Hounslow Council has received £54,000 in fines from SITA - the company that runs the service - for failure to collect rubbish since it launched a new waste and recycling scheme in March.

He said: "If residents are suffering from a poor service, shouldn't they be given some sort of refund for that?"

"I would say there is a strong argument that it would focus the minds of the contractors and the council if some or all of this money was refunded to residents. That's the line I would take."

Under the terms of the contract, every time an entire street is missed by SITA the contractor is fined £100 but leader of the council Councillor Peter Thompson believes passing this money back to taxpayers is impractical.

"Cllr Dakers fanciful suggestion of refunding residents in affected streets clearly shows that he is only interested in cheap headlines to bolster his own political ambitions. He clearly has no idea of the practical problems and costs of such a scheme," he said.

"Moreover in the vast majority of cases where a street is missed it has been collected by the next day. Every missed street is one too many and despite our dramatic success in increasing recycling by residents, we will not rest on our laurels and will continue to support SITA to improve service levels further."

The council has collected an extra 1,500 tonnes of recycling since the scheme began but Cllr Dakers thinks it could have been much more.

"I acknowledge that there has been a substantial increase in recycling but there is the reality that the introduction of the service was a mess. The sensible thing would have been to pilot it in a small area and work on the problems before introducing it borough-wide," he said.

Households are expected to save up to £120 a year each once the housing association installs new cavity wall insulation in the homes across the borough with the lowest energy ratings. Hounslow Homes also estimates the project will cut CO2 emissions by 88,000kg per year.

The housing association's environmental adviser Rory Prendergast said: ''This grant will greatly assist us in targeting those properties which are the most expensive to heat and are most susceptible to fuel poverty. It will aide us in our efforts to tackle climate change at a local level, improve energy efficiency, and reduce heating costs for our residents.''

Nirmal Gharu, 40, who used to own an MOT test centre in Hampton Road West, is thought to have disposed of a red Daewoo Nexia car which police think was used to transport the 13-year-old's body.

Gharu - who is a friend of prime suspect and convicted serial killer Levi Bellfield - voluntarily attended a police station on Tuesday, where he was arrested and questioned before being released on bail until December 21. He was previously arrested, questioned and released in August.

Earlier this month police divers searched Bedfont Lakes for the red car after an anonymous tip-off but found nothing of any relevance.

In October Crown Prosecution Service solicitors were handed a dossier of evidence by Surrey Police connecting Bellfield with Milly's murder and are still considering whether to charge him.

The 41-year-old former nightclub bouncer and wheel clamper, who grew up in Hanworth, admitted earlier this year that he had been driving the car on the day Milly disappeared. He is currently serving a life sentence for killing Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19.

She was awarded the British Empire Medal for plucking three young children from a burning building in 1955 but was so distraught when the boys later died in hospital from their burns that she concealed the accolade from family and friends.

The nurse, who lived in Fairholme in Bedfont from 1952 until her death aged 83, was modest when talking about her heroic efforts but they have now been recognised with a plaque on the Bedfont estate.

Without a moment's hesitation Mrs O'Sullivan ran next door - braving the smoke and fire - and in three separate trips managed to pull Garry, three, Carl, two, and seven-month-old Jeffrey from the burning building.

The boys all died later from their burns but Mrs O'Sullivan was commended by the Queen, Prime Minister Anthony Eden and the coroner for her efforts.

Her niece Valerie Lloyd, of Cedar Road, Bedfont, was shocked when she found the letters, newspaper cuttings and medals in her aunt's larder when she died.

"I knew she had tried to save some children but I had no idea about the newspaper cuttings or the medal," she said.

"I think it stayed with her for the rest of her life because she was very withdrawn with people. In some ways it's a real shame she didn't live to see this day. Finding all this out does make me very proud and I wish I could let her know that."

Mrs O'Sullivan spent much of her childhood in India, where her father served during the war, but when she married she returned to Britain, first to Shepherd's Bush and then the Fairholme estate.

She worked initially as a nurse but later worked for Pan American Airlines at Heathrow but her later years were plagued by crippling arthritis that left her housebound for much of the time.

Alex Beumer, vice-chairman of the Elizabeth Jane Jones charity that runs that Fairholme estate, was so impressed by her story that he suggested putting up a plaque in her honour.

He said: "She wasn't a publicity seeker. She never talked about herself. When the children passed away I think it had a profound effect on her as a character and she withdrew from other people.

"Not everyone on the estate knows who she was so we hope this plaque will help this generation and the next remember her."

More than 2,000 pupils in Year 12 at schools throughout the borough attended the Road Safety day in Ealing earlier this month.

Aimed at 16 and 17-year-olds who have just started or will soon start to drive, the 'safe drive stay alive' film involved viewing footage from a real crash in which a teenager was killed interspersed with interviews with members of the emergency services and parents affected by serious or fatal accidents.

