Window Cleaners News + GiveAway

Livid: Window cleaner Andrew Wilson was given a £70 parking fine because his van was overhanging yellow lines by one inch.

'Milking it': The van was parked near the end of the driveway because of building work going on at a neighbour's property.

Jobsworth traffic warden hands out ticket because window cleaner's van was overhanging yellow lines by one inch. Andrew Wilson, 50, was parked on his own driveway at home in Lincoln - Double yellows are intended to stop motorists blocking him in - Warden wouldn't listen to reason and handed out £70 fine. A window cleaner has accused parking bosses of trying to 'milk people of every penny' after a traffic warden gave him a fine because his van was hanging one inch over yellow lines. Andrew Wilson, 50, has been left livid after the jobsworth official slapped a £70 ticket on his van which he parked on his driveway at his home in Lincoln. Ironically, the double yellow lines are intended to stop other motorists blocking his way out.

Reason: Andrew Wilson said he tried to explain to the female warden that he couldn't move his van any further down the drive because of building work but his words fell on deaf ears.

Mr Wilson has been unable to pull any further onto his drive because of building work being carried out on a neighbour's property. But he said the female traffic warden would not listen to reason when he explained. 'I went out ranting and raving and saying 'what are you doing?' he said. 'There was about three or four people in our street shouting at her. She said there was nothing she could do about it. 'I said 'you can see the driveway, I can't use it' and she just walked off. The wheels are on my drive but the tiniest part of the vehicle is overhanging the lines. 'I would say it was hanging maybe half way over the first yellow line, probably only two centimetres. 'The warden must have got a ruler out and measured just how far over the line I was. 'The galling thing is the lines are there to stop my and other people's cars being blocked in by other people.'

Angry: Andrew Wilson of Derwent Street takes a look at the position of his vehicle after a warden issued a ticket because his van was parked slightly hanging over double yellow lines.

Andrew, who lives with his wife Keely, 39, and daughter Shania, 13, slammed Lincolnshire County Council for 'milking people of every penny' and vowed to appeal the fine. 'It's a £70 fine but if you pay it in 14 days then it's £35. I'm not going to pay it. I've appealed against it and sent the photos I took. 'I have been living here for three and a half years and the yellow lines have always been there but I've never had a problem. 'After 6pm you don't need a permit so the traffic wardens are always down there at like 5.30pm trying to catch people out. 'I've seen them scraping the ice off trying to look for permits. 'It is just stupid. It is milking us for every penny we have. It is disgusting.'

Mick Phoenix, parking services manager for Lincolnshire County Council, said: 'Mr Wilson has appealed against his ticket, so we will be investigating this. This will involve comparing any notes or photos taken by the parking officer with the evidence supplied by Mr Wilson. 'We usually have a decision in around 14 working days.The parking officers are asked to take a common sense approach when issuing a ticket. If we find Mr Wilson has been penalised in error, we will, of course cancel his ticket. However, if the ticket is upheld, there is option to reappeal.' News story also here & here.

Maid falls 30 storeys while cleaning window: An Indonesian domestic worker fell 30 storeys to her death while cleaning the master bedroom window in Telok Blangah Heights, a coroner's court heard on Friday (Jan 18). Ms Eci Eriyani, 23, had been working for six months when she fell on March 29 last year. At an inquiry into her death, the court heard that the maid was alone with her employer's mother-in-law, Madam Chiow Gek Inn, at the time. About half an hour after lunch, Madam Chiow, 79, was in the living room when she heard Ms Eriyani shouting. Madam Chiow looked for the maid and later heard a loud thud. She went to the void deck and found Ms Eriyani lying on the grass patch and called the police.

Maid fell 30 storeys while cleaning window: Coroner -  An Indonesian domestic worker fell 30 storeys to her death while cleaning the master bedroom window in Telok Blangah Heights, a coroner's court heard on Friday. Ms Eci Eriyani, 23, had been working for the employer for six months when she fell on March 29 last year. At an inquiry into her death, the court heard that the maid was alone with her employer's mother-in-law, Madam Chiow Gek Inn, at the time. About half an hour after they had lunch, Madam Chiow, 79, was in the living room when she heard Ms Eriyani shout "Grandma''.
She went round looking for the maid and found a pail of water in the master bedroom. The window and grilles were open. She heard a loud thud and suspected something was amiss. She went to the void deck and found Ms Eriyani lying on the grass patch and called the police. Ms Eriyani was pronounced dead at 1.15pm. State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid said in his findings that the facts showed that the deceased was cleaning the windows of her employer's unit on the 30th floor when she accidentally fell out of the bedroom window and to the ground.

