Author: James Whitmore

The Metropolitan Police has secured a government-backed ban on one of London’s most controversial annual marches, with the Home Secretary citing fears of violence amid rising Middle East tensions.Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed on Wednesday that she had approved the Metropolitan Police’s request to prohibit the Al Quds Day march, scheduled for this Sunday in London. The ban, which covers both the march itself and any associated counter-protests, comes into effect at 4pm Wednesday and will remain in place for one month.The power to ban a march of this kind has not been used since 2012, making this one of…

A Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed from the force following a misconduct hearing that found he had sexually assaulted a woman while off duty at a pub in central London.PC Jason Capery, who served with the Central West Basic Command Unit, was found to have breached professional standards at a hearing held on Tuesday 10 March. The panel heard that Capery behaved inappropriately toward a woman known to him during an off-duty visit to a pub in Marylebone.Capery had already admitted his guilt in criminal proceedings, pleading guilty to sexual assault by touching at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 4…

A teenager with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder missed his GCSE examinations after a London council failed to provide him with a school place for around three months, an official investigation has found.Brent Council has been ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation following a ruling by the Local Government Ombudsman, which concluded the authority failed in its duty to arrange alternative education for the boy, identified in the report only as Y, within a reasonable timeframe.Y, who had significant difficulties with language and communication and was supported by an education, health and care plan, was removed from his school roll in…

Train services across parts of south London were suspended for several hours on Monday morning after a person was found dead on the tracks at a station in Sutton.Emergency services were called to Wallington station shortly after 6am following reports of a casualty on the line. Paramedics attended alongside British Transport Police officers, but the individual was pronounced dead at the scene. No details regarding the person’s age or gender have been released.A British Transport Police spokesperson confirmed the incident is not being treated as suspicious, and said a file is being prepared for the coroner ahead of a future…

A stretch of west London grassland known for its skylarks, wildflowers and pollinating insects has been given official protected status after a campaign that attracted tens of thousands of supporters.Warren Farm in Southall has been formally classified as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) by Ealing Council, a designation that guarantees its protection and recognises its environmental significance for the local community.The declaration followed an agreement between the council and co-owners Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which will see land adjoining the nature reserve developed into a new community sports facility, primarily featuring cricket and football pitches.The…

Rail services across south-east London were brought to a halt late on Friday night after a person was struck by a train near Bromley South station.The incident, which was reported shortly after 10:30pm on 7 March, affected the line between Orpington and Swanley. National Rail closed all lines in the area while emergency services attended, leaving passengers on Southeastern and Thameslink routes facing severe disruption for the remainder of the evening.Services did not resume until around 2am on Saturday 8 March, when normal running was restored across the affected routes.British Transport Police and the London Ambulance Service have been contacted…

Counter terrorism detectives in London have extended the custody of four men arrested under the National Security Act, securing court warrants allowing them to be held until Friday 13 March.The four men were arrested at separate addresses across north and west London. Two — aged 40 and 55 — were detained at properties in the Barnet area, while a 52-year-old was arrested at an address in Watford and a 22-year-old was held following an arrest in Harrow.The warrants of further detention mean all four remain in custody as Counter Terrorism Policing London continues its investigation.Six further men connected to the…

A murder investigation has been launched after an 82-year-old man was found dead at a property in West End Lane, Camden, with a suspect arrested on the scene within minutes of police arriving.Officers were called to the address in NW6 at around 11:25am on Thursday, 5 March, following welfare concerns raised about the elderly man. Upon arrival, paramedics from the London Ambulance Service confirmed he had died at the property.A 53-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder inside the property and remains in police custody. A post-mortem examination is due to take place in due course.Police have said the…

Ten men have been arrested as part of a counter terrorism investigation into suspected Iranian state-linked surveillance targeting locations and individuals connected to the Jewish community in London.Four men were detained in the early hours of Friday, 6 March on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. The four — one Iranian national and three dual British-Iranian nationals — were arrested at addresses in Barnet, Watford and Harrow shortly after 1am as part of a pre-planned operation led by Counter Terrorism Policing London.The four men are aged 40, 55, 52 and…

A teenager and a man in his 20s have been arrested after posts circulated on social media appearing to pit pupils from different London schools against each other and encouraging violence.The pair were detained on Sunday by Metropolitan Police officers on suspicion of encouraging or assisting in a crime. Both have since been bailed while inquiries continue.The posts divided schools into red and blue groups and contained language urging students to arm themselves and prepare for “war” against pupils from rival schools. A number of schools increased security patrols in response, while a heightened police presence was deployed across affected…