May 10 - Everything Epping Forest

Everything Epping ForestPage 4 of 18They fled with a three figure sum of cash.Anyone with information should ring Epping CID on 0300 333 4444.Students to sign Olympic song26th May 2010STUDENTS from two Loughton schools will be performing an Olympic song in Chelmsfordas part of a countywide project.Davenant Foundation School and Roding Valley High School are among 15 Essexsecondary schools taking part in the Carrying the Flame Festival of Music, Arts and Danceat the Civic Theatre, Chelmsford, tomorrow (Thursday).The pupils, inspired by the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will beperforming their Olympic song which they have created through an Essex Carrying theFlame project run by Essex County Council.The project has been awarded the Inspire Mark from the London 2012 Games. Eachschool has been assigned to a team and given the task of creating an artistic leg of a relayrace, with the first school writing lyrics for an Olympic song and passing this onto thesecond school composing the music.The ‘artistic baton’ was then handed onto the third and fourth schools to choreograph adance and design a set for the stage.The schools will all perform their Olympic song during the afternoon festival, watched byan audience from local primary schools.Buckhurst Hill and Loughton South county councillor Valerie Metcalfe, the deputy cabinetmember for education and the 2012 Games, will open the festival.New chairman ready for "very busy year"25th May 2010NEW Epping Forest District Council chairman Anne Grigg is looking forward to a "verybusy year".Mrs Grigg, last year's vice-chairman, was proposed by fellow North Weald councillor DaveStallan who has known Mrs Grigg since he joined North Weald Parish Council 17 yearsago.He said she had been "a friend, a rock and a person I have gone to for advice."He added: "I know that when she becomes your chairman she will be able to undertakeher duties and be helpful to all members of the council."Mrs Grigg, a former chairman of North Weald Parish Council, was elected to the districtcouncil in 1998.She has chaired an area plans committee and the district development committee.In 2006 she became portfolio holder for planning and economic development.Mr Stallan said: "I believe she has all the qualities to be an outstanding chairman of thecouncil."Mrs Grigg has chosen Cancer Research UK, the Essex Air Ambulance, St Clare Hospiceand the Chigwell Riding Trust for Special Needs as her charities for the year. She isseeking sponsors to support her participation in the Cancer Research UK Race for Life onNorth Weald Airfield in July.Her appeal fund will also be boosted by Director of Environment and Street Scene JohnGilbert who will raise money for the chairman's charity when he sails from England toSpain through the Bay of Biscay next month.Loughton Residents Association councillor Ken Angold-Stephens was elected vicechairman.Chairman reflects on "wonderful year"25th May 2010LAST year's Epping Forest District Council chairman Penny Smith has reflected on a"wonderful year".Mrs Smith said last September's event on North Weald which featured visiting veteransfrom the Royal Norwegian Air Force was among the highlights of her year in office.She told tonight's annual council meeting: "I have enjoyed every single moment. "I'veengaged with young and old people alike at different types of events, some very formal butthe best ones have been delightfully casual."Council leader Di Collins thanked Mrs Smith for her work as chairman while council chiefexecutive Peter Haywood thanked Mrs Smith on behalf of all the staff for the appreciationthat she had shown for their work during the year.Fundraising efforts during the civic year raised £4,000 for Mrs Smith's chosen charity, thewest Essex branch of the Alzheimer's Society.Men jailed over £37m tax fraud25th May 2010TWO men from Chigwell have been jailed for their part in a £37.5m tax fraud involving a21-strong crime gang.In total the gang were jailed for a total of 74 years.Details of the case - one of the most complex ever undertaken by HM Revenue & Customs- can only be reported now, eight years after the investigation began.The conspiracy involved the import of computer processing units mainly from Ireland, VATfree.The goods would then be sold more cheaply, but with VAT added, through a chain ofcompanies each involved in the plot and sham invoices would be issued.Once the goods had been sold on a number of times they would be exported back to theEU.The exporter would then claim a VAT credit from HM Revenue & Customs for the VATpaid on the purchase of the goods.The gang would divide the dishonest profits of the fraud and launder them through variousbank accounts in the UK and abroad.The account holders would then withdraw the bulk of the cash and were paid acommission for their dishonest service.Some of the money is believed to have been invested in a third of a tonne of gold bullion,substantial property in Dubai and a luxury flat near Harrods.Peter John Pomfrett, 56, (pictured) of Woolston Manor Cottage, Abridge Road, Chigwell -described as "one of the main players" -was sentenced to ten years in prison.The Court of Appeal later reduced the sentence to eight years. He was disqualified frombeing a company director for 14 years.Pomfrett was convicted at the end of the Operation Devout 2 investigation which sawseven men convicted and sentenced to a total of 37-and-a-half years for their part in a plotto steal £25m in just 25 days in a ‘missing trader’ VAT fraud.The case ended at Northampton Crown Court on January 28, 2008, but reportingrestrictions have prevented the outcome being reported until now.Pomfrett was a director of Globalactive Tecnologies Ltd and acted as a ‘broker’ (orshipper) who sends the goods back to another EU member State and reclaims the VATcharged, exporting at a zero VAT rate.Martin Watmough, 57, of Arrowsmith Road, Chigwell, was sentenced to nine months for01/07/2010