• From July 6, 2006

Fifty seven student nurses at Kingston University were facing the dole queue when they graduated, after a hospital recruitment freeze.

Cash-strapped hospitals all over the country had to cut recruitment rates in an effort to save money, and 5,000 nurses who graduated from their three-year training courses found themselves out of work.

The government subsidised nurses’ training and told universities how many places should be made available according to demand.

But plans changed suddenly amid widespread cuts of NHS staff. This was despite record levels of investment in the service.

Michael Walker of healthcare union Unison lamented the loss of 500 projected London nursing jobs.

He said: “Only last year hospitals were scouring the globe for nurses, and nurses on hospital wards remain at full stretch, yet we have the spectre of hundreds of unemployed nurses.

“Something is going terribly wrong. We have had nurses in tears on the phone. They have worked hard during their training, have incurred debts and now face the dole.”

Fiona Ross, dean of health and social care at Kingston University, said that in the university’s mental health nursing course only 10 per cent of that year’s students had a job to go to in September.

But 60 per cent of child and adult care nurses had jobs, a fact she said reflected a relatively good demand for Kingston graduates.

Ms Ross said: “More than half of nursing students are mature students and are likely to have family or commitments in the area. Some people want time to think about where they want to go.

“But some are desperate to get started, which can be dispiriting for students.”

  • From July 8, 2006

Figures that implied gunpoint muggings increased more than seven-fold in Kingston were misleading, according to police.

Statistics showed robberies with a gun rose from three in 2004-05 to 25 in 2005-06, the greatest increase of any London borough.

But Kingston police said the figures showed the number of victims involved and one robbery was mistakenly counted twice.

  • From July 5, 1991

New boyband Take That took to the stage at a Kingston nightclub. The group, who were described as Britain’s answer to New Kids On The Block, performed at Ritzy’s nightclub to “hordes of screaming girl fans”.

The band, led by 20-year-old Gary Barlow, performed a “steamy” dance routine to first single Do what U Like. 

  • From July 6, 1966

Kingston head teachers debated whether sex education should be taught in the borough’s schools.

Talking about sex had previously been banned in Kingston schools but a new a proposal put to the Education Committee stated the subject should be part of the curriculum.

Teachers were required to tell parents that their children were being taught about sex and give consent for the lessons.