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Neighbours’ shock at tragic deaths: The man and woman whose bodies were found inside their South Tyneside home have been named locally as mother and son Elizabeth and Robert Douthwaite. The pair were discovered inside their house in Heron Drive, South Shields, at about 12.20pm on Thursday. A window cleaner is said to have raised the alarm after becoming concerned that a light had been on for two weeks and there were flies at the window. Neighbours said Robert, 44, was a keen photographer, and in the 1990s was commissioned by South Shields Library to take pictures for a book comparing the town’s past and present. Residents in the estate off Mile End Road where they lived have paid tribute to 73-year-old Elizabeth and her son. Robin Johnson, 71, of nearby Wellington Drive, said: “A window cleaner spotted something was wrong. “He said a light had been on for a couple of weeks and he noticed flies up at the window. “It is such a shame. The pair were lovely. But we all keep ourselves to ourselves, and they did the same. “We knew them, but hadn’t seen them for a while and then we heard the news.

Man gets eight months in jail for slapping woman on bum ‘for the thrill of it’ - A man who followed a woman and slapped her on her bottom "to get a thrill" and because "she had a nice bum" has been sentenced to eight months in jail. Sean Cullen (23) followed the woman who was out walking on a summer's evening last July and when he caught up with her, he slapped her bottom. He told gardai he was under the influence of drugs at the time and is deeply apologetic. Cullen, of Ashton Avenue, Ashton Brock in Swords, pleaded guilty at Balbriggan District Court to sexual assault on July 26, 2011 at Drynam Road in Swords. 

Garda Colum Donohoe gave evidence that the 27-year-old woman was out walking between 9pm and 9.30pm when she became aware of a male following her. She described him as putting his head down each time she turned around. “She began to walk faster and he sped up and when she slowed down, he slowed down,” said Gda Donohoe. “She rang her boyfriend and while she was on the phone, the defendant came up behind her and slapped her on the bum. He then ran onto the road. The woman's boyfriend arrived quickly and confronted the man and called gardai,” added Gda Donohoe. Cullen was arrested by gardai on December 12, 2011 and told gardai he “slapped her on the ass to get a thrill” and “she had a nice bum”.
Gda Donohoe told the court that Cullen, who has one previous conviction for theft, had spent ten to 15 minutes following the woman, who was in a terrified state. Gda Donohoe agreed with defence solicitor Fiona Darcy that Cullen was co-operative and apologetic when he was arrested. Cullen, who is a currently unemployed window cleaner following an accident, was under the influence of drugs at the time which, said Ms Darcy, was the reason he committed the offence. “He says it won't happen again,” said Ms Darcy. “He has learnt his lesson to stay away from drugs and he is worried sick as he did not think of the repercussions. He was so out of it and is deeply ashamed and apologetic.” 

A letter of apology was handed into the court but Judge Dermot Dempsey remarked that Cullen “seems to have made very little effort as the letter is dated January 2013”.  Judge Dempsey said he could not see his way around a custodial sentence despite Ms Darcy asking for community service for Cullen, as it was a “terrifying ordeal for the young lady”. He imposed an eight-month prison sentence but released him on his own recognisance of €400 and independent surety of €200 after Cullen immediately lodged an appeal to the sentencing.

Window cleaner Nick Glover with little Molly.

Window cleaner rescued kitten: A window cleaner became a hero for a day when he came to the rescue of a stranded kitten that was stuck on a roof in Bourne. The RSPCA has said a special thank you to cleaner Nick Glover who managed to rescue little Molly after she crept out of her home in Essex Way and climbed up onto a roof top. The 12-week-old kitten was spotted by a concerned member of the public who said Molly was being “dive-bombed” by some magpies and crows. RSPCA animal welfare officer Becky Harper was called to attend the incident but the cat was too far up for her to reach. But instead of calling out the fire service to rescue Molly, it was suggested a call be made to local window cleaner Nick Glover.
Becky said: “Nick immediately offered to help and arrived within 10 minutes. “He then climbed up his ladder and gently picked up little Molly and carried her back down to safety where she was reunited with her owner. “She was a little cold and hungry but apart from that fine. “I just hope this experience puts her off climbing on to roofs in the future although it’s still a bit of a mystery how she managed to get up there considering how tiny she is. “I would really like to say thank you to Nick for helping Molly so quickly and he gave his time free of charge. “He saved calling the fire brigade out and it is great that this had a happy ending.”

