Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Vision for town centre that could include new Bromley South station is 'unimaginative and damaging'

A vision to redevelop parts of Bromley town centre is “unimaginative and extremely damaging”, according to ward councillors.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388991.bromley-town-centre-masterplan-criticised-by-councillors/?ref=rss

Community braves the rain for school steel band performance

Members of the community turned out despite dreary weather last weekend to hear the soulful sounds of a school steel band.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388793.pinner-community-enjoys-performance-by-whitmore-high-school-steel-band/?ref=rss

Scheme where students mentor disadvantaged children praised

A headteacher has praised a scheme which sees students mentor deprived and disadvantaged children.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389227.scheme-where-students-mentor-disadvantaged-children-praised/?ref=rss

Thameslink told to remove 'misleading' posters

Two rail firm have hit the buffers with watchdogs, having adverts banned for making "misleading" claims about fares and journey times.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387944.thameslink-told-to-remove-misleading-posters/?ref=rss

SEO for boring products

Best bits of Bexley showcased in new video to promote summer days out

Stuck for what to do with the kids this summer?

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389034.hall-place-danson-house-and-cray-meadows-in-best-of-bexley-video/?ref=rss

Greenwich drug dealer jailed for selling cocaine and heroin from flat in Kent

A Greenwich drug dealer who sold cocaine and heroin from a flat in Kent has been jailed for four years.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389234.greenwich-drug-dealer-jailed-for-selling-cocaine-and-heroin-from-flat-in-kent/?ref=rss

Evening update: Weather and travel details

Evening all. One or two issues on the roads and rail to be mindful of tonight.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389202.helping-you-to-get-home-on-time/?ref=rss

Important wetlands damaged ‘due to neglect’

The council’s neglect of local wetlands has led to important wildlife habitats drying out and silting up, according to Mill Hill Liberal Democrat Roger Tichborne.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389188.barnet-wetlands-damaged-due-to-neglect/?ref=rss

Evening update: Bringing you travel and weather details

Evening all. One or two issues on the roads and rail to be mindful of tonight.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389194.helping-you-to-get-home-on-time/?ref=rss

Council ‘making excuses’ over flats’ broken lifts

Enfield Council has come under fire for failing to fix two broken lifts in a tower block.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388370.enfield-council-criticised-over-broken-lifts/?ref=rss

Boundary changes will trim council

The number of Harrow councillors will drop from 63 to 55 in the future thanks to changes to ward boundaries.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388536.harrow-to-lose-councillors-due-to-boundary-changes/?ref=rss

Evening update: What you need to know to get home on time

Evening all. One or two issues on the roads and rail to be mindful of tonight.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389150.helping-you-to-get-home-on-time/?ref=rss

Lewisham band member has valuable laptop snatched as he performs in pub

A 24-year-old trombone player has issued an appeal to get a high-value laptop returned after it was nicked as he performed on stage.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389058.chainska-brassika-musicians-laptop-nicked-during-fox-firkin-gig/?ref=rss

Hospital plans to close ward after patients stay double the time they were meant to

A hospital ward that struggled to recruit consultants and had patients staying for more than double the time it was designed for will close, it has been confirmed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16389019.orpington-hospital-plans-to-close-ward-after-high-costs/?ref=rss

Plan to build house on pub garden land in Greenwich thrown out

Controversial plans to build a house behind a pub in Greenwich have been thrown out by councillors.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388933.plan-to-build-house-behind-vanbrugh-tavern-pub-rejected/?ref=rss

Tributes to loving grandfather, 88, who died in crash

A grandfather who died after the car he was driving crashed into a garden "always had a joke ready."

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388876.tributes-to-loving-grandfather-88-who-died-in-crash/?ref=rss

We are taking fewer sick days than we used to

The number of sickness days taken by workers has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1993, according to official data.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386578.we-are-taking-fewer-sick-days-than-we-used-to/?ref=rss

Sutton MP calls on council to make greater use of powers after traveller camps

Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Scully has urged Sutton Council to make greater use of its powers to remove travellers after another group arrived in Cheam Park over the weekend.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388848.paul-scully-urges-council-to-use-section-61-powers-in-encampments/?ref=rss

Catford drug dealer put behind bars for being part of network supplying north Kent towns

Three men including a 32-year-old from Catford have been jailed for drug offences in Medway.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388835.catford-drug-dealer-jailed-for-cocaine-and-heroin-offences/?ref=rss

Abbey Wood widow 'waited all night' for funeral firm to collect husband's body after his death

A funeral company has apologised to a widow from Abbey Wood whose husband's body was left overnight in their home after he died.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388803.co-op-funeralcare-apologises-to-abbey-wood-widow-for-delay/?ref=rss

Blue badge will make a huge difference to people with hidden disabilities

A charity says allowing people with hidden disabilities to have a blue badge will make a huge difference.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388518.blue-badge-will-make-a-huge-difference-to-people-with-hidden-disabilities/?ref=rss

Blue badge will make a huge difference to people with hidden disabilities

A charity says allowing people with hidden disabilities to have a blue badge will make a huge difference.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388522.blue-badge-will-make-a-huge-difference-to-people-with-hidden-disabilities/?ref=rss

Blue badge will make a huge difference to people with hidden disabilities

A charity says allowing people with hidden disabilities to have a blue badge will make a huge difference.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388520.blue-badge-will-make-a-huge-difference-to-people-with-hidden-disabilities/?ref=rss

Richmond mayor helps clear up Whitton Youth Centre

Young Richmond residents are learning to cook healthy food and grow their own produce.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388705.richmond-mayor-helps-clear-up-whitton-youth-centre/?ref=rss

Man furious after ticket inspector 'forced' young girl off bus and 'threatened to call police'

A man was left stunned when he saw a ticket inspector "force" a young girl off a bus.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388675.man-furious-after-ticket-inspector-forces-young-girl-off-bus-after-threatening-to-call-police/?ref=rss

Two lanes on the QEII Bridge blocked due to vehicle fire

Two lanes on the Dartford Crossing are closed due to a vehicle fire.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388671.dartford-crossing-delays-after-qeii-bridge-blocked-by-vehicle-fire/?ref=rss

Mum-to-be from Thamesmead blames eyelash extensions for 'swollen and bleeding' eye

A mum-to-be from Thamesmead has described her horror at finding her eye swollen and bleeding after she had eyelash extensions put in.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388621.thamesmead-woman-blames-eyelash-extensions-for-swollen-and-bleeding-eye/?ref=rss

Thousands given to three Croydon schools to prevent 'deprived and disadvantaged' students turning to a life of crime

In an effort to keep some of the most "vulnerable and deprived" students from turning to a life of crime, three Croydon schools will be taking part in a new summer break project.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388492.thousands-given-to-three-croydon-schools-to-prevent-deprived-and-disadvantaged-students-turning-to-a-life-of-crime/?ref=rss

People are talking about why this Smart car in Plumstead has got a bizarre extension

A car in Plumstead is causing hilarity among residents as it appears to have a conservatory on top.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388481.why-does-this-smart-car-in-plumstead-have-a-bizarre-extension/?ref=rss

Europeans share fears over Brexit

An Italian woman has described her fears over Brexit and thinks the Mayor of London is the “only person that is fighting for Europeans”.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388193.europeans-share-fears-over-brexit/?ref=rss

'I loved every minute of it' - Hospital employee and former wrestler recalls sporting heyday

A hospital employee has spoken about his former life as a wrestling champion suffering “broken noses, cracked fingers and ribs” before one final injury forced him to retire from the sport.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386960.former-wrestler-at-northwick-park-hospital-recalls-sporting-heyday/?ref=rss

Europeans share fears over Brexit

An Italian woman has described her fears over Brexit and thinks the Mayor of London is the “only person that is fighting for Europeans”.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388190.europeans-share-fears-over-brexit/?ref=rss

Europeans share fears over Brexit

An Italian woman has described her fears over Brexit and thinks the Mayor of London is the “only person that is fighting for Europeans”.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388194.europeans-share-fears-over-brexit/?ref=rss

'My heart is in bits': Tributes to horse-and-cart rider killed in Thamesmead crash

Tributes have been paid to a father who was killed in a crash while riding a horse and cart in Thamesmead.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388355.tributes-to-horse-and-cart-rider-mikey-connors-killed-in-eastern-way-crash/?ref=rss

Man jailed after robbing mum in front of her two-year-old daughter in Chislehurst

A robber who attacked a mum while she was out with her two-year-old daughter in Chislehurst has been jailed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388318.man-jailed-after-robbing-mum-in-front-of-daughter-in-chislehurst/?ref=rss

Missing teenager could be more than 100 miles from home

Police are appealing for help in tracing a teenager who could be more than 100 miles from home.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388217.missing-teenager-could-be-more-than-100-miles-from-home/?ref=rss

Ponzi cheat scammed friends out of millions to pay for holidays and school fees

A Ponzi cheat who scammed victims out of £14.5million and used the cash to pay for holidays abroad and school fees has been jailed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388052.borehamwood-ponzi-cheat-freddy-david-jailed/?ref=rss

Wimbledon dads take on 100 mile journey for charity

A group of do-it-all dads have proved that you are never to old to take on life's challenges.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388125.wimbledon-dads-take-on-100-mile-journey-for-charity/?ref=rss

New 21-storey block of micro-flats WILL be 100 per cent affordable says developers

The developers behind a huge new tower block coming to East Croydon have said it will consist of "100 per cent genuinely affordable homes."

