Author: Blake Foster

Newham Council leaders agreed on September 16 to contribute £6.9million towards building the bridge. It came after councillors challenged a previous plan to spend almost double that. Labour mayor Rokshana Fiaz said the money would help pay for “an important piece of infrastructure that will enhance the connectivity of the Royal Docks, allowing people from that part of the borough in North Woolwich and elsewhere ready access to ExCeL and our major town centre”. Development group The Silvertown Partnership wants to build the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists across Royal Victoria Dock, connecting Silvertown Quays and the ExCeL. It estimates…

Police were called to Lea Bridge Road, near Vicarage Road, just after 4.15am today (September 18). At the scene a woman in her 30s was found with a stab wound to the leg. She was taken to hospital for treatment, where her injury was deemed non life-threatening or life-changing. A man in his 40 has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and remains in police custody. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “At 04:21hrs Met officers were contacted by the London Ambulance Service following reports of a stabbing on Lea Bridge Road, Leyton.   “One victim, a woman in her…

The inquest into the death of Gion-Domenico Rozzo, of South End Road, was opened at the East London Coroner’s Court on September 17. Senior coroner Graeme Irvine told the court that Mr Rozzo’s death was reported by the Metropolitan Police on June 19. The 70-year-old was discovered unresponsive after emergency services attended a welfare call. After entry was gained to the property, Mr Rozzo was found dead inside. The court heard how a preliminary investigation was conducted, followed by a post mortem examination on June 23 which found “no clear cause of death”. Mr Irvine confirmed that very little else…

Emergency services were called to Rainham station at around 8am today (September 18) to a casualty on the track. The person, whose age has not been disclosed, was pronounced dead at the scene. Leigh Academy Rainham has shared a statement online about the “serious incident”. It said: “We are aware some students may have witnessed this distressing event. Support is available.” The school added that “a number of students” have struggled to arrive on time due to the cancelled trains. According to the school, students running late will not be sanctioned. A British Transport Police spokesperson said that the incident…

Last week we reported that conman Junead Ahmed and five other individuals had been convicted of their roles in a conspiracy to break him and other inmates out of HMP Chelmsford. Further details of the escape have now been made public. Ahmed broke out of HMP Chelmsford on June 21, 2023, by sending the prison authorities a fake High Court letter claiming he had been approved for release.  He strolled out of prison a free man but suspicions were raised when the prison received two further emails from the same email address which also included apparent orders for the release of…

Joe Cavalla — street name ‘Cav’ — left London at 14 when his family moved away, just as graffiti was emerging. But that didn’t stop its influence on the teenager. “We would return to London a lot to stay with relatives,” Cav recalls. “I often stayed with my uncle Ronnie at Chalk Farm and my grandma in Poplar.” He has his debut art show on the South Coast being staged near Portsmouth, from Friday, September 19, at the Corner Collective in Southsea. His north London upbringing has its imprint firmly on the exhibition. “I was using art as a teenager…

Councillors Moin Quadri, Victoria Hornby and Faruk Choudhury announced they had left Labour for the Greens on September 15. They said Labour had “turned its back on the people it claims to serve” locally and nationally. But Labour group deputy leader, councillor Saima Ashraf, said her party had a reputation of listening to borough residents. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I’m not worried. I think that we have been, to the best of our capabilities, in touch with our residents. “We do canvas quite often as the Labour Party and that gives us that platform where we…

Last year, the Beckenham Christmas Lights Committee, led by Sam O’Neill and Jaki Amos, successfully organised the event with the help of the Beckenham Appreciation Facebook Group, which contributed 89 per cent of donations. This year, the committee aims to do it again but faces major challenges due to stricter Facebook posting rules and reduced community support, meaning they need to raise £10,000 by October 4 to go ahead. Sam O’Neill told the News Shopper: “We’re facing a real catch-22. “We want our big sponsors to come in, and we’ve told them we’ll advertise them, name them at the switch-on…

Staff at St Helier Hospital will be conducting a planned chemical exercise to test the hospital’s emergency response procedures and ensure staff are prepared for a real chemical incident. Decontamination tents will be put up, and staff will be wearing protective equipment. The hospital has stressed that visitors and patients should not be alarmed as this is not a real emergency. Services at St Helier will continue as normal. A statement on social media by the St George’s, Epsom, and St Helier Hospitals Group said: “On Thursday, we have a planned chemical incident exercise taking place at St Helier Hospital.…

The retailer is ‘hatching’ two fresh additions to its Le Petit Poulet line-up at a price that’s 26% cheaper than market leader La Vielle Ferme. The new Le Petit Poulet White (£6.49, 75cl) and the new Le Petit Poulet Red (£6.49, 75cl) join the Le Petit Poulet Rosé (£6.49, 75cl), which saw shoppers flocking to stores to snap up the bargain ‘chicken wine’. Earlier this year, Aldi’s Le Petit Poulet Rosé – affectionately dubbed the “chicken wine” – was a hit on Instagram, with one fan commenting: “Oh, this is what we have been waiting for 😍” Grown and bottled in the heart…