London

    The first victim of the London Bridge terror attack has been named as a Cambridge University worker who was a champion for ex-cons. Jack Merritt, from Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, and a woman were stabbed to death by Usman Khan in Friday afternoon's rampage in the heart of the capital. Mr Merritt, 25, was a course coordinator for a prisoner rehabilitation programme, Learning Together, that was attended by the convicted terrorist and other offenders. His devastated father David paid tribute to him on Twitter, writing: My son, Jack, who was killed in this attack, would not wish his death to be used as the pretext for more draconian sentences or for detaining people unnecessarily. R.I.P. Jack: you were a beautiful spirit who always took the side of the underdog. He wr...

    Two members of the public have been killed in the London Bridge terror attack, sources have said. Police confirmed earlier today that a suspect had been shot dead by officers during the response to the incident. It said that a number of people had been stabbed and that it was awaiting updates on their conditions. Sadiq Khan, London Mayor, said earlier that some had been injured seriously. The London Ambulance Service declared it a major incident and one picture on social media appeared to show a body covered with a blanket. Sources have now told the BBC that two members of the public have died. Several people were stabbed by the knifeman before he was grappled to the ground and disarmed by members of the public on London Bridge. Footage on social media showed o...

    The Queen was on sparkling form as she opened the new headquarters of the Royal Philatelic Society today. The monarch, 93, viewed a portrait of herself during a tour of the society's new building in the City of London, which has been opened to mark the organisations 150th anniversary. And if she was still reeling from last week's events involving her beleaguered son, Prince Andrew, she wasn't showing it a bit. It comes days after Andrew, 59, announced he was stepping down from royal duties with the approval of his mother. The Queen brushed aside any concerns and happily joked with society members during the visit.  Kelly, arrived at the headquarters in a Range Rover, not her official Bentley, as the road was too narrow for her normal official car to squeeze down....

    A Muslim Conservative campaigner was subjected to a tirade of abuse when he was out doorstepping in east London. Has Ahmed was walking past Goodmayes station with a Tory rosette pinned to his chest when a member of the public started shouting insults at him on Sunday. Speaking to the Standard, the 23-year-old, who stood as an MP candidate for Ilford South in 2018, said despite his calm exterior he felt threatened and took out his phone to record the incident. Mr Ahmed said the man identified him as Muslim and then began to shout at him, at which point he started recording. At the time I carried on walking and tried to ignore him, Mr Ahmed said. "There were kids and people driving by, everyone was looking. Anyone would feel humiliated, it was a disgraceful thing h...

    Cast your mind back to 2011. In order to get around London you might have hailed a black cab or booked one over the phone using a service like Addison Lee. Then Uber arrived and completely changed the game, allowing you to book a car almost instantly using its app. Whilst there are 3.5 million Uber users in London, the tech company's reign as London's top transport app is waning. Transport for London (TfL) has denied the company a new permit to operate in the city following concerns about its ability to identify its drivers. This doesn't mean you won't be able to hail a car from the app in the capital, however, as Uber can appeal the decision and continue to operate. But, if you do feel uneasy about riding in an unlicensed vehicle then luckily there are a wealth o...

    Investment in London’s office market is falling despite growing demand from British and overseas investors, as a lack of available stock continues to hamper the sector. Total turnover for office investments in the capital in 2019 is set to drop well below the figure for the previous year, according to new data from Knight Frank, but a supply shortage may be masking increasing interest from investors. “We’re not really convinced that the turnover figures are reflective of the true underlying demand,” said Knight Frank’s Faisal Durrani. There was £2.9bn of office real estate available on the market during the third quarter of 2019 spread across 81 assets – a 21 per cent decrease on the second quarter. Durrani said the drop reflects “the severity of the shortage of i...

    Tower Bridge is completely closed while police and firefighters deal with an injured person. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is at the scene and assisting paramedics. City of London Police said the bridge is closed in both directions whilst they deal with an accident. They are also urging drivers to avoid the area Transport for London (TfL) said Westbound traffic is slow and there are queues approaching Glamis Road. There is also congestion northbound with queues reaching the Bricklayers Arms Roundabout. One Twitter user said the bridge was on lock down. Tower Bridge on lockdown with multiple police, fire and ambulance crews on the scene. Boats are still passing through so appears to be road related.

    A murder investigation has been launched after a man believed to have been shot in the head in east London died in hospital. The victim, 40, was found collapsed with a head wound in Nelson Street, Whitechapel, shortly after 10.30pm on Tuesday. He was taken to hospital but died on Thursday. Detectives previously said the injury to his head was thought to have been caused by a bullet, but are waiting for a post-mortem to be carried out to confirm the cause of death. The man's family have been told. Detective Inspector Perry Benton said: "We're still in the early stages of our investigation but it is imperative that anyone with information regarding the incident contacts us as soon as possible. "I am looking to speak to anyone who was in the area that Tuesday night...

    Transport for London (TfL) fares will remain frozen for another year, Sadiq Khan has confirmed. The mayor said all fares on buses and trams, plus single pay-as-you-go Tube and DLR fares, will remain the same until the end of 2020. This is in line with the commitment he made to freeze fares for four years after becoming mayor in May 2016. Daily and weekly price caps, plus weekly, monthly and annual travelcards, are not included in the freeze. Increases in these fares are set in agreement with train operators under regulations set by the Government, meaning they will rise by the July RPI inflation measure of 2.8%. Alongside my £1.50 Hopper fare which allows people unlimited changes on bus and tram journeys for free within an hour we are making transport more afforda...

    A Vietnamese woman believed to have been among the 39 migrants who died in the back of a lorry is said to have reached Britain days earlier from France but was deported. Pham Thi Tra My ’s brother has claimed the 26-year-old was picked up by police after she arrived. He said in an interview: She was arrested a few days ago and they returned her to France. Now we heard she might have died. Thi Tra My had sent her parents a heartbreaking message late on Tuesday night from the truck telling her she was dying because she could not breathe. Her distraught dad Pham Van Thin told how they tried to stop her making the dangerous trip from their home in Nghen, one of Vietnam’s poorest towns. He reportedly remortgaged the modest house to pay people-smugglers £30,000 for her ...