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388072.new-21-storey-block-of-micro-flats-will-be-100-per-cent-affordable-says-developers/?ref=rss

Ponzi cheat scammed friends out of millions to pay for holidays and school fees

A Ponzi cheat who scammed victims out of £14.5million and used the cash to pay for holidays abroad and school fees has been jailed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16388051.borehamwood-ponzi-cheat-freddy-david-jailed/?ref=rss

Blue plaque unveiled in Coulsdon to remember 1910 rail crash

A blue plaque has been unveiled in Coulsdon to commemorate a group of scouts who helped in the aftermath of a fatal train crash 108 years ago.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387917.blue-plaque-unveiled-in-coulsdon-to-remember-1910-rail-crash/?ref=rss

Office block to be converted into flats

A high street office block is set to be converted into more than 100 flats to help address the housing crisis.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386783.harrow-council-approves-plans-for-100-edgware-homes/?ref=rss

‘Heads should roll’ after council loses £14m on land

Enfield’s Conservative leader has called for heads to roll after the council lost millions of pounds on a major development site.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386885.enfield-council-loses-14m-on-land/?ref=rss

Office block to be converted into flats

A high street office block is set to be converted into more than 100 flats to help address the housing crisis.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386784.harrow-council-approves-plans-for-100-edgware-homes/?ref=rss

Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer win Love Island 2018

Our own Swanley pen salesman has won Love Island 2018 with girlfriend Dani Dyer.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387866.jack-fincham-and-dani-dyer-win-love-island-2018/?ref=rss

Morning update: Warm summers day forecast

It is a relatively incident-free morning update to bring you today with not much to report out on the roads and railways.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387813.morning-update-weather-and-travel-for-herts-london-and-essex-on-july-31/?ref=rss

Monday, July 30, 2018

Lorry crash causing 40 minute delays on M25

A crash between a lorry and a car are causing huge delays on the M25 this morning.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387771.lorry-crash-causing-40-minute-delays-on-m25/?ref=rss

Plans for new academy at old Blackheath Bluecoat site submitted

Plans for a new secondary school in Greenwich have taken a major step forward as proposals have been submitted to planning officers.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386451.leigh-academy-blackheath-plans-for-new-school-submitted-to-council/?ref=rss

Young creatives address political global climate and social media

A new play is launched this month at the Tristan Bates theatre, starring a group of London’s up and coming writers and actors. One of these rising creatives is Kwame Asiedu, a 27 year old actor and director from Tottenham.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385906.young-creatives-address-political-global-climate-and-social-media/?ref=rss

We are taking fewer sick days than we used to

The number of sickness days taken by workers has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1993, according to official data.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386580.we-are-taking-fewer-sick-days-than-we-used-to/?ref=rss

We are taking fewer sick days than we used to

The number of sickness days taken by workers has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1993, according to official data.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386575.we-are-taking-fewer-sick-days-than-we-used-to/?ref=rss

Content maintenance for SEO: research, merge & redirect

Catford site could be home to traveller pitches by 2021

A site in Catford is closer to being the new home for Lewisham’s traveller community, and could be half complete by 2021.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387198.catford-site-could-be-home-to-traveller-pitches-by-2021/?ref=rss

Men from Bromley and Bexley sentenced for ticket fraud involving 309 victims

Seven people including men from Bromley and Bexley have been convicted after an investigation into fraudulent ticket sales to big sporting events.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387193.men-from-bromley-and-bexley-sentenced-for-ticket-fraud/?ref=rss

The Love Island final - everything you need to know ahead of tonight's big event

The time has finally come and tonight we will discover who has won Love Island 2018.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386766.love-island-2018-final-everything-you-need-to-know/?ref=rss

'My life will never be the same': Hundreds sign petition after another dog killed in Beckenham Place Park

An online petition has been set up to demand action after another dog was killed after finding its way on to the railway tracks by Beckenham Place Park.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387119.hundreds-sign-petition-after-another-dog-killed-in-beckenham-place-park/?ref=rss

Rush-hour delays: Two lanes on M25 closed after crash

If you’re driving on the M25 westbound this evening prepare for delays as two lanes have been closed after a crash.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387073.rush-hour-delays-two-lanes-on-m25-closed-after-crash/?ref=rss

Rush-hour delays: Two lanes on M25 closed after crash

If you’re driving on the M25 westbound this evening prepare for delays as two lanes have been closed after a crash.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387070.rush-hour-delays-two-lanes-on-m25-closed-after-crash/?ref=rss

Rush-hour delays: Two lanes on M25 closed after crash

If you’re driving on the M25 westbound this evening prepare for delays as two lanes have been closed after a crash.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387068.rush-hour-delays-two-lanes-on-m25-closed-after-crash/?ref=rss

'Enough is enough' Youth violence to be tackled together in Enfield

The police, the council leader, councillors, an MP, faith leaders, and numerous community workers came together for the first time to discuss how they were going to tackle an alarming rise in youth violence.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16387024.enfield-council-and-police-host-meeting-to-tackle-violent-youth-crime-in-borough/?ref=rss

Police thank public after being called to man 'threatening to jump' from Charlton Bridge

Police have thanked members of the public for helping a man who was threatening to jump from a bridge in Blackheath.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386954.police-called-to-man-threatening-to-jump-from-charlton-bridge/?ref=rss

Council issues BBQ ban reminder as grass stays long

Brent Council has reminded people of the ban on barbeques across all parks in the borough following a warning from the London Fire Brigade (LFB).

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386919.brent-council-and-lfb-issue-barbeque-ban-reminder/?ref=rss

Licensing review could see music festival banned

A music festival that attracts thousands of people to the borough could be banned due to a licensing challenge.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386808.music-festival-in-haringey-park-could-be-banned/?ref=rss

'It is like a jungle': Neighbour of abandoned Orpington house sick of rats and overgrown trees

A neighbour of an empty home in Orpington has said the property is “absolutely disgusting” as she demands action.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386901.neighbour-of-abandoned-house-in-orpington-complains-about-rats/?ref=rss

Lewisham Hospital doctor WILL return to A&E job after Love Island

Love Island’s resident doctor has confirmed he will go back to working in A&E after his eight-week stint on the reality show.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386771.lewisham-hospital-doctor-will-return-to-ae-job-after-love-island/?ref=rss

£1m Lottery ticket remains unclaimed in Hillingdon

THE National Lottery is hunting for a secret millionaire – in Hillingdon.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386853.holder-has-until-january-to-claim-the-prize/?ref=rss

'It’s a very emotional day for the staff': Wide Horizons children's charity set to close down

Employees at an Eltham-based kids charity are preparing for an emotional last day following a row with Greenwich Council that has “killed” the organisation.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386597.wide-horizons-childrens-charity-in-eltham-set-to-close-down/?ref=rss

'She thought it was lettuce': Pregnant mum claims to find 'live caterpillar' on McDonald’s burger

A Bromley dad claims his pregnant partner found a live caterpillar on top of a Big Tasty McDonald's burger after ordering it to their home.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386518.live-caterpillar-found-on-bromley-mcdonalds-burger/?ref=rss

Palace fans band together to raise vital funds

Battling heavy rain and strong winds a group of Crystal Palace fans and players laced up their shoes, put on their helmets and took to the streets, all for a good cause.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386536.palace-fans-band-together-to-raise-vital-funds/?ref=rss

Boost for Hillingdon wildlife work from Heathrow fund

WILDLIFE at three nature reserves in Hillingdon will benefit from new and expanded grassland thanks to a £37,000 grant from Heathrow Community Fund’s Communities for Tomorrow programme.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386526.three-nature-reserves-to-benefit-from-award/?ref=rss

Council giving owner of Plumstead High Street 'eyesore' one month to clean up building

Greenwich Council is demanding the owner of an "eyesore" building in Plumstead carries out repairs and cleans up.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386502.plumstead-high-street-eyesore-owner-served-notice-to-clean-up-building/?ref=rss

Greenwich councillor accused of fraud suspended from outside roles

A Greenwich councillor accused of fraud has been suspended from her responsibilities outside the council.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386467.greenwich-councillor-accused-of-fraud-suspended-from-outside-roles/?ref=rss

Travellers set up in Cheam Park in latest incursion

Travellers have set up camp in Cheam Park and Recreation Ground in the latest of incidents reported across Sutton within the past few weeks.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386433.travellers-set-up-in-cheam-park-in-latest-incursion/?ref=rss

Police are on the hunt for these two men

Police are on the hunt for two men who have links across south London.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386413.police-are-on-the-hunt-for-these-two-men/?ref=rss

Bagel tycoon accused of stabbing mum and sister to death is 'unfit to stand trial'

A bagel tycoon's son accused of stabbing his mother and sister to death has been declared unfit to stand trial today (Mon).

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386359.bagel-tycoon-accused-of-stabbing-mum-and-sister-to-death-is-unfit-to-stand-trial/?ref=rss

Police hunt two men after bottles of wine stolen from garage in Bexleyheath

Police are hunting two men after wine was stolen from a petrol garage in Bexleyheath.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386349.cctv-appeal-after-shoplifting-at-esso-garage-in-bexleyheath-broadway/?ref=rss

People with 'hidden illnesses' will be entitled to a Blue Badge for parking

People who suffer from mental health conditions will now be entitled to a Blue Badge parking permit.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386345.blue-badge-disabled-parking-permit-extended-to-mental-health-conditions/?ref=rss

Stab victim 'lit up our lives', says mother

A POLISH man who came to the UK two years ago to try to better himself was stabbed to death in a street attack in Ealing, the Old Bailey heard.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386338.polish-national-was-killed-in-ealing-attack/?ref=rss

Ziggy Stardust could be commemorated as part of new 950-home Tolworth site

David Bowie’s first ever gig as Ziggy Stardust was in a pub next to the A3 in south west London – and the historic event could now be commemorated as part of plans to build 950 homes on the site.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386319.ziggy-stardust-could-be-commemorated-as-part-of-new-950-home-tolworth-site/?ref=rss

Photos: Rooftop dog yoga comes to Lewisham

Fitness lovers and their furry pets took to the 15th floor of a Lewisham terrace to enjoy some dog yoga recently.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386407.doga-rooftop-dog-yoga-comes-to-lewisham/?ref=rss

Met 'could save up to £30m and put 545 officers on streets' with latest AI

The latest artificial intelligence technology could help the Metropolitan Police Service “save up to £30 million and put an extra 545 police officers on London’s streets”.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386191.ai-met-could-save-up-to-30m-and-put-545-officers-on-streets/?ref=rss

