Looking back at the summer months of 2013 in our review of the year.

July

Your Local Guardian:

Chinese medicine manager Shibob Li's car careered the wrong way down Cromwell Road

- A driver whose car mowed down pedestrians and smashed into a bus during Kingston’s rush hour said he panicked after colliding with a cyclist who shouted at him. A woman was airlifted to hospital with non-life threatening leg fractures, after Chinese medicine manager Shibob Li careered the wrong way down Cromwell Road, and hit her, a Syrian refugee and another person.

- Safeguarding services in Kingston suffered a setback after a surprise Ofsted inspection rated them inadequate for the second year in a row. Councillors criticised the timing of the visit lamenting the fact it coincided with former leader Derek Osbourne’s arrest on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children. But the reports said delays in referrals were still putting children at further risk.

- The murderers of Jamie Sanderson (above) were given life sentences at the Old Bailey. Levan Greenfield, 22, and Brandon Francis, 20, spotted on Oceana CCTV with a ‘knife-like’ object, were sentenced the day after being found guilty. Jamie’s mother Carol said her other son, a bus-driver, had to drive past Oceana every day. Jamie’s son Jaiden was born seven months after his death, she said.

August

Your Local Guardian:

Chessington actor Jack Binstead celebrates his GCSE results

- A racist thug jailed for attacking Kingston Mosque was back behind bars again after a chilling knife attack on a construction worker at Hart’s Boatyard in Surbiton. David Morris, of Elm Way, Epsom, knifed Edminas Samulionis, who was lying on the ground, on December 13, 2012 with a seven inch blade. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

- Ex-wheeelchair turned professional actor Jack Binstead was one of those celebrating his GCSE results in August. The Chessington 16-year-old, known for acting in foul-mouthed BBC comedy Bad Education, two Bs in English and media studies, and six Cs.

- Government communities secretary ‘Flat’ Eric Pickles was the target of ire from councillors and neighbours of office blocks about to be turned into homes under a new eased planning regulation. The greenlight was given to developers to convert offices into flats with a simple notification to the council. Kingston Council estimated it had lost out on £1m in the usual planning contributions in the first few months because of the change.

September

Your Local Guardian:

Raven's Ait island

- Raven’s Ait island was effectively sold off to a Middle Eastern businessman by the back door when leaseholder Ossie Stewart sold his holding company. Councillors expressed surprise and dismay after handing Mr Stewart the lease in 2010 on a favourable basis after he promised to open it up for more community use. Coun Barry O’Mahoney said: “I would be very disappointed if we have struck a deal that has allowed him to walk away with a profit, but I’m still hoping it is not that clear cut.”

- The long-running controversy about a needle exchange at Surbiton Hospital came to a head at a public meeting in September when a consultancy firm hired by Kingston Council said drug users were at greater risk than neighbouring primary school children. RSM Tenon accused worried parents of filming addicts, potentially putting their lives at risk. The report said trust between the school and the NHS had broken down and would be difficult to restore.