Find out what made the headlines in Bracknell in 2018

In the last 12 months, we have enjoyed a royal visit from The Queen and seen a number of tragedies on our roads.

Here are some of the stories we think you will remember from 2018...

January:

The year started in traditional fashion, as more than 500 people turned out to watch the annual charity wheelbarrow race in Sunninghill, raising £8,000.

A doctor who preyed on patients was jailed. Dr Neil Ineson, of Sandhurst, was found guilty of 11 offences. A statement from Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said Ineson was suspended as soon as the first accusation was brought to its attention in November 2014. The trust said it had reviewed its policy in relation to intimate medical examinations to ensure chaperones were present regardless of the sex of the patient and clinician.

The family of a murdered schoolgirl appealed for help on the 25th anniversary of her death in Bracknell. Seven-year-old Stacey Queripel disappeared from her home in Birch Hill in 1993.
Her body was found near South Hill Park and her family told the News they 'wanted justice' for their little girl.

The Lexicon continued to welcome new businesses to the shopping hub following a successful launch.
Two new tenants, Skechers and Whittard of Chelsea, were announced in January.

February:

Phillip Lee MP was given a telling off by Downing Street for comments he made on social media. He was slapped down after posting a string of tweets about Brexit. Justice Minister Dr Lee commented on the news that Prime Minister Theresa May released a ‘leaked’ memo showing the consequences of Brexit. Dr Lee was pulled up by the party’s chief whip for his outburst.

The News supported a fundraising campaign for a very special little girl. Readers rallied together to raise money for the family of the terminally ill Anna-Rose Folland after being touched by her story.

A soldier who launched a defenceless puppy into a wall in a fit of rage before strangling it was slapped with a mammoth fine. Joe Easter was seen by neighbours carrying out the sickening attack on Labrador puppy Charlie near his home in Lochinver, Bracknell. Easter was fined £2,692 and ordered to serve a two-year community order.

March:

A scuba diver from Warfield took his love to new depths, by proposing to his girlfriend underwater. Simon Plank, 50, asked his long-term girlfriend Marnie Starr, 48, to marry him while the couple were taking part in a diving trip in the Maldives. And - most importantly - she said yes!

Huge cuts in the funding received from the government were criticised by councillors. Labour representative Mary Temperton was the one member of the council to object to the council’s budget, which needed to address a shortfall of £20m.

A disgraced scoutmaster walked free from court after he admitted to abusing children. Russell Butler was said to grope a 13-year-old's bottom and put his hand up a young girl's skirt, ordering her to expose herself. A senior judge had earlier told him to prepare for a custodial sentence but gave him a suspended sentence after taking into account the difficulty prison may have caused to his ageing mother.

The infamous M25 rapist who attacked a Bracknell schoolgirl died. Serial attacker Antoni Imiela was making a bid for parole earlier the same year, but it was confirmed in March that he had collapsed and died at Wakefield Prison.

April:

The future of Easthampstead Park Conference Centre continued to weigh heavily on the minds of residents. The listed building was eventually sold to a hotel operator, a decision that proved to be unpopular with some of our readers.

A widow was reunited with a love letter she sent to her soldier husband 57 years ago – after it was found in the pocket of his combat trousers at an army surplus store in Bracknell. The crinkled love note was sent to Colin Dubberley by his then 19-year-old beau Maureen while he was on National Service in the Caribbean in November 1961.

A shocking incident of hate crime was uncovered by the News. The victim was shopping at The Lexicon when he was spat on, simply because of his sexuality. The incident was condemned by the shopping centre and the man said it was sadly a daily occurrence for people in the LGBT+ community

Tributes were paid to a 'gentleman' as part of a murder investigation. Miroslaw Januszkiewicz, 42, died after being assaulted on London Road, Bracknell. A statement from Mr Januszkiewicz's family described him as a kind gentleman.

May:

Community heroes were celebrated at the annual Pride of Bracknell Forest Awards. Guests were left awe-struck as they heard the story of 16-year-old Madison Page Sadlowski who suffers from alopecia. Madison began losing her hair at 13 and, although the experience was extremely tough, she decided to turn the negative into a positive and now helps others with the same condition.

The property that was once Harry Potter's childhood home was sold for more than £400,000. Used during the filming of the first film in the epic series, the three-bedroom home in Picket Post Close, Martins Heron, was bought by people who were not even fans of the wizarding world.

Labour made gains in the Wokingham elections, with the party picking up two additional seats on the council. The Liberal Democrats won two seats, but lost one, while the Conservatives lost four but won one seat. One of the biggest shocks of the evening came from Evendons ward, where Conservative cabinet member Mark Ashwell lost his seat to Helen Power of the Liberal Democrats. Deputy leader David Lee (Conservatives) also lost his seat in Norreys, losing out to Labour candidate Rachel Burgess.

June:

Bracknell's MP continued to be at odds with Theresa May over Brexit and shocked many people when he resigned as Justice Minister. Dr Phillip Lee was a proud remainer, but Bracknell voted to leave the EU and many readers responded by suggesting he should resign as an MP. He hit back at the criticism, saying: “I have made a personal sacrifice, and that is not an easy decision to make, but I did so for the future of the country."

The Queen and other elite quests soaked up some sun at Royal Ascot in June. The historic race meet went off without a hitch after initial fears over security. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received a rapturous welcome from Royal Ascot when they joined The Queen for the opening day's carriage procession.

It was reported by the News that members of Bracknell Forest Council had claimed more than half a million pounds in allowances in the past year. Leader Paul Bettison claimed nearly 10 times more in travel allowances than every other member of the council put together. The expenses policy was defended by the council as being 'fair and appropriate'.