"Despicable, cowardly attack' - Elderly man robbed on his doorstep in Downham

An 88-year-old man from Downham robbed on his doorstep says he is “lucky” his wife was able to scare off his attackers.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386043.elderly-man-robbed-on-doorstep-in-downham-in-despicable-attack/?ref=rss

Erith church open for people grieving for six-year-old who died after going into sea at Margate

An Erith church has opened its doors to the community as it grieves for a six-year-old girl who died after being pulled out of Margate Harbour.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385958.erith-girl-who-died-after-going-into-sea-at-margate-mourned-at-church/?ref=rss

Armed robber who threatened staff with knife in terrifying South Darenth shop raid jailed

An armed robber from Abbey Wood who was arrested after leaving fingerprints at the scene of his crime has been jailed for six years.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386141.armed-robber-jailed-for-south-darenth-co-op-raid/?ref=rss

Hero storms house to save baby from burning building

A HERO father tore into a house to save a baby and a family from a raging fire.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385981.hero-storms-house-to-save-baby-from-burning-building-in-north-harrow/?ref=rss

‘Heroic’ security man chases thieves after woman mugged at Lee Green Sainsbury’s cashpoint

A victim of a cashpoint mugging has hailed a security guard as her hero after he bravely chased the thief.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386093.woman-praises-security-man-after-mugging-at-lee-green-sainsburys/?ref=rss

Croydon architecture student rewarded for 'all-round excellence'

A Croydon architecture student has been rewarded for displaying the "highest standard of all-round excellence."

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386062.croydon-architecture-student-rewarded-for-all-round-excellence/?ref=rss

English Youth Ballet chooses nine SE London dancers to perform in Swan Lake

Nine talented dancers from south-east London has been chosen by English Youth Ballet to perform in a professional production.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16386028.english-youth-ballet-chooses-nine-se-london-dancers-to-perform-in-swan-lake/?ref=rss

Wimbledon man conquers the world in epic 11-month yacht race

It may have taken him longer than 80 days, but Wimbledon man Nigel Hulcombe has sailed his way around the world.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385907.wimbledon-man-conquers-the-world-in-epic-11-month-yacht-race/?ref=rss

Two men in hospital following attack in an alleyway

Two men have been admitted to hospital with injuries following an attack in an alleyway.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385816.two-men-in-hospital-after-attack-in-harrow/?ref=rss

The new UK law on flying drones which could land you in jail for five years

The government has introduced new laws on flying drones today - and anyone breaking the rules faces five years in jail.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385776.the-new-uk-law-on-flying-drones-which-could-land-you-in-jail-for-five-years/?ref=rss

The new UK law on flying drones which could land you in jail for five years

The government has introduced new laws on flying drones today - and anyone breaking the rules faces five years in jail.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385773.the-new-uk-law-on-flying-drones-which-could-land-you-in-jail-for-five-years/?ref=rss

The new UK law on flying drones which could land you in jail for five years

The government has introduced new laws on flying drones today - and anyone breaking the rules faces five years in jail.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385771.the-new-uk-law-on-flying-drones-which-could-land-you-in-jail-for-five-years/?ref=rss

Legal challenge against council’s housing developer fails

A High Court challenge to have an approved Brick by Brick development overturned has been squashed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385760.brick-by-brick-legal-challenge-fails/?ref=rss

Does your charity need help? Applications for this year's Gannett Foundation grants are open

It’s that time of year again when we invite deserving good causes to apply for a cash donation towards a special project.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385807.applications-for-2018-gannett-foundation-grants-are-open/?ref=rss

Man, 78, dies after being hit by bus near Clapham Junction station

A 78-year-old man has died after being hit by a bus near to Clapham Junction railway station.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385709.man-dies-after-being-hit-by-bus-near-clapham-junction-station/?ref=rss

Have you seen this man?

A construction worker went missing from a building site last week.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385654.man-went-missing-from-stanmore-construction-site-last-week/?ref=rss

'Justice is coming' - Father warns fugitive speedboat killer as international manhunt underway

The father of a woman who died in a River Thames speedboat crash has warned the fugitive owner "justice is coming" for him.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385593.father-warns-fugitive-speedboat-killer-as-international-manhunt-underway/?ref=rss

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Morning Update: Traffic, congestion, rain and sunny spells

The blistering heat finally breaks.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385583.morning-update-traffic-congestion-rain-and-sunny-spells/?ref=rss

Dodgy track near Clapham Junction causing big early morning delays

If going back to work on a Monday wasn't bad enough, there are some significant train delays to ad to the mix.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385568.train-delays-defective-track-near-clapham-junction-causing-problems-on-south-western-railway/?ref=rss

Woman discovers postcard from First World War

A grandaughter unearthed a family mystery after finding a postcard from the First World War.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16385055.woman-discovers-postcard-from-first-world-war/?ref=rss

The cheapest homes to buy in Bexley right now

It is so often drilled into us that buying a home in London is simply unaffordable.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384816.the-cheapest-homes-to-buy-in-bexley-right-now/?ref=rss

Body found in woodland

Officers have suspended the search for 70-year-old Geoffrey Lawton, who was missing from his home in Tottenham.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384839.the-tottenham-mans-body-was-found-by-wakes-arms-roundabout-in-loughton/?ref=rss

'Above party politics' - Former councillor is first woman to become freeman

A former Conservative councillor has become the first woman to be awarded the freedom of the town.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382350.former-councillor-is-first-woman-to-receive-freedom-of-harrow/?ref=rss

Plans for huge makeover of Bromley town centre to be unveiled at The Glades exhibition

Plans for a major regeneration scheme in Bromley town centre will be further outlined at The Glades Shopping Centre.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384750.plans-for-bromley-town-centre-masterplan-to-be-unveiled-at-the-glades/?ref=rss

Erith girl, 6, dies after getting into difficulty in Margate Harbour

A six-year-old girl from Erith has died after getting into difficulty in Margate Harbour.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384703.erith-girl-dies-after-getting-into-difficulty-in-margate-harbour/?ref=rss

Hero rescues mum, baby and man from flat fire

A hero passer-by helped rescue a mother, baby and a man from a flat fire.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384660.hero-rescues-mum-baby-and-man-from-flat-fire-in-harrow/?ref=rss

Revealed: The best places to live in London – and it’s good news for us in the south

Have you ever debated with friends about which London borough is the best to live in? This new research has set out to find the answer.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384150.revealed-bromley-is-the-second-best-place-to-live-in-london/?ref=rss

Police concerned after Croydon mum and her baby go missing

Police are asking for help after a young mum and her baby boy went missing.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384613.police-concerned-after-croydon-mum-and-her-baby-go-missing/?ref=rss

What do you eat when you are dining with the stars?

Well, I have survived another week although I must admit at my age I would now rather prefer some cooler weather. However, the sun does boost my spirits so I must not complain. I must start by thanking 84-years-young Peter from St Albans for his kind comments.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16371360.secrets-of-interviewing-cinema-stars-at-elstree/?ref=rss

Contentious plan for flats in Bexley Village set to be approved

A contentious scheme to bulldoze buildings in Bexley Village and build a block of flats are set to be approved next week despite objections.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382811.tanyard-lane-plans-for-flats-in-bexley-set-for-approval/?ref=rss

What do you eat when you are dining with the stars?

Well, I have survived another week although I must admit at my age I would now rather prefer some cooler weather. However, the sun does boost my spirits so I must not complain. I must start by thanking 84-years-young Peter from St Albans for his kind comments.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16371359.secrets-of-interviewing-cinema-stars-at-elstree/?ref=rss

Lewisham burns 4 in 5 tonnes of rubbish - one of the highest rates in England

Four in every five tonnes of rubbish produced in Lewisham are burnt at an energy-from-waste plant, one of the highest rates of incineration in England.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382927.lewisham-burns-4-in-5-tonnes-of-rubbish-one-of-the-highest-rates-in-england/?ref=rss

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Local Labour members call on party to change stance on antisemitism

Labour members in the constituency with largest Jewish population in the UK have urged the party to change its stance on antisemitism.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382915.barnet-labour-presses-party-on-antisemitism/?ref=rss

Hospital specialising in cutting edge surgery receives £25,000

A hospital that specialises in cutting edge surgery for bowel cancers received £25,000 from Masons.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383192.st-marks-hospital-foundation-in-harrow-receives-25000/?ref=rss

Top 10 best cheap places to eat in Bromley according to reviews

Are you looking for the perfect place for a satisfying meal at a reasonable price? If so, this may help you.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384284.top-10-best-cheap-places-to-eat-in-bromley-according-to-tripadvisor/?ref=rss

15-year-old boys who stabbed teen to death jailed - and they have all been named

Five 15-year-olds who lured a defenceless teen to a service road and murdered him have been jailed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384213.15-year-olds-who-stabbed-jacob-abraham-to-death-in-waltham-cross-jailed/?ref=rss

MP welcomes latest jobs figures but says there is 'more to do'

An MP has welcomed news the number of people unemployed in his constituency has fallen.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383364.harrow-east-mp-welcomes-latest-jobs-figures/?ref=rss

Man with blade charged after acting suspiciously outside Bickley train station

A 25-year-old man has been charged after being caught with a blade in Bickley.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384101.man-with-blade-charged-after-acting-suspiciously-outside-bickley-train-station/?ref=rss

Students raise more than £1,000 for children with disabilities

A group of students have raised more than £1,000 so that a charity can buy playground equipment for children with disabilities.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382519.sinai-school-in-harrow-raise-1096-for-children-with-disabilities/?ref=rss

Students raise more than £1,000 for children with disabilities

A group of students have raised more than £1,000 so that a charity can buy playground equipment for children with disabilities.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382531.sinai-school-in-harrow-raise-1096-for-children-with-disabilities/?ref=rss

Woman in critical condition after hit and run in Crystal Palace

A 28-year-old woman has been critically injured after being struck by a car in Crystal Palace.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384041.woman-in-critical-condition-after-hit-and-run-in-crystal-palace/?ref=rss

