Local News

Our Runnymede Officers attended the Egham Royal Show together with Officers from the Dog School and their Police Dogs at the weekend, thank you to those who popped by to say hello.

Jake Holder, 28, of Ashford, appeared at Guildford Magistrates Court this week where he was further remanded into custody. He will next appear at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday, 1 October. He has been charged in connection with an arson at the Stanwell Hotel in Stanwell. Officers were called to reports of a fire at around 9:40am on Saturday, 29 August and attended the address alongside fellow emergency services. 

On Tuesday, 25 August warrants were carried out in Surrey and in Essex in relation to an ongoing romance fraud investigation. One man in his 30s was arrest arrested at an address in Surrey. In Essex a man in his 40s was arrested. Both were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering offences and were bailed whilst enquiries continue. Romance fraudsters use various different platforms such as dating websites, social media platforms, gaming sites or messaging apps to create a fake relationship. Fraudsters invest significant time building trust and emotional connections before requesting money or personal information. 

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF: Never send money to someone you have not met in person; be cautious about sharing personal information online; discuss online relationships with trusted friends or family; carry out online searches of profile photographs; be wary if a relationship develops unusually quickly.

A 45-year-old man has been jailed after falling asleep at the wheel and causing the death of a man described by his family as “sweet, gentle, and caring”. Shortly before 6.30am on Sunday, 17 August 2025, officers were called to the scene of a collision on the A23 in Merstham. An Audi had swerved across the carriageway and collided with the driver of a Volkswagen parked at the side of the road. 59-year-old Philip Dray had parked his car safely in a layby for a break and was opening the driver’s door to climb back into his vehicle when he was struck by an Audi. CCTV footage would show its nearside wheels cross completely over the white lines into the layby before correcting course after the collision. Philip sadly died at the scene. Kolawole Erunkulu, a taxi driver from Bexleyheath, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after falling asleep at the wheel. Video footage from Erunkulu’s car interior camera shows him falling into ‘microsleep’, a very brief episode of sleep lasting just seconds, during which the brain is not processing any information. During one of these episodes his vehicle can be seen to veer across the carriageway and collide with Philip Dray standing within the layby at the side of the road, driving on for another 10 seconds before parking at the next layby. Erunkulu (02/10/1980), who has joint British and Nigerian nationality, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in March 2026. He pleaded guilty when appearing at court in June. On Tuesday, 25 August at Guildford Crown Court he was jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving. Had Erunkulu been convicted after a trial, the sentence would have been nine years. He has also been disqualified from driving for eight years which runs concurrently and will be subject to an extended retest if he reapplies for his licence. Paying tribute to him, Philip’s family described him as “an amazing partner and man.” 

A paint can. Woodland drug hides. 14,000 messages. A phone thrown from an 11th floor balcony. What sounds like the plot of a crime drama was actually five years of meticulous evidence gathering and police work to dismantle a drugs network operating across Dorking in Surrey. It all started when officers caught one suspect ‘grey’ handed, attempting to hide cocaine in a can of grey paint. As the investigation unfolded, officers seized more than £70,000 worth of cannabis, uncovered drugs hidden in woodland and pieced together thousands of messages about the movement of drugs and money. Along the way, officers also worked with partner agencies to support vulnerable people and tackle the wider harm caused by drugs in the community. Ten people have now been convicted in connection with the investigation.