Thames Water customers face £10 increase to fund poorer billpayers

Business reporter,London(wp/es):

Thames Water customers will be paying an extra £10 a year on their bills to fund discounts for the poorest households.

The company expects as many as 300,000 Londoners will be eligible for hardship discounts on their bills of 25%, 50% or 75% depending on their circumstances.

“We have 10 of the poorest boroughs in the country in our region, alongside a lot of affluence. We have surveyed our customers about this proposal and more than two thirds of them agreed with the idea,” said chief executive Steve Robertson.

About 16,000 households will have their arrears wiped out under the plan. It emerged as part of Thames Water’s five-year investment plan in which it pledged to the regulator to invest  £11.7 billion on improving infrastructure, £2 billion more than in its previous five-year plan.

Robertson, who took over as chief executive last year, said this was possible because its new shareholder base, made up of long-term pension fund investors, had agreed to take far lower dividends than predecessors led by Macquarie. 

The former investors controversially took out dividends of more than £670 million between 2010 and 2015.

Under the 2020-2025 investment plan, they will take about £100 million, averaging £20 million a year. The company’s high level of debt, which has also angered critics and customers, will be cut from a gearing ratio of 81.2% to 76.2% as it reduces debt by between £900 million and £1 billion.

In its five-year business plan lodged with Ofwat today, it also pledged to cut leakage by 15% and reduce pollution incidents by 18%.

Thames said it will start preliminary engineering work on the long-mooted new reservoir in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. 

Plans for a reservoir there to collect rainwater from the Cotswolds have been knocked back numerous times over previous decades but Robertson said he hoped this time they would succeed.

He said: “Times are very different now. We have huge population growth, with more than two million extra people coming to live here in the next 15 years.”

Murder probe launched after young man shot dead in north London cemetery

Crime reporter,London(wp/es):

A murder investigation has been launched after a young man was shot dead in a north London cemetery.

A 22-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene following the attack in Tottenham Cemetery just before 8am today.

Police said they are keeping an “open mind” with regard to the killer's motive during the early stages of the investigation.

Armed officers and a police helicopter were called to the cemetery alongside paramedics in dramatic scenes as commuters headed off for work.

Scotland Yard said the man was found suffering from “gunshot wounds” and could not be saved.

His next of kin have been informed of his death and a post-mortem examination is due to take place soon.

Detective Inspector Simon Stancombe said: “At this early stage of the investigation we are keeping an open mind to the motive of this attack. I urge anyone who may have seen anything to contact police as soon as possible.”

Officers from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC) have been tasked with investigated the murder. No arrests have been made yet.

The incident took place in a working cemetery just minutes from Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane stadium.

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has information should call police at the incident room on 0208 358 0300 or contact police via @MetCC.

Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Former England captain to call time on international career after India Test series

Sports reporter(wp/es):

Alastair Cook has announced he would call time on his Englandcareer after this week’s final Test against India at The Oval.

Cook, who captained England in a record 59 Tests, will continue to play for his county, Essex, but has opted to bow out of the international scene at the end of this series .

It will bring to an end a remarkable unbroken run of 160 Tests for the opening batsman, who is also England’s all-time leading run-scorer with 12,254 runs – the sixth most prolific batsman in Test history – and 32 hundreds in a stellar 12-year career at the highest level. Despite his recent difficulties, Cook’s average is still just a shade less than 45. 

In a statement, Cook said: “After much thought and deliberation over the last few months I have decided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end of this Test series against India.

“Although it is a sad day, I can do so with a big smile on my face knowing I have given everything and there is nothing left in the tank. I have achieved more than I could have ever imagined and feel very privileged to have played for such a long time alongside some of the greats of the English game.

"The thought of not sharing the dressing room, again, with some of my teammates was the hardest part of my decision, but I know the timing is right.

“My family and I have had 12 wonderful years fulfilling my dreams and this could not have been done without them. So I wish to thank my parents and brothers, my wife, Alice, and her family for their quiet, unwavering support behind the scenes. As cricketers who travel frequently, we often don’t realise just how important our families are to our success.

“I can’t wait to get fully involved with Essex next season and I wish England every success in the future. I will be watching with great excitement.”

Cook will be remembered as a titan among England batsmen, scoring a century on his Test debut in Nagpur in 2006 and producing mighty performances to help them clinch series in Australia in 2010-11, and India in 2012.

But after quitting the captaincy in 2017, handing over to current skipper Joe Root, his form has been in steady decline. Apart from two double-centuries last year, against West Indies at Edgbaston in August and against Australia at Melbourne in December, Cook has struggled against the new ball.

In this series against India, his highest score is 29 and he averages 15.6 in the four Tests so far. A far cry from his most confident days, Cook has not looked to have an answer to the seam and swing of Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. 

Yet all that will be forgotten when Cook walks out at The Oval on Friday. He remains one of the most popular players with England supporters, many of whom believe he was unfairly left in the firing line when Kevin Pietersen was ‘sacked’ by England following the disastrous 2013-14 Ashes 5-0 whitewash in Australia.

Cook was vilified for his role in Pietersen’s departure – especially by the batsman’s high-profile friends like Piers Morgan – and became a pantomime villain on social media, but the support of many cricket followers remained strong.

Cook has often been at his best in adversity. In 2010, he was probably a game away from losing his place when he took guard at The Oval against Pakistan. His subsequent century ensured he kept it – and Cook then went on to score 766 runs in Australia and help England win the Ashes Down Under for the first time since 1986-87.

After the Pietersen saga, Cook appeared to be on the brink again, especially when England lost a series-clinching Test to Sri Lanka at Headingley early in 2014. He then led them to a 3-1 series win over India later that summer and completed his triumph by helping them regain the Ashes a year later.

One-day cricket will remain a frustration. Cook was sacked as captain on the eve of the 2015 World Cup, in which England performed desperately poorly.

Cook has always been a reluctant hero who has preferred the quiet life to celebrity. Stepping away from the international arena will allow him to spend more time with his wife, Alice, their two children, and to work on the family farm. 

It remains to be seen how long he will wish to continue with Essex but regardless of what happens next, he leaves the stage as one of cricket’s true greats.