London

London

The latest fatberg shows exactly what happens when fats, oils and wipes go down our drains they don't disappear, they build up and cause serious damage, said Tim Davies, the head of waste operations for north London at Thames Water. The cost of clearing blockages and repairing sewers runs into tens of millions of pounds every year, and that money ultimately comes from our customers.

Anthony Gilheaney, 31, was drunk and when he mounted the pavement with his Mercedes and repeatedly targeted people to run over. He was convicted of the murder of Aiden Chapman, 25, who suffered catastrophic brain injuries after being struck by Gilheaney's car. A couple on their way home from midnight mass were also attacked in the early hours of Christmas Day 2024 in London's West End.

Outside the entrance to the red brick library, around 130 employees chant in unison, blow on brightly coloured plastic horns and cheer when passing drivers honk in support. Money, Money, Money by ABBA blasts out of a surprisingly powerful portable speaker. Yet beneath the jovial atmosphere is a sense of profound exasperation. I don't want to be out here dancing on a picket line. I want to be in there, doing my job, and getting a decent wage for it, says one library assistant.

While it's quieter than usual, Hampton Court Palace offers half-price tickets for a few weeks during January and February. The half-price tickets include entry to all open public areas of the palace, including the Great Hall and Henry VIII's Kitchens. The half-price offer runs from 7th January to 8th February 2026.

'For more than 150 years, Ally Pally has been the People's Palace, a place where everyone can come to experience something truly special, and we're thrilled to add Summit to that legacy. 'This new rooftop adventure, the highest roof walk in the UK, offers a completely new perspective on the Palace, with stunning panoramic views across London. Summit is an exciting and significant addition to our year-round destination, set to attract new visitors from further afield, whil

He had 272mg of alcohol in his system, more than three times the legal driving limit, jurors at East London Coroner's Court were told. The train operator of the fifth service to pass Mr Mitchell reported a blow-up doll on the track, and a member of staff, who did see the body was unable to stop the last train, as they were in shock.

Undercover police officers are being deployed in the City of London to catch brazen shoplifters in the act at Christmas. Retail crime - said to cost the capital of 16.7million a month - will spike during the festive period. The Standard went out on patrol with Home Office minister Mike Tapp to see how covert units are cracking down on the scourge. Around 10am, a 40-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of theft from Boots on Moorgate.

Several car-sharing companies are considering launching or expanding in London, with the imminent closure of Zipcar's UK operation leaving a large gap in the market in one of Europe's biggest cities. Free2Move, owned by the carmaker Stellantis, said it was closely monitoring the London market, and actively assessing options for its services. It already operates fleets in cities including Berlin, Paris, Rome and Washington DC.

Earlier this year Marks & Spencers revealed that it would be investing a massive £90 million into its London locations, revealing that six new or improved locations would be added to its roster in the capital by Christmas. The last of those store additions has taken place this week, as M&S Chiswick has reopened.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Leinster finished strongly to hold off a spirited Harlequins and launch their latest quest for a fifth Champions Cup title with a bonus-point pool 3 win at Aviva Stadium. Jordan Larmour's double and tries from Garry Ringrose and Ciaran Frawley gave Leinster the bonus point before half-time in Dublin, but Luke Northmore and Cassius Cleaves scores gave Harlequins a glimmer of hope.

Millions and millions of people flock to London for its Christmas markets. Most head for the world-famous Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, the highly Instagrammable Covent Garden Christmas Market or the huge Leicester Square Christmas Market. But they're far from the only brilliant Christmas markets in the city. Now that it's December, London is full to the brim with sparkling huts and marquees selling glühwein, mince pies and all sorts of artisanal gems.

The tree, a 20m tall Norwegian spruce, has come from a forest in Oslo - Norway has gifted a tree to the UK every year since 1947, as thanks for support during World War Two. The tree in Trafalgar Square Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/Shutterstock The spruce, which has been named Ever Oslo is about 65 years old, and was selected by experts and through a social media poll.

Rail passengers face early-morning disruption on the Overground's Lioness line between Watford Junction and London Euston due to an issue at Wembley Central. According to TfL, Network Rail workers are having to remove an obstruction from a bridge. Operators say trains may be cancelled or may terminate early at Willesden Junction while checks are carried out on the track. The disruption affects all services running through the Wembley Central area.

"I've been working hard to get ready for the UTS but frustratingly I'm just not quite ready," Draper said. "It's a tough call as I want nothing more than to compete but I've advised to take more time. Sorry to let down fans and miss out on the event."

A self-proclaimed Satanist who claimed he made a pact with a "red-horned devil" has been jailed for 23 months after being found guilty of having extreme right-wing material on his phone. Declan Candiani, 26, was stopped by counter-terrorism police at Stansted Airport as he attempted to go on holiday on 13 August 2024. On seeing the contents of his phone, officers arrested him and searched the home he shares with his mother in Streatham, south London.

The twice-convicted killer is serving 40 years in prison in Serbia. Scotland Yard told the Daily Mirror, which carried out an investigation: No unsolved murder is ever closed and detectives are assessing this information to understand whether it's a new and realistic line of enquiry. Jill Dando was killed in 1999 The newspaper said the original CCTV is believed to be buried somewhere in 223 boxes of material in Metropolitan Police deep storage.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

The family of Muriel McKay, who was kidnapped and murdered more than 55 years ago and whose remains have never been found, cannot perform a radar scan of a shared back garden in east London where they believe she is buried, a High Court judge has ruled. Ms McKay, the wealthy wife of newspaper executive Alick McKay, was kidnapped for a 1 million ransom in 1969 after being mistaken for Anna Murdoch, the then-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Police were alerted to reports of a collision between a pedestrian and a car at 9:57pm on Thursday, October 30, on Aspen Way in Canary Wharf. Both ambulance services and police attended. Despite the best efforts of first responders, the pedestrian, a 26-year-old man, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

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The resident-led housing association, Phoenix Community Housing has submitted plans to partially demolish Catford Police Station on Bromley Road so it can deliver 63 new homes. The plans will be heard by Lewisham Council's Planning Committee at a meeting next week (November 25). Catford Police Station closed at the end of 2017. Since its closure, the building has been occupied by Live In Guardians, who are allowed to live in disused buildings for a lower rate than normal in exchange for guarding' the vacant property.

An enormous new Christmas mural in southwest London has been mercilessly mocked online after viewers spotted its bizarrely disfigured people and dogs and chickens with swapped bodies. The mural, which appears to have been generated by AI, has been installed above the Cote Brasserie restaurant on Kingston upon Thames' Riverside Walk. It seems to depict a Nativity scene with pilgrims gathered to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

The council needs to acknowledge that this is residential. We have a public spaces protection order and the police are only on duty until 11pm so any licence beyond that time must be cancelled immediately and new applications turned down.

For years, Clerkenwell was a place that few Londoners-let alone visitors-could confidently place on a map. But all that's starting to change, and The Sunday Times recently named Clerkenwell the best place to live in the capital, thanks to its flourishing culinary and arts scenes. It's little wonder the spotlight is finally settling on this Islington neighborhood in central London, just a 30-minute walk from both King's Cross and the buzz of Soho.