Author: Blake Foster

Children from Crowlands Primary School joined Havering Council, including council leader Ray Morgon, and FCC (the council’s waste and street cleansing partner) in South Street, Romford, to highlight the issue of gum litter. The children used chalk to mark all discarded chewing gum on pavements, in preparation for the cleansing teams using special equipment to remove it. The pupils also helped clean up some of the gum and attended a workshop by East London Waste Authority to learn about the environmental impact of gum and litter. The council was awarded £26,756 by the Chewing Gum Taskforce, run by Keep Britain Tidy, to…

Bromley Council has launched a consultation for the borough’s Local Plan, inviting input from locals, businesses, and community groups. This is the next part of the Local Plan review, which is looking for views on the draft vision and objectives. The Local Plan is the central planning document for Bromley, offering guidelines in key areas such as housing, employment, and leisure. The review ensures the borough’s social, environmental, and economic priorities align with national and London-wide planning policies. Councillor Yvonne Bear, executive councillor for renewal, recreation and housing, said: “We want as many local residents and businesses as possible to…

The Imps Motorcycle Display Team was founded in 1970 by Roy Pratt MBE and Bryan Stewart. The duo met when they were tasked as sea scouts in their 20s to run activity weekends for children before birthing the idea of a charity group that performs motorcycle displays. On July 28, a post was made by The Imps announcing the cancellation of all future shows until further notice. The Imps were founded in 1970 (Image: The Imps Motorcycle Display Team) It said: “After much careful thought and with heavy hearts, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to cancel all further Imps…

The incident happened in Brook’s Mews near Claridge’s hotel at 7.55am today (July 31).   Officers and London Ambulance Service crews attended and found a man who had been stabbed.  He was taken to hospital for treatment where his condition was assessed as non life threatening.  No arrests have been made as police enquiries continue.  Detective Chief Inspector Anne Linton, from the Central West Command Unit said: “Police were called at 7.55am on Thursday, 31 July to reports of a stabbing on Brook’s Mews, W1K. “A man aged 47 was treated by the London Ambulance Service for stab wounds and was taken…

Last Thursday (July 24), Alan Cook became Reform’s first ever London councillor after the vote in Bromley Common and Holwood ward. Reacting to the result, Labour MP Liam Conlon, whose Beckenham and Penge constituency neighbours Bromley Common, warned party members that the Reform victory was the start of a “new trend”. “This is a shift in voting patterns that we have not seen before, and we cannot be complacent,” he said. “We must take the fight to Reform, showing local residents that their implausible, easy answers to difficult problems will ultimately make us all worse off. “I also know Reform…

DabbaDrop, co-founded by Hackney neighbours and mothers Anshu Ahuja and Renée Williams, is set to pitch its business on BBC One on Thursday, July 31, at 8pm. The company delivers south Asian-inspired meals in reusable metal tiffin boxes, known as “dabbas,” by bicycle, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional takeaway. Anshu said: “Walking into Dragons’ Den was one of the most nerve-wracking moments of my life, but I’m deeply grateful for it. “It reminded me loud and clear why we started DabbaDrop in the first place and how far we’ve come with a mission rooted in flavour, sustainability and…

The incident happened at the junction of Messina Avenue at 3.10pm today (July 31).  Emergency services attended and man was found who had been stabbed.  He was taken to hospital where his injuries were assessed as life-threatening.  Earlier today, a London Air Ambulance landed at Kilburn Grange Park. A crime scene is in place near Messina Avenue as police investigate. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 3.10pm today (31 July) to reports of a stabbing on Kilburn High Road, NW6. “We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a…

However, the recent report also identifies serious gaps in safeguarding, including placing children in unregistered homes. Following last month’s inspection, Ofsted praised Sutton’s strong relationships and how its staff “take time to get to know [the children] and establish positive and helpful relationships”. However, compared to its 2021 inspection, the council was downgraded from Outstanding to Good in the category assessing the impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families. In the report, published today (July 29), Ofsted reserved particular praise for Sutton’s decision to make care leaver status a protected characteristic. They said the move “recognises…

Coborn Engineering – with its warehouses now up for sale – applied to go into liquidation at the end of June.  The firm, which manufactured machines for the diamond industry, appointed Begbies Traynor LLP as liquidators on June 26 after a creditors’ voluntary winding up – a formal process which brings about the end of a company unable to pay its debts. A resolution document on Companies House said: “At a general meeting of the members of the above named company […] the following resolutions were duly passed: that the company be wound up voluntarily; that Jeremy Karr and Simon John Killick…

Lauren Martin, 34, set up a GoFundMe page for her dad Clifton Rae McKenzie after he received a “heart-breaking” terminal blood cancer diagnosis in June. Clifton Rae, who goes by Rae, has already been battling end-stage kidney disease for more than five years now and had a stroke prior to this. Now his family are hoping to raise enough money for one last trip to Jamaica – which Lauren said would “mean so much” for them all. Rae wants to visit his home country of Jamaica one final time (Image: Lauren Martin) READ MORE: The Apprentice winner calls for urgent action over skills…