Local Authority

A campaign is underway to make Queen guitarist Brian May a Freeman of Hounslow.

May grew up in Walsham Road, Feltham and returned to the town last month to unveil a memorial to friend and bandmate Freddie Mercury, who also hailed from the area.

Now politicians want to recognise Brian himself by bestowing on him the highest honour the borough can give and raised the suggestion at a council meeting last week.

The memorial to Freddie Mercury in Feltham town centre remains sealed off to the public as it has not been finished and is vulnerable during the bad weather.

The 2m by 2m star, which was unveiled by former bandmate Brian May in front of more than 2,000 people last week, was not finished in time for the ceremony and the persistent bad weather has left it still incomplete.

Tradesmen working on the Hollywood-style star still have to seal it with a protective coating and hope to have it done towards the end of next week, weather permitting.

The collapse of a rail bridge in Feltham that caused travel chaos last month only came to light when when drivers noticed the track was sagging.

The bridge over the River Crane was damaged by raging torrents late on Saturday November 14, causing the closure of the line between Feltham and Waterloo for more than a week.

This is the scene after a lorry overturned in Ashford Road, Lower Feltham on Tuesday morning.

The HGV was heading towards Ashford from Feltham when it left the road after a sharp bend and careered into the bushes, knocking over trees and a lampost.
The driver is believed to have been taken to hospital but the extent of his injuries is not known at present.

MP Alan Keen has defended his decision to sign a petition calling for MPs not to be punished retrospectively for their expenses claims.

Mr Keen, who represents Feltham and Heston, has signed a parliamentary motion which asks Sir Ian Kennedy, the chairman of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority(IPSA), to introduce rules which adhere to the concepts of 'reasonableness and proportionality' and not to apply rules retrospectively.

Feltham could be saved from gridlock as BAA has decided to review the timetabling for the proposed Airtrack rail link.

The airports operator has pledged to review how many trains will run on the new route linking Waterloo and Heathrow terminal 5 after concerns were raised about the scheme's effect on level crossings.

A memorial to Freddie Mercury will be unveiled by Queen's Brian May at a ceremony on Tuesday(24) in Feltham.

The tribute to Freddie will take the form of a Hollywood-style star and hundreds of fans are expected to make the trip to see May and Mercury's family pay tribute on the 18th anniversary of the rock star's death.

Former residents of the Feltham Dene care home have been left 'disorientated and unsettled' in temporary accommodation, Hounslow Council has admitted.

The Spring Road care home was shut down on October 8 after unsafe levels of Legionella bacteria were found in the water supply but families of the 34 elderly residents have not been told if or when it will be safe for them to move back in.

The Mayor Councillor Paul Lynch, Deputy Mayor Councillor Barbara Harris and Lord Bilimoria, Deputy Lieutenant of Hounslow will attend a service of dedication at the War Memorial, with a parade starting at 2.30pm in Victoria Road, Feltham.

Residents whose bins are not collected should receive a refund from the council, according to one Hounslow councillor.

Hounslow Council has received £54,000 in fines from SITA - the company that runs the service - for failure to collect rubbish since it launched a new waste and recycling scheme in March.