Burglary in Crystyl Ranch – Front Door was Kicked-In by Unknown Suspect(s): On Saturday, a home in Concord’s Crystyl Ranch neighborhood was burglarized. Here’s the information from an anonymous Claycordian…. Wanted to pass this information along about a burglary that occurred on Saturday in Crystyl Ranch. Got this from the HOA. Please help spread the word and remind people to be smart about opening doors for solicitors. “Please be aware that we had an early morning burglary on the 5300 Block of Crystyl Ranch on Saturday at around 8am or so.  The front door was kicked in–homeowners were away on vacation.  Fortunately they had an alarm which may have scared away the intruders. Two days ago, there were several men in the neighborhood offering window cleaning and gutter cleaning services–driving white vans.  The offering of services could have been a ruse to case homes for future burglaries.” Thanks for the heads-up!

Gatwick boss: 'Heathrow can't cope so send flights to us instead' - Heathrow is damaging London’s reputation with its inability to cope with snowy weather and should run far fewer flights in winter, bosses at rival airport Gatwick said today. “The way in which Heathrow chooses to respond to forecasted relatively minor snowfall is to cancel, with only 24 hours’ notice, hundreds of flights,” Stewart Wingate, chief executive of Gatwick, told Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin in a letter. “This causes a significant number of passengers to suffer days of misery, as well as damaging the reputation of London as a world city.” Mr Wingate’s attack came after hundreds of passengers were forced to camp out overnight at Heathrow, which had cancelled 187 flights by lunchtime today. Window cleaner Howard Allenby, 36, from Leeds, and his girlfriend Natasha were among 20 passengers who slept on the floor of the Aurora International hotel near Heathrow after their flight to Zambia was cancelled for a second day.

I killed Gemma after she threatened me with a knife, brother tells court: The brother of ex-EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie claims she threatened him with a knife on the day he killed her and cut up her body, the Old Bailey heard today. Window cleaner Tony McCluskie (pictured), 35, says he lost control and attacked the 29-year-old barmaid after weeks of humiliating abuse and criticism, jurors were told. He claims his last memory is of her picking up a knife during a blazing row about him flooding the bathroom by leaving the sink taps running. McCluskie is said to have battered Gemma — Kerry Skinner in the BBC1 soap — with a blunt object and then cut her body into six pieces with a meat cleaver at the family home in Shoreditch, east London. He was caught on CCTV taking the remains in a suitcase to dump in the Regent’s Canal in Hackney. Four days later the torso was discovered by a barge owner floating in the water. McCluskie, who admits killing his sister but denies murder on the grounds of lack of intent and loss of control, is due to give evidence this afternoon.

McCluskie murder trial: Brother told cabbie ‘I have my sister in suitcase’ - Window cleaner Tony McCluskie, 35, is accused of murdering 29-year-old Gemma (pictured) last March, dismembering her body and taking it in the minicab to be dumped in the Regent’s Canal. He booked the cab to take him to the canal from the flat they shared in Pelter Street, Bethnal Green, and was seen on CCTV pulling the luggage along the towpath at around 10.35pm on March 2—before dumping it into the water. Gemma’s torso was recovered four days later. The head was found six months after that. “I asked him what was in the bag,” minicab driver Jilul Haque told the Old Bailey. “He replied it is his ‘system’—I assumed it was a stereo or something. “He lifted it—it looked very heavy.” But McCluskie’s barrister Jeremy Dein suggested Mr Haque misheard the word “sister” and thought he said “system.”

Temperatures in Skegness drop even lower: Plunging temperatures continue to grip the region in an icy embrace, with the mercury dipping to its lowest level all winter, for the second day running. Skegness weatherman Brian Porter recorded a temperature of minus six last night and said it had remained below zero for the past two days. Despite beating this winter’s record once again, the icy blast has yet to reach the extremes of last year, when Brian took readings of minus seven on a number of occasions. And in all his 25 years as the town’s Met observer, minus eight has been the lowest temperature he has ever recorded. Although his detailed weather reports continue to be a talking point in Skegness - for Brian, who is a window cleaner when he’s not recording meteorological data, the freezing conditions have made it impossible to work. He said: “The water has been freezing on the glass as soon as I try to clean it so I’ve not been able to work at all today.” The Met Office has forecasted low temperatures, icy conditions and strong winds to last until next week, with snow expected to return to the East Midlands on Friday and Saturday.

