London

    Survivors of a fire that killed 71 people six months ago in the Grenfell Tower social housing block in west London will join firefighters and members of the royal family at a national memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral on Thursday. The blaze broke out in the middle of the night on June 14 and quickly gutted the 24-storey building, which was home to a close-knit, multi-ethnic community living in a poor area within one of London's richest boroughs, Kensington and Chelsea. The disaster profoundly shocked Britain, highlighting extreme disparities in living conditions between rich and poor and fuelling a debate over whether disdain for social housing residents had played a part. "Hosting this service at St Paul's Cathedral, an iconic venue in London, recognizes the...

    Police believe they have exposed a new grooming gang in London as officers warn widespread abuse is taking place across the country. Four girls between the age of 13 and 15 have reported being raped by a group based around a McDonald’s in Stratford, triggering a crackdown that has so far identified at least 30 potential victims. Detectives believe the number will grow as they appeal for others to come forward, after arresting three boys and three men in Stratford. Police are already arresting around 420 men every month over child sexual exploitation across England and Wales, and the numbers continue to grow. Detective Inspector Laura Hillier, of the Metropolitan Police’s sexual exploitation team, said an operation codenamed Grandbye was launched after the four vic...

    Labour has been plunged into a corruption scandal after a businessman with close ties to the party was secretly recorded demanding a £2m bribe from property developers seeking to build one of Britain’s tallest skyscrapers. In the recording obtained by The Sunday Times the businessman claimed he was acting on behalf of Labour politicians who could guarantee planning permission for the proposed £500m development in the Isle of Dogs, east London. He was introduced by Shiria Khatun, a deputy mayor of Labour controlled Tower Hamlets council, as someone who could assist with planning. He later sent a contract to the developers setting out the illicit deal in which he would deliver planning approval from Tower Hamlets at a premium of £2,000,000. Four Labour politicians wo...

Thousands of small to medium sized businesses are set to see an automatic reduction in their business rate bills this year, under exceptional council plans to boost the borough's economy. Cabinet's decision to agree the Business Rates Relief scheme will automatically put more than £8 million back into the coffers of local business rate payers over the next four years. Business rates are a tax on properties such as shops, factories and offices that are not used for domestic purposes. In March this year, the government announced a £300 million fund to support businesses facing the steepest increase in their business rates, as a result of revaluation - an estimate of what the property could be let for on the open market. Tower Hamlets has been allocated £8.184 million over four years - th...

The Maryam Centre at Whitechapel's East London Mosque is the next venue to host a public meeting and advice service to promote the rights of private renters in Tower Hamlets. The meeting takes place on Monday December 11 between 5.30-7.00pm at the Maryam Centre on 45 Fieldgate Street, E1 1DU, which is the street behind the main entrance to the Mosque on Whitechapel Road. The Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs and Councillor Sirajul Islam, Statutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing will speak at the meeting. Council staff will also be available to provide information and answer questions. Tower Hamlets Council worked with key housing and community partners to launch the Tower Hamlets Private Renters' Charter earlier this year. The key message within the Charter is that every priv...

    Two men have been interviewed by police in connection with yesterday's terror scare at Oxford Circus Underground station, which caused mass panic. The men, aged 21 and 40, voluntarily attended police stations after British Transport Police (BTP) circulated their images on CCTV footage and appealed for them to come forward with information. BTP have said the investigation into what actually prompted the mass evacuation from Oxford Circus is continuing. Later last night, they postulated that an altercation on a station platform might have raised the alarm. The emergency services received numerous 999 calls just before 5pm yesterday, reporting gunfire. Armed police attended the scene and were treating the incident as if it was terrorism-related. But police later said that the...

Tower Hamlets Council in partnership with Canary Wharf Group are turning One Canada Square blue to draw attention to World Diabetes Day (14 November). The national campaign, led by the International Diabetes Federation, is this year raising awareness of women in particular and how small changes to one's lifestyle can make big differences. There are approximately 17,100 residents living with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. From March 2016 – March 2017, there were 1,159 newly diagnosed residents. It is estimated that over 1,800 individuals living in the borough have the disease but have not yet been diagnosed. Mayor John Biggs said: "Diabetes is not just a local concern, but a national one. "We work in partnership with health care providers to ensure our residents have access to high quality car...

Tower Hamlets Council is highlighting issues surrounding alcohol misuse during Alcohol Awareness Week, running from November 13 – 19 2017. Led by national charity Alcohol Concern, this year's campaign theme is: 'Alcohol and Families.' This theme will be used an opportunity to start a conversation around problematic alcohol use to help break the cycle of silence and stigma that is all too often experienced by families. Mayor Johns Biggs said: "Working with our partners, we aim to reduce alcohol-related problems and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. "The council offers a variety of support services, counselling and treatment available to everyone in the borough." Public Health England estimates there are approximately 3,400 dependent drinkers in Tower Hamlets; the...

    Mass panic was sparked at Westfield in Stratford after the shopping centre was evacuated in a fire alert. Shoppers described a full on stampede with people running and crying as hordes of people were told to leave the east London centre. The Met Police said a fire alarm had been sounded and officers were at the scene. We believe it’s a small fire at this early stage, a spokesperson tweeted. The force later confirmed there had been a fire and police cordons at the shopping centre were lifted. Unsubstantiated fears of a possible terror attack spread quickly among the crowd as the UK remains on high alert following previous attacks earlier in the year. TV director Erron Gordon tweeted: At Westfield Stratford and being evacuated. People running shouting something about an atta...