Man with a horse and cart dies after crash with car in Thamesmead

A man has died after being struck by a car in Thamesmead this morning.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384003.man-with-a-horse-and-cart-dies-after-crash-with-car-in-eastern-way/?ref=rss

Man in his 30s found dead in Plumstead

A man in his 30s has been found dead in Plumstead after police found him unresponsive.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16384007.man-in-his-30s-found-dead-in-plumstead/?ref=rss

Nursery school hosts celebration to mark NHS birthday

A nursery school was transformed into a doctor’s surgery to mark the NHS’s 70th birthday.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380604.treetops-nursery-in-harrow-celebrates-nhs70/?ref=rss

Heart attacks and strokes could be prevented

Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented by 'nudging' GPs to put more patients on cholesterol-lowering statins, according to new research.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382509.heart-attacks-and-strokes-could-be-prevented/?ref=rss

Spending squeeze as council looks to balance books

Adults’ and children’s services face a spending squeeze as Enfield Council comes under pressure to balance its books.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382873.enfield-council-spending-squeeze/?ref=rss

Conman jailed after scamming Petts Wood woman out of £17,000 for fake roof problem

A 31-year-old conman has been jailed after forcing a woman to pay £17,000 to fix a roof which was never even broken.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383964.conman-jailed-after-17k-petts-wood-roof-repair-scam/?ref=rss

Greenwich Council has spent nearly £18m on temporary staff in a year

An increase in agency staff has cost Greenwich Council an extra £2m in the past year, according to a new report.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382836.greenwich-council-spends-179m-on-temporary-agency-staff-in-year/?ref=rss

Mayor blames middle-class drug use for violence

The Mayor of London has blamed middle-class recreational drug use for the spate of violent killings in the capital this year.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382736.mayor-blames-middle-class-drug-use-for-violence/?ref=rss

Mayor blames middle-class drug use for violence

The Mayor of London has blamed middle-class recreational drug use for the spate of violent killings in the capital this year.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382741.mayor-blames-middle-class-drug-use-for-violence/?ref=rss

Questions raised over Lewisham Council's huge £15.6m overspend

Lewisham Council’s £15.6m overspend on children’s services was due to a systems failure and “assumptions in the budget” – but wasn’t flagged as early as it could have been.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382938.lewisham-councils-156m-overspend-not-flagged-soon-enough/?ref=rss

Mayor blames middle-class drug use for violence

The Mayor of London has blamed middle-class recreational drug use for the spate of violent killings in the capital this year.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382738.mayor-blames-middle-class-drug-use-for-violence/?ref=rss

Friday, July 27, 2018

10 cheap ideas to keep the kids entertained over the summer holidays

Kids on their school holidays are in constant need of entertainment, making the summer holidays demanding.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379599.10-cheap-ideas-to-keep-the-kids-entertained-over-the-summer-holidays/?ref=rss

Ask Yoast: How to update images without losing rankings?

Lewisham Love Island star could be kicked out tonight in shock dumping

A Lewisham doctor faces being kicked out of Love Island's villa tonight.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382923.love-island-2018-lewisham-doctor-alex-george-could-be-voted-off/?ref=rss

Up to five animals a week are still being killed by the Croydon Cat Killer according to a local charity

Up to five animals a week are still being killed by the Croydon Cat Killer according to a local charity. Boudicca Rising from South Norwood Animal Rescue League (SNARL) addressed the Croydon Safer Neighbourhood Board on Wednesday (July 25) to ask for £1,000 which would be spent on leaflets handed out after incidents in the area. “It’s not pretty, it’s nasty and it needs to end – and essentially we are trying to do that,” she said. “The police have been amazing and we are all collectively doing our best when there has been an attack. “One of the things we know about this predator is that if he likes an area he goes back to an area. “We let people know what happened the other reason we leaflet is we don’t want people to throw away evidence if they do come across it.” She said that in the last month and a half there have been 17 incidents in and around Croydon, including the killing of cats, foxes and rabbits. “It is clear that these attacks are designed to cause emotional harm to humans,” added Boudicca. It will be decided by email how much or whether the organisation will get funding.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383491.up-to-five-animals-a-week-are-still-being-killed-by-the-croydon-cat-killer-according-to-a-local-charity/?ref=rss

Man who raped 12-year-old girl 40 years ago is jailed

A Wandsworth man found guilty of raping a 12-year-old girl in 1978 at his home in Croydon has been jailed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383395.colin-hudson-man-found-guilty-of-raping-girl-12-in-1978-jailed/?ref=rss

Huge new 32-acre public park is coming to town

A 32-acre park is coming to south London – the capital’s first new public park since the 2012 Olympics.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383290.huge-new-32-acre-public-park-is-coming-to-town/?ref=rss

Fury over new bins as people struggle to find space to put them

Reaction to the arrival of new bins on doorsteps around the Croydon has been mixed, with many residents expressing anger about the new scheme.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383278.fury-over-new-bins-as-people-struggle-to-find-space-to-put-them/?ref=rss

Evening update: Weather and travel details

Evening all and a very happy Friday to you. It’s been absolutely scorching weather this week, but a storm is brewing. Be sure to check out our weather report. One or two issues on the roads and rail to be mindful of too.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383258.helping-you-to-get-home-on-time/?ref=rss

Evening update: Bringing you travel and weather details

Evening all and a very happy Friday to you. It’s been absolutely scorching weather this week, but a storm is brewing. Be sure to check out our weather report. One or two issues on the roads and rail to be mindful of too.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383230.helping-you-to-get-home-on-time/?ref=rss

Live updates as south London gets its first rain in weeks

Reports are flooding in that it is raining across south London

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383107.live-updates-as-south-london-gets-its-first-rain-in-weeks/?ref=rss

Major plans to redevelop Pocklington Court into 100 percent 'affordable' housing scheme approved

Major plans to redevelop a former specialist residence for the blind and partially sighted into a 100 percent “affordable housing” scheme have been approved.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383016.redevelopment-of-pocklington-court-into-affordable-housing-approved/?ref=rss

Evening update: What you need to know to get home on time

Evening all and a very happy Friday to you. It’s been absolutely scorching weather this week, but a storm is brewing. Be sure to check out our weather report. One or two issues on the roads and rail to be mindful of too.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383210.helping-you-to-get-home-on-time/?ref=rss

Marchers will take to the streets against gang violence

Marchers will make a stand against gang violence.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383187.marchers-will-take-to-the-streets-against-gang-violence-in-enfield-and-haringey/?ref=rss

Police searching for man after attemped armed robbery in West Molesey

A West Molesey convenience store was been subject to an attempted robbery earlier this week.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383186.police-searching-for-man-after-attemped-armed-robbery-in-west-molesey/?ref=rss

Severe delays on Dartford Crossing after Princes Road crash

There are severe delays on the Dartford Crossing after a three-car crash in Princes Road.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383084.severe-delays-on-dartford-crossing-after-princes-road-crash/?ref=rss

BBQ ban in full effect as council heeds warning from fire brigade

There will be no more BBQs in Merton parks "until further notice."

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16383058.bbq-ban-in-full-effect-as-council-heeds-warning-from-fire-brigade/?ref=rss

Most Wanted - July 27

Here are the most wanted offenders from Barnet Police.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382748.barnet-most-wanted-july-27/?ref=rss

Council signs off on £100k assistant director job after a year of agency staff

Council bosses have signed off on advertising for a £100k job currently being filled on an interim basis.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382844.greenwich-council-approval-for-100k-job-after-year-of-agency-staff/?ref=rss

Woman with anorexia 'turned away from Tooting hospital because she wasn't skinny enough'

A woman who nearly died from anorexia as a teen says she was horrified to be turned away from a Tooting hospital after a relapse two years ago.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382797.woman-turned-away-from-hospital-because-she-wasnt-skinny-enough/?ref=rss

Why will thunderstorms hit the UK? Your questions answered

Severe thunderstorms are expected in parts of England as the country continues to sizzle through a searing heatwave.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382970.why-will-thunderstorms-hit-the-uk-your-questions-answered/?ref=rss

Mayor calls for devolution of stamp duty receipts

The Mayor of London has called for more stamp duty receipts to be devolved to the Greater London Authority (GLA) to help build more affordable homes in the capital.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382640.mayor-calls-for-devolution-of-stamp-duty-receipts/?ref=rss

Mayor calls for devolution of stamp duty receipts

The Mayor of London has called for more stamp duty receipts to be devolved to the Greater London Authority (GLA) to help build more affordable homes in the capital.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382636.mayor-calls-for-devolution-of-stamp-duty-receipts/?ref=rss

Mayor calls for devolution of stamp duty receipts

The Mayor of London has called for more stamp duty receipts to be devolved to the Greater London Authority (GLA) to help build more affordable homes in the capital.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382633.mayor-calls-for-devolution-of-stamp-duty-receipts/?ref=rss

Cervical cancer screening clinics being made more accessible for the women of Merton

Four medical practices across Merton will be making themselves available for evening and weekend cervical cancer screenings.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382917.cervical-cancer-screening-clinics-being-made-more-accessible-for-the-women-of-merton/?ref=rss

Tory councillor hails victory over ‘garden grabbers’

A Conservative councillor has hailed a victory over ‘garden grabbers’ after stopping developers building behind homes.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382341.barnet-tory-councillor-opposes-garden-grabbers/?ref=rss

Croydon mechanic rewarded for nearly four decades' worth of work

In an age where jumping jobs is becoming more and more common, one Croydon man is proving there is nothing wrong with dancing with the one that brought you.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382733.croydon-mechanic-rewarded-for-nearly-four-decades-worth-of-work/?ref=rss

Belvedere mum is doing her bit in the heatwave by offering water to delivery people and dogs

The world can be a bit doom and gloom sometimes with the increase in crime and the never-ending Brexit debate - but here is a lovely happy story to lead you into the weekend.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382714.belvedere-mum-offering-water-to-delivery-people-and-dogs-in-heatwave/?ref=rss

