Local News

A man has been jailed for causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal collision in Englefield Green last year. Samuel Russell, 37, was more than 10 times over the drug drive limit and nearly three times over the drink drive limit when he collided with a pedestrian on Bakeham Lane on Saturday, 27 January 2024. The pedestrian, 62-year-old Steven Ward, was taken to hospital but sadly died as a result of the injuries he sustained. In interview Russell stated he had no memory of the collision. He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and possession of cocaine on Tuesday, 30 September 2025 at Guildford Magistrates Court. Russell, (22/06/1988), of Sutton, was jailed for nine years and nine months for causing death by dangerous driving at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 21 November. He will also serve a concurrent six-week sentence for possession of cocaine. Once released, he will be disqualified from driving for seven years and eight months and will have to take an extended test to gain a full licence after the disqualification period has ended. Investigating Officer Amilia Bishop said, “More people die on our roads each year in the UK than are murdered and driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs is a huge contributing factor to this statistic. “Samuel Russell made the decision to get behind the wheel of his vehicle after spending three hours consuming large quantities of alcohol and had been taking cocaine in the early hours of that day. Now both he, and the family of Steven Ward, have to live with the consequences of that decision. “I want to commend Steven’s family and friends for their patience throughout the investigation, and their bravery and grace in court. Nothing will bring their beloved husband, father, and friend back, but hopefully the sentence given helps them to feel some justice has been served.” Paying tribute to her father, Steven’s daughter Charlie said: “His loss has left a profound hole in our lives. He was an incredible father, husband, colleague and friend, kind, intelligent and always putting others first. Our family is devastated. “He was Head of Patents (UK) at Syngenta and about to take his well-earned retirement. Now our family is trying to come to terms with life without him. “While justice has been served, it can never bring our dad back. Despite the horror of what happened, I hope Samuel can turn his life around, find purpose, and cherish a life my dad no longer can. “We are so grateful for all the support we have received from the police, the hospital staff and the people who were there at the time of the incident. Thank you. “I hope others hold their loved ones close. I will miss my dad every day, he was my best friend.”

UPDATE: A 24-year-old man from Ardeley has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice. He has been released under investigation. Officers were called to Crabtree Road in Egham at 2.26am on Sunday, 19 October following reports of a collision at the location involving the driver of a car and a pedestrian. The driver of the car failed to stop at the scene. The pedestrian, a woman in her 20s, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. She has since been discharged.

On Friday, 14 November, your Runnymede Safer Neighbourhood Team hosted a Business Action Day as part of our efforts to tackle retail crime, anti-social behaviour and other offences affecting businesses in our community. Five men have been arrested and charged with a total of 20 offences for theft and assault across the borough -

Three men were charged in relation to thefts from Waitrose in Addlestone on 10 November: Florin Matei, 25 (08/10/2000) of East Ham, was charged with shoplifting, driving without insurance, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence. Cristian-Florin Radulescu, 24, (23/03/2001), of Wembley, was charged with shoplifting. Ionut-Relu Matei, 19, (15/03/2006) of Wembley, was charged with shoplifting. They all pleaded guilty and have been ordered to pay fines, costs, and surcharges in relation to the shoplifting. Ionut-Relu Matei and Florin Matei have also been ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work each, and Cristian-Florin Radulescu to complete 180 hours, in line with a community order. Florin Matei will also attend Staines Magistrates Court in 2026 for driving offences.

A man was charged in relation to 11 shoplifting offences in Egham over the past few months: Ali Naddi, 30, (14/12/1994), of no fixed address, was charged with 11 counts of shoplifting. He appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Saturday, 15 November and was remanded ahead of a further court appearance.

And a man was charged following an incident at the Co-Op in New Haw in October: Ashley Watts, 35, (19/11/1990) was charged with three counts of shoplifting and common assault by beating. He pleaded guilty at court on Saturday, 15 November, and was released on bail ahead of sentencing at Guildford Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 30 December.

Inspector Ian Nash, Borough Commander for Runnymede, said: “Business Action Days are a valuable opportunity to focus attention on the challenges businesses face every day. “The results we’ve seen show the real impact of bringing together police, local authorities and the business community to create safer places to work and shop. “Whilst this day of action was very important, our efforts are not restricted to one day, and the work we do to protect Surrey residents, retailers and workers continues all year round.”

