Oldchurch Hospital, Romford.
The motorcyclist underwent surgery for multiple fractures to his left leg and shoulder.
His badly bruised passenger was released after treatment.
Det Insp Mike O’Keefe, of Romford CID, said: “We believe there was an argument between the motorcyclist and the driver and a high speed chase followed.
“We believe the motorcyclist overtook a red Capri in an attempt to get away from his pursuer but the car did likewise and struck the motorcycle, knocking off the pillion passenger and pushing the bike 130ft into a lamp post.”
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