The heatwave is still wreaking havoc as it causes travel chaos

The heatwave is causing havoc in Britain with people getting into difficulty in rivers and holidaymakers facing travel disruption.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382570.the-heatwave-is-still-wreaking-havoc-as-it-causes-travel-chaos/?ref=rss

Wandsworth primary school pupils showcase poetry talents

Pupils from two Wandsworth primary schools joined forces to showcase their poetry talents during a live performance earlier this month.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382617.poetry-in-the-park-wandsworth-school-pupils-showcase-skills/?ref=rss

'Coward' who killed date in Thames speedboat crash gets six years in jail - if he's caught

A "cowardly" speedboat owner who killed his date in a crash on the Thames has been jailed for six years in his absence.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382538.charlotte-brown-death-speedboat-owner-sentenced-over-thames-crash/?ref=rss

Overturned car shuts M25

The M25 is shut for two junctions after a car overturned.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382542.m25-shut-between-j21a-for-m1-and-j23-for-south-mimms-after-car-overturns/?ref=rss

Grass fire equivalent to two rugby pitches has broken out in Plumstead

A grass fire the size of two rugby pitches has broken out at Winn's Common in Plumstead.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382462.grass-fire-at-winns-common-in-plumstead-size-of-two-rugby-pitches/?ref=rss

Thugs who left victim with facial fractures after Crayford attack to spend longer in prison

Two thugs from Belvedere and Erith who chased a man from outside a Crayford pub and beat him up in a "disgraceful and brutal attack" have had their jail terms extended.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382448.crayford-gbh-pub-attackers-have-jail-sentences-extended/?ref=rss

Aunt's appeal after 'heartbroken' little girl loses her teddy in Eltham

An Eltham woman is pleading for people to look out for a cuddly toy which her "heartbroken" niece has lost.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382436.appeal-after-heartbroken-little-girl-loses-teddy-in-eltham/?ref=rss

Column: Saaher Muzafer Mac Backup – forgotten but important

Backup Everything, a Cloud Backup company from Richmond is urging people to backup their Mac-based machines as it is often being neglected with nothing in place to prevent data loss. 

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382376.column-saaher-muzafer-mac-backup-forgotten-but-important/?ref=rss

A kids' charity says it is being forced to close next week - and blames Greenwich Council

A children’s charity says it is being forced to close down and has accused Greenwich Council of a last-minute U-turn on a vital loan that would have kept it afloat.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382349.wide-horizons-charity-set-to-close-and-blames-greenwich-council/?ref=rss

Gas works to close part of major Wandsworth road for SIX weeks

From the start of August, people who travel through a major Wandsworth road might want to find a detour.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382348.gas-works-to-close-part-of-major-wandsworth-road-for-six-weeks/?ref=rss

Harlequins' James Horwill praises new players

James Horwill has praised Harlequins’ new players for their professionalism and work ethic and says he cannot wait to join them on the training pitch as the season approaches.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382225.harlequins-james-horwill-praises-new-players/?ref=rss

Wandsworth County Court set to close in cost-cutting plans

Wandsworth County Court is set to close alongside others across England next year in a bid by the Government to save cash.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382188.wandsworth-county-court-set-to-close-in-cost-cutting-plans/?ref=rss

Multi-million pound revamp of Mitcham town centre complete

It has been a long time coming, but the multi-million pound project to revamp Mitcham town centre has now been completed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382148.multi-million-pound-revamp-of-mitcham-town-centre-complete/?ref=rss

Police appeal to find missing 18-year-old Greenwich woman

Police are appealing for anyone who might have seen this missing Greenwich girl.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382130.police-appeal-to-find-missing-iman-flanders-from-greenwich/?ref=rss

Police appeal after moped rider 'plunged knife into car' in Ladywell road-rage incident

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man plunged a knife into a car in a road-rage incident in Ladywell.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382089.moped-rider-plunges-knife-into-car-in-ladywell-road-rage-incident/?ref=rss

Judge names teenager in stabbing case where 14-year-old nearly bled to death

A judge has lifted an anonymity order on a 17-year-old who knifed another teenager three times to the face and neck, in a bid to tackle the "epidemic" levels of knife crime.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382014.judge-names-teenager-in-stabbing-case-where-14-year-old-nearly-bled-to-death/?ref=rss

How the Barnet Borough Times can help your charity

The Gannett Foundation is the charitable arm of Gannett Co Inc., the parent company of Newsquest Media Group, one of the UK's largest publishers and owners of the St Albans Review. We provide funding to registered charities in the areas where we operate local newspapers and websites.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381012.charities-in-barnet-invited-to-apply-for-gannett-grants/?ref=rss

How the Harrow Times can help your charity

The Gannett Foundation is the charitable arm of Gannett Co Inc., the parent company of Newsquest Media Group, one of the UK's largest publishers and owners of the St Albans Review. We provide funding to registered charities in the areas where we operate local newspapers and websites.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381013.charities-in-harrow-invited-to-apply-for-gannett-grants/?ref=rss

How the Enfield Independent can help your charity

The Gannett Foundation is the charitable arm of Gannett Co Inc., the parent company of Newsquest Media Group, one of the UK's largest publishers and owners of the St Albans Review. We provide funding to registered charities in the areas where we operate local newspapers and websites.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381020.enfield-charities-urged-to-apply-for-gannett-grants/?ref=rss

How the Tottenham Independent can help your charity

The Gannett Foundation is the charitable arm of Gannett Co Inc., the parent company of Newsquest Media Group, one of the UK's largest publishers and owners of the St Albans Review. We provide funding to registered charities in the areas where we operate local newspapers and websites.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381019.haringey-charities-urged-to-apply-for-gannett-grants/?ref=rss

Like a furnace - how shielding your baby's pram or car seat from the sun can be dangerous

London is feeling the heat this week with temperatures reaching 35C but did you know that shielding your baby from the sun could put them in danger?

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382070.covering-your-babys-pram-or-car-seat-in-the-sun-could-be-dangerous/?ref=rss

Police appeal after man 'plunged knife into car then made off on a moped' in Ladywell

Police are appealing for witnesses as man plunged knife into a car whilst shouting in Ladywell.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16382057.police-appeal-after-man-plunged-knife-into-car-then-made-off-on-a-moped-in-ladywell/?ref=rss

'We are united in our desire to see the transfer of Mitcham cricket pavilion' - Politicians unite in bid to save club

The fight to save the Mitcham Cricket Green has been handed a big boost.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381938.mitcham-cricket-green-politicians-unite-in-bid-to-save-club/?ref=rss

Watch: Fire rages through grassland behind Bethlem Hospital

Dramatic footage has emerged of an enormous grassland fire in the field behind Bethlem Hospital in Beckenham.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381888.bethlem-hospital-fire-dramatic-footage-emerges-of-blaze-in-beckenham-field/?ref=rss

Man found guilty of 'Hollywood film' style murder just yards from Croydon police station

The man who shot ‘Tino’ Makwanya in the head outside a Croydon police station last year has been jailed for murder.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381800.tino-makwanya-murder-man-jailed-for-flyover-shooting/?ref=rss

Love Island baby challenge prompts cot death warning from doctors

A doctor is warning Love Island viewers about the risk of cot death after the show's parenting challenge exposed contestants' lack of knowledge.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381899.love-island-baby-challenge-prompts-cot-death-warning-from-doctors/?ref=rss

Photo of man wanted in connection with 'unprovoked' stabbing in Croydon as public warned not to approach him

Police have released a photo of a man they urgently want to find after an "unprovoked stabbing" in Croydon.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381714.selson-road-unprovoked-stabbing-police-looking-for-man-in-connection-with-attack/?ref=rss

Welling woman's family appeals to man responsible for her death to appear for sentencing

The family of Charlotte Brown from Welling who died after a speedboat capsized in the river Thames have appealed to the man responsible for her death to face the consequences.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381675.charlotte-browns-family-appeals-to-jack-shepherd-to-turn-up-to-his-sentencing/?ref=rss

Morning update: Rain really is on the way (finally!)

Good morning! Today or at least this weekend may finally be the time where our gardens feel some love.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381651.morning-update-rain-really-is-on-the-way-finally/?ref=rss

Huge field fire in West Wickham prompts yet another warning from Fire Brigade

The London Fire Brigade has issued another warning about fire safety after a grass fire in West Wickham.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381635.london-fire-brigade-warning-after-fire-in-west-wickham/?ref=rss

Drama school offers free places to Ealing residents

DRAMA Studio London is offering two free places on each of its two-week August summer courses to Ealing borough residents aged 18 to 25.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381619.summer-school-places-will-offer-taste-of-acting-school/?ref=rss

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Brigade urges boroughs to impose BBQ ban

ALL London boroughs have been asked by the fire service to impose a temporary ban on brabecues in public parks.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16381597.hillingdon-has-worst-record-of-grass-fires-in-july/?ref=rss

Heritage ‘protected’ as housing plans turned down

Harrow Council refused planning permission for a housing development on the site of an old Victorian powerhouse after accusing the applicant of “going too far”.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380693.harrow-council-rejects-the-powerhouse-development/?ref=rss

Lewisham's employment rate is up but many still living in poverty

The employment rate in Lewisham has increased by more than six per cent over the past year, but many working residents are still living in poverty.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380104.lewishams-employment-rate-is-up-but-many-still-living-in-poverty/?ref=rss

'Concerns the service wasn’t well managed': Council responds to ward closure plan at Orpington hospital

Proposals to close a hospital ward 18 months after it opened have sparked concerns from with council bosses that the service “wasn’t well managed”.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379960.orpington-hospital-council-concerned-over-plans-to-shut-ward/?ref=rss

Council’s Meridian Water plan ‘better deal for residents’

Enfield Council’s decision not to work with a single master developer on Meridian Water will lead to a better deal for residents, the council leader has said.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380171.enfield-council-outlines-meridian-water-plan/?ref=rss

100th birthday for nurse who always helped people

A mother who “always puts other people first” has celebrated her 100th birthday.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380148.former-nurse-celebrates-100th-birthday-at-barnet-care-home/?ref=rss

Calls for more renewable energy

Politicians in Harrow have called on property developers to make use of renewable energy to help improve the borough’s environment.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380529.harrow-politicians-promote-renewable-energy-in-homes/?ref=rss

Why you shouldn't shield your baby's pram with a muslin cloth

Two parent bloggers have warned of the dangers of shielding babies' prams with a muslin cloth - after the fabric heated up their pram by 13 degrees in just seven minutes.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380427.why-you-shouldnt-shield-your-babys-pram-with-a-muslin-cloth/?ref=rss

How to optimize WordPress after running a page speed test

If you’re serious about your WordPress website, you have run a page speed test at some point. There are many variations of these tests out there. Some more convenient and true to your target audience than others. But they all will give you a pretty decent idea of where you can still improve your site. 

