Author: Blake Foster

An email sent to St Mary’s Primary School this morning (April 14) is “being taken seriously”, with reassurances given to parents. The Church of England school on Brooke Road teaches over 500 pupils aged between five and 11, while its Little Learners Nursery teaches one to four-year-olds. The school was closed for the Easter Holidays but the nursery was operating off-site, and has been closed for at least the morning. The nature of the threat is not yet known but it is not thought to have a connection to faith. While it is the only school in Walthamstow to receive…

Hai Nguyen, 41, of Hatfield Close, is charged with murdering Hien Vu on Sunday, April 13. Police were called to Hatfield Close at 6.41am with reports of a seriously injured woman.  At 6.52am a man self-presented at Lewisham Police Station in connection with the incident.  Nguyen will appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court this afternoon (April 14). The deceased was aged in her 40s, police previously said.  They added that they believe the man and woman were known to each other.  Source link

Brent East MP Dawn Butler told the House of Commons that she is “sick and tired” of the number of gambling establishments “popping up” in the borough. There are now more licensed premises in Brent – 81 – than supermarkets and schools combined. Ms Butler called the Gambling Act “not fit for the modern age”, pointing to the ‘aim to permit’ clause that means councils have limited power to refuse applications. Ms Butler said: “Every time a shop closes, a gambling establishment tries to put up a betting shop there. “I’ve had so many arguments with Brent Council that they’ve…

Hien Vu died on Sunday, April 13, after police were called to Hatfield Close with reports of a seriously injured woman.  At 6.52am a man self-presented at Lewisham Police Station in connection with the incident.  Hai Nguyen, 41, of Hatfield Close, has now been charged with Ms Vu’s murder.  He will appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court this afternoon (April 14).  The deceased was aged in her 40s, police previously said.  They added that they believe the man and woman were known to each other.  Source link

The fire broke out in a mid-terraced property of two floors in Nithdale Road just before 1.50am today (April 14). Crews rescued a woman from the property however, she was later declared dead at the scene. The blaze was under control just before 2.40am. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the brigade and Metropolitan Police Service. A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade said: “Sadly a woman has died following a house fire on Nithdale Road, Plumstead.  “The fire occurred in a mid-terraced property of two floors, damaging the part of the ground floor. “Crews rescued a woman…

The fire service received two calls about the blaze in Northbrook Road just before 12.30pm on April 12. Four engines and 25 firefighters from Ilford, Barking, and Stratford stations were dispatched. They found the majority of a flat’s kitchen destroyed and rescued a man from the first-floor roof using a short extension ladder. Firefighters had brought the fire under control by just after 12.50pm. The London Fire Brigade believes the fire was accidental, caused by incense sticks placed too close to flammable materials. A spokesperson said: “Incense sticks, candles, and oil burners are one of the most common causes of…

Monday, April 14, will see increasing cloud cover throughout the day, with temperatures reaching 16C and dropping to 10C overnight. Tuesday, April 15, is expected to be cloudy with light rain in the morning and scattered showers in the afternoon. It will be warmer, with a high of 18C and a low of 7C. Wednesday, April 16, will start cloudy, but bright spells are likely later in the day. Temperatures will peak at 16C, falling to 6C at night. Thursday, April 17, will be mostly dry with sunshine and patchy cloud. Expect a daytime high of 17C and a low…

The new shelters have been installed in a bid to replace the ones removed in 2021. Restoring the bus shelters on the borough’s streets has been a priority for executive mayor, Jason Perry. Working in close partnership with Transport for London (TfL), the council secured a deal that has delivered 101 new shelters in just under 100 days, from the first installation to the last. This has been a significant logistical effort involving careful coordination between the council, TfL, and contractors. More than 88,000 people use the bus network in Croydon daily, and it is hoped the new shelters will…

Runners, joggers, and walkers of all paces gathered at Danson Park for the 617th weekly event, which took place on Saturday, April 12. James MacDonald of Cambridge Harriers was the fastest recorded finisher, completing the course in an impressive 17.32. He was followed by Calum Boyce in 18.59 and Anthony McGinty in 19.13. Among the women, Chantelle McGinty of Cambridge Harriers led the way with a time of 22.24. Hayley Brown followed shortly behind in 22.36, and Rose Baker, also of Cambridge Harriers, was the third fastest recorded female in 22.41. Bexley parkrun thanked the 26 volunteers who made this…

As the majority of the UK is still under a “high” or “very high” pollen count, the Met Office has warned that changes in temperature and rainfall may lengthen the UK pollen season. This can lead to a higher pollen concentration, increasing the risk for hay fever sufferers. Dubbed as the “pollen bomb” in recent weeks, the majority of the UK has been triggered by tree pollen. Hay fever – also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis – affects nearly half of people in the UK, putting us among the countries with the highest prevalence of hay fever in the world, according to the World Allergy…