Author: Blake Foster

Kathleen ‘Kitty’ Stewart died at home in Camden on Sunday (February 16) after being diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer three weeks ago. Kitty worked for Camden Council’s Meals on Wheels service and supported older people for many years while living with her own tragedy. Both her husband Angus and son Angus Junior suffered from haemophilia, a blood clotting disorder, and died as a result of receiving treatments contaminated with HIV and Hepatis C at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead. Her husband died in 2002 aged 63 and her son in December 2013, aged just 47. Both died of cancer. Kathleen Stewart with husband Angus, who…

An average caseworker at the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) last month had more than 20 cases on their desk – and at least one investigator had more than 40. The CCRC is the only body with the power to reinvestigate wrongful convictions and send them to the Court of Appeal. “There is no way in the world that the investigators can do justice to these difficult cases under such pressure,” said Jon Robins, editor of The Justice Gap and assistant to the government’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Miscarriages of Justice. Andy Slaughter MP – chair of the government’s justice…

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request that in the last two years, there has been one reported case of paranormal activity across all their stations.  This involved a distressed 15-year-old boy at King’s Cross on the Metropolitan line in December 2023, who claimed that he had seen “ghosts”. The FOI request asked for all reports of “paranormal activity at Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth Line and Tram locations made to TfL since January 1, 2022.” TfL confirmed the reports in a FOI. (Image: SWNS) In response, officers searched their London Underground incident reports for…

The incidents unfolded between February 14 and 17 in Ladbroke Grove, Archway, Little Venice and West Wickham. This only includes incidents that Newsquest London is aware of and has reported on. Information about each incident is from the Metropolitan Police. A teenage boy was found with stab wounds after police were called to Bramley Road, near Ladbroke Grove, on Friday (February 14) at 7.35pm. He was taken to hospital, where his injuries were found to be not life threatening. Police arrested a 13-year-old boy on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. He was taken to a west London police station. A man…

Bromley borough is home to several branches, and while they share many similarities, customer ratings on Google and TripAdvisor highlight differences in experience. JD Wetherspoon, founded by Tim Martin in 1979, operates around 800 pubs across the UK as of January 2025. Despite selling off some locations in recent years, the chain remains a dominant presence in the pub industry. Here’s how Bromley’s Wetherspoons pubs rank based on customer reviews: 1. The Greyhound – JD Wetherspoon 205 High St, Bromley BR1 1NYGoogle Rating: 4.0 (402,085 reviews)TripAdvisor Rating: 3.0 (281 reviews) 2. The Moon & Stars – JD Wetherspoon 164-166 High…

As a passionate lover of the Jazz Age – from the dazzling fashion to the electric nightlife of New York and that heady mix of love and mystery – I was instantly transported into my element. We handed our boarding passes to New York City at the gate, and in the blink of an eye, we were immersed in the roaring, glamorous world of the 1920s. The lounge leads to the ballroom (Image: Poppy Huggett/Amy Clarke) Our night began in the lounge with a preshow, where we were greeted by canapés that had a unique twist. We devoured juicy mini burgers,…

Dan Horrocks, 33, was diagnosed with his first life-threatening tumour in August 2011 went through brain surgery and started regular scans. In May 2014 he was told he had another brain tumour and required surgery and radiotherapy.  A third mass in his brain was then identified in July 2018 after Dan developed an unusual symptom and started craving olives – which he hadn’t liked before.  This was followed by his latest – a tumour in his brain and one on his spine – which were spotted in October. Dan has faced four brain tumours. (Image: SWNS) After 14 years including…

Officers from the Metropolitan Police were called to Bedford Road at around 8am on February 13 with reports of the incident.  The victim, a woman in her 30s, is being supported and an investigation has been launched into the circumstances.  There have been no arrests at this stage.  The alleyway is believed to connect Bedford Road with Pinner View, and was seen taped off with crime scene tape on the day of the incident. READ MORE: Shopkeeper avoids jail after admitting locking teenage girl in off licence A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Police were called to Bedford Road, Harrow, at around…

The Nando’s restaurant on 9-11 High Street closed in January for what the chain described as “some DIY”. The restaurant reopened today (February 14) and promises to “tantalise taste buds once more”. Nando’s has been given a fresh new look, and has introduced some new elements to the restaurant, such us a bottomless Rubro Iced Tea machine to complement the existing bottomless soft drink range. Nando’s will continue its No Chuckin’ Our Chicken food donation programme, which operates in every Nando’s restaurant across UK and Ireland with daily donations to local charities, community groups, food banks and soup kitchens. Nando’s…

Over the 12 months from April, rent for all Barnet Homes flats or houses will rise by 2.7%. In a report presented to the council’s cabinet last week (February 5) it was stated that between 2016 and 2020 central government reduced the rent social housing landlords could administer by 1% each year. This ‘social rent reduction’ policy- part of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 – led to an estimated £6.1m reduction in income per annum. Cabinet member for regeneration and housing Cllr Ross Houston said: “Nobody likes rent increases but one of the most damaging things that affected affordable…