Shopkeeper tells of terror after being 'bitten and slashed in the face by gang of teenage thugs'

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A shopkeeper has told how he was bitten and then slashed in the face with a knife by a gang of teenagers trying to buy cigarettes and alcohol. 

Saeed Haleem said he is now terrified to be in his shop alone after the shocking attack at the store in Edgware Road. 

The 43-year-old said he and his 21-year-old colleague were "lucky to be alive" after the ordeal at Station Food and Wines.

He told the Standard a gang of three teenagers had tried to buy alcohol and cigarettes despite having no ID.

He said violence erupted when the boys returned for a third time and tried to leave without paying for a soft drink.

He said violence erupted when the boys returned for a third time and tried to leave without paying for a soft drink.

Mr Haleem said: “My shop worker followed the boy and tried to get the drink and he punched him.

"We cannot hit back, they were children, we were trying to push them out of the door when the smallest one bit me and pulled out a knife. 

“It was very scary, terrifying. We didn’t expect him to have a knife.”

Mr Haleem, who lives in Hendon, was knifed in the side of his face during the vicious attack and thugs smashed a bottle over his employee’s head.

The pair were rushed to hospital and the shopkeepers claims he is now “afraid” to be in the shop on his own. 

He added: “It is scary, in this business this is happening more and more.

“You don’t like to be there on your own.

“There are good and bad people in this world and the scary thing is you don’t know who the good ones are anymore.”

Mr Haleem was forced to have four stitches in his face after the attack.

Police, who were called at 2.15pm to reports of a fight in the shop, have now released CCTV footage of three boys they want to find and speak to following the attack.

The clip shows a struggle continuing down the aisles as the appalling assault carries on.

PC Richard Kidd, from Westminster CID, said: "Both of the victims are very fortunate not to have suffered a fatal injury as a result of this attack."

The first suspect is described as average build with short black hair, a grey hooded top, black trousers and black shoes.

The second suspect is slim with short black hair and was also wearing a grey hoodie, black trousers and black shoes.

The third suspect is of slim build and wearing a black top.

Sadiq Khan formally confirms Tube and bus fares will be frozen until 2020

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Sadiq Khan today formally confirmed he will freeze fares across the Transport for London network until the end of 2020.

The Mayor officially published next year’s fares package which City Hall claims will save around £200 for the average household.

However, the Mayor only has the power to set fares on TfL services so travelcards, and the associated daily and weekly caps, are expected to go up in line with inflation.

Mr Khan promised during his election campaign that Londoners would “not pay a penny more” on their travel, so is calling on Government to follow his lead and freeze fares on London’s suburban rail services.

However, bus and tram tickets, Pay As You Go journeys on the Tube, DLR and TfL rail will all be frozen, as well as Boris bike hire charges.

TfL chief Mike Brown said: “Freezing fares help make our network more affordable for Londoners. Our efficiency programme allows us to deliver this while still providing the transport services London needs and also continuing to invest for future demand and growth."

Man who died in Yellowstone National Park dissolved in acidic hot spring

Staff reporter(wp/es):

A young American man who died after he slipped into a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park dissolved before his body could be recovered.

Colin Scott, 23, from Oregon, died in June when he accidentally fell while looking for a place to soak, or “hot pot”, in the park’s acidic thermal pools.

Rescuers later found his body in the pool but abandoned attempts to retrieve it because of the danger to themselves and an approaching lightning storm.

The next day, workers were unable to find any "significant" remains in the boiling water.

Yellowstone's deputy chief ranger Lorant Veress said: "In a very short order, there was a significant amount of dissolving,"

The incident, which was recorded by the victim’s sister on her mobile phone, emerged following a freedom of information request.

Mr Veress told KULR 8, which broke the story, said the springs were an “unforgiving environment”.

He said: “The whole area is geothermally active.

“There's a closure in place to protect people from doing that for their own safety. It's a very unforgiving environment.”

Yellowstone National Park, which was established in 1872, is situated mostly in Wyoming but parts also extends into Montana and Idaho. 

Woman killed after being hit by Range Rover 'while standing on traffic island'

Staff reporter(wp/es):

A woman has died after being hit by a car while reportedly standing on a traffic island in east London.

The pedestrian, in her 30s, was struck by a white Range Rover Sport, in Commercial Road, Limehouse, just before 11.30pm on Thursday.

It is believed she was standing on a traffic island in the middle of the busy road when she was hit.

Metropolitan Police officers and crews from London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance rushed to the scene but the woman was pronounced dead at midnight.

A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. 

He is being held at an east London hospital.

A Met Police spokesman said: “Next of kin have been informed. Formal identification is yet to take place.

“A post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.”

Detectives are appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.