flashy

A HISTORIC village made famous by Bridget Jones has been locked in a bitter row over strict planning rules.

Locals in Snowshill, Gloucestershire, which appeared in the 2001 film, ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’, have been left divided over the rules.

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The Cotswold village appeared in the much-loved classic as the home of Bridget’s parents, played by Jim Broadbent and Gemma Jones, and it is often called “the jewel of the Cotswolds”.

But now, planning rules mean real-life residents must seek permission if they want to paint their front door a new colour, erect a gate or lay a patio.

Tewkesbury Borough Council has put Snowshill under an Article 4 Direction.

The change has been made by the council to preserve the picturesque village’s “exceptional historic character”.

As a result, any work or alterations to the buildings will have to be cleared by the authority.

Alterations include, putting in a patio, changing the colour of an outside wall, installing roof lights or replacing exterior windows and doors.

But the new rules have left residents who call the picturesque village home divided.

Some supporters reckon the rules will stop the slow creep of white plastic windows and modern black doors from ruining the honey-stone cottages and old leaded windows that bring in coachloads of selfie-snapping tourists.

But others reckon it’s all got a bit too much and claim a small group are using the red tape to control what others do with their homes.

Meanwhile, concerns were raised the measures could place “undue burdens on property owners” carrying out routine maintenance.

One newer resident, who asked not to be named, told The Times that the new rules are “way too strict”.

They claimed they have had several spats with neighbours while fixing up their crumbling cottage over the past ten years.

The resident told the outlet: “It’s just a small group pushing for this, but they’re the ones being heard.

“Our house was falling apart when we bought it — we’ve poured our heart, soul and savings into making it liveable.

“Now if we want to put up a simple fence or a greenhouse, it feels like climbing Everest. We love it here, but it really does make you think twice.”

But other residents had an opposing point of view.

Long-time resident Sheila Wilkes told The Times: “Everybody wants to build bigger these days — all the little country cottages are being replaced with flashy big houses.

“I’ve lived here forever and I hate change — the houses are beautiful as they are. They don’t need tarting up.”

And Grant Brooker, 64, a retired architect who is restoring a 17th-century house, said the rules would stop people using cheaper materials which devalue properties and damage the character of the village.

Snowshill, part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is known for its historic buildings.

According to the council, the “majority” of buildings in the village are not listed and are “at risk” from changes that could have a “significantly harmful effect”.

Councillor Sarah Hands, from Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “If you want to paint your door in the same or a similar colour – no one’s stopping you from doing that – [but] a different colour, would have to be put in as a planning application.”

Ms Hands added: “Changing a window here, changing a door there – you think it isn’t making much difference.

“But accumulatively over the village, if everyone started making these changes, those things that make it a beautiful, unique, preserved village would start to chip away.”

It comes after residents in another village said strict rules mean they all have to paint their doors the same colour.

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Running back Brian Bonner of Valencia High was handed the ball at the five-yard line and halted by Chaminade tacklers at the two. That’s when the pushing began. First there were three teammates, led by quarterback Brady Bretthauer, pushing the pile from behind. Soon there was five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 teammates offensive players joining in making sure Bonner recorded a touchdown.

“That was fun,” Bonner said. “I didn’t have to do any work. They just pushed me into the end zone.”

It was that kind of a night for Valencia (2-0) in a 34-20 road victory over Chaminade. The Vikings got physical. Bonner, who has committed to Washington, rushed for 159 yards in 21 carries and scored two touchdowns. Bretthauer completed 12 of 16 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another.

“Win the push. That’s what we are all about,” Bretthauer said.

Coach Larry Muir pulled off a trick play his team had been practicing all week. Named “Snake,” Bretthauer took the snap, faked a handoff on a fly sweep, faked a handoff on a reverse and found a wide open Nico Funez for a 41-yard touchdown in the third quarter for a 27-14 lead.

Caysen Badawi led Valencia’s defense with two interceptions. Chaminade got some big plays, including touchdown receptions of 83 and 50 yards from Beau Lindus, but the physicality of the Vikings up front along the offensive and defensive lines made Muir scream to the players in a postgame huddle, “Listen — we got physical.”

Chaminde drove 80 yards at the end of the first half with less than one minute left to cut its deficit to 20-14 at halftime. Marquis Jones caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Pooley, who had 267 yards passing in the game. Jones rushed for 82 yards.

Otherwise, it was the Bonner show. He had a 32-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He had a 44-yard run in the second half in which he turned on his afterburners.

The duo of Bretthauer and Bonner is going to be difficult to deal with all season. Bretthauer’s ability to run and pass, and make decisions when to give the ball to the speedy Bonner, offers options on offense.

“I think he’s a million bucks,” Muir said of Bretthauer. “He does everything well. Every intangible he’s off the charts — competitiveness, leadership, work ethic.”

Valencia is the clear favorite to win the Foothill League and gets a matchup against Bishop Amat next week.

It was a night of intriguing scores. Sierra Canyon’s defense continues to produce shutouts. The latest was a 63-0 win over Oaks Christian. Orange Lutheran rallied for a 27-24 win over Rancho Cucamonga. Orange Lutheran and Sierra Canyon meet Sept. 18. Chaminade (1-1) will next play Servite (1-1), a winner over Murrieta Valley.

