London Living Wage to rise by 35p to £9.75 an hour: Sadiq Khan

Pic:Sadiq Khan has announced an increase in the London Living Wage of 35p 
Staff reporter(wp/es):

The London Living Wage is to rise to £9.75 an hour from next year, Sadiq Khan announced today. 

The Mayor said the voluntary rate in the capital would increase by 35p - well above the national living wage rate brought in by the Government this year.

More than 1,000 businesses in the capital will now pay the new rate after 300 new firms including Ikea, Lloyds TSB and EDF Energy signed up. 

Outside London, which accounts for a third of businesses paying the rate, the rate is increasing by 20p an hour to £8.45.

The living wage is different from the new compulsory National Living Wage of £7.20 for adults, rising to £9 per hour by 2020, introduced by George Osborne in April. 

Sadiq Khan, announcing the new rate at the British Library, said it was not just the “right and moral” thing for employers to do, but also made “good business sense”.

The Mayor said: “It’s great news that London is leading the way in paying the Living Wage. I’m glad to say we’re well on track to see it rise to over £10 an hour during my mayoralty, but we need to go further.

“Our economy continues to grow and for the first time in London’s history we now have over one million businesses based here.  

“It’s essential that hard-working Londoners, who keep this city going, are rewarded for their integral role in this success.

“As many employers already accredited know, the benefits are clear - including increased productivity and reduced staff turnover. I’ll be working to encourage more businesses across our great city to get involved.”

Since the voluntary rate was introduced in 2011 more than 60,000 low-paid workers have benefited. 

Other organisations to sign up in the last year include the British Library, Borough Market, National Express and Majestic Wine.

Earlier this month, Mr Khan tasked his deputy mayors to make sure all staff working across the City Hall empire were paid the LLW after discovering that a handful of Transport for London subcontractors were not.

The boroughs of Brent, Ealing and Greenwich have increased accreditation in their areas by offering discounts in business rates to Living Wage employers.

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “The high costs of living in London are widely known and today’s increase will be welcome news to thousands of hard working Londoners. 

“Over 1000 employers in London ranging from FTSE 100 companies to small independent coffee shops are now leading the way on tackling low pay in the capital, making sure their employees earn a wage that they and their families can live on.” 

Having armed police on Tube will make Londoners feel 'less secure',

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Having armed police on the Tube will make Londoners feel "less secure", according to the Met Police commander who headed up security for London 2012.

Following a bomb alert at North Greenwich station earlier this month, it was revealed that armed police are to travel on London Underground trains.

For the first time they will move between jobs on the Tube instead of in cars, in the hope that their presence in carriages will reassure the public.

However, Bob Broadhurst, who has served in the Met Police for 36 years, told MailOnline while improving security is important in the short-term, in the long-run it could unnerve the public.

Mr Broadhurst said: "Police have to react to things like we saw last week [in North Greenwich].

"I have no doubt, in the short time, that having more patrols and firearms officers is the right thing to do.

"But in my opinion it only works in the short-term before it becomes counter productive and actually makes the public feel less secure unless there is a here and now threat.

"It would have to be reviewed regularly to see if it were working."

Mr Broadhurst, who is now a Special Advisor to the Security & Counter Terror Expo, added: "We had a similar thing after the 7/7 bombings. 

"We had thousands of officers around the underground for a few days, but in less than a week people were asking why there were so many officers if there was no imminent threat."

North Greenwich station was closed off while a bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion on a device on October 20.

Damon Smith, a student at London Metropolitan University, has been charged in connection with the incident.

Border Force officials seize £120,000 worth of cocaine at Heathrow Airport

Crime reporter(wp/es):

An alleged attempt to smuggle £120,000 worth of cocaine into London in a backpack was thwarted by Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport.

Officers discovered 3kg of the class A drug last Tuesday after stopping a passenger who had arrived on a flight from Bogota, Colombia.

The 22-year-old, who has dual British and Colombian nationality, was arrested and charged with importing a Class A drug.

Brayan Aristizabal Ruiz pleaded not guilty at Uxbridge Magistrate’s Court a day later where he was remanded in custody. He will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court on 24 November 2016.

Phil Douglas, Border ForceHeathrow Director, said: “The skill and expertise of Border Force officers is vital in preventing dangerous drugs entering the UK and ending up on our streets.

“This is an excellent example of a seizure of Class A drugs which have been stopped from ending up in our communities where they can do so much damage.

"We continue to work with our colleagues from the National Crime Agency to do all we can to prevent drug smuggling and bring those responsible to justice.”

Up to 80 children 'suffer sickness and diarrhoea after swimming pool party' in Kent

Health reporter(wp/es):

Up to 80 children have become "violently sick" following a pool party at a sports centre in Kent.

Splashes Leisure Pool in Gillingham has been closed today in order to clean and increase the chlorine levels in the water.

It follows uproar from parents over a kids party on Friday evening which saw scores of youngsters suffer vomiting and diarrhoea.

Samantha Kemsley took her one-year-old to the pool but ended up in Medway hospital with her just hours later after she had been sick 15 times.

Ms Kemsley, from Rainham, told the Standard:  “She was being violently sick over and over again so we drove her to Medway hospital at 1.20 in the morning.

"She was sick again six or seven times so they took her straight into A&E where the doctor said she may have to go on a drip, but luckily she didn't.

"One of the questions we were asked was about any contact she’d had. None of our family or friends are unwell. It wasn’t until we arrived home just after 6.30am that it occurred to us, the only place where she had prolonged contact with people was at Splashes. 

“I posted on a Facebook page of which I am a member and was overwhelmed with responses from people who had been at Splashes on the same day as us and their children had come down with the same illness… I posted on another group too and overall I have found that there are over 80 children affected.”

Many other mothers quickly shared the post and added their own stories of sick children.

Gemma Hutley-Reynolds took her daughter, son and nephew to the pool and all became ill. She told Kent Online: "My daughter Faye, who is nine, was sick 19 times in about four hours.

“We had the norovirus in our house a few years ago but this was far worse. I have never seen anything so bad."

Another mum, Kirstee Klee added this morning: “My son had sickness & diarrhoea sat night after the splashes party on Friday through the night & he's woken up today and been sick twice.

"He'll be off school until at least Wednesday now & trick or treating is cancelled. God knows how many went & got ill & we've not heard about!”

It is believed the sickness was spread by someone swimming in the pool who was already suffering from a contagious bug.

Emma Knight, whose two children are now off school, said: “Me and my husband took my daughters to the pool party. My youngest was sick every 40 mins for eight hours.

“Then my other daughter was sick every hour for six hours Saturday night. I have never known anything like this and to last so long.

“They won't be going back to school today and I have two very drained not wanting to eat poorly girls.”

A Medway Council spokesman told the Standard: “Following reports of sickness among some children who had visited Splashes on Friday, we are thoroughly cleaning the pool and changing areas and have increased chlorine levels in the pool.