Gwent battles on as more extreme weather forecast: An extreme cold temperature alert has been issued for Gwent over the next couple of days, with warnings of frost and ice. This is the first time Vantage Weather Services, an independent weather forecaster for Wales, based in Ebbw Vale, has issued such a warning since it was formed in 2006. Daytime and overnight temperatures will remain below freezing with –3C to –5C by day, and –4C to –7C overnight for the next few days. Temperatures will feel even colder in the windchill overnight with ‘real feel’ temperatures as low as –11C. Severe overnight frosts are expected along with icy conditions. Despite the sub-zero temperatures at the weekend, that didn’t stop people in Gwent getting out and making the most of the snow. Window cleaner Greg Williams, 30, built a snowman 20-feet high around a lamppost on Lime Crescent, Somerton, with Ben Prichard, 28. Children from the street helped the two collect the snow, spending all Friday building it. “We went out there at 7.45am and finished at 3.30pm,” he said. Pictured, some of the youngsters who helped build this snow sculpture in Lime Crescent, Newport.

Facebook adds free calls for US iPhone users: Facebook's search tool announcement may not have thrilled investors or many of its users, with both groups hoping for the release of a Facebook phone, but the social networking firm has added a new tool that allows users to make free calls. The service, which according to the Telegraph, is being tested in Canada, will allow users of the Facebook app on the iPhone to make phone calls to friends over Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection instead of traditional voice services.

This will enable heavy users of voice minutes to avoid hefty call charges, as they can potentially use connections that they already pay for or are available to them for no extra charge. "We started testing this in Canada the first week of the year and today we're extending that test to the US," Facebook said in an email sent to the Telegraph. "We were able to expand the test so quickly because it went well in Canada and we wanted to expand the audience". Facebook is expected to roll out the new feature overseas - and possibly the UK - and on other operating systems including Android and BlackBerry.
The calls can only be made to Facebook users that have Messenger installed on their iPhone - meaning that people using Facebook in a browser will not have the new feature available to them. A Facebook spokesman told the BBC that the tool was different to the software used in Skype, which is already integrated into the Facebook website. Earlier this week, Facebook launched its social graph feature dubbed Graph Search, which allows people to use the network as a search engine to find people, photos, places and interests.

POS will become truly mobile: New entrants into the payment market, such as Square, iZettle and mPowa, are giving retailers a whole new way to accept payment transactions via mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. This is just as applicable to the large multinational retailers as it is to the local UK tradesmen. There will be less scrambling around for cash to pay the window cleaner in 2013, as mobile becomes an even more integral part of a transactional process for the digital and physical world. The launch of 4G will only accelerate this.

Student entrepreneur joins the next 36: A summer running her own window cleaning service convinced University of Windsor business student Alyssa Atkins to ditch plans to study law. It has also earned her recognition as one of the top undergraduate entrepreneurs in Canada. "I knew right then I wanted to run my own business because I got up every morning so excited about going to work," said Atkins, who is due to graduate from the Odette School of Business in the spring. "It wasn't so much the window-cleaning as the chance to be my own boss, make my own decisions and be responsible for my own success."
Her business instincts have led to her being selected to join The Next 36, a program which offers promising entrepreneurs seed money, nine months of mentoring and technical support in setting up a new company. Atkins will be teamed with two other students from across Canada in developing a mobile technology business. "It's an amazing opportunity because it not only connects you with other students with similar interests but also provides you with access to entrepreneurs across the country," she said.
More than 1,000 students applied for this year's class with 72 making the initial cut for an intensive interview weekend before the final three dozen were selected. Atkins, who applied to the program last year but wasn't accepted, started preparing for her new interest in business studies by spending the fall of 2010 in Jonkoping, Sweden as part of an entrepreneurial exchange program. "They made us start a business almost right away with people we'd never met and it opened up my eyes to the whole idea of co-operation, travel and working with people from different countries and cultures," said Atkins. "When people from different backgrounds can laugh at the same jokes you know you have much more in common than you initially think." 

Toddler falls eight storeys, survives due to snow: Kiev: A three-year-old boy from the Ukrainian city of Kharkov fell eight storeys but survived because a huge heap of snow broke his fall, the interior ministry said. The child apparently opened a window of his room, leaned out and fell when his mother left him unattended. "The child fell into a huge snowdrift under the window. He survived and was rushed to the medical emergency hospital. Doctors said his condition is grave, but stable," the ministry said.
Several cases of lucky survivors have been reported in the past years. In 2008, a window cleaner plummeted 47 storeys from the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper and survived. In 2009, a 29-year-old Chinese woman miraculously escaped death after she jumped off the 27th floor. In 2010, a 10-year-old Chinese boy who fell 20 storeys from an apartment window survived after landing on a parked car. Last year, a 22-year-old Australian woman survived an unsuccessful bungee jump from a 111-metre bridge. She suffered only bruises and a broken collar bone when her safety cord snapped, sending her into the crocodile-infested waters of the Zambezi river.

