Author: Blake Foster

Environmental health officers from Havering have been busy this fortnight visiting businesses across the area to see if they are meeting hygiene requirements. Based on guidelines set by the Food Standards Agency, inspectors look to see how clean the facilities are; what food safety management procedures are in place and how hygienic food handling is. Ratings are then dished out from five to zero — with the higher score the better the result. Five — Very Good Aozora Sushi at Elm Park Avenue, Hornchurch, rated 5 on July 1, 2025. BrewDog Upminster at 18 Station Road, Upminster, rated 5 on…

In the months between being booked as support for Irish indie-rockers Fontaines D.C. they had touched off a political storm with pro-Palestinian statements at Coachella festival – followed by a retrospective terror charge over a flag allegedly displayed at the Kentish Town Forum last November. It’s fair to say the lads from Belfast’s Catholic community were leaning into the poignancy of such a charge – and Keir Starmer’s suggestion that they should not play Glastonbury. ‘It’s been a mad few weeks’ said Belfast rapper Mo Chara (right) who stands accused of a terror charge following a gig at the Kentish Town Forum last November. (Image: GEORGINA HURDSFIELD TINY…

The 47-year-old and an 18-year-old girl were found injured in The Nursery at 3pm yesterday (July 6).  Officers and London Ambulance Service crews attended and they were taken to hospital. The woman sustained life-changing injuries to her abdomen, and the girl also remains in hospital.  Her condition is unknown at this stage.  Two 16-year-old girls have been arrested following an urgent search for two suspects. One was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The second was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, possession of class A drugs and robbery. They both remain in police custody. Investigating officers are asking anyone with…

Figures presented to councillors at Barking and Dagenham Council on July 2 showed thefts of motor vehicles in the borough had increased by almost 22 per cent compared to this time last year. Ch Insp Mo Mahmood said recorded incidents had been “predominantly” bike thefts and that the Heath and Whalebone areas had been particularly affected in recent weeks, with “Deliveroo and Uber drivers being targeted”. Ch Insp Mahmood said: “Predominantly the types of vehicles that are being taken are bikes, predominantly during the midweek and during the night time hours. “We identified that there were a number of thefts of…

The busy road in Willesden has been shut off by police near the junction of Brondesbury Park today (July 7) after the knife attack. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 11.54am and medics treated a man at the scene. He has been taken to hospital for further treatment. The High Road is taped off as police investigate. Emergency services at High Road, Willesden, after a stabbing (Image: Contributor) Shopkeepers have told the Brent & Kilburn Times that the stabbing occurred after an alleged attempted theft at a shop. This has not been confirmed by the Metropolitan Police…

The discovery was made in Dunlop Close at around 6.10pm on Saturday (July 5). Officers and South East Coast Ambulance crews attend, and a man was found at the property. His death is not being treated as suspicious and a report is being prepared for the coroner. The next of kin have also been informed. Several police officers were spotted near to the residential road over the weekend. A spokesperson for Kent Police said: “Police were called at 6.10pm on Saturday 5 July 2025, to an address in Dunlop Close, Dartford. Officers attended alongside paramedics, where a man was confirmed…

The fourth International Greenwich Olympiad (IGO 2025) took place from June 22 to 28, bringing together 522 students aged 10 to 18 and 186 supervisors from 53 countries across two UK cities. Participants presented 356 projects in 13 categories, exploring solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. North London Grammar School (NLGS), a recent member of the Unesco Associated Schools Network (ASPnet), played a key role in organising the Olympiad and promoting the values of academic excellence and global citizenship. The school said it looks forward to contributing further to the ASPnet community through future editions of the Olympiad.…

Barking and Dagenham College – which has a main campus in Rush Green as well as two learning centres in Barking – has been rated ‘good’ after an Ofsted inspection in May. The education watchdog previously told the college it required improvement after a visit in 2022, but has now graded it ‘good’ in almost all assessment areas. The only area which still ‘requires improvement’ is apprenticeships, as inspectors found that apprentices “do not have a consistently high-quality learning experience”. READ MORE: Children pitch ideas for social change at Dragons’ Den-style competition in Barking A total of 226 out of more than 5,000 learners…

Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters are tackling the blaze in Electric Avenue since 9.40am today (July 7).  A storage area at the rear of a mixed-use building is alight.  Road closures are in place and people are being urged by the brigade to avoid the area at this time. People are also being advised to keep their windows and doors closed due to smoke travel. Brixton Underground station is also closed with no Victoria line between Stockwell and Brixton. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. This is a breaking news story. More to follow.  Source…

The disruption will affect services from Monday to Friday (July 7 to July 11). We’ve broken down the changes for you to plan your week. Engineering work is taking place overnight at various locations on the Southeastern network, closing some lines. Monday to Thursday (July 7 to July 10): The 11.39pm train from London Cannon Street to Dover Priory (Monday) / Canterbury West (Tuesday) / 11.34pm train from London Charing Cross to Canterbury West / Dover Priory (Wednesday and Thursday) will be diverted between London Bridge and Ashford International, calling additionally at Maidstone East. A replacement bus will run between Tonbridge and Ashford…