Community safety partnership inspector Adrian Baxter said: "This is a powerful and emotive project that sends out a very strong message to young people as they reach an age where they're allowed to drive."

Bayliegh Ltd plans to replace the separate Tyburn House office, flat and warehouse - which is used by and aircraft security firm - with one smaller building.

If the results of the Yougov survey, which quizzed 33,610 people in 238 marginal constituencies, were borne out at next year's election, Tory candidate Mary Macloed would replace health minister Mrs Keen as MP for Brentford and Isleworth.

The poll - commissioned by Politicshome.com - predicts Mr Keen, who has represented Feltham since 1992, would just hold on to his seat ahead of Conservative Mark Bowen.

The Chronicle revealed earlier this year that the Keens - who have been dubbed Mr and Mrs Expenses - charged the taxpayer £40,000 in interest payments on a central London home while their 'main home' in Brentford lay empty and boarded up.

Mrs Keen said: "The latest Yougov poll results are, of course, interesting but as you know these can not give an accurate result of an election. When the Prime Minister decides to call the election, the Government and I will be judged on what we have achieved and what we will be able to deliver in the future."

Mary Macloed, who has been predicted to take Mrs Keen's seat, treated the poll results with cautious optimism.

"It's definitely encouraging and I am hoping that people are beginning to know more about me and the work I am doing but there is still more to be done," she said.

"This election is not a done deal and it's really important that people come out and vote."

Tory candidate for Feltham, Mark Bowen, said the results were not bad news, despite them predicting a defeat for him.

"The key piece of news for me is that nothing has changed - every single vote will count," he added. "Feltham and Heston is winnable for the Conservative party with the hard work and a clear message."

Mr Keen refused to comment on the poll.

The modern Garnet Court house in Norbury Road looked 'like a war zone' after the shooting - which left a 27-year-old man fighting for his life in hospital.

Blood splattered the walls and pathways of the new build in semi-rural north-west Feltham after the attack, which police believe may have been gang related.

One neighbour told the Chronicle: "I was just settling down in front of the TV when I heard the most almighty noise. It was obvious something terrible was going on.

"I ran outside and there was blood everywhere - it was like a war zone. I think the guy must have just jumped out of the window to save himself.

"The whole thing is just shocking - this is such a lovely place to live."

An ambulance was called but the victim was driven by car to St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, where he was in now in a stable condition.

No arrests have been made and the investigation has been passed to Operation Trident - the Met's black-on-black gun crime team.

Hounslow Council has proposed clearing the four areas of bushes as they are unsightly and create blind spots for pedestrians. The work is due to take place next early next year.

Shadow immigration minister Damian Green was in the town on Monday making a film about how anti-social behaviour is blighting the country's streets.

A Tory party source told the Chronicle that Feltham was chosen as it had been highlighted as 'somewhere where anti-social behaviour has been a huge problem'.

"I am shocked and disgusted to be honest," he said. "I think it's appalling that they think so badly of Feltham. It's got its problems like anywhere else but it's certainly not an example of 'Broken Britain'.

"It's an insult to the people of Feltham. We have spent a lot of money on improving Feltham, so why on earth are the Tories slagging it off?"

The film will be shown during shadow home secretary Chris Grayling's speech entitled 'Mending Our Broken Society' at the Conservative party conference in Manchester on Wednesday. It will feature shots of Feltham and parts of Hanworth Park and interviews with local residents who have been victims of anti-social behaviour.

John Kavanagh, who was interviewed for the film, said: "I had a great session with them. I was well and truly pleased to speak to someone important who was prepared to listen.

"I was trying to get across the problems with addicts, dealers and knives around here and they said the shadow home secretary would help sort out my problems."

The Tory party source added: "We know that Feltham has got problems but it's not [been chosen] because of any particular measure that Feltham is the worst on. I'm sure we could have gone to lots of towns."

Little Treasures opened next to Bedfont Junior School in Hatton Road this term to provide child care and early education for children before they reach school age.

A Hounslow Council report earlier this month expressed shock that too many children were turning up to school aged five still in nappies, unable to communicate and lacking basic co-ordination.

"We are really hot on early years learning," she said. "All the different activities help with the foundation of co-ordination and motor skills. It's not just about childcare - the activities are there for a purpose."

Trudy - who has previously managed pre-schools in Surrey - has 22 children on her books already and is delighted with how they are settling in.

"It's all coming together and the children are used to the routine. They have generally settled in quite quickly," she added.

For more information about Little Treasures call Trudy on 07772 746196.

Tenants brought some good old-fashioned community spirit to the Glebelands Road estate last week, enjoying a bouncy castle, teacups, a raffle, tombola and face painting.

About 50 people who live in the flats attended the first event of its kind and were treated to cuisines from all over the world by their neighbours.