July:

A funding blunder by the council saw a school out of pocket to the tune of £26,000. College Town Junior School was forced to build a new classroom following a surge in numbers. Councillors later admitted to an oversight after the school was told it was not suitable for funding.

The Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst welcomed Donald Trump and Theresa May. U.S President Trump joined the Prime Minister as part of his tour of Berkshire. Trump's visit, which included tours of Blenheim Palace, Chequers and Windsor Castle, cost just over £6m in policing fees.

Plans for a much-need youth centre were being discussed by councillors in July. The social space project worth £750,000 was described as a 'major asset' to the town. The scheme is still being discussed by Bracknell Forest Council and it has been included in the budget for next year.

Packed crowds descended on The Lexicon to watch England's World Cup semi-final against Croatia.
Shoppers were treated to live music and performances as part of a proms evening. It was the first time residents had the chance to enjoy the new centre in this way since it opened in September 2017.

August:

Plans for a new fire station in Crowthorne were approved by the council. It was given the green light with a view to providing a shared location for the fire service and Thames Valley Police. A community room was included in the designs, as well as a fully accessible meeting space for the community.

A cyclist died at the scene of a crash involving a lorry on Bagshot Road. Stephen Gibbons, 61, suffered life-threatening injuries and paramedics could do nothing to save him. Tributes released on behalf of his family described him as a 'kind and loving son, brother, father and grandfather.'

The following week, another family was left devastated by the death of a motorcyclist. Father-of-one Shaun Holmes, 42, from Bracknell died after the crash on Mill Lane. His family said in a statement that Mr Holmes was a ‘devoted family man’ and loved nothing more than going out on his motorcycle with his friends and son.

One of the infamous 'Desert Rats' who fought during the Second World War celebrated his 100th birthday in Binfield. Sergeant Major Leonard Burritt marked the milestone, surrounded by friends and family at Haddenhurst Court.

September:

A man was jailed for 10 months after he stole more than £2,500 from an elderly man he was supposed to care for. Zvikombororo Tapfumaneyi was working as live-in carer for an elderly man in Wokingham. CCTV showed the offender using the victim's card in a number of locations in Barnsley and Leeds.

A police investigation was launched after a convenience store in Sandhurst was ram-raided. The Tesco on Marshall Road was targeted by thieves in August. A car was reversed through a glass wall at the front of the shop and the brazen thieves stole a safe.

The News reported that Bracknell Forest Council was set to lose £176,000 over the delayed sale of Easthampstead Park Conference Centre. Plans to turn the site into a hotel had already attracted criticism from the public.

Children from Heathfield School in Ascot were taking part in an exciting project with students in India.
The students were fundraising to be able to fly 15 girls from India to the UK for a life-changing two-week sport and education tour. It was part of the ‘Kick Like A Girl’ campaign, which is organised by the OSCAR Foundation.

October:

Excited residents came out in their thousands for the arrival of The Queen in Bracknell. Her Majesty was welcomed by a gathering of Bracknell residents, before taking a tour around The Lexicon. She was welcomed by James Puxley, Lord Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire, before unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark her visit.

The annual Public Service Show proved to be a hit with guests, as organisations came together to promote career opportunities. Organisers described the event as one of the most successful to date, as dozens of exhibitors descended on South Hill Park. The show is free for schools, colleges, universities and the general public to attend.

Politicians from Bracknell and Wokingham joined in with the People's Vote march in October. More than 700,000 campaigned against the Government's Brexit deal, including Bracknell MP Phillip Lee. He was joined by Clive Jones, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats for Wokingham.

A rogue builder who targeted elderly victims in Bracknell was sentenced to 54 months in prison. Billy Cole admitted to fraudulent trading and six offences of money laundering at Reading Crown Court. An investigation by the Public Protection Partnership uncovered the 35-year-old’s dodgy dealings, which included forming a company for the purpose of committing fraud.

November: 

A murder investigation was launched following the death of a man on Nine Mile Ride. Emergency services provided medical treatment to the man but he died at the scene. A post-mortem revealed that Zelous Smythe died due to a single stab wound and two people were arrested in connection with his death.

A family was shellshocked after thieves took advantage of a devastating blaze at their home.
The property on Wayland Close in Bracknell caught fire in November when the family were due to go on holiday. They arrived at their home to retrieve their belongings, only to discover a bicycle and a Nintendo Switch had been stolen.

Thousands of residents turned out to pay their respects to fallen war heroes at Remembrance ceremonies around Berkshire. As the country fell silent to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War on Sunday, more than 7,000 people attended Bracknell Town Council’s event for Battle’s Over – A Nation’s Tribute at the North Lake, opposite South Hill. The event started with a re-enactment of the truce football match between the British and German soldiers in authentic uniforms.

December:

A campaign was launched to help save a much-loved teacher from being deported. Lisa Thompson told the News that an error had been made by the Home Office. Thousands of people signed the petition and the family was given more time to stay in the country.

Residents rejoiced after their long wait for a convenience store was finally brought to an end. Mayor of Bracknell Forest, Alvin Finch, opened the Co-Op store at Jennett’s Park alongside town mayor Sandra Ingham.

Hundreds of residents in Wokingham took part in a festive fun run to raise money for charity. Residents dressed up as Santa and took part in the Dinton Santa Dash at Dinton Country Park. This is the third year runners have taken part in the 2km and 5km courses organised by Barnes Fitness. This time around they were raising money for Katie’s Legacy.

A team of rowers were preparing for an epic challenge - to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Former Garth Hill pupil Ben Ajayi-Obe and his three team members set out to conquer the 3,000-mile course. The challenge was organised to support Berkshire MS Therapy Centre.