Author: Henry Caldwell

More than 50 swans have died from a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu at a site in east London, with authorities confirming the outbreak and urging the public to avoid contact with any dead or visibly sick birds in the area. At least 30 swans were recovered at West India and Millwall Docks on Monday, with a further 21 found at the same location on Wednesday. The Animal and Plant Health Agency confirmed through its dead wild bird surveillance scheme that the deaths were caused by H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, one of the most severe strains of the…

Tube drivers represented by the RMT union have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over Transport for London’s plans to introduce a four-day working week, raising the prospect of disruption to the London Underground network in the coming weeks. No strike dates have yet been set. Under trade union law, the RMT must give TfL a minimum of two weeks’ notice before any industrial action can begin, meaning the earliest possible disruption remains weeks away. The union has indicated it is willing to hold off if TfL changes course. At the centre of the dispute is a…

Millions of London commuters will face higher fares on the Tube, Overground, DLR and Elizabeth line from 1 March, with prices rising by 5.8 percent across the network in an increase that sits one percentage point above the current rate of inflation. The rise, confirmed by Transport for London, means a single pay-as-you-go fare within Zones 1 to 6 will go up by no more than 20p, with many journeys increasing by 10p. Peak travel within Zone 1 will move from £2.90 to £3.10, while off-peak and weekend journeys on the same routes will rise from £2.80 to £3.00. One…

Newham recorded approximately 921 knife-enabled offences in the most recent 12-month reporting window, placing it among the highest in London by volume. Croydon logged around 751 offences across the same period, continuing a pattern of elevated levels compared with many other outer London boroughs. Southwark recorded approximately 731 offences, with several serious incidents in the borough during early 2026 adding to existing community concern. The borough-level figures sit against a contrasting national backdrop. The most recent data for England and Wales showed an overall reduction in knife crime compared with previous years, a trend that has not translated evenly across…

British Transport Police have released CCTV images of a man they wish to identify following a sexual assault at Eastcote London Underground station in west London. The incident took place at around 6pm on Monday 12 January, when a woman was approached by a stranger on the station platform. The man assaulted her before walking away, only to return on multiple occasions despite her repeatedly asking him to leave. Detectives believe the man pictured may have information that could assist their investigation and are appealing for anyone who recognises him to come forward. Anyone with information can contact British Transport…

Peter Mandelson, the veteran Labour peer and former UK ambassador to the United States, was arrested at his north London home on Monday afternoon on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Plain clothes Metropolitan Police officers were seen escorting the 72-year-old from his address in Camden at around 4:30pm, placing him in the back of an unmarked car before taking him to a London police station for interview. The Metropolitan Police confirmed a man of that age had been detained and said the arrest followed earlier search warrants carried out at two properties, one in Camden and one in Wiltshire.…

A 58-year-old man is set to face a murder charge at Thames Magistrates’ Court after a fatal stabbing at a residential property in east London. Eugeniu Neamtu, of Westbury Road in Walthamstow, was charged following the death of a man in his 60s on the evening of Friday 20 February. Police were called to the street shortly before 9pm after reports of a stabbing at a property. Officers and paramedics arrived to find the victim with stab wounds to his chest, but he could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin are in…

A Kent village has been left dealing with two separate water supply failures in less than 24 hours, with residents in Pembury experiencing disruption both overnight on Saturday and again into Sunday. The first problem emerged on Saturday evening at around 8pm, when a technical fault developed at a South East Water drinking water storage tank. The company said the issue was resolved overnight and supplies were restored. But before the weekend was out, a burst water main was discovered at Woodhill Park in the early hours of Sunday morning, cutting off or reducing supplies to properties in the area…

A murder investigation has been launched after a man was fatally stabbed in the centre of Wimbledon in the early hours of Sunday morning, with a suspect already in custody. Officers, paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance all attended the scene on The Broadway at around 12:37am following reports of a stabbing. The victim, a man in his 40s, was found with stab wounds and treated at the scene, but died shortly after emergency services arrived. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. Following urgent enquiries, police located and…

A British Transport Police detective who was among the first officers to respond to the 2017 London Bridge terror attack has been dismissed after a misconduct panel found he repeatedly used offensive and discriminatory language targeting Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people in a private WhatsApp group with colleagues. Detective Constable Mark Luker, a member of the Major Serious and Organised Crime team, sent a series of messages in a group chat called “Selbie Gumshoes” between December 2024 and March 2025 that the panel concluded deliberately linked the Irish Traveller community to criminal behaviour. In one exchange on New Year’s Eve,…