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1178 stories from and about London, mostly council & politics, transport & tfl, local news. The most recent ran on 31 October 2026. Page 23 of 59.
A burst water main on Bramley Road in Cockfosters forced Chase Farm Hospital to postpone planned operations on Wednesday. Thames Water deployed water trucks and bottled water stations as 750 households in Enfield and surrounding areas face ongoing shortages.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged £168.3 million to reduce rough sleeping in London by Christmas, with Barnet-based charity Homeless Action in Barnet allocated £330,997. The funding aims to provide emergency accommodation and support services, though no fixed duration for housing offers has been set.
Luxury property developer London Richmond Limited has entered administration, appointing BTG Begbies Traynor as administrators on 12 August 2026. The collapse follows an 8-year record fall in UK house prices, with London’s average asking price dropping 3.1% annually, according to Rightmove.
Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens has called for one or two experienced players before the transfer window shuts, citing injuries and inconsistent performances. The team lost their League One opener to Sheffield Wednesday and face an eight-to-ten-week absence for defender Somto Boniface.
Dave Newman, a 39-year-old Metropolitan Police inspector, was found not guilty of three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court. Judge Philip Bartle KC expressed concerns about the investigation and the nature of the event where the alleged offences occurred.
A Metropolitan Police officer was dismissed for gross misconduct after sending explicit messages and an image of his penis to a 16-year-old boy via the Kik app in April 2025. The National Crime Agency accessed the messages after Kik flagged the boy as at risk of exploitation. The officer remains unnamed.
New Spitalfields Market in Walthamstow has completed London’s largest rooftop solar installation, a 1.4 MWp array expected to generate 1.27 GWh of electricity yearly. The £1 million project, managed by the City of London Corporation, aims to reduce grid reliance and support its 2027 net-zero target.
A government-backed study using the Community Life Survey ranked Barking and Dagenham as England’s least friendly borough. Residents told the Guardian they value local connections but cite poor public spaces, antisocial behaviour and a lack of amenities as barriers to community life.
Children in Barnet and across London showed faster lung growth after the Ultra Low Emission Zone was introduced, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health. The research tracked 3,400 pupils aged six to nine in 84 schools, comparing London with Luton, where no clean air zone exists.
Enfield Council has approved £570,000 of improvements to public spaces, including a £75,000 refurbishment of a play area in New Southgate and £25,000 for fencing at Provident Park in Edmonton Green. The funding comes from a £1.5 million Pride in Place grant awarded in September 2025.
A six-month trial of live facial recognition cameras at London Underground stations has failed to identify any serious offenders, British Transport Police confirmed. Meanwhile, 72% of Londoners want a public vote on the technology’s use, amid concerns over privacy and racial bias.
A 21-year-old woman wearing a niqab was verbally abused and threatened on a London bus on 31 July. Salsabil says Islamophobic incidents happen daily, but she rarely reports them after police dismissed a previous complaint. Reported Islamophobic offences in London rose 31% in the past year.
Residents using High Barnet and Edgware Tube stations face longer waits as Transport for London reduces escalator replacements. Over a quarter of London Underground escalators now operate beyond their expected lifespan, with TfL spending £56.1m last year on repairs and upgrades.
A six-month trial of live facial recognition at London railway stations has not identified any serious offenders, British Transport Police said. The technology, deployed at Victoria and other Underground stations since February, has led to 13 arrests for unrelated offences, while public polling shows 72% of Londoners want a say on its use.
Barnet and the wider south-east could see another heatwave in September, the Met Office has warned, as the region remains a month’s worth of rain below normal levels. Heavy rain forecast for Monday may ease wildfire risks but will not end drought conditions or hosepipe bans, experts say.
London’s FTSE 100 fell 29.81 points on Monday as oil prices rose and housebuilders declined after Rightmove reported a 2% monthly drop in average asking prices. The jobless rate fell to 4.9% in the three months to June, but housing market pressures persist ahead of autumn.
The Mayor of London and Transport for London have warned that Heathrow Airport’s expansion could add 22 million car trips annually, worsening congestion and air pollution in west London. Their submission to the Transport Committee argues the government’s case relies on outdated evidence and risks undermining progress on emissions.
Abdifatah Adani, 22, appeared at Staines Magistrates’ Court on 5 August charged with attempted murder after stabbing welfare officer Aaron Gomes at a Stanwell asylum hotel. Gomes, treated for five knife wounds, remains in stable condition. Adani, who arrived in the UK by small boat, is remanded in custody until 17 September.
Transport for London spent £1.3 million on reactive escalator repairs in 2025/26 after 153 of 566 Underground escalators passed their expected lifespan. Southgate Station closed for two months this year when one escalator failed, and availability remains at 95%.
