Author: Blake Foster

Havering’s Starting Well service has made “great strides” one year after launching a plan to address shortcomings following an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating in December 2023. Councillor Oscar Ford, cabinet member for children and young people, said the Department for Education welcomed the plan’s “clearer focus on outcomes”. “Our aim has and always will be about ensuring every child has the best possible start in life to meet their outcomes. “We are investing in our workforce, listening to our communities, and removing barriers to ensure that our services meet the diversity of our children in Havering.” The progress follows a full-service reorganisation, increased…

While crowds gathered to celebrate the annual festivities of Caribbean culture during the Bank Holiday weekend, police report less violent crime in the area compared to recent years. At the scene, reporter Joseph Reaidi saw at least three potentially violent incidents occur across the road of Ladbroke Grove. At one scene, a person was seen bleeding as police tired to block the view from the public. The Metropolitan Police reports at least two stabbings during the festivities on Monday (August 28), one in Powis Terrace and one in Oxford Gardens. Neither of which are life threatening, the force reports. As…

Posters will begin appearing on the Elizabeth line on Tuesday, reminding travellers not to play music out loud or to have conversations on speaker mode, as it may disrupt other passengers. The scheme, which is part of Transport for London’s (TfL) wide Travel Kind campaign, will also be rolled out on  London’s buses, the Docklands Light Railway, and Overground and Underground networks. In recent months, people using their phones for loud content has become a common problem on public transport. Get free or discounted travel on school journeys with a ZIP photocard 🚌 💰It’s easy to apply online and once done, your…

A woman in her 20s reported that she was attacked in the early hours of Saturday (August 23) on Merton Hall Road. The incident happened at around 3.30am. Tomas Hunt, 35, of Ruxley Close, Sidcup, was arrested on Sunday (August 24) and has now been charged with rape. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, August 26. The woman is being supported by specially trained officers. A Met Police spokesperson: “A man has been charged with the rape of a woman in her 20s following an incident which took place…

A woman in her 20s reported that she was attacked in the early hours of Saturday (August 23) on Merton Hall Road. The incident happened at around 3.30am. Tomas Hunt, 35, of Ruxley Close, Sidcup, was arrested on Sunday (August 24) and has now been charged with rape. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, August 26. The woman is being supported by specially trained officers. A Met Police spokesperson: “A man has been charged with the rape of a woman in her 20s following an incident which took place…

A woman in her 20s reported that she was attacked in the early hours of Saturday (August 23) on Merton Hall Road. The incident happened at around 3.30am. Tomas Hunt, 35, of Ruxley Close, Sidcup, was arrested on Sunday (August 24) and has now been charged with rape. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, August 26. The woman is being supported by specially trained officers. A Met Police spokesperson: “A man has been charged with the rape of a woman in her 20s following an incident which took place…

Popeyes will be welcoming customers to its new branch on Eltham High Street from 11am on Wednesday, August 27. The Eltham opening will be the 32nd Popeyes to launch in the UK this year alone. The first three customers at the new Eltham branch will win free chicken sandwiches for a year, while the first 50 will get exclusive Popeyes merchandise. The first 100 people through the doors will also be treated to a free chicken sandwich. The New Orleans-born fast-food restaurant chain is known for its long queues on opening days, with branches in Woolwich and Greenwich Retail Park…

Law firm Kingsley Napley analysed HMRC inheritance tax data for the tax year 2022-23 and revealed that Finchley and Golders Green had the second-highest number of estates affected, with 183 subject to inheritance tax. Richmond Park topped the list with 184 estates, and Esher and Walton came third with 156. The analysis also revealed that the estates in Finchley and Golders Green – represented by Labour’s Sarah Sackman – were among the top contributors to the government’s inheritance tax revenue, paying a total of £103 million for the year. Ranking third on the list, Finchley and Golders Green followed Kensington, which…

The incident occurred shortly before 9am this morning (August 25) at the junction of Eastern Avenue with Hainault Road.  A road closure was put in place in response to the crash, which unfolded in the middle of a busy crossroads.  The car wreckage pictured (Image: Simon Hearn) Nearby on Chadwell Heath Lane, London’s Air Ambulance was pictured having landed on a green.  Six people have been taken to hospital and are reportedly in non-life threatening or life changing conditions.  Three of those injured have been taken to major trauma centres.  London’s Air Ambulance helps treat the city’s most seriously ill patients…

Car drivers face the biggest change, with the cost of a crossing rising by up to £1. The Department for Transport confirmed the increase in Parliament on June 17. Used by an average of more than 150,000 vehicles a day, the crossing is made up of a bridge and two tunnels and connects Thurrock in Essex with Dartford in Kent. Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood MP said the rise was needed to tackle congestion. She told MPs: “The crossing now carries over 150,000 vehicles a day and up to 180,000 on the busiest days. Current charging levels are no longer sufficient to achieve their stated aim…