Author: Blake Foster

South east London as a whole saw a 2.6 per cent increase in reported crime from 11,752 offences in June to 12,166 in July. Southwark had the highest number of reported offences, with a total of 3,493, which was down slightly from 3,528 in June. Violence against the person accounted for most cases with 1,325 reports, while theft was the next most common with 830 reports. Drug offences saw an increase of 25, rising from 146 to 171, and both public order offences and sexual offences also increased. Burglary, vehicle offences, and robbery all saw a decrease. Lewisham, the smallest borough…

Benedict House Preparatory School, on Victoria Road in the Christ Church Conservation Area, has applied to Bexley Council to vary its planning permission for a new sports hall and multi-use games area (MUGA). Documents show the school wants to remove an existing condition and replace it with new rules on opening hours, maximum hours of use and capacity. If approved, the MUGA could be hired for up to six hours a day. The school has proposed the following times: •            Weekdays (term time, April–July): 6pm–8pm •            Weekends (all year) and school holidays: Monday–Saturday 9am–8pm, Sundays 10am–4pm Council papers reveal 45…

Sometimes walking around the capital can feel like being on a movie set itself, with streets often closed as production for a new film or TV show gets underway. If you’re a movie buff, you may already think you know a thing or two about filming locations used in London. To help test out your knowledge, we’ve created a quiz that tasks you with matching the location to the film. So can you work out where About a Boy was filmed, or will you get The Dark Knight and Spider-Man confused?  Take the ultimate London filming location quiz below. The…

According to the listing, the property is arranged across three floors and features a brick façade. Inside, there are five bedrooms, a double reception room, and a kitchen described as “superb”. Two connected reception areas with period proportions, situated at the front of the house (Image: Dexters – Brockley) The house also includes three bathrooms and a private rear garden. The listing states the house is “beautifully presented” and “perfectly positioned” for access to green spaces. Rear-positioned kitchen described in the listing as superb, opening towards the garden (Image: Dexters – Brockley) Hilly Fields and Brookmill Park are both nearby.…

They include an alleged child sex offender, a number of people wanted on suspicion of immigration offences, a man who stabbed a woman, and a man wanted for a high street assault. Charity Crimestoppers collates appeals and information from police forces across the country. As of September 2025 these are the wanted men and women who are believed to be in London. If you see these individuals do not approach them, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or call police on 101. Crimestoppers is an independent charity which gives the public the power to report crime 100% anonymously. Jason Anthony McLarty (Image: Crimestoppers) Jason…

As summer fades, autumn colours are starting to appear across Sutton’s green spaces. This is the final bank holiday weekend until Boxing Day, so it’s the best time to take advantage of what Sutton has to offer. Whether you’re planning a family picnic, a leisurely stroll, or just want to stretch your legs over the long weekend, Sutton has some of the best routes to soak up the fresh air and scenery. Here’s are the top spots for a bank-holiday walk in Sutton.   Nonsuch Park Nonsuch Park, home to the historic Nonsuch Mansion, is an ideal spot to unwind.…

The scheme at Albany Dental Centre on Haverstock Hill would see an additional dwelling created above the practice, with major alterations to the frontage, roof, and boundary. Other submissions include home extensions, shopfront changes, landscaping, and tree works across the borough. Below is a listed overview of all the applications submitted to Camden Council this week: 7 A Netherhall Gardens, London, NW3 5RN: Variation of condition 2 of previous permission to amend doors and windows, alter the front boundary, and change the detail and projection of the proposed rear extension. Ref: 2025/2998/P Flat Basement, 27 College Crescent, London, NW3 5LH:…

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Johannes Vermeer’s The Guitar Player is one of the best known artworks at the Hampstead mansion – but could the Dutch master have made his own copy of it? That’s the question asked by scholars as they studied a version of the painting at The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Catalogued in the museum’s collection as a ‘Copy after Vermeer,’ it has been suggested that the painting could have been made by the artist himself, while others claim an unknown artist made a close copy of the original. Now visitors to Kenwood will have the chance to compare the two images as they hang side by side in the dining room lobby.…

Care UK’s Buchanan Court, situated on Sudbury Hill, will celebrate the opening of its upgraded eatery on Friday, August 29, between 2.30pm and 3.30pm. The café is intended as a social hub for the community and hosts monthly dementia café events to share advice among carers, families, and those living with the syndrome. Mayor of Harrow Councillor Anjana Patel will officially open the café. Guests will be treated to refreshments prepared by head chef Andrei Zaharia, and a performance by violinist Maria Valez. Laurentiu Iordachescu, home manager at Buchanan Court, said: “We are delighted to be marking the official opening of our…