Author: Blake Foster

Park Parade was closed yesterday (August 7) afternoon from around 2.20pm due to a fire in a restaurant. The fire service confirmed part of a ground floor kitchen and part of a first-floor flat were damaged by fire. There were no reports of any injuries. A total of four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called at 2.19pm and were mobilised from North Kensington, Willesden and Park Royal fire stations. READ MORE: Harlesden fire causes busy road to close  The fire was extinguished by 4.16pm. The fire is believed to have originated in ducting. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said:…

The authority said “significant” work has been undertaken at South Woodford Library and Gym to allow building work to start soon. A confirmed reopening date will be announced in due course, according to a council spokesperson. Until then, the gym and studio are relocated to Redbridge Drama Centre temporarily, alongside a pop-up library. Residents are encouraged to visit the newly refurbished Woodford Green Library and Gym. Fullwell Cross Leisure Centre and Kenneth More Theatre were closed after inspections also identified the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) there. The lightweight material, commonly used in construction between the 1950s and 1990s,…

It follows false online speculation of the incident that a block of flats near the crime scene was being used by asylum seekers. Officers were called to a footpath off Perry Street, Crayford, on Monday (August 4) at around 5pm. The street runs along the east boundary of Barnehurst Golf Club. In an update today (August 8), police have clarified that the suspects are two older teenagers. Work is still being done to locate them. The force has denied that asylum seekers are suspects, and also denied the gossip online that a block of flats was being used by asylum…

The Metropolitan Police was called to Dartfields at 4.12am this morning (August 8) with reports of violence outside a property.  Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service, where a woman had allegedly assaulted another.  Two women were taken to hospital with injuries that have been confirmed as non-life threatening or changing.  No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.  A crime scene has been seen in place on Dartfields. A spokesperson for the Met said: “Police were called at 04:12hrs on Friday, 8 August to reports of violence outside a property in Romford. READ MORE: Number of…

The Havering Conservatives, who form the official opposition to the Havering Residents Association (HRA), have called for neighbourhood plans to be implemented across the borough. Neighbourhood plans are developed by neighbourhood forums, made up of people who live and work in a certain area, with a view to improving the social, economic and environmental standing of their area. They need a minimum of 21 members and a written constitution behind them. There are currently no such forums in the borough. Tory councillor David Taylor said local plans – which are used to guide housing, commercial and infrastructure development across London…

The sex offender was found guilty in his absence but remains on the run, most likely in Portugal, with a four-year prison sentence hanging over his head if police catch up with him.  On Friday, August 8, his sons – Anthony Sousa, 32, of Sutton Street, Shadwell, and Jorge Sandoval, 29, of New Cross Road in south east London – walked free with suspended prison sentences for perverting the course of justice. Both had been held in custody between conviction and sentence. Anthony Sousa (left) and Jorge Sandoval (right) (Image: Met Police) ‘Out of love for their father’ In November 2022, Santos…

Between July 2021 and April 2022, payments totalling £73,000 were made by Dumitru in return for the contacts, the NHS Counter Fraud Authority said.  He pleaded guilty to the offence and will be sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court in September.  Ben Harrison, head of operations at NHS Counter Fraud Authority, said: “This outcome demonstrates that we have a strong approach and a dedicated team who protect vital resources and ensure that anyone who attempts to defraud the NHS is brought to justice.  “The offering or accepting of bribes to influence the awarding of NHS contracts is a criminal offence…

The council wants TfL to extend the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) beyond Thamesmead to serve Belvedere, as part of its formal response to TfL’s consultation on the proposed extension to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. Cllr Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE, leader of the London Borough of Bexley, said: “We are calling on TfL to once again consider the extension of the DLR to Belvedere and would urge local people to do the same. “The extensive plans they are considering end at Thamesmead. “To end at Belvedere would make much more sense and have a massive boost to the area in…

A yellow heat health alert has been issued for the region by the UK Health Security Agency, with temperatures expected to climb close to 30 degrees Celsius for several days. Health officials say the heat could have a serious impact on vulnerable Londoners, including older adults, people with existing health conditions, and those living in poorly ventilated homes. The warm weather begins on Monday, with a clear and sunny day expected across the capital. The temperature is forecast to reach a high of 29 degrees Celsius, with an overnight low of 19. Sunrise is at 5.40am and sunset at 8.30pm.…

Police were called to reports of a man exposing himself on the Tube at the station yesterday (August 7) at 3.30pm. The man was seen wearing a top, but naked from the waist down. In a video circulating online, one man approached the half-naked man asking him to get off the train. In response, the man said: “F**k off.” The incident then escalated into a group of men on the carriage kicking and punching the man. He was detained on the floor and later taken out onto the platform. An off-duty officer later arrested the half-naked man before detaining him…