The chemicals used in most household cleaners can have an irritating effect on the skin and body especially those found in all- purpose cleaners, dish and laundry detergents, window cleaners, furniture polish, drain cleaners and toilet disinfectants. One ought to wear protective gloves when handling substances such as ammonia, butoxyethanol, monoethanalamine, diathenolamine, triethanolamine, nonylphenolethoxylates, phosphates, silica powder and sodium hydroxide, commonly known as 'lye', which can all be found in household cleaners such as oven, window, bathroom, surface cleaners, deodorisers, disinfectants, abrasive cleaning powders, fabric softeners and degreasers. A good practice when using these products is to cover your skin, leaving openings for your eyes, mouth and nose, with plastic wrap. This actually helps hydrate the skin too as it forces the pores to sweat bringing moisture to the skin's surface.

A city vacated lets its dullards do the work: In the 1970s, in an attempt to take his country back to Year Zero, a prehistory from which he could refashion it, Pol Pot and his henchmen drained Phnom Penh of its intellectuals and elite. When he and his Khmer Rouge had finished their societal reconfiguration, only a drone proletariat of ditch-diggers and factory hands were left in that town. Anyone with a spark of intelligence or drive was gone. There was a rumour at the time that the dictator had once spent summers working at the Cambodian Consulate in Melbourne. The story goes he was agog at our Christmas diaspora, and determined to emulate it in his own capital once he had one. ''Everyone from area manager to dental hygienist and upward goes to the beach,'' he apparently told his politburo. ''Melbourne becomes a ghost town of nightwatchmen and window-washers. A place of pliable dullards.''

Window Cleaner Owed £92,000 Tax

Window cleaner owed £92,000 tax: A window cleaner failed to declare a property during bankrupcy proceedings, a court heard. David Fitton, aged 61, admitted failing to declare property he owned when the HM Revenue & Customs petitioned for bankruptcy. Judge Peter Davies sentenced him to a 26-week jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 150 hours unpaid work .

Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, said HMRC petitioned for the bankruptcy of Fitton, of Brookhey Avenue in Great Lever, who was said to owe revenue £92,000. Bolton Crown Court heard how Fitton admitted he was the owner of a home in Brookhey Avenue, a car and bank account and signed a document confirming he understood the meaning of perjury. But he failed to tell HMRC he owned a second home.

Bassano said it was a “deliberate omission” not to declare he owned a home in Calvert Road, Great Lever worth £75,000 with equity expected to be £31,000. He then failed to co-operate with letters and meetings between September and November last year. Mr Bassano said: “In March he admitted he failed to admit his interest in the Calvert Road property. He believed the property at Brookhey Avenue would be taken off him and he wouldn’t have anywhere to live.”

Adam Watkins, defending, said it was an “unsophisticated attempt to conceal or disguise the assets”. He said Fitton, a self-employed window cleaner, had accrued the debts over three years. Judge Davies, sentencing, said: “Some people might think that’s a technical offence , I can say it’s a dishonest offence. It carries the same maximum penalty as a theft and that is seven years. What you have done over a course of years is failed to pay taxed up to £92,000. “For a self-employed trader such as yourself either you are extraordinary successful businessman or a persistent evader or tax.” Fitton will be subject to bankruptcy proceedings at Bolton County Court in October.

UK Window Cleaner Filmed Stealing Credit Card

Checking that the coast is clear before leaning in

Window cleaner thief caught on film: A thieving window cleaner was caught red-handed stealing from one of his customers after a suspicious neighbour filmed him leaning through an open bedroom window. Leighton Cuthbert leaned into Adrian Neal’s home in to grab a credit card which he used on a spending spree. But the whole episode was caught on camera by a neighbour who grew suspicious of the 30-year-old and the time it was taking for him to clean three panes of glass. Mr Neal, who works for aerospace firm Goodrich, which is based in Fordhouses, Wolverhampton, cancelled his credit card but not before Cuthbert made £150 of purchases including pizzas, and topping up his phone.

