Author: James Whitmore

Counter-terrorism detectives have launched an investigation after a fire was deliberately started at a former synagogue in Tower Hamlets in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the latest in a string of incidents targeting Jewish sites across the capital.The Metropolitan Police were alerted by the London Fire Brigade at 5.16am on 5 May to a blaze at the building on Nelson Street. Officers and firefighters arrived swiftly at the scene, where damage was confined to a set of gates and a lock at the front of the property. No injuries were reported.According to the Met, initial CCTV enquiries indicate the…

Shoppers across Wales are being urged to check their local supermarket opening hours before heading out this May Bank Holiday Monday, with most major chains running on reduced trading times.Most of the country’s biggest retailers — including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Aldi — will close earlier than usual, while some smaller convenience stores and petrol station forecourts are expected to keep closer to standard hours.Tesco branches across Wales, which usually trade until midnight, will operate from 8am to 6pm on Monday. Tesco Express outlets are expected to keep longer hours, opening from 6am and closing between 10pm and…

Two Metropolitan Police officers have been handed final written warnings after a misconduct hearing found they had used their personal mobile phones to take and store photographs of evidence, including images of a deceased man.The case has prompted a public apology from Scotland Yard, and exposed what officers themselves described as a routine practice of using private devices for police work because force-issued phones were considered inadequate for taking good-quality images.PC Billy Manning was found to have kept a photograph of a dead man on his iPhone, which he later showed to fellow officers during a training session in Shoreditch.…

Around 80 firefighters and a dozen fire engines have been deployed to tackle a major warehouse blaze in north London, the London Fire Brigade has confirmed.The fire broke out at a warehouse near Crews Hill in Enfield, with crews scrambled to the scene as the incident unfolded.In a statement issued on social media, the London Fire Brigade said: “Twelve fire engines and around 80 firefighters are responding to a warehouse fire near Crews Hill, Enfield.”The brigade added that further details would be released in due course, stating that “more information to follow.”The location of the incident lies close to the…

A major manhunt is under way in south London after four people were injured in what police are treating as an act of “indiscriminate violence”, with reports that the attack was a drive-by shooting. Metropolitan Police officers were called to Coldharbour Lane in Brixton shortly after 1am on Saturday following reports that a firearm had been discharged. A 25-year-old man is fighting for his life in hospital after sustaining what police described as life-threatening injuries. Three other victims, aged 21, 47 and 70, were also taken to hospital. The London Ambulance Service confirmed the scale of the response. “We treated…

A 78-year-old woman has died following a collision with a van in east London, with the Metropolitan Police now appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage. The pedestrian was struck at the junction of High Road Leyton and Millais Road on Thursday 23 April, with officers called to the scene at around 09:07 BST. She was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died the following day, on Friday 24 April. Her family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. According to the Metropolitan Police, the driver of the silver Vauxhall minivan involved stopped at the scene and…

Romeo Beckham and his girlfriend Kim Turnbull have offered fans a rare look inside David and Victoria Beckham’s £12 million Cotswolds estate, sharing footage from a romantic weekend at the family’s country retreat. The 23-year-old model and DJ Turnbull, 24, posted a video montage to Instagram on Thursday documenting the getaway, which began with the couple pulling up to the property in a £100,000 Porsche alongside their bulldog, Coco. Captioning the clip, Turnbull wrote: “Wholesome content no one asked for”, prompting Romeo to respond: “My girls”. The footage offers viewers a generous tour of the sprawling estate, including its private…

A 45-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north London, in an attack that has prompted the Government to raise the UK’s terror threat level to severe. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Essa Suleiman faces two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place over Wednesday’s incident. He has also been charged with a further count of attempted murder in connection with a separate incident on the same day in Great Dover Street, Southwark. According to the Met, officers were…

A major fire has broken out near a synagogue in Stamford Hill, north London, with fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters called to the scene.According to GB News, social media footage shows thick plumes of smoke billowing from a building close to a yeshiva on Cazenove Road. The incident is ongoing.A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade told GB News: “Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters have been called to a fire at a property on Cazenove Road in Stamford Hill.” The brigade has urged the public to stay away from the area while crews work to bring…

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged additional funding to protect Britain’s Jewish community after two men were stabbed in north London in what police are treating as a terrorist incident. The Prime Minister made the commitment following a Cobra meeting convened to coordinate the government’s response to the attack in Golders Green, in which a 76-year-old man and a 34-year-old man were wounded. Both victims are in a stable condition, according to the Metropolitan Police. Speaking after the meeting, Sir Keir said he had been in contact with the Community Security Trust, the organisation that provides security for Jewish communities. “There…