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Wednesday, February 16, 2022 READINGTODAY.ONLINE
Love is in the air as shoppers are serenaded at Broad St Mall
Clive Waterman conducts the Reading Male Voice Choir
LOVE TIME: A bride-to-be with her friends gather on the love seat for a selfie Pictures: Dijana Capan / DV Vision
A violinist and a cellist performed as part of Saturday afternoon’s entertainment By PHIL CREIGHTON news@rdg.today LOVE has been in the air at Broad St Mall, with songs, seats and sketches combining to make it a memorable February.
The popular shopping centre in Reading’s town centre has been running a romantic event in the run-up to Monday’s Valentine’s Day.
A special Love Bench was available so that loved-up people could snap a selfie and be in with a chance of winning one of two £50 gift vouchers for F Hinds The Jewellers. And on Saturday, a day of celebration was held. There were performances from the Reading Male Voice Choir and a duo of supremely
talented string musicians, while a caricature artist was on hand to capture the moment. Now, the Mall is preparing to lend a hand to the Broad Street pancake race held in aid of Launchpad. The event takes place on Tuesday, March 1, from 11.30am. n For more details, log on to: www.broadstreetmall.com
Two men jailed after police find £320,000 worth of cannabis TWO men have been jailed for a year after being caught running a cannabis factory in Charvil. Police found with plants worth £320,000 during their raid. Twenty nine-year-old Juljan Xhika, of Kennet Walk in Reading, and 31-year-old Erjon Bardhi, of no fixed abode, were sentenced to a year in prison by judges sitting as Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, February 9. The pair pleaded guilty to one count of producing the controlled class B drug. The factory was discovered when police carried out a raid on a home in Charvil on Friday, October 1 last year. Officers achieved the search warrant after being tipped off about
suspicious activity at the property. Xhika and Bardhi were arrested, and a large quantity of cannabis plants were seized in varying stages of growth. The total street value of the cannabis seized was in the region of £320,000.
Investigating officer PC Darin Stone, based at Loddon Valley police station, said: “The amount of cannabis seized in this operation and the successful prosecution of two individuals is testament to the importance of the public in reporting this type of crime and the positive outcomes we can achieve. “We continue to need the support of the public in this, and we would ask them to report any information that they have about drug dealing. “This can be shared with Thames Valley Police on our website or by calling 101. “You can also report information anonymously by calling independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
A young family pose for a free caricature session, part of the Valentine’s treats at the mall
Members of the Reading Male Voice Choir sang their hearts out for shoppers at the Broad St Mall on Saturday
Two charged after alleged Wokingham and Reading thefts TWO MEN, including one from Woodley, have been charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and other offences in Oxfordshire and Berkshire. John Smith, 35, of Bruce Road, Woodley has been charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal, conspiracy to steal from another and theft from a motor vehicle. Jonathan Marney, 33, of no fixed abode, has been charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal, conspiracy to steal from another, driving while disqualified, theft from a motor vehicle and conceal/disguise/ convert/transfer/remove criminal property. The charges are in connection with a number of incidents that happened between Wednesday, September 1, 2021 and Saturday, February 12, this year. They happened in Reading, Newbury, Wokingham, Abingdon and Basingstoke. Smith has been remanded in custody to appear at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday, February 22. Marney has been remanded in custody to appear at Reading Crown Court on Monday, March 14.
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