"While we cannot determine whether the illness is linked to Splashes, we have taken necessary precautions to stop the potential further spread of germs.

"We urge customers not to visit the pool when they are feeling unwell, especially when suffering with sickness, as this would be the most likely cause of any spread of illness to other customers."

Prince Harry 'planned secret trip to Toronto to see Meghan Markle'

Royal Correspondent(wp/es):

Prince Harry had planned to make a secret trip to visit his actress girlfriend Meghan Markle in Canada yesterday.

Sources say Harry, 32, was booked on Flight BA0093 at 11.30am from Heathrow to Toronto on Sunday when news of his romance broke in the press.

A source said: “The flight was booked last week but he was a no-show.”

Harry, 32, met the American, who plays Rachel Zane in the hit US TV show Suits, in Toronto in May on a promotional visit for his Invictus Games. The legal drama is filmed in the city. 

Reports say he is “besotted” and has introduced her to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.

The source added: “The crew for the British Airways flight knew the Prince was booked to travel with them. It appears he pulled out at the last minute and decided not to travel.” 

Kensington Palace said it did not comment on “private matters”. Markle, 35, visited the UK in the summer and was seen in the royal box at Wimbledon.

The actress, who has one million followers on Instagram, 320,000 on Twitter and a lifestyle blog, TheTig, posted about her trips to London, taken when Harry was in town, including a picture of her visiting Buckingham Palace.

Her representatives also remained silent today.

Markle, whose father is a Hollywood lighting director and mother a yoga instructor, shares Harry’s love for humanitarian causes.

She is an ambassador for World Vision Canada and advocate for United Nations Women.

She is divorced from producer Trevor Engelson. They broke up two years after their wedding in 2011. Before she met Harry in May, she was dating Cory Vitiello, a chef and restaurateur. 

In 2013, she told Esquire: “The best job a man could have would be a chef. They’d understand the long hours I work and the drive and ambition it takes to succeed.”

But she added: “I love how British guys dress for the cold. There’s something so romantic about a man in a scarf and a knitted hat.”

Today, bookmakers suspended all bets on the prince getting married. Previously, they had offered odds of 12-1 that he would announce his engagement this year, and 5-1 that he would wed in 2017.

Earlier this year, Harry said: “Even if I talk to a girl, that person is then suddenly my wife.”

‘England’s oldest hotel collapses’ as fire continues to rage in Exeter

Staff reporter(wp/es):

The "oldest hotel in England" has begun to collapse in a huge fire in Exeter that raged throughout the night. 

The Royal Clarence Hotel, which was founded in 1769 and has stood for 300 years, has been badly damaged in the blaze. 

Hundreds of firefighters battled throughout the night to save the hotel and extinguish the fire which continued to burn through Exeter city centre this morning.

The fire is believed to have started in an art gallery on Friday before spreading to the nearby hotel. 

There are no reported injuries. 

The fire service said: "Fire crews are still at the scene working hard to get the fire under control.

"Residents are asked to consider their travel arrangements around the city centre as road closures may still be in place."

Around 120 firefighters from across Devon were at Cathedral Yard on Friday, where the blaze affected a block of buildings.

According to Professor Todd Gray of Exeter University, the hotel is the oldest in the country, survived the 1942 Blitz and was within the precincts of Roman Exeter. 

Dr Gray said it was a "heart-breaking" loss for the city, adding: "We have so little left and hopefully the fire will be contained and not spread further."

The 18th-century coaching inn, which is now called the Abode Hotel, is part of the Andrew Brownsword group.

A hotel spokeswoman said on Friday: "Following the morning's fire, all our guests and staff were evacuated and all are safe and accounted for."

Devon and Cornwall Police said: "It is likely that Cathedral Green will remain cordoned off and not accessible to the public for some time."

Man fighting for life after attack in east London cul-de-sac

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man is fighting for his life after he was stabbed in the torso in an east London cul-de-sac last night.

Police and ambulances rushed to a residential street in Barking at just before 10pm on Friday night following reports of the knife attack.

The victim - a man in his 50s - had been stabbed and left in Pelham Avenue.

Paramedics took him to a nearby hospital where he today remains in a critical condition.

Police said they are keeping an “open mind” as to the motive of the attack, but believe the victim was stabbed by a “lone male”.

Detectives believe the solo attacker made off from the scene on foot and headed north along Sterry Road.

They said they do not yet have a further description of the man.

No one has yet been arrested and enquiries continue, the Met said.

Child and two men rushed to hospital after police motorbike smash

Staff reporter(wp/es):

A man and child were rushed to hospital after they were hit by a police motorcyclist in Earls Court this morning.

The crash happened on Old Brompton Road shortly after 10am.

Police say their injuries are not life threatening.

The police motorcyclist, who was also taken to hospital, was one of two Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection officers on a routine patrol.

  Emergency services, including the London Air Ambulance, arrived at the scene at around 10.15am.

Paramedics treated the patients before taking them to hospital as a priority.

The fire brigade cleared a fuel spillage from the accident.

The Old Brompton Road is closed with delays in both directions between Finborough Road junction and Eardley Crescent. 

Woman charged with murder after pensioner found dead

Crime reporter(wp/es):
A woman has been charged with the murder of a pensioner in Croydon.
Martha Pereira, 77, was found dead at an address in Morland Road at about 3pm on Tuesday, police said.
Shirley D'Silva, 55, of Morland Road, has now been charged with the woman's murder.
She is due to appear in custody at Croydon Magistrates' Court today.

Two children die in house fire in Birmingham

Staff reporter(wp/es):
Two children have died after a house fire, police said.
The boy and girl were discovered at the home in the Hamstead area of Birmingham by emergency services in the early hours of Friday.
They were rushed to hospital from the property in Holland Road, but were later pronounced dead, West Midlands Police said.
Detectives have launched a criminal investigation, with a WMP spokesman saying the cause of their deaths was not yet known.
A woman was also treated at the scene but did not suffer a serious injury, he added.
The fire was discovered in the hallway of the house at around 3.40am, police said.
Detective Inspector Justin Spanner said: “The events of this morning remain unclear and we are still trying to piece together the circumstances leading up to what happened.

“This is a terrible incident and my thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.
“If there was anyone in the area in the early hours of this morning who thinks they may be able to help us with our investigation I would urge them to get in touch with my team.”

Remain voters must 'mobilise' to ensure Britain stays in the EU:Tony Blair

 
Pic: Ex,Prime Minister  Tony Blair
Political reporter(wp/es):
Tony Blair has urged Remain voters to "mobilise" in order to "prise apart the alliance which gave us Brexit" and ensure Britain stays in the EU.
The former prime minister said while the will of the people should be respected, Remain voters are "the insurgents now" and "have to believe in the people's innate sense, that they're also open to a better argument in the light of the facts as they come to light".
Writing in the New European newspaper, Mr Blair said as the "catastrophic" realities of leaving take hold, staying in must remain an option.
He highlighted the sharp fall in the pound as a "negative prediction about our economic future", and the blocking of a Canada-EU free trade deal by the Walloon regional parliament in Belgium as evidence that Brexit may not take the form many Leave voters had imagined.