A FLASHY crime lord was snared for a murder plot and major cocaine smuggling racket by his clothes and tattoos featured in selfies he posted from Dubai.

Drug baron James Harding, 34, masterminded a drug empire which made £5 million in profits during a 10-week period.

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But the vain villain took selfies of himself posing shirtless in front of the mirror flexing his muscles and sitting in supercars while living a life of luxury in the desert kingdom.

Harding sent the photos and messages about his opulent lifestyle to criminal cronies on the EncroChat encrypted mobile phone system believing it was totally secure.

But the swaggering poser’s boasts rebounded on him when the communication network was infiltrated by cyber cops in 2020.

Messages uncovered Harding’s cocaine empire – and his plan to rob and kill a rival drug courier.

Harding was yesterday convicted at the Old Bailey of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and of conspiracy to murder following a heavily-guarded eight-week trial.

His right hand man Jayes Kharouti, 39, earlier admitted the same drug offence and was also found guilty of the murder plot.

Jurors heard how Harding used the EncroChat handle ‘thetopsking,’ while Kharouti went under the tags ‘besttops’ and ‘topsybricks.’

They sent 9,136 messages to each other via EncroChat between March and June 2020, detailing their vast shipments of cocaine from the Netherlands into the UK, where it was distributed across the country.

The pair spelled out how they were laundering their money – as every message was read by Scotland Yard detectives following the penetration of the EncroChat platform by French law enforcement.

Harding, originally from Alton, Hampshire, and his lieutenant Kharouti were making £70,000 every day during the period their phones were being hacked by cops, jurors heard.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson, KC, said the pair were responsible for “approximately 50 importations of cocaine into the UK with a total weight of approximately 1,000 kilograms.”

He went on: “The messages also show that once the cocaine was in the UK, it was broken into smaller parcels, of between 5kg and 10kg, and distributed across the UK to wholesale purchasers, who would then sell to end users.

“An analysis of the messages that discuss money and financial gain suggests that the conspirators made £60-70,000 per importation, and about £5m in profit overall in just 10 weeks.”

The messages also revealed how Harding and Kharouti tried to hire a hitman for £100,000 to rob and kill a drug mule.

They arranged a gun and ammunition for a hitman to carry out the “full M” – murder, jurors heard.

Cops moved in and arrested the alleged hitman before the contract murder could be carried out.

Harding claimed in court he was not the EncroChat user known as ‘thetopsking’ – and claimed the handle belonged to a mystery gay lover he identified in court only as ‘TK.’

But cops were able to prove Harding was the ‘thetopsking’  because of his love for selfies and boasts about his luxury lifestyle.

A phone seized from an associate had a video showing Harding in the driver’s seat of a £2.5 million Bugatti Chiron car with a tattoo on his leg clearly visible.

There were pictures of him living it up in his lavish villa at The Nest development in Dubai, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a swimming pool and rooms for maids and drivers.

Harding lived there with Liverpudlian girlfriend Charli Wylde, 33, and her daughter Milly-Mai, 15, who he treated as his own.

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The court heard that on May 6, 2020, EncroChat user ‘thetopsking’ boasted to pals how he was taking his “Mrs” out that evening to Zuma, an award-winning Japanese restaurant in Dubai.

Investigations found that two days earlier Harding made the booking from a personal email account.

And eight days later ‘thetopsking’  boasted in messages how he was staying at the five-star Waldorf hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, and sent an image of the hotel pool area via EncroChat.

Mr Atkinson said: “Enquiries with the Hilton Hotel Group showed that Harding stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in the United Arab Emirates and gave (his) mobile telephone number and produced a UAE identification card.

“During the stay, thetopsking had sent an image of James Harding relaxing on a sun lounger at, of all places, the Waldorf.”

One March 26 2020, thetopsking also wrote a message about how he had got back a Lamborghini Urus and sent an image of the dashboard.

Mr Atkinson said: “The person who took the image caught their leg in the photograph, and on that leg is a tattoo which matches the tattoo on James Harding’s leg.”

Kharouti’s home in Epsom, Surrey, was searched in 2020 after he was linked to the messages.

Police found a handset with the same number he gave to Harding.

He fled the country before being found in Turkey and extradited back to the UK.

Harding was arrested on 27 December 2021 at Geneva Airport, Switzerland, and from there Switzerland to the UK the following May.

The pair will be sentenced on Thursday.

Met Detective Chief Inspector Jim Casey,  said: “This conviction sends a clear message – no matter how sophisticated the methods, criminals cannot hide behind encrypted software.

“This operation dismantled a major supply chain and is a testament to the relentless work of our officers.

“We monitored their drug-dealing activity but then we saw the group discussing the contract killing of a rival.

“We moved fast to protect those in danger.”

“Harding and Kharouti planned to kill, we stopped that and put them before the courts.”

Harding was previously jailed for nine years when he was aged 21 for running a drug racket.

Previously, Calvin Crump, 29, of Redhill, Surrey, was jailed for 13 years and six months while Khuram Ahmed, 38, of Slough, Berkshire, got 15-and-half-years after admitting conspiracy to smuggle cocaine.

Peter Thompson, 61, of South-West London, received 21 years after he  pleaded guilty to the  same drug charge and  possessing a pistol.

A man alleged to have been the gang’s proposed hitman was cleared.

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