Certain speed optimizations may come across as “technically challenging” for some of you. Luckily, you have set up a WordPress website. And one of the things that make WordPress so awesome is the availability of WordPress plugins. Some free, some paid, but they all will help you to simplify difficult tasks. In this article, we’ll first show you a couple of page speed tests so you can check your page speed yourself. After that, we’ll go into a number of speed optimization recommendations. And show you how to solve these using just plugins.

Running a page speed test

Running a page speed test is as simple as inserting your website’s URL into a form on a website. That website then analyzes your website and comes up with recommendations. I’d like to mention two of those, but there are much more tests available.

  1. Pingdom provides a tool for speed testing. The nice thing is that you can test from different servers. For instance, from a server that is relatively close to you. Especially if you are targeting a local audience, this is a nice way to see how fast your website for them is.
  2. Google Lighthouse is a performance tool that lives in your browser. Click right on a page, choose Inspect and check the Audits tab in the new window that opens in your browser. Here, you can test speed for mobile device or desktop, and on different bandwidths for example. The test result looks like this:
    Google Lighthouse test result
    Small remark: most sites appear slower in Lighthouse. This is because Lighthouse emulates a number of devices, for instance, a slow mobile/3g connection. (see the second bar in the screenshot above). With mobile first, this is actually a good thing, right?

Before Lighthouse, Google PageSpeed Insights already showed us a lot of speed improvements. They even let you download of optimized images, CSS and JS files. As you are working with WordPress, it might be a hard task to replace your files with these optimized ones though. Luckily, WordPress has plugins.

There are many, many more speed testing tools available online. These are just a few that I wanted to mention before going into WordPress solutions that will help you improve speed.

Optimizing your page speed using WordPress plugins

After running a page speed test, I am pretty sure that most website owners feel they should invest some time into optimizing that speed for their website. You will have a dozen recommendations. These recommendations differ from things you can do yourselves and some things that you might need technical help for.

Image optimization

Your speed test might return this recommendation:image optimization for speed
Images usually play a large part in speed optimization, especially if you use large header images. Or if your site is image-heavy overall. It’s always a good idea to optimize these images. And it can be done with little quality loss these days. One of the things to look for is, like in the page speed test example above, images that are in fact larger than they are shown on your screen. If you have an image that covers your entire screen, and squeeze that into a 300 x 200 pixels spot on your website, you might be using an image of several MB’s. Instead, you could also change the dimensions of your image before uploading. And serve the image in the right dimensions and at a file size of some KB’s instead. By reducing the file size, you are speeding up your website.

Setting image dimensions in WordPress

WordPress comes with a handy default feature, where every image you upload is stored in several dimensions:Settings > Media
So if you want all the images in your posts to be the same width, pick one of the predefined ones or set your custom dimensions here. Images that you upload scale accordingly to these dimensions and the image in the original dimensions will also be available for you.

If you load, for instance, the medium size image instead of the much larger original, this will serve an image in a smaller file size, and this will be faster.

Image optimization plugins

There are also a number of image optimization plugins (paid and free) for WordPress available, like Kraken.io, Smush or Imagify. These might, for instance, remove so-called Exif data from the image. That is data that is really interesting for a photographer and will contain information about what settings the camera used to make that photo. Not really something you need for the image in your blog post, unless perhaps if you are in fact a photographer. Depending on your settings, you could also have these plugins replace your image with an image that is slightly lower in quality, for instance.

Some of these aforementioned plugins can also help you resize your images, by the way. Test these plugins for yourself and see which one is most convenient to work with and minifies your image files the best way. For further reading about image optimization, be sure to check this post about image SEO.

Browser cache

Another issue that comes across a lot in page speed tests is browser cache optimization.
Pingdom browser cache recommendation
Browser cache is about storing website files, like JS and CSS, in your local temporary internet files folder, so that they can be retrieved quickly on your next visit. Or, as Mozilla puts it:

The Firefox cache temporarily stores images, scripts, and other parts of websites you visit in order to speed up your browsing experience.

Caching in WP Super Cache

Most speed optimization plugins help you to optimize this caching. Sometimes as simple as this:
WP Super Cache
The Advanced tab of WP Super Cache here has a lot of more in-depth configuration for that, but starting out with the set defaults of a plugin is usually a good start. After that, start tweaking these advanced settings and see what they do.

Note that WP Super Cache has an option to disable cache for what they call “known users”. These are logged in users (and commenters), which allows for development (or commenting) without caching. That means for every refresh of the website in the browser window, you will get the latest state of that website instead of a cached version. That last one might be older because of that expiration time. If you set that expiration time to say 3600 seconds, a browser will only check for changes of the cached website after an hour. You see how that can be annoying if you want to see, for instance, design changes right away while developing.

Other WordPress caching plugins

I mention WP Super Cache here because it’s free and easy to use for most users. But there are alternatives. WP Fastest Cache is popular as well, with over 600K+ active installs. It has similar features to optimize caching:
WP Fastest Cache
A paid plugin that I also like is WP Rocket. It’s so easy to configure, that you’ll wonder if you have done things right. But your page speed test will tell you that it works pretty much immediately straight out-of-the-box. Let me explain something about compression and show you WP Rockets settings for that.

Compression

Regardless of whether your page speed test tool tells you to:

  • Try to minify your CSS files,
  • minify the JS files of your site,
  • minify your HTML files or
  • enable (GZIP) compression

These recommendations are all compression related. It’s about making your files as small as possible before sending them to a browser. It’s like reducing the file size of your images, but for JavaScript or CSS files, or for instance your HTML file itself. GZIP compression is about sending a zipped file to your browser, that your browser can unzip and read. Recommendations may look like this:
Minify recommendation Lightspeed
In WP Rocket, the settings for compression look like this:
WP Rocket - Compression
Again, a lot is set to the right settings by default, as we do in Yoast SEO, but even more can be configured to your needs. How well compression works, might depend on your server settings as well.

If you feel like the compression optimization that is done with any of the plugins mentioned above fails, contact your hosting company and see if and how they can help you configure compression for your website. They will surely be able to help you out, especially when you are using one of these WordPress hosting companies.

Serving CSS and JS files

One more thing that speed tests will tell you, is to combine (external) CSS or JavaScript files or defer parsing scripts. These recommendations are about the way these files are served to the website.

The combine option for these files is, like you can see in the WP Rocket screenshot above, not recommended for HTTP/2 websites. For these websites, multiple script files can be loaded at the same time. For non-HTTP/2 sites, combining these files will lower the number of server requests, which again makes your site faster.

Deferring scripts or recommendations like “Eliminate render-blocking JavaScript and CSS in above-the-fold content” are about the way these scripts are loaded in your template files. If all of these are served from the top section of your template, your browser will wait to show (certain elements of) your page until these files are fully loaded. Sometimes it pays to transfer less-relevant scripts to the footer of your template, so your browser will first show your website. It can add the enhancements that these JavaScripts or CSS files make later. A plugin that can help you with this is Scripts-to-Footer. Warning: test this carefully. If you change the way that these files load, this can impact your website. Things may all of a sudden stop working or look different.

We have to mention CDNs

A Content Delivery Network caches static content. With static content, we mean files like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and image files. These files don’t change that often, so we can serve them from a CDN with many servers that are located near your visitors, so you can get them to your visitors super fast. It’s like traveling: the shorter the trip, the faster you get to your destination. Common sense, right? The same goes for these files. If the server that is serving the static file is located near your visitor (and servers are equally fast, obviously), the site will load faster for that visitor. Please read this post if you want to know more about CDNs.

There are many ways to optimize page speed in WordPress

Page speed tests will give you even more recommendations. Again, you might not be able to follow up on all of these yourself. Be sure to ask your expert in that case, like your web developer or agency, or your hosting company. But in the end, it’s good that you are using WordPress. There are many decent plugins that can help you optimize the speed of your website after a page speed test!

