This week 10, 20, 30 years ago

10 years ago

Actor Graham Cole, who starred in The Bill for 27 years, met a volunteer police cadet who shares a name with his TV character when he attended a ceremony.

Mr Cole presented police cadet Tony Stamp, from Lewisham, with his epaulettes – the shoulder pieces showing a cadet’s rank – at a ceremony at Conisborough College in Catford on Tuesday last week.

Tony Stamp joined the Met in March this year and has completed his initial 10-week training.

Mr Cole, who is the official ambassador for the volunteer police cadets, said: “I am a big supporter of the work of the police. It’s a fantastic thing to be asked to come here and present epaulettes to a police cadet.”

The European Doctors’ Orchestra will be performing at St Augustine’s Church in One Tree Hill at 3pm on Sunday, May 27.

Included in the programme will be Haydn’s Symphony No 101, The Clock, Bach’s Double Violin Concerto with soloists Richard and Helena Gullan, and Mozart’s Magic Flute overture, conducted by Rupert Bond.

All proceeds will go towards the Children’s Society and the church’s Living Heritage fund and its essential repairs of the high stonework on the tower.

A charity pub quiz is being held at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley Road next Friday.

The event will raise money for breast cancer charity the Lavender Trust.

Teams of up to six people can take part and entry costs £10 per person, including a hot buffet.

Prizes will be awarded for the best team name as well as for the quiz winners.

The event starts at 7.30pm.

20 years ago

Cops planned to launch a temporary police station in Brixton to combat crack dealers.

The station was to be set up to tackle dealing around the bus stops in Coldharbour Lane.

The news followed the success of Operation Loughborough, designed to clear the dealers from Loughborough Junction.

The police presence, in an empty shop in Brixton, had cut the number of dealers loitering around the town centre a week after it was opened, and plans were announced to make the police more visible.

A row of houses was razed to the ground after fire ripped through the new development of council homes.

Ten fire engines were needed to get the blaze under control in Milkwood Road, Herne Hill.

As the flames swept through the terrace, the scaffolding collapsed and spilt out into the road, destroying several parked cars.

About 100 residents living nearby had to be evacuated.

A team of police paid a visit to Southwark on a fact-finding mission from South Africa.

The officers traded tips on tackling gun crime and drug control during their trip from Johannesburg, where the murder rate was about six times that of London.

Police from Southwark had already been to the African country earlier in the year.

The South Africans also had the chance to see Southwark from above, with a ride on the London Eye.

Main Pic: The Bill actor Graham Cole met volunteer police cadet who shared his name this week ten years ago.