Teenager charged with murder

Crime reporter(wp/bbc):::

A teenager has been charged with murder after a man was stabbed to death in south-east London.

Shackim Taylor, 19, of Gunyard Mews, Greenwich, will appear before magistrates in Bromley on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old victim was found with multiple stab wounds in Tellson Avenue, Greenwich, at about 14:45 BST on Wednesday.

Mr Taylor has also been charged with robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

Extinction Rebellion activists block entrances to concrete works in east London

staff reporter(wp/es):::

Extinction Rebellion protesters have blocked the entrances to a concrete works in east London. 

The group is outside London Concrete in Bow, where vehicles have been backed up unable to get in due to the activists blocking their way. 

They are protesting the environmental impacts of concrete production, bemoaning its contribution to air pollution in the area. 

Those gathered outside plan to "non-violently disrupt the site" and one said: "We're going to be here all day if we have to be."....................................(comming next update...)

British wages core pay growth strongest in nearly 11 years, but jobs growth slows

Financial reporter(wp/reuters):::
British wages, excluding bonuses, rose at their fastest pace in more than a decade in the three months to May, official data showed, but there were some signs that the labour market might be weakening.

Core earnings rose by an annual 3.6%, beating the median forecast of 3.5% in a Reuters poll of economists.

Including bonuses, pay growth also picked up to 3.4% from 3.2%, stronger than the 3.1% forecast in the poll.

Britain’s labour market has been a silver lining for the economy since the Brexit vote in June 2016, something many economists attribute to employers preferring to hire workers that they can later lay off over making longer-term commitments to investment.

The pick-up in pay has been noted by the Bank of England which says it might need to raise interest rates in response, assuming Britain can avoid a no-deal Brexit.

Tuesday’s data showed the unemployment rate remained at 3.8% as expected, its joint-lowest since the three months to January 1975. The number of people out of work fell by 51,000 to just under 1.3 million.

But the growth in employment slowed to 28,000, the weakest increase since the three months to August last year and vacancies fell to their lowest level in more than a year.

Some recent surveys of companies have suggested employers are turning more cautious about hiring as Britain approaches its new Brexit deadline of Oct. 31.

Both the contenders to be prime minister say they would leave the EU without a transition deal if necessary.

A survey published last week showed that companies were more worried about Brexit than at any time since the decision to leave the European Union and they planned to reduce investment and hiring.

“The labour market continues to be strong,” ONS statistician Matt Hughes said. “Regular pay is growing at its fastest rate for nearly 11 years in cash terms and its quickest for over three years after taking account of inflation.”

The BoE said in May it expected wage growth of 3% at the end of this year.

South West Forensic Services: Hundreds of fingerprints waiting to be analysed

Pic--Andy Berry of the Police Federation said delays meant "losing the opportunity to prevent further crimes and further victims"/wp/bbc

Special report(wp/bbc):::

Hundreds of  fingerprints are waiting to be analysed by experts because of "deeply concerning" forensic delays.

Figures show more than 830 fingerprint cases were waiting to be analysed by South West Forensic Services in May.

Examination of some digital material was being delayed by up to 12 months, according to the Police Federation.

South West Forensics said it was urgently recruiting staff to "cope with demand" and it was "committed to safeguarding victims of crime".

In Cornwall, a multiple-burglary victim has been paying £400 per week for an overnight security guard to protect his shop because he has no confidence in the police catching the culprit.

Three months since the latest burglary, Thana Singam, from Hatt Service Station, said he was still waiting to hear whether the police had found a fingerprint match.

"They told me forensic results would take six weeks," he said.

Mr Singam said the cost of stock taken and repairs of damage caused had totalled more than £20,000 across the three burglaries.A former employee of South West Forensic Services - which launched in 2014 and covers the Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Avon and Somerset and Wiltshire police force areas - told the BBC the "whole point of regional forensics was to save money, but quality has not been maintained".

"The service is letting down the public and highly trained, skilled staff. Everyone is unhappy and investment is desperately needed," they said.Figures obtained through a BBC Freedom of Information request showed delays in digital forensic cases, which include tablets and mobile phones, increased in a two-month period.

For Devon and Cornwall, 160 cases - including almost 700 devices - were waiting to be examined in May - compared to 119 cases in March.In May, forensic bosses said there were delays of at least three months but Andy Berry, from the Police Federation, said investigators had told him about a six to 12-month wait for digital material.

In one case, he said an officer reported a 10-month wait to examine a phone belonging to a suspected child sex offender.

Mr Berry said all delays were "deeply concerning and it was letting the public down".

Martyn Bradford, director of South West Forensic Services, said a formal review and changes of working practices would help address backlogs.

"Due to the growing amounts of data and the complexity of devices, the speed of processing [digital] exhibits is becoming more challenging," he added.

Serial rapist ‘stalking women on London night buses’

Crime reporter(wp/es):::

A serial sex attacker is stalking young female bar and restaurant workers  making their way home on night buses, police revealed today.

Scotland Yard fear he will strike again following two rapes, one attempted rape and a robbery in 11 days in streets in Newham and Waltham Forest.

Two women were raped by a man who asked them “where are you going?” after they got off night buses from  central London in the early hours.  

Two other women narrowly escaped when their screams were heard.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Packer said the public should not be afraid to provide names of possible suspects because forensic evidence would clear anyone who is innocent.He added: “This is what I would call a manhunt and I am genuinely concerned. He is a dangerous individual and there could be many other victims. I don’t know if the victims will ever get over something like this.”

A 35-year-old woman suffered an “absolutely horrific” rape in Chadwin Road, Plaistow, on Monday July 1 at 2.40am. 

The attacker also stole her mobile phone and other property.

Then, on Saturday July 6, a woman was followed by a man and robbed in St Mary’s Road near Leyton Tube station at 3.25am. The attacker ran off when her screams alerted a passer-by.

A short time later, at 4.20am, a 31-year-old woman was approached and punched in the face by a man who then raped her in Amethyst Road, Waltham Forest. He also stole her phone. 

In the fourth attack, on July 11, another  woman aged 31 was followed by a man who threatened her and attempted to rape her at about 3.30am in Central Park Road, East Ham. 

He stole her phone after her shouts were heard.

Mr Packer said: “It would appear the male is targeting lone females using the public transport network and hubs. The women are similar in that they are coming home from work in central London bars and restaurants.

“He starts with a bit of conversation, asking ‘where are you going?’ The language then turns explicit. 

“I would like to speak to any woman who has been approached by a similar man who made her feel awkward.

“People should have a good look at the man in our images. He’s not unkempt, he’s got nice clothes on. His hair has recently been shaved. Are you his barber? Or do you work in a late-night shop and has he come in to top up a mobile? Is there someone you know who is out at night but they are not normally? All I need is a name. If you think you know who this man is, please don’t delay.”

The victims are being supported by specially trained officers. Extra patrols have been carried out in the area. The Met advised women walking alone at night to be aware of their surroundings and to keep family and friends informed of where they might be going.