Shrewsbury Crown Court was told Cuthbert called at the home of Mr Neal, 57, on Trevithick Close in Woodside, Telford, last August to clean his windows. Cuthbert, of of Mullinder Drive, Ketley Bank, Telford, was yesterday jailed for 14 months after pleading guilty to one charge of burglary and five charges of fraud on August 26. After the hearing Mr Neal said: “I thought it was the window cleaner but I could not prove it until my neighbour came out and said he had the video.” Neighbour Mr Andrew Mitchell, aged 57, who runs his own cleaning company, said: “He was a chancer because the windows were slightly open.”

Leighton Cuthbert leans in to steal a credit card.

Mr Mitchell caught a man burgling Mr Neal’s house on his mobile phone.

Window Cleaner Gets 30 Years For Prostitution

Sex trafficker gets 30 years in prison: SAN DIEGO — An Oceanside man was sentenced in federal court to 30 years in prison for forcing a 17-year-old girl into prostitution, with a $1,200-a-day quota to earn from Craigslist clients for more than a year. Maurice Lerome Smith, 41, was convicted of sex trafficking of a child and being a felon in possession of a firearm after a three-day jury trial in May.

Smith faced a minimum of 15 years in federal prison at his Monday sentencing, but U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez gave him an additional 15 years and ordered him to pay $90,000 in restitution. “This is probably one of the highest sentences we’ve gotten in this jurisdiction,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano said Tuesday.  She said Smith got the longer prison term for using a computer to commit the crime, having a criminal history, not accepting responsibility for his actions and for being so much older than the girl.

The girl testified that in 2009 she asked Smith, the father of one of her schoolmates, for a job in his window-washing company. A few months later he had her living in his apartment, posting sex ads and meeting clients at motels. He beat and raped her, and threatened to kill her, prosecutors said. She also became aware of other women working for Smith as prostitutes.

The case came to light in September, 2010 when one of the girl’s clients called police at a Clairemont motel, and the girl told officers she was working for Smith. He was indicted in February of this year. Smith’s criminal history includes one-year sentence in 1992 for assault, and a four-year sentence in 1996 for conspiracy to abduct a 13-year-old girl in San Diego to force her into prostitution, Serano said.

Cannabis, Piercings & Tattoos For Window Cleaners

Gardener for cannabis farm jailed: A window cleaner has begun an 18-month jail term after taking the blame for setting up a cannabis factory in Bishopstoke. Luke Taylor, 22 refused to divulge who had helped him set up the operation last summer. Southampton Crown Court accepted he could not have solely financed the plot that needed a £1,000 deposit on the house as well as the first month’s rent.

Prosecutor David Jenkins described how officers acting on a tip off raided the house in Guest Road. He said: “Nobody lived there and the whole purpose was to convert it into a cannabis factory.” In three rooms they found 88 plants growing well that would have yielded a crop of 17 and a half ounces every three months. 

On arrest, Taylor admitted he tended the plants with nutrients found at the scene but refused to say why he rented the house and what would have happened to the cannabis. “This was a commercial enterprise into which a great deal of thought and expense had been put,” remarked Recorder Stuart Jones QC. “I am far from persuaded it was for his own use.” Taylor, who lived with his parents in Bognor Regis, admitted producing cannabis. See also "Getting High On Window Cleaning."

Hole-ly cow! What a way to raise cash: One Oxfordshire resident is set to raise money – and eyebrows – with an unusual stunt for Comic Relief. Duncan Wileman, 29, plans to get a few more additions to his 25 piercings and countless tattoos. The window cleaner, from Carterton, said: “For Red Nose Day, I’m planning to have 36 piercings put into my chest and stomach. “They will make a circle, which will then have red cotton threaded through to make a red nose.”

The painful stunt will be carried out in the next two weeks, before Red Nose Day on Friday, March 18. And it’s not the first time Mr Wileman has pushed the pain barrier to raise money for the charity event. He said: “I like to try and do something different every year. “Two years ago, I had a red nose tattooed on to my knee and raised more than £100.I’m sure this one will hurt, but, hey, it’s for charity.”

Mr Wileman had his first piercing when he was at school and his first tattoo at 18. He said the most painful was a skull tattoo in his ear, which he described as “the worst 20 minutes of my life.” He added: “I think it’s body art – a way of expressing yourself. “One day I’d love to get a ‘metal mohawk’, which is where they put metal implants across your head.” Mr Wileman’s first tattoo was a black and white skull on his right arm. He also has a tattoo of a dragon on his back and a heart tattoo bearing the name of grandmother Edie Oliver, who died last year, on his left shoulder.