Brexit-backing politicians are now openly acknowledging that leaving means freeing Britain from its "essential social democratic" model, including a free NHS, he said.
In its place they envisage "free market, free trading, light regulation, low tax, low social protection" like in city states Hong Kong and Singapore - something which not all Leave voters would back.
He wrote: "The issue is not whether we ignore the will of the people, but whether, as information becomes available, and facts take the place of claims, the 'will' of the people shifts.
"Maybe it won't, in which case people like me will have to accept it.
"But surely we are entitled to try to persuade, to make the argument, and not to be whipped into line to support a decision we genuinely believe is a catastrophe for the country we love."

He also warned that anger and anxiety about immigration, globalisation, stagnant incomes, housing and squeezed public services will only get worse outside the EU.
He added: "We have to recognise we're the insurgents now. We have to build the capability to mobilise and to organise.
"We have to prise apart the alliance which gave us Brexit."

British woman dies after falling from hot air balloon in South Africa

Staff reporter(wp/es):
A British mother-of-two was killed in front of her family on holiday in South Africa after being thrown 20ft from a hot air balloon in high winds.
Suzanne Astle, 48, was flung out of the balloon’s basket as it crashed.
Mrs Astle, from Kenilworth, Warwickshire, was with her husband John, 63, a retired airline pilot, and their young sons when the accident happened on Tuesday morning during a family safari holiday to Mooinooi.
She suffered serious head injuries and was taken to hospital, but died the following day.
A four-year-old was also thrown to the ground and is in a critical condition.

A family friend said Mr Astle was not able to speak about the death. Emergency services said the balloon took off in good weather from Skeerpoort but was struck by high winds as it tried to land.
A paramedic said: “The basket tilted when it was about 20ft from the ground because of wind and the lady and a child fell out before it crashed.
Her husband and two sons went with her to hospital but doctors couldn’t save her. It’s an awful tragedy.”
Survivor Olivia Denny, 70, told News 24 they were “holding on for dear life” as 40kph winds hit the balloon.
British expat Bill Harrop, who runs the firm Original Balloon Safaris, said: “We are all devastated and shocked. This has never happened before. There is nothing more we could have done.”

Man rushed to hospital after being stabbed near New Oxford Street

Crime reporter(wp/es):
A man has been rushed to hospital after being stabbed in central London in the early hours of this morning.
The man was knifed in the stomach in High Holborn just before 4am today.
Metropolitan Police officers sealed off the road at the junction with New Oxford Street.
The victim was rushed to a major trauma centre by paramedics from London Ambulance Service.
An LAS spokeswoman said: “We were called at 4:01am today to reports of a stabbing at High Holborn.

“We sent an ambulance crew, a single responder in a car and an incident response officer to the scene. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. The first of our medics arrived at the scene in under three minutes.
“We treated a man at the scene for a stomach injury and took him as a priority to a major trauma centre in central London.”
A Met Police spokesman confirmed the man's injuries were not life-threatening.
No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.

England must step up if they are to pass the real test

Sports reporter(wp/es):
England started their sub-continental odyssey with a win against Bangladesh in Chittagong. However, much improvement will be required in the Second Test, starting tomorrow, if they are to move on to India with confidence.
The stakes will be high for Alastair Cook and his players here in Dhaka, not only because they will want to avoid becoming the first England team to lose to Bangladesh in 10 Tests but because they know even victory in this series will mean little when they arrive in Mumbai in the middle of next week.
Despite Bangladesh’s recent improvements, evidenced by their spirited performance in an opening Test they lost by just 22 runs, they are still the ninth-ranked team in the world.
England came perilously close to losing in Chittagong because the shortcomings that were so obvious before they left home for a tour that will see them play seven Tests before Christmas were plain for all to see again.

To win consistently in Asia a team need two things — a reliable top-order batting line-up and a world-class spinner. Unlike 2012, when England won in India for the first time in 27 years, they have neither.
Back then three of the top four in Cook, in his first tour as full-time Test captain, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen averaged above 40 in the series. They were backed up by the spin pairing of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, who took 37 wickets between in the series.
This time, England’s top four is their Achilles heel, with the collapses in Chittagong to 21 for three in the first innings and 46 for four in the second almost costing them the game.

Cook is still there, of course, and in Joe Root England have another batsman whose quality is beyond question. But when both fail, it exposes the rest of a fragile top four.
Judgement must be reserved on Ben Duckett, who made scores of 14 and 15 opening against spin in his first Test.
However, Gary Ballance has no excuse. The Yorkshire batsman averages just 22 since coming back into the side last summer and, short on confidence following that fallow run, he needs a significant score from No4 in Dhaka to save his Test career. England cannot rely on the middle order runs of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow to bail them out as they did in Chittagong every time. India’s spinners will seize on any weaknesses during the five Tests that await, starting in Rajkot on November 9. And their batsmen, led by captain Virat Kohli, will also see the spin-bowling department as a significant weakness.

Moeen Ali was the best of England’s spinners in the opening Test. But neither him, Gareth Batty nor Adil Rashid will worry India. Zafar Ansari, who will make his Test debut in Dhaka, falls under the same category.
Yet England’s spinners can bowl better and at least head to India with confidence with an improved display.
That much is at least required given there are no warm-up matches between now and Rajkot. Dhaka will be England’s final dress rehearsal for a series that will see them not only face a team who are ranked No1 in the world but who have not lost a home Test since England won in Kolkata four years ago.
In between they have won 12 of 13 matches, whitewashing Australia 4-0, New Zealand 3-0 and West Indies 2-0. South Africa also lost 3-0 in India this time last year, with a washed out Test sparing them a whitewash. England will get no favours in India, who are determined to avenge their defeat of 2012.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan warned this week: “If they perform like they did against Bangladesh, it’ll be 5-0.”
Vaughan is not known for understatement but on this he might be right. Forget winning for now, England will need to improve significantly if they are to even compete in India. Those improvements must start tomorrow.

Piccadilly line drivers threaten walkout in run-up to Christmas

Staff reporter(wp/es):
Hundreds of Tube drivers on the Piccadilly line are threatening strike action in the run-up to Christmas.
Four hundred members of the RMT union will be balloted in the next few weeks over whether to launch a campaign of industrial action.
The union said there had been a "wholesale breakdown" of industrial relations on the line, which serves Heathrow Airport.
RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: "Industrial relations on the Piccadilly line have been corroded through repeated failures to follow agreements, policies and procedures.
"It is those failures that have led to the wholesale breakdown in industrial relations which has triggered this ballot for action.

