Author: James Whitmore

A masseur who sexually assaulted ten women, including an underage girl, during home visits has been removed from the professional register following a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence.Yuliyan S Dimov, 47, from Enfield, was convicted at Wood Green Crown Court on May 2, 2024, of three counts of sexually assaulting an underage girl, eight counts of sexual assault on a female and eight counts of voyeurism. The Bulgarian national had been employed by Urban Massage, an at-home mobile massage service.The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service issued a striking-off order against Dimov on January 6, 2026. The tribunal determined that the “nature…

Sir Keir Starmer visited IKEA in Croydon to promote new employment protections that will grant workers rights from their first day in a job, describing the measures as benefiting around two million workers in London. The Prime Minister toured the Purley Way store on the morning of January 12, speaking with staff and announcing “day-one” employment rights including paternity leave and bereavement support as part of the recently passed Employment Rights Act. The changes, scheduled to come into effect in April, include a right to unpaid parental leave from the first day in a new job, replacing previous rules requiring…

Four NHS hospital trusts have declared critical incidents as they face significant and sustained pressures from a surge in complex emergency admissions, winter illnesses and staff shortages. Three trusts in Surrey and one in East Kent announced the escalation, which enables them to focus resources on critical services whilst ongoing challenges persist in discharging patients well enough to leave hospital. The affected trusts are Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. NHS Surrey Heartlands attributed the critical incidents to a…

Three London councils have been rated red in a new government performance system for road maintenance, whilst the majority received amber ratings indicating room for improvement. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced the traffic light rating scheme alongside a £300 million funding increase for road repairs in London. The system assesses councils’ performance during 2025-2026 on road condition, preventative planning and investment in broader road maintenance. Greenwich, Kensington and Chelsea, and Waltham Forest received red ratings for falling short in these areas. Hillingdon and Lewisham were awarded green ratings for prioritising long-term repairs and maintaining high road standards. The remaining 30…

Cleveland Police have launched an urgent manhunt following a spate of violent incidents across Teesside that left several people seriously injured over the weekend.Two men, aged 23 and 18, have been arrested and remain in custody for questioning. Officers are continuing to search for others believed to be part of a group of 10 to 15 young men on quadbikes who carried out attacks across Grangetown, Ormesby and Redcar.The violence began around 10.20pm on Saturday night with reports of nuisance quadbikes at Norham Walk in Ormesby. A 53-year-old woman was knocked over near the location, sustaining an arm injury. Her…

Capital records 97 killings in 2025 as youth violence drops sharply, though racial disparities remain acuteLondon has been described as “one of the safest cities in the western world” following a significant reduction in homicides, with the capital recording 97 killings in 2025 compared with 109 in 2024 and 153 in 2019.The homicide rate for 2025 stood at 1.1 per 100,000 residents, lower than Berlin (3.2), Brussels (2.9) and Paris (1.6). London also compares favourably with major North American cities, where rates include 2.8 in New York, 5.6 in Los Angeles, 10.5 in Houston and 12.3 in Philadelphia per 100,000…

Sixty firefighters battled blaze as thick smoke forced closure of main rail line to PaddingtonA major fire at a recycling centre in West London brought travel disruption to thousands of passengers on Sunday evening, forcing the partial closure of the Great Western Main Line.Around 60 firefighters from eight fire engines were deployed to tackle the blaze at a facility on Johnson Street in Southall, after the first emergency call was received at approximately 5.33pm on January 11. According to London Fire Brigade, approximately 15 tonnes of mixed recyclable waste was alight when crews arrived at the scene.The London Fire Brigade…

A man in his 50s has been arrested following a police pursuit that resulted in a collision involving three vehicles in Queens Park. Metropolitan Police officers spotted a car reported as stolen at 12:58hrs on Saturday, January 10, prompting a pursuit that began around midday. The vehicle was subsequently involved in a crash with a police car and a moped on Chamberlayne Road. A police spokesperson stated: “The Met Police were involved in a pursuit with a car that had been reported stolen after it was spotted by officers at 12:58hrs on Saturday, 10 January. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle was…

Derek Martin, best known for his portrayal of Charlie Slater in EastEnders, has died aged 92 in hospital. The actor passed away on January 10, 2026, following a career spanning more than five decades in British television and film. His sons David and Jonathan described him as “a friend” who “supported us through our highs and lows,” adding: “He never stopped learning, he loved meeting people and was always generous with his time. We both miss him terribly.” Agent Sharon Henry confirmed his passing, stating: “For over 50 years, Derek was a truly authentic working-class voice in British television and…

A woman remains in hospital in a stable condition following a stabbing in South Croydon on Sunday morning, with police urgently seeking a suspect who remains at large. The Metropolitan Police were called at 08:37hrs to Brighton Road following reports of a stabbing. Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service, which treated the woman for multiple stab wounds before transferring her to hospital. Social media reports suggested seven police cars with blue lights and two ambulances attended the incident, which was reported just after 8:30am. Photographs show two marked police vehicles outside a residential address opposite South Croydon…