Metropolitan Police seized 2,367 illegal e-bikes in the year to 19 May 2026, the highest total in the UK. Under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, officers can now confiscate modified e-bikes without issuing a warning. Barnet residents report rising concerns over speeding and pavement use.
Borough-wide and national stories that name London or bear directly on it.
High rents, business rates, and reduced bus services are identified as primary drivers weakening Oxford Street. Experts suggest the current approach of pedestrianisation and the impact of Crossrail have worsened the situation, with calls for central government intervention.
Lewisham Council rejected a cross‑borough plan for 802 homes on either side of Deptford Creek in late September 2026. Greenwich approved its part on 13 October, but the mayor will not use his powers to reverse the decision. The development offers only 24 affordable units, 5 % of the total, and the Secretary of State may still intervene.
Westminster recorded the highest number of hate crime offences in London during September 2026, with 120 incidents. Across the capital, 1,868 offences were logged. Transport for London is providing free bystander training in response to rising incidents on its network.
A fatal incident on the tracks at Cannon Street station on 28 October 2026 led British Transport Police to declare the victim dead at the scene. Transport for London halted sections of the District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines until about 7 pm, leaving commuters facing long delays.
Lewisham Council has approved a new housebuilding strategy focused on supporting community groups and housing co-operatives to deliver more affordable homes. This initiative gains importance after Landsec abandoned plans for the Lewisham Shopping Centre, which would have provided approximately 1,700 homes.
Camden Council confirmed the car‑free status of Camden High Street will become permanent at the end of October 2026 following an 18‑month trial funded by Transport for London. The move costs £10,000 to administer and includes a new northbound bus lane on Kentish Town Road to cut bus delays.
Wandsworth Council will issue an enforcement notice requiring 113 Gassiot Road in Tooting Bec to cease unauthorised short-term holiday lets. The property was found listed on Airbnb and Booking.com, letting for over 90 nights.
In a Southwark Crown Court hearing, Russell Brand asserted that his history of public kissing and casual encounters has been wrongly portrayed as rape and sexual assault. He denied all six charges, and a charge of indecent assault was altered to attempted indecent assault.
The death of Stephen Nuth, 51, in HMP Pentonville prompted an inquest that blamed a nurse’s failure to read his medical notes. The coroner’s report has pushed the North London NHS Foundation Trust to amend its policy on reviewing records before inmate assessments.
Wandsworth Council has agreed to allocate £30,000 towards a statue of John Archer, London's first Black mayor. The decision has drawn criticism from Labour councillors, who argue the funds could be better used for services, especially with a proposed 94 per cent council tax increase.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted former police officer Mark Tyrrell of rape, three sexual assaults and perverting the course of justice on 27 October 2026. He remains in custody, will be sentenced on 16 December, and the Met Police may seek to strip his pension.
Anthony Lloyd, 38, escaped from a Lewisham medical facility on 23 October 2026. The Metropolitan Police confirmed on 27 October 2026 that he remains at large and is considered a risk to the public.
Camden Council has confirmed that the pedestrian zone on Camden High Street, introduced as an 18‑month trial, will become permanent. The decision follows a consultation where 57% of respondents backed the move, while the council also plans a design test for an extension over Camden Lock Bridge and a trial bus lane on Kentish Town Road.
The Standard recorded 51 cyclists travelling through Oxford Street’s newly pedestrianised stretch on 27 October 2026. TfL says breaches can attract fines of up to £160, reduced to £80 if paid within two weeks, and is trialling geofencing with dockless operators to limit e‑bike access.
Wandsworth Council is hosting a free meeting on 10 November at All Saints Church, Putney, to brief residents on Heathrow Airport’s third‑runway plans. Over 400 daily overflights have been recorded in Battersea, and the council will use community input for its response to the consultation running until 22 December.
Police were called to Frances Street in Woolwich at 8:09 pm on 22 October after a 32‑year‑old man was shot inside a parked car. The victim remains in critical condition, and detectives are urging anyone with information to contact the Met.
TfL is considering making Angel station exit‑only during evenings and weekends from November and is also studying a full closure that could last up to a year. Local traders and the Islington Council leader warn the move would hurt businesses, while TfL says no decision has been taken yet.
From 26 October a stretch of Oxford Street in Westminster became vehicle‑free. Deliveries may occur only between midnight and 07:00, while emergency services keep full access. The mayor and TfL say the change will be monitored and the street will gain trees, squares and new seating by spring 2027.
A significant section of Oxford Street, between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, has been pedestrianised. The move aims to revitalise the area, boost economic growth, and create a greener environment, though some concerns about traffic diversion have been raised.
A man has died after a tree fell onto a vehicle in Finchley. The incident occurred on Nether Street, which was subsequently closed between Abercorn Road and Crescent Road. Emergency services attended the scene.
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