"RMT members on London Underground will not stand by while agreed policies that were put in place to maintain Tube safety are systematically ignored and undermined."
The union is also balloting 3,500 Tube station and other staff for strikes in a separate dispute over jobs and the closure of ticket offices.

In a separate dispute, drivers on Southern Railway will start voting next week on whether to strike over driver-only trains.
The ballots will close in mid-November, raising the threat of co-ordinated walkouts on the Tube and Southern.
RMT members on Southern will strike on November 4 and 5 in their long-running row with the company.

UK economy beats forecast with growth after Brexit vote

Staff reporter(wp/es):
revealed that Britain’s “resilient” economy grew faster than expected in the aftermath of the referendum. 
The nation’s GDP rose by 0.5 per cent in the three months from July to September, a slowdown from the 0.7 per cent in the previous quarter but far better than the 0.3 per cent forecast by the City.
The strong rise — driven by Britain’s surging services sector — makes it less likely that Britain will slip into “Brecession” and also reduces the chance of a further cut in interest rates from the Bank of England next month. However, some economists said that the true test of the impact of Brexit will not come until Article 50 is invoked next year.
Chancellor Philip Hammond welcomed the rise, saying: “The fundamentals of the UK economy are strong, and today’s data show that the economy is resilient. We are moving into a period of negotiations with the EU and we are determined to get the very best deal for households and businesses.”

It was the 15th consecutive quarter of growth for the economy, now 8.2 per cent bigger than the last GDP peak in early 2008 before the financial crash.
The data from the Office for National Statistics showed the services sector, which accounts for about 80 per cent of economic output, grew by 0.8 per cent. There was particularly strong growth from industries centred in and around London including film, video and TV programme production, sound recording, music publishing and computer programming.

However other parts of the economy did less well, with manufacturing down by one per cent and construction decreasing by 1.4 per cent.
Economists said the economy is likely to have been boosted by strong consumer spending over the summer but warned that rising inflation fuelled by rising import prices could snuff this out over the winter.
Nina Skero, managing economist at London forecaster the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said:  “As a weaker pound contributes to higher import prices and in turn a sharp rise in inflation, consumers will feel the squeeze. A slight rise in unemployment and lower consumer confidence will also encourage households to cut back on spending.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “These figures show there’s no room for complacency. British manufacturing is still struggling.”
John Hawksworth, chief economist at consulting giant PwC, said: “Overall, it looks like the economic impact of Brexit is more likely to be a gradual drag on growth over the next few years as negotiations with the EU proceed, rather than a short, sharp shock.”
Meanwhile, a Government minister warned that prices would rise after the sharp decline in the value of sterling — and that the public had been warned of this risk before the June 23 vote.
“Consumers are going to start to see rising prices and there’s nothing we can do about that,” said international trade minister Mark Garnier. “That was a well-predicted effect of Brexit.”

Father faces jail after killing toddler son

Crime reporter(wp/es):
A man killed his toddler son by force-feeding him a mixture of bread and cereal.
The three-year-old "drowned in his food" after he was forced to lie across his father's lap while the porridge-like mixture was poured into his mouth from a cup.
The 32-year-old parent, from north-west London, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty by a majority verdict of manslaughter and cruelty to a child at the Old Bailey.
Prosecutor Simon Denison QC had told the jury that the defendant would slap his son or send him to bed on occasions when he vomited during feeding sessions.
On November 27 last year, he called for an ambulance and paramedics arrived to find the child lying on the floor in a nappy, showing no signs of life.

Mr Denison said: "There was a very large amount of vomit that looked like a porridge substance on his face and on his chest and not the floor.
"It was very difficult to clear his airway because of the amount of porridge-like substance that was in his throat. When CPR was attempted, more of the substance came out."
He added: "A post-mortem examination revealed that virtually all sections of his lungs were stuffed with recognisable food material.
"He had aspirated, inhaled, breathed in, a large amount of the porridge-like mix into his lungs so that he had, in effect, drowned in his food."
The defendant was remanded in custody to be sentenced by Mr Justice Singh at the Old Bailey tomorrow.

An NSPCC spokesman said: "This is a tragic, shocking and desperately sad case.
"It goes without saying that the child concerned died in the most horrific way and at the hands of a man who should have cared for, loved and protected him.
"The fact the father continued to force feed the child even though his distress would have been obvious is heart-breaking and hard to comprehend."

35,000 jobs in London pay less than minimum wage

Staff reporter(wp/es):
London has 35,000 jobs which pay less than the minimum wage, official figures show.
Less than one per cent of London jobs paid less than the minimum wage in April 2016, at total of around 35,000 positions, according to figures released by the Office of National Statistics.
However it makes the capital the UK region with the lowest proportion of jobs paid less than the minimum wage.
The percentage of jobs in London which pay less than minimum wage stands at 0.9% this year compared to 0.6% in 2015.
The average figure for the UK is 1.3 per cent, an increase of 0.5 per cent from last year.  
A spokesman for ONS said that it was difficult to compare the data to last year because of the new National Living Wage which came into effect 1 April 2016, skewing results.

The data, he said, was more helpful when comparing regions and occupations.
In 2016 the worst regions in the UK for low pay were Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands where 1.7 per cent of jobs were paid below the minimum wage.
The highest proportion of low paid jobs were those classified as “elementary" such as bar staff and waiters at 3.5 per cent. The lowest proportion was among professionals at 0.5 per cent.    
The study looked at all UK jobs earning less than the National Living Wage, £7.20 for all people aged 25 and over, or the National Minimum Wage, for those under 25.

Woman dies after being hit by train at Seven Sisters Tube station

Staff reporter(wp/es):
A woman has died after being hit by a Tube train in front of shocked passengers at Seven Sisters station.
British Transport Police were called to the station at 11.15am today to reports that someone had been struck by a train.
The station, in north London, was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident.
A BTP spokesman said confirmed that the woman died at the scene.
He added: "Officers attended alongside London Ambulance Service paramedics and treated a woman for injuries.
"However, despite their best efforts, the woman was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
"Officers are now working to identify the person and inform their family.
"This incident is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner"
Services on the Victoria line are severely delayed and no Underground trains are running between Seven Sisters and Walthamstow Central.

A statement posted on Transport for London’s website reads: “No service between Walthamstow Central and Seven Sisters due to an earlier customer incident.
“Severe delays on the rest of the line.
“London Underground tickets will be accepted on London Overground, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, South Eastern Trains and local bus services via any reasonable route.”

