Author: James Whitmore

Fifteen people have been hurt in a series of collisions on a Surrey road where authorities are now planning to cut the speed limit by 10mph to improve safety. A 1.1-mile section of Portsmouth Road has seen 13 crashes since 2020, with two people sustaining serious injuries in separate incidents. The stretch between Claremont Avenue and the A3 bridge currently has a 50mph limit, but Surrey County Council wants to bring it down to 40mph. Safety concerns have been particularly acute near Claremont Fan Court School, where motorists continue at 50mph right up to the school’s access road before having…

Police are hunting for a prisoner who managed to escape from hospital custody twice within the space of a week, raising serious questions about security protocols during medical transfers. Daniel Boakye, 21, fled from Lewisham Hospital in south-east London on Sunday while receiving medical treatment under police guard. Officers attempted to pursue him but were unable to prevent him from leaving the building before he disappeared. The escape marks the second time in five days that Boakye has absconded from hospital care. He is currently serving a sentence at HMP Feltham after being jailed in July 2023 for his role…

A 22-year-old man has been identified as the victim of a fatal stabbing in Croydon that left two others injured and triggered a large-scale murder investigation resulting in seven arrests.Lorik Abazi, from Croydon, died in hospital following a violent incident on Hesterman Way in the early hours of Sunday morning. Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 1:15am on 15 February, where paramedics from the London Ambulance Service found three men with stab wounds. Despite the efforts of medical staff, Lorik could not be saved.His family, who are being supported by specialist officers, described him as someone full…

Mobile phone theft across London has dropped by more than 10,000 offences in a single year after the Metropolitan Police deployed drones, specialist electric bikes and facial recognition technology in its most extensive crackdown on the crime to date.Figures released by the force show recorded phone theft offences fell from 81,365 in 2024 to 71,391 last year, representing a 12.3 per cent reduction. The results follow a sustained year-long operation which culminated in an intensified four-week push between 19 January and 16 February.During that concentrated period alone, officers carried out 248 arrests directly linked to phone theft and recovered approximately…

A man who exploited his position as a respected religious figure to sexually abuse multiple victims over more than a decade has been convicted of 21 offences including nine counts of rape.Abdul Halim Khan, 54, of Old Forde Road, London, claimed to possess spiritual powers while carrying out attacks on women and girls between 2004 and 2015. His youngest victim was just 12 years old when the abuse began.The investigation commenced in February 2018 after Khan’s youngest victim disclosed the abuse to a teacher at her school. Metropolitan Police detectives subsequently built a case involving testimony from seven survivors and…

The Metropolitan Police has concluded a series of disciplinary hearings triggered by shocking footage broadcast on BBC Panorama last October, resulting in seven serving officers being dismissed from the force for their conduct at Charing Cross police station.The final hearing on Friday concluded with a finding of gross misconduct against former PC Brian Sharkey, who had already retired before proceedings began. While the panel determined he breached professional standards through comments displaying a lack of empathy toward sexual assault and rape victims, along with discriminatory remarks about members of the public, the chair declined to impose a retrospective dismissal -…

The construction sector continues to be the most dangerous industry in Great Britain, with the highest number of workplace deaths recorded in the latest official statistics. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 35 construction workers were killed in work-related incidents between April 2024 and March 2025, the highest total of any industry.  Overall, 124 workers across all sectors lost their lives in workplace accidents during the same period, a figure broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels despite a small decrease from the previous year.  Falls from height remain the leading cause Official data shows that falls…

Shootings involving converted blank-firing weapons have fallen dramatically across London following the takedown of a criminal enterprise that manufactured and distributed illegal firearms from a caravan park in Essex. The Metropolitan Police’s 10-month operation culminated this week with ringleader Thomas McKenna, 60, receiving a 16-year prison sentence at Kingston Crown Court after detectives dismantled his entire supply network and seized 14 firearms before they reached the capital’s streets. More than 80 officers descended on McKenna’s three caravans at Buckles Lane, South Ockendon in November 2024, maintaining a three-day cordon around the site after discovering firearms, ammunition and homemade explosives. Inside,…

Rail passengers traveling through one of Britain’s busiest stations face severe delays lasting into the evening following a fatal incident on the tracks this afternoon.Lines serving routes between London Waterloo and both Barnes and Wimbledon remain closed after emergency services responded to Clapham Junction railway station at approximately 3pm on Wednesday, 12 February. Network operators warn travelers should expect major disruption continuing until 10pm tonight while investigations proceed.The London Ambulance Service received the initial alert at 2.59pm reporting someone struck by a train at the south London transport hub. The emergency triggered deployment of multiple medical units including an ambulance…

Detectives investigating a fatal knife attack in Brent are urgently seeking CCTV and dashcam footage from residents as they work to identify a suspect following Wednesday evening’s killing.The victim, a 33-year-old man whose identity has not yet been formally established, was discovered with stab wounds inside a property on Manor Park Road after emergency services responded to reports shortly after 18:05 on 11 February.Homicide Command investigators are conducting enquiries alongside local officers from the North West Command Unit, with no arrests made in the hours following the attack. A crime scene remains secured at the location while forensic teams gather…