If you remember, Donald Trumpolis, a window cleaner got a tattoo of Window Cleaning Resources's brand of window cleaning tools, namely the Slayer Squeegee - even though he had never used one!

Last Chance For Free Wagtail: More Window Cleaning News

Last chance to enter the Wagtail Whirlwind competition - details by clicking here. Young Jaret the window cleaner and WCR mascot shows us his technique with the wagtail whirlwind professional window cleaning squeegee.

Going to the football. It’s all about the crowd, the lager, the shouting, the swearing, the shirt wearing , the lager, the pre-match pie, the post-match burger, the lager, the sound of the ball hitting the back of the net… But increasingly, there’s an element of the eye candy about going to watch your team play. Female fans represent an ever increasing demographic of football supporters, and that’s no bad thing for us fellas. In fact, two thirds of football fans polled agreed that seeing a girl in their team’s shirt was a turn-on. So how about seeing the most beautiful women in the world sporting the kit? Sport.co.uk pays tribute to football’s sexiest celebrity fans… Next up, it’s Everton; Gorgeous glamour model Katie had a small role in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, appearing as a wet t-shirt-wearing window washer. Apparently she won the role ahead of Michelle Marsh, Nicola Tappenden and Nikkala Stott, an impressive feat indeed. At only 4’11’’ she probably has to stand on her seat when visiting Goodison Park, but that doesn’t stop her from cheering on the Toffees whenever she can.

The National Weather Service has confirmed eight tornadoes across Indiana from the storm front that swept through the state Tuesday. No serious injuries or widespread damage was reported from the tornadoes. The weather service says the strongest of the twisters were rated EF1s with winds up to 110 mph. Two of those hit rural areas in Huntington and Whitely counties near Fort Wayne, while another caused some building damage at Wanatah in LaPorte County. Weaker EF0 tornadoes with winds up to 85 mph were confirmed in Dearborn, Howard, Huntington, Porter and Wabash counties. The Wabash tornado blew out some window and caused exterior damage to a Walmart store."

City, residents prepare for high winds: We have notified everyone in the city of Chicago right now, particularly cranes or anything out there that may pose a hazard. The idea behind this is to get the word out there," said Jose Santiago, Chicago Emergency Management. The danger is real. In 2002, 60 mile per hour wind gusts tore window washing equipment loose from the side of the John Hancock Building. It fell 43 stories, killing three people in cars below.

Lampasas City Manager Michael Stoldt informed the council that Kempner Water Supply Corporation would be conducting tank maintenance in Lampasas from Nov. 8 to Nov. 15. During the two-week maintenance period, the city will be under a Stage 3 mandatory water conservation measure, which limits the use of water. Residents will be prohibited from all outdoor washing, including car, pavement and window washing. Law and garden irrigation will also be restricted as well as the filling, re-filling or adding water to swimming pools. The restrictions will be lifted when the water storage tanks are back in service.

The Millville Housing Authority recently created a company to provide janitorial services to its own properties. As a way to help cut costs and generate revenue, the authority started Holly City Property Management to clean and maintain properties. A crew of four part-time workers is handling janitorial services at authority properties. Eventually, the services will be contracted out to area businesses, allowing the Housing Authority to make more money. Housing Authority Executive Director Paul Dice unveiled the new venture at a board meeting in August, although finer details were not ironed out at the time. In addition to janitorial services, Dice thinks the company could provide landscaping services in the future.

Although growing the new business still requires some time and planning, the immediate goal has been satisfied, Dice said. "It's one step toward cutting down the expenses in the Housing Authority, and that's what we're going to continue to do," he said. "We no longer have any vendors, and all of the janitorial work is now done internally. So, effectively, what we're doing is cutting out the middleman, cutting out the profit margin." The Housing Authority has been providing its own janitorial services for much of the past month. Everything from sweeping to window washing is being done in-house.

Survival of the fittest: Not bad for two guys nearly in their 40s! Bideford-based personal trainer Simon de Burgh and window cleaner Calvin Leach were overall winners of the team event of the 2010 Men's Health Survival of The Fittest TRI Nations series. They raced on three consecutive weekends in events which were a mix of rough obstacles, long stretches of running and, in some cases, swimming. Their first race was in Cardiff, a 14k run around Cardiff Bay over and through Army assault courses, up and down half the Millennium Stadium staircase and finally up the eight-foot wall of fame towering between them and the finish line. They came third in the team event.

Crawford testified that on February 23, 2008, at around 11:00 p.m., heheard objects hitting the side of his and his son's home. He went outside and saw that the east-facing and north-facing walls had been hit with eggs. Crawford spent an additional $1,628.31 to have those walls painted. He did some of the painting himself. Crawford spent two hours cleaning eggs off four windows. He hired a window cleaner at a cost of $89.