Furious woman confronts man after 'sex assault' on London bus

Crime reporter(wp/es):
A furious woman has confronted a man who allegedly sexually assaulted her on a London bus.
Police have released a fresh image of a man they want to speak to after the woman was reportedly touched inappropriately from behind while travelling on Wood Green High Road.
The alleged attack happened on a route 144 bus at 3.20pm on June 19.
The victim is said to have walked after the man, grabbed him by the collar and said: “What do you think you’re doing?”
Another passenger then shouted: "Don’t touch her," after which the suspect is believed to have turned around and struck the victim on the left side of her face, hitting her glasses.
The man is described as white and aged between 35 and 45 years old.
He is said to be approximately 6ft tall with short mousey hair which was turning grey and blue/grey eyes.
He was wearing a white collared shirt with a grey jumper or hooded top at the time of the incident.

Armed police on Tube after North Greenwich 'bomb' alert

 
Pic: North Greenwich station was evacuated over a terror scare
Crime reporter(wp/es):
Armed police are to travel on London Underground trains following the bomb alert at North Greenwich station, a senior officer revealed today.
Firearms patrols which are routinely deployed on mainline train stations in London are to use the Tube to travel between jobs for the first time in a move to counter the terror threat and to reassure the public.
British Transport Police chiefs say they are not deploying armed patrols on the Underground but the firearms cops will use the Tube instead of cars to get round the city in future.
BTP’s Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said the plan would mean the public could see armed officers travelling on the Tube on a daily basis.
He said: “They will stand out and people will see them. We hope they will provide a reassurance that they are there and they are able to respond whatever the threat may be.”

Armed officers were deployed on the Tube and railway in the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings in 2005 but the measure was only temporary.
Today’s announcement will mean that armed officers will now be seen on the Tube network in central London on a daily basis.
However, the move is understood to have raised some concerns at City Hall over how Londoners might react to the sight of armed officers on the Tube.
The Mayor’s spokesperson said: “No decision has been taken on this proposal. It will be discussed between the Mayor, BTP and TfL over the coming weeks‎.”

Armed officers routinely patrol mainline stations such as King’s Cross, Waterloo and Paddington and the new move will mean they will criss-cross the city as they move between jobs.
BTP chiefs are holding final discussions with City Hall and Transport for London before the change is launched.
Police believe the move will raise the profile of officers on the Tube as well as allowing firearms patrols more time on duty at mainline stations.
In a further move BTP dog units will also use Tube trains to travel around the capital rather using vans or cars as they do now.

The new measures were announced today as it emerged that members of the public raised the alarm over the suspected improvised bomb found on a Jubilee Line train last week.
Mr Hanstock praised the public and Tube staff for the way they responded to the alert.
He said: “We are very impressed that the public did everything we have been asking them to do for many years, they acted as our eyes and ears and spotted something that was unusual and out of place.
“They reported it to staff who also made a very careful assessment and, working from a set of principles, also raised the alarm and called in the experts.”

North Greenwich Tube station was closed while the bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion on the device last Thursday.
A 19-year-old man was Tasered and arrested in the street in Holloway the following day in connection with the alleged plot.
Damon Smith, who had recently started studying at London Metropolitan University, remains in custody.
Mr Hanstock described the device as being in an “innocuous” bag on the floor of an eastbound Jubilee train.
He said: “It was not something with curly wires and sticks of dynamite, it was enough to sit unnoticed.
It was typical of what you would see on the train, but it was enough for the public to say, ‘hang on, no-one has been with that for a while, it seems to have been abandoned, we are going to report it.’”
The bag is thought to have been left on the train somewhere between Westminster and Canary Wharf and travelled on the train for at least a few stops before the alert was raised.
A member of the public who spotted it then walked to the front of the train and alerted the driver at North Greenwich station.
Mr Hanstock said the driver had to decide if it was a routine abandoned bag such as someone “who had just forgotten their laundry” and he quickly decided to call in the experts.

Mr Hanstock said his force had a team of “highly trained, highly equipped” bomb recognition experts who attended the scene and, in turn, called in the Met’s counter terrorism command.
The deputy chief constable admitted there was a risk that the sight of armed police on the Tube network might increase people’s fears of terrorism.
But he said: “It is a risk we are prepared to take. We understand that people don’t want to be confronted with the reality of the threat that the UK faces but it is clear and obvious that we have this severe threat level from terrorism.

“Whether that is targeted, deliberate and calculated or whether it is unsophisticated, we have seen both, the reality of that risk is there.
“Hopefully people will be reassured that we have got the measures in place to counter that threat and we can also be unpredictable.”
Referring to the bomb alert at North Greenwich, Mr Hanstock said his officers investigated thousands of reports of unclaimed bags every year.
He revealed that in recent years there had been just 37 occasions when police had carried out full evacuations of stations.
 The force had become adept at reacting to deaths on the Tube and in reducing the disruption to the Tube and rail network following serious incidents.

Zac Goldsmith to resign over Heathrow expansion plan

 vb
Pic: Zac Goldsmih
Staff reporter(wp/es):
Zac Goldsmith is set to resign his Commons seat within 48 hours after the government backed a third runway at Heathrow, friends said.
The Tory Richmond Park MP, a long-standing opponent of Heathrow’s expansion, immediately branded the decision “catastrophic” and promised to make a statement imminently.
If he steps down as expected, Theresa May faces a dramatic local revolt as local Conservatives backed him to stand as an independent anti-Heathrow candidate in a by-election.
In a tweet posted within minutes of the government announcing its decision, Mr Goldsmith wrote: “Following the Government's catastrophic Heathrow announcement, I will be meeting my constituents later today before making a statement.”
 Theresa May and the Cabinet today announced their backing for Heathrow's expansion, but the decision immediately sparked protests and legal challenges.
 The £16 billion plan will increase the number of flights at Europe’s busiest airport to more than 700,000 a year by 2030. Theresa May told the Evening Standard it was a decision made “for jobs and growth” and showed that post-Brexit Britain will be an “open, global, successful country”.

Speaking to the Standard after the Cabinet met, the Prime Minister said: “After decades of delay we are showing that we will take the big decisions when they’re the right decisions for Britain, and we will ensure they’re right for ordinary working people too.
“Airport expansion is vital for the economic future of the whole of the UK and today also provides certainty to Londoners. Businesses will know that we are building the infrastructure they need to access global markets. Ordinary, working people will know that my Government backs jobs and growth.
 “We want the benefits of a new runway as quickly as possible, but we will also make sure London and taxpayers get a good deal.”

She indicated the third runway plan includes commitments to increase the number of flights to Scotland and regional airports, adding: “By making sure we improve the links between regional airports and our capital city we can use airport expansion as an opportunity to bring the UK closer together.
“This decision demonstrates that as we leave the EU we can make a success of Brexit and Britain can be that open, global, successful country we all want it to be.