Read more: Site speed: tools and suggestions »

The post How to optimize WordPress after running a page speed test appeared first on Yoast.



from Yoast • SEO for everyone https://yoast.com/how-to-optimize-wordpress-after-running-a-page-speed-test/

MAPPED: Timeline of burglaries across Bexley in the past week

A total of 13 burglaries and attempted burglaries have been reported to police in wards across Bexley over the past week, according to officers’ updates.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380010.burglaries-reported-to-bexley-police-over-a-week-shown-on-map/?ref=rss

Council-owned CCTV monitoring feed could be moved to Croydon in police shake-up

Sutton Council's CCTV monitoring station could be moved to Croydon as the Met's new borough policing plans take shape, a council meeting heard.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380680.sutton-councils-cctv-feed-could-be-moved-to-croydon-in-shake-up/?ref=rss

Two nearby crashes and three faulty tube lines spells commuting unpleasantness on a parched day

It is hot and the way home is probably disrupted.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380641.tube-traffic-and-weather-update/?ref=rss

Two nearby crashes and three faulty tube lines spells commuting unpleasantness on a parched day

It is hot and the way home is probably disrupted.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380638.tube-traffic-and-weather-update/?ref=rss

Two nearby crashes and three faulty tube lines spells commuting unpleasantness on a parched day

It is hot and the way home is probably disrupted.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380635.tube-traffic-and-weather-update/?ref=rss

Two nearby crashes and three faulty tube lines spells commuting unpleasantness on a parched day

It is hot and the way home is probably disrupted.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380633.tube-traffic-and-weather-update/?ref=rss

Renters describe struggles faced when looking for rooms in London

Renters in London have described their frustration at renting in the capital and some of the struggles facing people looking for rooms.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380582.renters-describe-struggles-faced-when-looking-for-rooms-in-london/?ref=rss

Pensioner says neighbour’s extension ‘ruining’ her cottage

A pensioner says an extension being built to her neighbour’s house is ruining her cottage.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380305.barnet-pensioner-says-extension-will-ruin-cottage/?ref=rss

Renters describe struggles faced when looking for rooms in London

Renters in London have described their frustration at renting in the capital and some of the struggles facing people looking for rooms.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380578.renters-describe-struggles-faced-when-looking-for-rooms-in-london/?ref=rss

Renters describe struggles faced when looking for rooms in London

Renters in London have described their frustration at renting in the capital and some of the struggles facing people looking for rooms.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380581.renters-describe-struggles-faced-when-looking-for-rooms-in-london/?ref=rss

Man who bought speedboat to 'pull women' guilty of killing date who fell into the Thames

A web developer who caused the death of a date who fell from his speedboat into the Thames faces jail if he is ever caught.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380523.charlotte-brown-death-speedboat-owner-guilty-of-killing-date/?ref=rss

'Save Wilde Road': Controversial plan to concrete over green spaces in Erith set for approval again

A controversial scheme to concrete over green spaces in Erith and build two blocks of flats are set to be approved – again.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379964.save-wilde-road-plan-for-housing-on-green-spaces-set-for-approval/?ref=rss

Council apologises for tree works ‘communications failure’

Harrow Council has apologised for a “communications failure” over tree works – but defended its overall strategy for the next four years.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380292.harrow-council-outlines-trees-strategy-after-error/?ref=rss

How long will the heatwave last? Your most Googled questions answered

As Britain faces potentially recordbreaking temperatures, here are some of the most Googled questions about the UK heatwave answered.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380300.how-long-will-the-heatwave-last-your-most-googled-questions-answered/?ref=rss

Lewisham Air App that's cost council £15k has been downloaded fewer than 500 times

Lewisham Council has spent £15,000 developing an app for monitoring air pollution, which has been downloaded fewer than 500 times since it launched in March, according to council documents.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380195.lewisham-air-app-for-checking-pollution-downloaded-fewer-than-500-times/?ref=rss

Time's running out to watch a wonderful musical

The atmosphere definitely has been heating up at the New Wimbledon Theatre over the last few days and that was not just the temperature in the auditorium.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380264.madagascar-the-musical-with-x-factor-2016-winner-matt-terry-at-the-new-wimbledon-theatre-is-a-must-for-fans-of-the-animated-films/?ref=rss

Squire's awarded Best Garden Centre in south and north Thames regions

A Hersham garden centre has been named Best Garden Centre by the Garden Centre Association (GCA).

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380088.squires-garden-centres-win-awards/?ref=rss

Brockley musician Novelist is nominated for the Mercury Prize

Brockley musician Novelist has been nominated for the prestigious 2018 Mercury Prize next to bands such as the Arctic Monkeys and Florence and The Machine.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16380076.brockley-musician-novelist-is-nominated-for-the-mercury-prize/?ref=rss

Sutton-Luton service third-most overcrowded in England and Wales, figures show

An evening service from Sutton to Luton was the third-most overcrowded in England and Wales last spring, official figures have revealed this week.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379998.dft-sutton-luton-service-third-most-overcrowded-last-spring/?ref=rss

'What happens if everybody says no?': Call for scrutiny on plan to sell garages and parking sites in Greenwich

Councillors have said they want to scrutinise recently approved plans for selling land to a private housing developer in Greenwich.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379948.call-for-scrutiny-on-garages-and-parking-sites-sale-in-greenwich/?ref=rss

Politician wades in on debate on 20mph speed limits in central London

A politician has waded in on a debate around plans to impose a 20mph speed limit in central London, saying there is “no guarantee” it will reduce harm.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379825.politician-wades-in-on-debate-on-20mph-speed-limits-in-central-london/?ref=rss

Politician wades in on debate on 20mph speed limits in central London

A politician has waded in on a debate around plans to impose a 20mph speed limit in central London, saying there is “no guarantee” it will reduce harm.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379829.politician-wades-in-on-debate-on-20mph-speed-limits-in-central-london/?ref=rss

Politician wades in on debate on 20mph speed limits in central London

A politician has waded in on a debate around plans to impose a 20mph speed limit in central London, saying there is “no guarantee” it will reduce harm.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379828.politician-wades-in-on-debate-on-20mph-speed-limits-in-central-london/?ref=rss

Building on town centre car park looks set to go ahead

A major development on a town centre car park looks set to go ahead as the council faces ongoing pressure to boost its income.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379613.plan-to-build-offices-on-enfield-car-park/?ref=rss

Beauty queen eyes Miss England finals

A woman crowned both social media and beauty pageant queen is now in the finals of a national competition.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376420.barnets-very-own-beauty-queen-eyes-miss-england-finals/?ref=rss

Beauty queen eyes Miss England finals

A woman crowned both social media and beauty pageant queen is now in the finals of a national competition.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376419.barnets-very-own-beauty-queen-eyes-miss-england-finals/?ref=rss

'Anarchy has descended': Parents panic and kids in meltdown as CBeebies TV channel stops working

'Panicked parents took to social media this morning as CBeebies went down, causing noisy madness and crying children.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379572.cbeebies-goes-down-and-parents-panic-as-kids-have-meltdown/?ref=rss

Bexleyheath teacher writes children's vampire novel to tackle prejudice

A teacher-turned-author from Bexleyheath has said he wants to tackle the issue of prejudice with his new children's novel about a vampire.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379663.former-upland-primary-school-teacher-publishes-childrens-novel/?ref=rss

TeamRichmond celebrate successful youth games

Residents from Richmond gathered at the Twickenham Stoop Stadium to celebrate a successful London Youth Games.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379547.teamrichmond-finish-second-in-london-youth-games/?ref=rss

Park secures another £1m of funding

A popular park is set for further improvements after it secured £1 million worth of funding from the National Lottery.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379490.headstone-manor-recreation-ground-gets-more-funding/?ref=rss

Emergency services rescue man 'stuck in the mud' near the River Cray

Emergency services had to rescue a man who got stuck in the mud near the River Cray.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379473.river-cray-rescue-operation-after-man-stuck-in-mud/?ref=rss

Royal Mail go ahead with plans to close Hampton Delivery Office and move to Ashford

Hampton Delivery Office will close, despite opposition from Cllr Gareth Robert and residents.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379472.royal-mail-decide-to-close-hampton-delivery-office/?ref=rss

London Fire Brigade 'fed-up of politely asking people' to prevent grass fires in the heatwave

London Fire Brigade is sick of careless members of the public putting innocent lives at risk and it wants people to start paying attention.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379465.london-fire-brigade-blasts-careless-people-causing-grass-fires/?ref=rss

Lewisham Council approves funding for 167 new social homes

Lewisham Council has signed off plans to build 167 new council homes across the borough, at a cost of £47m.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379256.lewisham-council-approves-funding-for-167-new-social-homes/?ref=rss

Girl, 15, sexually assaulted by man on bus

A man sexually assaulted a teenage girl on a bus

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379136.girl-15-sexually-assaulted-by-man-on-bus-near-seven-sisters-and-white-hart-lane/?ref=rss

State-of-the-art health and social care training facility opens at college

A state-of-the-art building for students hoping to forge a career in health care has been officially opened at a college.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376914.harrow-college-opens-new-health-and-social-care-facility/?ref=rss

'Thorny issue' - Police in Eltham chase down man hiding in bushes to escape arrest

Police officers in Greenwich have warned they are not messing around when it comes to chasing down suspects in a witty tweet.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379105.police-from-greenwich-gangs-unit-have-game-of-hide-and-seek-with-suspect-before-arrest/?ref=rss

Warning for high air pollution levels

A ‘high’ air pollution alert has been issued for the capital by the Mayor of London.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377565.warning-for-high-air-pollution-levels/?ref=rss

Warning for high air pollution levels

A ‘high’ air pollution alert has been issued for the capital by the Mayor of London.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377570.warning-for-high-air-pollution-levels/?ref=rss

Warning for high air pollution levels

A ‘high’ air pollution alert has been issued for the capital by the Mayor of London.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377572.warning-for-high-air-pollution-levels/?ref=rss

TfL cuts spending on road repairs by £30 million over last five years

Transport for London (TfL) has cut spending on its repairs to its roads by £30 million over the last five years.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377066.tfl-cuts-spending-on-road-repairs-by-30-million-over-last-five-years/?ref=rss

TfL cuts spending on road repairs by £30 million over last five years

Transport for London (TfL) has cut spending on its repairs to its roads by £30 million over the last five years.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377061.tfl-cuts-spending-on-road-repairs-by-30-million-over-last-five-years/?ref=rss

TfL cuts spending on road repairs by £30 million over last five years

Transport for London (TfL) has cut spending on its repairs to its roads by £30 million over the last five years.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377068.tfl-cuts-spending-on-road-repairs-by-30-million-over-last-five-years/?ref=rss

People with health conditions warned to be alert as heatwave could break temperature records

Vulnerable people need to be prioritised as temperatures reach near record-breaking levels, the government has been warned.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379039.london-at-risk-of-high-air-pollution-as-heatwave-set-to-peak-at-37-degrees/?ref=rss

Morning update: keep hydrated and cool

It will be 35C today so be sure to stay out of the heat and keep cool.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16379030.morning-update-keep-hydrated-and-cool/?ref=rss