Plaintiff window washer fell while cleaning the outside of a window in Duff's cooperative apartment. He testified that the clip of his safety belt slipped from an anchor post affixed to the facade of the building. It is undisputed that Duff's proprietary lease placed the obligation to maintain the building's structural components on defendants. Contrary to defendants' contention, there is no evidence in the record that raises an issue of fact whether any act or omission by Duff caused plaintiff's injuries and triggered the indemnity provisions of the lease.

Aches and panes: An elderly Knox resident suffering from severe arthritis is hoping the council will get over a cost-cutting streak and bring back a window-cleaning service. The council-funded service for Knox seniors has been slashed. Knox Council had been offering a window cleaning service to seniors through support provider Calvary Silver Circle. The 80-year-old resident, who declined to give his name, was disappointed at the end of the service, which he had used for around three years to relieve him of a painful chore. "I had bad arthritis and my balance wasn't good. I just couldn't do it. My wife was in the same position. That's why I got it done." He paid a subsidised price - around $11 - to have the inside and outside of his windows cleaned once every six months.He said there was no notification that the service had been axed.

The resident gets his gutters and spouting cleared through Calvary Silver Circle, but began to ask questions when his windows were not cleaned. "They should be helping pensioners by having a service like that. I just can't understand why they'd cut it." Knox community services director Kerry Stubbings confirmed the service had been cut. "Of the many services offered through the home maintenance program, window cleaning is the task that least relates to the council's core focus on safety and security." Ms Stubbings said the council had increased funding for its home-care budget for the 2010-11 financial year, but had reduced the number of hours available to some clients in order to extend services to others who needed help. During 2009-10, 1175 residents accessed home-maintenance services, which in some cases included window cleaning. The council said 1767 accessed home-care services - including domestic household help - during the same time. Calvary Silver Circle declined to comment on the matter.

Window Cleaning Add-On? Maid American Style has launched a brand new cleaning service that offers valuable service to pregnant women and new mothers. This new baby cleaning service will provide new mothers with a sense of peace and more time to relax and enjoy valued time with their families and newborns. Maid American Style will prepare the home and keep it ready to welcome the newborn. Everyone knows that bringing home a new baby involves a lot of preparation. It is vital that the newborn gets a clean and safe environment to sleep, grow and call home. Mike Smith the Director of Sales at Maid American Style in northern Virginia says “our goal is to provide an all-inclusive program where Pregnant women and new mothers can experience a worry-free Maid and cleaning service. We have designed packages focused on pregnant women while listening carefully to their concerns and needs while going through and after pregnancy”.

Dad jailed for failing to pay fines: A dad of four children has been jailed for five weeks after failing to make regular payments off his court fines totalling more than £1,200. Michael Vaughan's whopping crime bill started in 2004 and has grown over the years as magistrates fined him for offences such as assault, theft, non-payment of a television licence, and driving with no insurance. The last contribution the window cleaner made to pay for those crimes was back in 2008. But when the 26-year-old appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court and could not give a reasonable explanation for his non-payment, he found that justices' patience had ran out. Chairman of the bench Lynn Gibson sent him to jail for 34 days.

Mrs Gibson told him: "We have listened to what you and your solicitor have had to say, but we feel that you have made no reasonable attempt to pay your fines and we are sentencing you to 34 days imprisonment." Vaughan, of Woodbine Terrace, in Greatham Village, on the outskirts of Hartlepool, needed help in reading the oath before trying to explain why he had not paid anything off his £1,221.79 court account for two years.

He said: "I was at work and I asked my girlfriend to come to court to pay the fine, but they wouldn't let her." And when asked what steps he had taken after this he said: "Well we moved from Raby Gardens up to Greatham because we had to flee the area because we had loads of trouble, so I wouldn't have got any letters."

Mitigating, David Smith told magistrates that Vaughan had struggled for money since the birth of his four children, two daughters and two sons aged eight, seven, five and four. He said that Vaughan used to make regular £20 payments and if extra money was available would pay more. "That's not to say incredible sacrifices hadn't been made to do that," said Mr Smith. "However, the end of that coincides with the birth of his children. Unfortunately that has been an extra financial drain upon him. "There are still financial difficulties, but he's beginning to do some window cleaning work for which he gets £150 each week. He's working, he's got responsibilities and he wants to extend those responsibilities to clear this amount."