Labour hit with £20,000 fine after ‘Ed Stone’ spending probe

Political reporter(wp/es):
The “Ed Stone” — the defining image of Ed Miliband’s disastrous election campaign — has helped land Labour with the largest fine ever handed out by the Electoral Commission.
The then-Labour leader unveiled the 8ft 6in stone plinth carved with election promises in the run up to the 2015 general election, promising it would stand in Downing Street’s garden if the party won.
However, the stunt was ridiculed and became an emblem for Mr Miliband’s failed campaign.
Today the election watchdog issued the Labour party with a £20,000 fine, with a lengthy investigation finding a catalogue of undeclared election payments including two missing returns for the stone tablet.
Bob Posner, director of party and election finance at the Electoral Commission, said it was vital for well-established parties to “comply with the rules” and report their finances correctly.
 Labour’s election spending was first investigated in January this year when it emerged that two payments worth £7,614 for the “Ed Stone” were missing from the party’s campaign spending return.

Labour’s own review found that there were also 24 items of expenditure worth £109,777 missing from the return.
The Electoral Commission then found further missing payments, including 49 payments relating to costs associated with the Labour Express battle bus tour which ferried activists to constituencies to campaign, and the Labour Students tour worth £11,357.
Altogether the watchdog found Labour had missed 74 payments totalling £123,748, as well as 33 separate invoices totalling £34,392.

Labour treasurer Iain McNicol was found to have committed two civil offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) and does not face criminal proceedings.
A Labour Party spokesman said: “Labour has co-operated fully with the Electoral Commission during its investigation into General Election 2015 campaign spending by political parties.
“The Commission’s investigation found that internal procedural errors led to a relatively small number of items of expenditure not being declared properly. The party regrets these administrative errors. However, these amounted to just over one per cent of our total spending of over £12 million during this election.
“We accept the findings of the report and have already tightened our internal recording procedures to address the Commission’s concerns.”
 The limestone slab was broken up shortly after the general election.

Road submerged under water with 20 homes flooded after water main bursts in south London

Staff reporter(wp/es):
A burst water main caused chaos in south London this morning, with flooding in 20 homes and dozens more at risk.
The flood has closed Camberwell New Road between Camberwell Station Road and Medlar Street.
The road is expected to be closed for some time.
Earlier today, the London Fire Brigade gave out sandbags to protect homes however it is believed water has entered 20 properties.
Drivers have been told to aviod the area.
 Many people took to social media to express amazement at the scenes, with some joking they would need a boat service to get to work.

Tesco boss says prices will rise following Brexit slump in pound

Business reporter(wp/es):
The boss of Tesco today braced customers for price rises in the wake of the pound’s slump after the Brexit vote.
John Allan, the supermarket’s chairman, said it was “very likely” that the cost of some products would go up.
Sterling was trading at about $1.22 this morning, some 17 per cent lower than before the shock June 23 referendum result, and has dropped sharply against the euro.
The decline will almost inevitably push up the cost of imported food and ingredients from overseas for products made in Britain.
“We are trying to defend our customers from unjustified price increases but that it is likely there will be some price increases going forward, I think is very likely,” Mr Allan told BBC radio.

He believes inflation may “nudge up” two or three per cent, with food prices contributing to this — but dismissed suggestions food prices could rise on average by between 10 and 20 per cent, insisting it would be “much less”.
Tesco was seen to have won the “Marmitegate” battle with Unilever after it sought to impose a 10 per cent hike in the cost of products supplied to the supermarket giant.
Mr Allan, also chairman of business group London First, declined to comment on the bust-up but appeared to suggest it had not been such a clear-cut rejection, as portrayed, of any price rises.
He added: “We see our role as retailers not to prevent our suppliers from making legitimate cost increases where they think that’s necessary but certainly scrutinising those cost increases very hard.”

The supermarket chief also warned Theresa May against a draconian clampdown on immigration which could harm the British economy.
He said: “Industries like the agriculture industry, picking and packing fruit and veg and meat, are heavily dependent on migrant workers, not just seasonal migrant workers but people who are here 52 weeks a year.
Our fresh food suppliers are very concerned that is properly taken into account.”

Earlier this month, sterling plunged after the Prime Minister appeared to suggest she was prioritising immigration control over economic concerns.
But yesterday she told MPs the UK can curb immigration and get a good trade deal with the EU. She said: “We are going to be ambitious for what we obtain for the United Kingdom and that means a good trade deal as well as control of immigration.”
Meanwhile, French ambassador Sylvie Bermann said “of course” Britons in France would be allowed to remain after Brexit if the same applied to French nationals here.
She said: “I think it will be dealt with on a reciprocal basis because there [are] 300,000 French citizens in this country, almost the same as UK citizens in France.”

London named 'best perceived' city in the world

 
Pic: London city
Staff reporter(wp/es):
London has been voted the “best perceived” city in the world after triumphing over Paris and New York in a new study.
In the poll of 30 global cities, London also emerged as the best in terms of living up to its perception.
Some 5,200 well-educated adults from 16 countries voted London top based on a variety of factors including culture, entertainment, infrastructure, health and general happiness.
Although the poll, published by consultancy firm PwC, was carried out in December 2015, months before the UK’s vote to leave the EU.
The report states: “London registers as a dynamic city, scoring well across the board in 29 of 36 image attributes.
“It’s No. 1 on attributes including having a well-developed infrastructure, being connected to the rest of the world, and having a well-developed legal framework. It’s in the top three in breadth of education for its population and for providing easy access to capital.”
 The study questioned equal numbers of “business decision makers”, “informed elites” and other general adults on 40 different topics to generate the rankings.

It rated Paris as the second best perceived city, followed by New York in third, Amsterdam in fourth and Sydney in fifth.
In terms of living up to those perceptions, Singapore and Toronto became the new second and third ranked cities respectively.
Nigeria’s capital, Lagos, ranked bottom of both lists while Bogota, Jakarta, Mumbai and several other South American cities also did badly.

Terror arrest after 'chemical incident' at transport hub

Crime reporter(wp/es):
A man has been arrested under counter-terror laws after a "chemical incident" at London City Airport.
Hundreds of people were forced to flee the airport following the incident on Friday, with 27 treated by paramedics and two requiring hospital treatment.
Police later discovered what was thought to CS gas spray, also known as tear gas.
Fire alarms sounded at about 4.15pm and hundreds of passengers were evacuated onto the tarmac outside.
One passenger, PR consultant Kim Fletcher, said: "There was a woman saying at first she thought she could smell deoderant but it became quite noxious with people coughing.
"I arrived after the airport was shut. Everyone was pushed out across the road."

Boxer David Haye tweeted: "Gutted can’t get to Scotland for @JoshTaylorBoxer fight tonight.
"As #CityAirport got evacuated when everyone started coughing uncontrollably!"
David Walker added: "No one has a megaphone so it's an airfield of Chinese whispers and confused looking people."
A spokesman for the Met said: "The man, 25, was arrested at a residential address in east London and taken to a west London police station. He was arrested on suspicion of using a noxious substance to cause serious damage - an offence under section 113 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

"He has since been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in late November.
"Officers from the Aviation Policing CID investigate."