You might have noticed a significant emergency services presence in Ottershaw last week. At 8.30am on Friday, 21 November, Surrey Police and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service responded to reports of a suspected arson on Bittams Lane. The fire was quickly put out by the fire service and there have been no reported injuries. A 39-year-old man from Ottershaw has been arrested on suspicion of arson and possession of an offensive weapon. He remains in custody. Part of the A320 Guildford Road was closed for a short time while we responded to the incident. Officers also responded to a similar report of a fire in Ottershaw in SpinneyHill at 11.30pm on Thursday 20 November. We are investigating both incidents and enquiries are underway to establish if they are linked.

Two men have been fined and ordered to pay court costs after kicking and stamping on a pigeon that had been hit with a slingshot pellet resulting in the bird dying from its injuries. The men were identified and later charged for the harming and killing of a wild bird under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. They must also complete 120 hours of mandatory unpaid work within the next 12 months. The incident, which happened on Staines High Street back in 2023, was reported to officers by members of the public. PC Town-Jones said: “Targeting wild birds for fun is animal cruelty and won’t be tolerated. As we have seen in this case, action can be taken against those who commit wildlife crime, and we encourage the public to keep reporting any instances.” Ross Kluth, 21, and Jack Gingell, 20, both from Staines, were sentenced at Staines Magistrates’ Court on November 14.

A woman has been charged in connection with a protest outside The Stanwell Hotel in Stanwell on 31 July 2025. Patricia Stapleton, 69, (DOB: 07/04/1956) of Laleham, has been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence.  She has been released on bail and is due to appear at Staines’ Magistrates Court on Friday, 5 December. Borough Commander Matt Walton said: “We recognise the right to lawful protest and will facilitate this wherever it can be done safely. However, any reports of criminal activity or public disorder will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.”

Two men have been sentenced for drug offences after they were stopped by the Uniform Proactive Team in Stanwell. The driver of the vehicle, Harvey Constable-Eliba, 21, (DOB: 15/08/2004), and the passenger, Louis Cummings, 20, (DOB: 16/08/2005), from The Crescent, Ashford were arrested for being concerned in the supply of cocaine following a search of the car. When we searched the car we found a burner phone which displayed a message linked to drug dealing, and a knife. We searched Cummings' house and seized a number of items including 130 large Nitrous Oxide (NOS) cannisters, weighing scales with traces of white powder on, multiple phones and sim cards, and another knife. Investigating Officer, PC Duncan Mackenzie from the Proactive Investigation Team said: “Drug dealing has no place in our community and can cause significant damage to the lives of many. We are pleased with this result and that Constable and Cummings will now spend time in prison so they can’t cause disruption in the local area."

We are warning van owners to be on their guard following tool thefts from vehicles in Egham. Two thefts were carried out on Monday (17 November), one on Pooley Green Road and the other on Alexander Road with two further thefts in the Egham and Hythe areas on Tuesday (18 November) and Wednesday (19 November). In both cases, access to the vans was gained by drilling through the side doors and tools were then taken. The suspect vehicle is believed to be a dark Audi. Runnymede Borough Inspector Ian Nash said: “We are urging van owners to be extra vigilant when leaving their vehicles parked. Where possible, our advice is to not keep tools in vans and leave a note on the vehicle advising would-be thieves that no tools are stored within. However, we appreciate that this is not always possible, especially during daylight hours when the van may still be in use and would urge owners to put security measures in place. If you are parking in a hotel car park, then try and park under the CCTV cameras. It might not prevent a theft but will help us identify those responsible. Also, consider parking against walls, making it harder for thieves to gain access to your doors. “Any vehicle that is used to store valuable tools should have an alarm and ideally also an internal security cage to prevent anyone forcing their way in. The tools themselves should also be property marked, making them less attractive to the thief and easier to return to the rightful owner if they are recovered. "We would like to reassure residents that we have officers working to identify the vehicle involved and bring the offenders to justice."

Over an 18-month period (1 May 2024 and 31 October 2025), we received 346 reports of doorstep crime targeting the elderly, with the average age of the victim being 80.

Of these reports, their top 5 MOs were:

Roof and gutter repairs

Gardening

Driveway cleaning and resurfacing

Loft insulation

Solar panels

Rogue traders are criminals who try and take as much money as they can from their victims.