Author: Henry Caldwell

A north London man has denied murdering two women in separate incidents last year, appearing via video link at the Old Bailey to enter his pleas. Simon Levy, 40, from Tottenham, faces charges relating to the deaths of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 54, and Sheryl Wilkins, 39, which occurred several months apart in different parts of the capital. Valencia-Trujillo, originally from Colombia, was found dead in the stairwell of a derelict building in Walworth, Southwark, on 17 March last year. Levy was arrested approximately two weeks after her discovery but was released under investigation. Wilkins was subsequently found dead in a car…

Sir Keir Starmer is facing questions over a previous commitment to abolish the House of Lords after reports emerged that he is preparing to offer London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan a peerage and a cabinet position following next month’s local elections. Labour sources cited by the Financial Times said the move was being considered as a means of consolidating the Prime Minister’s political standing at a potentially difficult moment. Downing Street officials were quoted as saying the appointment would help “shore up his position with patronage” after a vote in which Labour is widely expected to face losses in the…

Notting Hill Carnival organisers will take on responsibilities previously handled by the Metropolitan Police after London’s mayor announced nearly £5m in additional funding ahead of this summer’s event. The grant of £4.66m, confirmed by Sir Sadiq Khan, follows an independent review into crowd safety at the annual celebration of Caribbean culture — one of the largest street festivals in the world. According to City Hall, the event contributes close to £400m to the local economy each year. Ian Comfort, chair of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, said the funding would allow the organisation to assume duties that have historically fallen to…

Two Metropolitan Police officers who sustained serious stab wounds in separate incidents — one while off duty and shopping with his wife — are among those being recognised at a bravery ceremony held in London this evening.The London Police Bravery Awards, established last year by the Metropolitan Police Federation, honours rank and file officers for acts of courage carried out in the line of duty and beyond.PC Darren Attwood, 56, was not working when he encountered two men behaving suspiciously on a moped in a pedestrianised area of Luton town centre on a busy Saturday afternoon in November 2024. Families…

A mother and her boyfriend who subjected a two-year-old boy to months of escalating abuse have been convicted, after detectives unpicked a web of lies the pair had constructed to conceal their actions from paramedics, doctors and police. Kol Page was found unresponsive at an address in Bromley in April 2022, with severe bruising to his face and a serious abdominal injury. He survived but never recovered, spending fourteen months in hospital before moving into foster care. He died on 29 June 2024, aged four years and three months. Zoe Coutts, 35, Kol’s mother, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court…

A west London council is under pressure to find millions of pounds to restore one of the capital’s most recognisable bridges, after a structural fault forced its closure earlier this year — and disputes over who should pay are complicating efforts to reopen it quickly.Albert Bridge, which has spanned the Thames for 150 years, was shut to vehicles in February after engineers identified cracks in a cast-iron component. While pedestrians and cyclists can still cross, around 15,000 cars and light vans are being redirected to alternative crossings every day.The repair bill is estimated at £8.5 million. Kensington and Chelsea Council,…

Two men are set to appear at the Old Bailey next month charged with the murder of a 46-year-old man who died after being assaulted during a burglary at his south-east London home. Myles Meyjes passed away on 20 February 2025, more than a week after he was admitted to hospital following what was reported as an aggravated burglary at his address in SE12. He had first sought medical attention on 12 February, several days after the assault took place. The Metropolitan Police launched a murder investigation in December, after the conclusions of a post-mortem examination prompted a formal review…

Counter-terrorism officers have taken charge of the investigation into the arson attack on four Jewish charity ambulances in Golders Green, as London’s Metropolitan Police announces a significant surge in protective operations across the capital’s Jewish communities ahead of Passover.Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, speaking outside New Scotland Yard on Tuesday, confirmed that 264 additional officers have been deployed to patrol Jewish areas of London. The reinforced presence includes visible armed officers on foot, mounted police and specialist drone units. Schools and synagogues are receiving dedicated attention as part of the security uplift.Mr Taylor described the attack as “absolutely horrendous”, adding that…

Counter Terrorism Police Take Over Golders Green Jewish Ambulance Arson Investigation As Online Claim Of Responsibility EmergesCounter terrorism officers have assumed control of the investigation into the arson attack on four Jewish community ambulances in north London, as police confirm they are examining an online claim in which a group has claimed responsibility for the attack.Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in north west London, delivered a formal statement on Monday morning in which he disclosed that while the incident had not been declared a terrorist event, the specialist resources and expertise of Counter Terrorism Policing were now…

A serving Metropolitan Police officer has lost his job following a formal misconduct hearing that concluded he could not be trusted to carry out duties involving discrimination or hate crime investigations impartially.PC Brendan Jones was dismissed without notice on 26 February 2026, after a panel determined that comments he made to colleagues — in which he reportedly suggested that “the Muslims were taking over” — amounted to a serious breach of professional standards.The remarks came during a workplace conversation about a television documentary on doomsday preppers, during which PC Jones allegedly told fellow officers that the end of civilisation had…