Teenager fighting for life after knife attack in South East London street

Crime reporter(wp/es):
A teenager is fighting for his life tonight after he was found stabbed on a street in south-east London.
The victim, believed to be 18, was rushed to hospital just before 5pm after he was treated in Grove Park Road in Lewisham.
Scotland Yard said detectives from the Trident and Gang Crime Command have been informed as police investigate the attack.
A Met spokesman said: “Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 4:55pm on Monday to reports of a male suffering from stab injuries on Grove Park Road in Lewisham.

“Officers and London's Air Ambulance attended.
“The victim, believed to be aged 18, was taken to a south London hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

“Detectives from the Trident and Gang Crime Command have been informed. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.”
Pictures taken from the scene show an air ambulance landed on a nearby football pitch while neighbours said roads had been taped off.
One woman tweeted: “Get home to everywhere closed off cause someones been stabbed... lovely.”

London banking sector to begin moving business overseas 'by early 2017'

Business reporter(wp/es):
London's financial services industry is already planning to move business overseas due to the uncertainty of the Brexit process, the head of the British Bankers' Association has warned.
Anthony Browne blamed fears that European Union (EU) politicians will want to erect trade barriers in an attempt to weaken the City of London during the Brexit negotiations for the planned moves.
Smaller banks could begin moving some operations overseas within weeks, with larger institutions following in the first few months of 2017, he predicted.
"Their hands are quivering over the relocate button," he said.
Writing in The Observer, he said: "Banking is probably more affected by Brexit than any other sector of the economy, both in the degree of impact and the scale of the implications.

"It is the UK's biggest export industry by far and is more internationally mobile than most. But it also gets its rules and legal rights to serve its customers cross-border from the EU.
"For banks, Brexit does not simply mean additional tariffs being imposed on trade - as is likely to be the case with other sectors. It is about whether banks have the legal right to provide services."

The industry would like to see the continuation of the EU's "passporting" regime, which allows financial services firms based in the UK to operate throughout Europe without seeking separate authorisation.
He warned that in European capitals and among British Eurosceptics "the rhetoric is hardening" and politics could trump the economic advantages of allowing the present system to remain relatively untouched.
"The problem comes - as seems increasingly likely, judging by the rhetoric - when national governments try to use the EU exit negotiations to build walls across the Channel to split Europe's integrated financial market in two, in order to force jobs from London.

"From a European perspective, this would be cutting off its nose to spite its face.
"It might lead to a few jobs moving to Paris or Frankfurt but it will make it more expensive for companies in France and Germany to raise money for investment, slowing the wider economy."
Banks have called for transition arrangements to be put in place after the UK leaves the EU but the uncertainty over the future - with years of negotiations with Brussels ahead - has left them with little option but to take steps to protect their futures.

Mr Browne said: "Banks might hope for the best but have to plan for the worst.
"Most international banks now have project teams working out which operations they need to move to ensure they can continue serving customers, the date by which this must happen and how best to do it.
"Their hands are quivering over the relocate button. Many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas; bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year.
"London will survive as a global financial centre. Finance is inventive and will find a way through.
 "But putting up barriers to the trade in financial services across the Channel will make us all worse off, not just in the UK but in mainland Europe."

Suzanne Evans and Paul Nuttall announce plans to stand for UKIP party leadership

Political reporter(wp/es):
Suzanne Evans and Paul Nuttall are poised to go head-head in the battle to become the next Ukip leadership after they both joined the race to head up the crisis-hit party.
The politicians both promised to press the Government on Brexit if they are elected as leader.
But while Mr Nuttall pitched himself as the "unity" candidate, Ms Evans pledged to clean the party of its "toxic" image during a scathing attack on the Ukip hierachy.
She warned Ukip risked being turned into a Donald Trump-style party by Nigel Farage and his allies, but dismissed this strategy, insisting there is no groundswell of support for "far-right" polices in the UK.

Her announcement comes after Arron Banks, the party's most high-profile donor and former aide to Mr Farage, announced he is backing Raheem Kassam for the leadership.
Ms Evans told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "Our future as a political party in Britain does not lie in that far-right wing. I don't see a groundswell of opinion in this country for more far-right wing policies."
Ms Evans said she "absolutely" thought Mr Kassam will take Ukip in a far-right direction but "our members don't want that".

She said: "We've taken a lot of stick in Ukip because perhaps we have had a slightly more toxic image than we should have had.
"And our members, the ones that are doing the campaigning, have felt the brunt of that - being abused, being physically and verbally assaulted on the streets.
"They don't want to have a fresh injection of toxicity that's going to make it even more difficult for them, they want policies that help us win."
Ms Evans, who wrote her party's 2015 manifesto but has since fallen out with Mr Farage, was unable to stand in the last leadership election after being suspended from the party for disloyalty.

But she tried to brush off claims that her unpopularity with the Ukip leader and his close ally Mr Banks would harm her chances of being elected to lead the party.
She said there has been "too much testosterone" in Ukip and it is ripe for change.

She said she has "more than enough signatures" on her nomination form already, and dismissed claims the party's finances are in a perilous state.
And making her pitch for leader, she told the show: "I think I'm the right person to lead Ukip into the challenges ahead, to be able to beat the first past the post system that we have at the moment by broadening our appeal and getting MPs into Westminster.
"But first and foremost I think I am absolutely the right person to champion the cause of those 17.4 million people who voted to leave the European Union and are now seeing their democratic choice being undermined by the political class."
Mr Kassam hit back at the comments, saying: "It is sad that 60 seconds after she launched her campaign on the BBC, Suzanne Evans attacked me and my thousands of supporters as 'far right'. This is a project fear tactic and Ukipers are sick of these smears.

"But we're going to rise above it. When she goes low, we go high, to quote Michelle Obama."
Mr Farage criticised Ms Evans' remarks and said she should not be leader.
He told ITV's Peston on Sunday: "For her to talk about the party being toxic, for her to already declare one of the candidates who is running, Raheem Kassam, as being far-right, I don't view this as being a very good start.
He added: "I won't be voting for her no."
The leadership election was triggered after Diane James quit after just 18 days in the job.


Steven Woolfe, the frontrunner to replace her, quit the party in the wake of an altercation with another party member after which he ended up in hospital.
Announcing his decision, Mr Woolfe said the party had fallen into a "death spiral of their own making".
Paul Nuttall, North West MEP for Ukip, told BBC's Sunday Politics: "I've made the decision that I'll put my name forward to be the next leader of Ukip.
"I have huge support out there across the country, not only among people at the top of the party in Westminster and with the MPs, but also among the grassroots.