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Council says its 'ability to create schools is severely restricted' as it faces pressure on places

Councillors have debated bidding for a new specialist free school in Greenwich to deal with increasing pressure for pupil places.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376767.greenwich-council-considers-free-school-bid-amid-pressure-for-places/?ref=rss

Should paramedics be given a ticket for parking on double yellows? Here is what you said

A video of a parking warden slapping a ticket on an ambulance because it was just over some double yellow lines has divided opinion.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377400.traffic-warden-gives-ambulance-crew-a-parking-ticket-your-views/?ref=rss

School rolls out charity campaign to advise pupils on FGM

A school is teaching its students about Female Genital Mutilation using an age appropriate method.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376735.harrow-school-rolls-out-underwear-rule-in-response-to-fgm/?ref=rss

Calls for better careers advice for young people with disabilities

A college for children with autism says there needs to be better careers advice for people with disabilities.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376024.calls-for-better-careers-advice-for-young-people-with-disabilities/?ref=rss

Council maintains good health and safety record

The council has maintained a solid record on health and safety and will continue to work to improve standards in the coming year.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376709.barnet-council-maintains-health-and-safety-record/?ref=rss

Here's how much sugar your favourite cakes contain

Supermarket Battenberg cakes contain more sugar than all the other ingredients put together, according to new research.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377507.heres-how-much-sugar-your-favourite-cakes-contain/?ref=rss

Man found dead outside Greenford station named

A MAN found dead outside Greenford Station on Saturday has been formally identified.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377855.man-found-dead-outside-greenford-station-named/?ref=rss

Keyword cannibalization

Number of people being caught with knives and guns in Bromley has DOUBLED

New police crime statistics show the number of people caught with guns and knives in Bromley has doubled.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377702.number-of-people-being-caught-with-knives-and-guns-in-bromley-has-doubled/?ref=rss

Thameslink passengers face evening of disruption after fire near Bromley South

Thameslink commuters are enduring an evening of delays after a track fire.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377671.thameslink-passengers-face-evening-of-disruption-after-fire-near-bromley-south/?ref=rss

'Commuters deserve better': MP Tom Brake slams Govia Thameslink

‘Commuters deserve better’ was the message from Carshalton and Wallington MP Tom Brake.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377670.commuters-deserve-better-mp-tom-brake-slams-govia-thameslink/?ref=rss

Southeastern warn of train delays in Lewisham after signal failure

Train commuters are being warned of travel disruption after a signal failure.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377641.southeastern-warn-of-train-delays-in-lewisham-after-signal-failure/?ref=rss

Woman's warning after late-night 'charity collectors' knock on door in Eltham

An Eltham resident wants to warn others after two suspicious women turned up at her door late at night claiming to be from Cancer Research.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377448.eltham-womans-warning-over-late-night-charity-collectors/?ref=rss

JD Wetherspoon pub in Sutton High Street to close next weekend

A JD Wetherspoon pub in Sutton High Street is set to shut its doors for the final time at the end of next week, Sutton Guardian has been informed.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377427.jd-wetherspoons-the-grapes-to-close-its-doors-for-the-last-time/?ref=rss

Trust looking for dog-walkers in Hayes

A CHARITY which helps retired people and those in the latter stages of a terminal illness with pet care urgently needs dog-walking volunteers in Hayes.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377423.volunteers-help-housebound-and-sick-with-pet-care/?ref=rss

‘It’s 30 degrees outside’ - Bromley police smash window to rescue dog locked in hot van

Bromley police officers rescued a dog which was trapped inside a van with no windows open this afternoon.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377403.bromley-police-smash-window-to-rescue-dog-locked-in-hot-van/?ref=rss

Commuters swelter in 'torture' like Tube temperatures

Commuters say the stifling heat on the Tube is “torture” as they have called for Transport for London (TfL) to deal with the matter.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377114.commuters-swelter-in-torture-like-tube-temperatures/?ref=rss

Council leader defends selling parking and garage sites to developers for housing

Plans to sell off car park and garage sites in Greenwich to developers have been defended by the council’s leader as a “start” to tackling the housing crisis.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377393.greenwich-council-leader-defends-selling-land-for-housing/?ref=rss

Proposals for two multi-million football hubs are 'taking shape'

Plans to build two multi-million pound football hubs in Croydon are "taking shape."

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377359.proposals-for-two-multi-million-football-hubs-are-taking-shape/?ref=rss

Residents come together to clean up park

A resident is working to engender community support for a forgotten corner of Teddington.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377331.teddington-residents-clean-up-park/?ref=rss

Two men jailed for killing of 25-year-old

Violent thugs have been jailed after for the “senseless killing” of a man in his bedroom.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377319.two-men-jailed-for-killing-of-25-year-old-in-wood-green/?ref=rss

Abbey Wood playground attacked by 'scumbag' arsonists will cost taxpayers £14k to repair

Taxpayers will fork out £14,000 for repairs after “scumbags” started a fire at a playground in Abbey Wood, a councillor has said.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377162.lesnes-abbey-playground-will-cost-14k-to-repair-after-arson-attack/?ref=rss

Missing teenager not seen for more than a week has links all across south London

Police are appealing for "increasingly concerned" for the safety of a missing 14-year-old boy who has not been seen since July 16.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16377202.missing-teenager-not-seen-for-more-than-a-week-has-links-all-across-south-london/?ref=rss

An Orpington Hospital ward open for just 18 months could be closed after not 'meeting its goals'

A cash-strapped NHS trust is considering closing an underachieving hospital ward to help “deliver essential savings”.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376788.orpington-hospital-ward-open-for-18-months-could-be-closed/?ref=rss

'Run by the community, for the community' - public to reopen library three years after it was closed by council

Campaigners rejoiced after they successfully won a bid to reopen a “valuable” library run “by the community, for the community”.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376540.north-harrow-library-to-reopen-in-september-thanks-to-community-effort/?ref=rss

Zac Goldsmith meets with rising star's at Queens School, Kew

Zac Goldsmith MP, accompanied by some Abbeyfield residents, attended Queen's Primary School assembly in to hand out awards to pupils as part of a partnership to link young children with older people.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376989.zac-goldsmith-meets-with-rising-stars-at-queens-school-kew/?ref=rss

Vape shop where you can gamble and drink could be coming to Purley

A vape shop with a gaming area serving alcohol could be coming to Purley. A pool table, jukebox and small stake fruit machines would all be included if a licensing application is successful. The plans are from Every Cloud Vape Shop which runs 12 shops in Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire. It would be based at 933 Brighton Road, next door to Purley Barbers. In the application, company director Isaac Lloyd said: “Given the nature of our shop, access will only be granted to persons over 18 years of age and ID will be required where necessary.” He adds that a ‘limited selection’ of alcoholic drinks would be sold and he anticipates no more than 10 customers would be there at one time. “All food and drink will be consumed on the premises and staff will be trained to monitor the level of consumption of alcoholic beverages,” said Mr Lloyd. The shop’s opening hours would be from 8.30am-7.30pm and the licence is to supply alcohol from 12-7pm Monday to Saturday and 12-4pm on Sundays. It will be up to Croydon Council to decide whether the licence is granted.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376966.vape-shop-where-you-can-gamble-and-drink-could-be-coming-to-purley/?ref=rss

The Russell School launches plastic campaign

Pupils spoke about their campaign to reduce plastic waste at Russell School.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376935.the-russell-school-launches-plastic-campaign/?ref=rss

Police appeal after gunman fires bullet into minicab in Plumstead

Police are appealing to find a man after a bullet was blasted into a minicab in Plumstead.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376907.police-appeal-after-gunman-fires-bullet-into-minicab-in-plumstead/?ref=rss

'High risk' 79-year-old goes missing

A "high risk" man has gone missing from Croydon.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376899.high-risk-79-year-old-goes-missing/?ref=rss

Carshalton Athletic owner allays fears amid extended alcohol license application

The owner of Carshalton Athletic FC has sought to allay fears that an extended alcohol licence would cause disturbances.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376769.carshalton-athletic-owner-allays-fears-amid-extended-alcohol-license-application/?ref=rss

Pub landlord fined £13,200 for noisy late-night music

THE landlord of a Hillingdon pub has been hit with a hefty fine after complaints about late-night music disturbing neighbouring residents.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376783.eastcote-neighbours-complained-court-told/?ref=rss

Arriva submits plans to open new bus depot in 'urgent' need for space

One of London’s biggest bus operators wants to convert an old car auction site into a bus depot in an “urgent” bid to find space.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376733.arriva-submits-plans-to-convert-dingwall-motors-into-bus-depot/?ref=rss

Why you should look out for this week's Blood Moon - the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century

A RARE total lunar eclipse – expected to be the longest in the 21st century – is set to take place on Friday that will see the Earth’s natural satellite turn blood red.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16373891.why-you-should-look-out-for-this-weeks-blood-moon/?ref=rss

Hero guitarists take to stage in Ealing to help brain tumour research

A HUGE electric guitar ensemble reverberated around Ealing on Sunday, in aid of research into brain tumours.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376752.bowie-is-theme-as-electric-ensemble-gathers/?ref=rss

High Court rules sale of Southall Town Hall must stop

COMMUNITY campaigners are celebrating victory in their fight to save Southall Town Hall from being sold by Ealing Council.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376704.victory-for-campaigners-as-council-forced-into-rethink/?ref=rss

Ealing charity worker raising the roof for women in Africa

A UK charity working in Kenya to ease the problems of period poverty for women and girls is appealing for funding.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376681.ealing-charity-worker-raising-the-roof-for-women-in-africa/?ref=rss

Welling car dealership apologises for noisy night-time deliveries keeping neighbours awake

A car garage in Welling has apologised for neighbouring residents being kept awake by its late-night deliveries.

from This Is Local London | News http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/16376644.ancaster-nissan-in-welling-says-sorry-for-noisy-deliveries/?ref=rss