"And I want to stand on the platform of being the unity candidate - Ukip needs to come together. I'm not going to be on here and gild the lily. Ukip at the moment is looking over the edge of a political cliff, it'll either step off or it will step back.
"And I want to be the candidate that will tell us to come back."

gunman pulls out pistol and opens fire in Turn Pike Lane Norh London

Crime reporter(wp/es):
This is the moment a hooded gunman pulled a pistol from his tracksuit pocket and fired three times during a violent clash on a north London street.
Neighbours today told of their terror as two groups brawled in the middle of the road in Wood Green at 9.30pm on Wednesday.
CCTV footage captured the moment the rival gangs pulled up in three cars, headlamps blazing, and began to push and shove at each other before one man casually drew out a handgun.
Several shots were heard before the groups scattered, with five diving for cover into their hatchback and reversing away at speed, doors still open, to escape.
 The man brandishing the gun was held back by his friends who them jumped into their own vehicles, a BMW and Mercedes, to flee before police arrived.

Officers later stopped one of the cars believed to be involved and arrested three men aged 22, 27 and 31, for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
They are being questioned in custody. Officers are still hunting for the blue BMW.
Residents today told of their shock at the shootout in Graham Road, a quiet street near Turnpike Lane station where three bedroom homes cost £600,000.
A 22-year-old waitress told the Standard: “I was just watching TV and the cars pulled up with their lights on really bright. I heard the noise as they started arguing and shouting at each other.
“I looked out of the window and it got really heated. Then one guy got the gun out and they all seemed to run away. There were three shots. Really loud bangs.
“When that happened I just got as far away as I could from the window and went and hid in the kitchen. I was really shaken up.
“I’m not from London and, while you do hear stories about gun and knife crime, when you see it on your doorstep like that it’s terrifying.
“I didnt go outside until the police turned up a few minutes later.

“It’s a nice street. There’s a green where people go with their kids and there’s lots of families on the road. It’s really scary it happened here.”
A neighbour said: “We heard the bangs and the young people running away. It’s crazy but I’m not that surprised really.
“The street is nice but the area is bad and there is always trouble around Turnpike Station.”
The incident comes amid spiralling gun crime in London with latest figures showing a 10 per cent increase in firearms incidents - up to 2,122 - in the past year.
Met commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe has said a record number guns and weapons have been seized on the streets of London this year.
A report released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics today showed violent crime has soared nationally with knife crime up nine per cent and gun crime up seven per cent.
A Met police spokesman said: “Officers were called at around 9.30pm on Wednesday to reports of shots fired in the area of Graham Road.
“On attending the scene officers found a number of firearm casings. Police are not currently aware of any people injured.”

Man 'beaten to death' in east London high street

Crime reporter(wp/es):
A man is believed to have been beaten to death in a busy east London high street today.
Police have launched an investigation after a 52-year-old died following a suspected assault in the early hours of this morning.
He was rushed to an east London hospital with a serious head injury shortly after 2am and pronounced dead just before 9.30am.
Police were called to the hospital by staff at about 6.15am. They are treating the death as suspcious.
The London Ambulance Service had earlier been called to Leytonstone High Road, near the junction with Lancaster Road.
A crime scene remains in place and Leytonstone High Road is currently partly closed.

The manager of a business close to where the man was discovered told the Standard a police cordon was put up at about 11am.
He added: "Leytonstone is a pretty rough area. This sort of thing happens quite frequently.
"It is worrying but it is not a suprise."
A worker at a nearby shop said: "We didn't know anything until police started putting the tape up.
"I am frightened because I live around here.
"No one is being let into the cordon at the moment so we aren't getting any customers."

Next of kin have not been informed.
A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.
There have been no arrests. Officers remain on scene and enquires continue.

Theresa May blasted for 'dither and delay' on Heathrow Airport expansion

 
Pic: Prime Minster Theresa May 
Political reporter(wp/es):
Sadiq Khan today led furious accusations of “dither and delay” at Theresa May over a new runway for London and the South-East.
Business leaders and an Airports Commission member also expressed dismay over the lengthy Government timetable for choosing between Heathrow and Gatwick.
The anger broke out after Downing Street appeared to signal clearly that it favours a third runway at Heathrow — but then revealed it will be up to 18 months before Parliament confirms the decision.
The most heavyweight intervention was from Sir John Armitt, who sat on the £20 million Airports Commission which in July last year recommended Heathrow expansion.

“It’s another delay and I’m not quite sure why it takes another year for that debate to take place,” he said. “There has been a lot of consultation. MPs are well up to speed on the situation. I hope that debate takes place in less than  a year’s time.”
The Mayor of London said the timetable meant “unnecessary uncertainty” for investors. He added: “The Government’s decision to delay yet again deciding where to build a new runway will cause unnecessary uncertainty for British businesses already struggling with Brexit.”

The City of London Corporation’s policy chairman Mark Boleat said: “The Government needs to stop kicking the  can down the road. Businesses have been waiting years  for the decision and for them it is a massive issue which is affecting their ability to compete on the global stage.”
The Government strongly denied there was any delay, pointing out that the intricate process leading to a decision was first announced by Cabinet minister Patrick McLoughlin in February — although the former Transport Secretary did not explain at the time how long it would take overall.
A Downing Street official told the Standard: “It’s not a delay. The Prime Minister is taking the decision that has previously been dodged for more than half a century.”

The Cabinet decision will come next Tuesday — and No 10 believes it will be “the clearest sign yet that Britain is open for business post-Brexit”.
Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “This reported delay will be a massive blow to business confidence and, in all likelihood, damaging to the nation’s economy.

“We have had enough endorsements, investigations and recommendations. To be told that a final decision may now be in winter 2017-18 — six years after Sir Howard Davies was originally commissioned to do his inquiry — is actually not good enough.
“Given the Brexit uncertainty surrounding the UK at the moment, this was the ideal time to show strong leadership and signal that London is indeed open for business.”
Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways’ parent company IAG, said: We’re pleased that the Government appears to be ready to make a choice and we believe it’s sensible that this choice is properly debated. We look forward to being consulted.

“Our main concern remains the cost of delivering the selected option and the impact this would have on our customers. They should not be expected to pay more for inefficient, overpriced infrastructure”.
Will Higham, director of campaigns at London First, said: “It is very encouraging that the new Government is about to make a decision on another runway in the South-East.
“But we could achieve £3.5 billion a year of extra exports, particularly to emerging markets, if we weren’t constrained by runway capacity.
“So the Government can’t drag its feet. It’s time to let Britain fly.”
Former Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps MP warned against delaying another runway in the South-East as Britain seeks to build trading links in the post-Brexit era.

Speaking at Mayor’s Question Time, Mr Khan argued for Gatwick to be expanded instead of Heathrow. He went on: “Now more than ever businesses need certainty and stability in order to make investment decisions and to keep jobs in Britain. Instead they are getting dither and delay.
“Now it’s time to get on with building a new runway at Gatwick, which can be built quicker, cheaper, and without the years of legal and political battles that Heathrow clearly faces.”
But a Tory spokesman hit back saying: “We’re getting on with taking a decision and delivering for London and the whole country.
“As we do that we will follow a robust process, with consultation, that means additional capacity gets delivered.”