Young woman pushed to the ground and punched repeatedly in random attack

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A young woman was shoved to the ground and repeatedly punched in a random attack in a leafy area of west London. 

Police said the 19-year-old victim was approached from behind by an unknown man near Chiswick railway station. 

She was allegedly knocked to the ground by the man, who then punched her in the back of the head after she got off a bus in Birlington Lane.

The man then punched her repeatedly as she lay on the floor around 12.30am on Thursday, the Met said. 

She was rushed to hospital by ambulance before being discharged later that day.

Detectives are now hunting a 6ft tall white man of broad build in connection with the attack.

He is believed to be around 40 years old.

Budget airline launches £56 flights from UK to New York

Staff reporter(wp/es):

 Flights between Britain and New York costing less than £60 are set to be introduced in the new year.

Budget airline Norwegian plan to slash the price of flights from Edinburgh to smaller airports in the Big Apple to as little as £56, it was announced last week.

Tickets will be sold on flights to airports other than JFK using six Boeing 737MAX aircraft which burn less fuel than other long-haul planes, the Times reported.

Earlier this month the airline revealed that it would cut US-bound services leaving Gatwick from 34 to 22 flights a week from next year.

British Airways cut flights to the US from the UK earlier this year.

Flights on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft will start at £135.

Britain faces '10-year economic shock' after Brexit vote

Staff reporter(wp/es):

The UK suffered a “profound shock” following the country’s vote to leave the EU which looks set to result in a slowing economy, ageing population and technological transformation, a think-tank said.

Britain’s move to leave the EU will see living standards in the UK drop, a report by centre-left group IPPR warned.

At the same time a rapidly ageing population - with the numbers of people aged 65 and over predicted to rise by a third by the end of the next decade - will impose new strains on the state.

The funding gap for adult social care is expected to hit £13 billion by 2030/31.

In the workplace, "exponential" improvements in new technologies such as artificial intelligence systems and machine learning will put two-thirds of current jobs - 15 million - at risk of automation.

The report predicts work is likely to become more insecure and more freelance while inequality is set to increase sharply with the income of high-income households forecast to rise 11 times faster than for those on low incomes.

"Brexit is the firing gun on a decade of disruption," the report said.

"Even as what we do and how we work changes, the UK is likely to remain trapped in a low growth, low interest rate decade driven by demographic shifts, productivity trends, weak investment, weak labour power, high levels of debt, and the headwinds of a slowing global economy.

"Without reform, our political and social system will struggle to build a more democratic, healthy society in the decades ahead, even as Brexit accelerates us towards a radically different institutional landscape."

Lib Dem Treasury spokeswoman Baroness Susan Kramer said: "The report is a devastating indictment of the Conservative Government's hard Brexit strategy.

"In the face of huge global challenges, the Conservative response is to haul up the drawbridge and hope that the future will go away. It won't.

"Many of the huge international challenges identified in the report are more effectively faced working with our European friends, and within the single market."

A Government spokesman said: "The British people voted to leave the EU and we are committed to delivering on that instruction and making it a success.

"We have been clear that we are seeking a bespoke arrangement for the UK - one that gives British businesses the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market but also allows us to make our own decisions on immigration. 

"While there may be challenges ahead, we approach them from a position of strength. Since 2010, we have cut the deficit by two thirds, created 2.7 million jobs and this year the UK is forecast to be the fastest-growing major advanced economy.

"We now have an opportunity to forge a new role for ourselves in the world and we will do so with optimism, making a success of Brexit and building an economy that works for all."

Dozens of flights from London City Airport cancelled as fog shrouds the capital

Pic:fog at Heathrow Airport /AFP
Staff reporter(wp/es):

London City Airport cancelled dozens of flights after the capital woke up shrouded in fog.

The airport in east London cancelled 15 arrivals and departures by 9am on Wednesday leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

Up to 26 flights were also delayed or diverted as the thick blanket of fog caused poor visibility.

Passengers also faced delays at Heathrow airport following the poor weather conditions but no flights were cancelled.

A London City Airport spokesman said: “Passengers please note due to current weather conditions there may be delays and cancellations. Please check with the airline for flight information.” 

 Shortly before 9am, the airport tweeted: “We’re still waiting for conditions to improve, for further info on your flight please get in touch with your airline.”

Heathrow Airport also warned passengers of possible problems, tweeting: “Foggy weather may affect scheduled flights today. Please kindly check your flight status with your airline.”

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for fog in London and the south east from midnight on Wednesday. 

Forecasters said flights could be affected and urged drivers to take care out on the roads.

A Met Office spokesman said: “Patches of fog are expected to form overnight and whilst not all areas will see them where fog patches do form visibility could be less than 100 metres. 

“The fog patches are expected to slowly thin during Wednesday, although some patches may persist throughout the day.”

Man fighting for life after being knifed next to children's Christmas fair

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man was left fighting for life in hospital after he was stabbed next to a children’s Christmas fair in south London.

The victim was knifed near the fairground in Brixton on Tuesday evening.

Police and paramedics raced to the scene of the stabbing in Windrush Square at about 6.15pm.

Scotland Yard said the man was rushed to a hospital in south London where he remained in a critical condition on Wednesday morning.

Witnesses described seeing scores of emergency services vehicles and police descending on the area, as well as a cordon around the fair.

Journalist EJ Ward tweeted: “10 police cars and two ambulances outside the little fair thing in Brixton. Anyone know what’s happening?”

James Perrett posted on Twitter: “Eek, stabbing on our road. Police cordons and everything, half of Brixton is closed off and had to be escorted by an officer to front door.”

Anton Lavey tweeted: “What’s going on in Windrush Square?”

John Steel wrote: “Any idea what just happened in Windrush Square? #Brixton. #WindrushSquare.”

A Met Police spokesman said: “Police were called at approximately 6.15pm on Tuesday, 27 December to reports of a man suffering a stab injury in Windrush Square in Lambeth.

“Officers attended and immediately provided first aid. The man was taken by the London Ambulance Service to a south London hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

“Detectives from Lambeth are investigating. Cordons remain in place.

“There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.” 

'Tens of thousands’ of people set for refunds from high street banks

Business correspondent(wp/es):

Thousands of people who took out personal loans with NatWest and sister bank RBS are receiving refunds on interest they were wrongly charged.

The banking giant is writing to tell those who are owed money about the mistake, which meant some customers falling behind with their payments should have been sent a "notice of sums in arrears", but this did not happen.

It should not have charged interest to these borrowers until the correct notice was given.

The error occurred between 2008 and 2015. It is thought tens of thousands of people are affected but RBS did not give an exact figure.

The average payout being made is in the low hundreds, but the Daily Mail's Money Mail said in one letter it has seen, someone was refunded £1,130.75.

A spokesman for RBS said: "When we discover an issue we do everything we can to set it right.

"We didn't issue notices of sums in arrears correctly to a number of customers before we charged interest on their loans that had gone more than two payments into arrears. We are refunding these customers the interest we charged them at the time."

Witnesses tell of horror after deadly 20-car pile-up in thick fog

Pic:Crash car
Staff reporter(wp/es):

Witnesses have told of their horror after a woman died and several other people were seriously injured in a 20-car pile-up.

A pregnant woman was among those to reveal how she narrowly missed the horror crash on the A40 in Oxfordshire on Wednesday morning. 

It killed one woman and left another person fighting for life in hospital. A third person was also seriously injured in the collision.

Expectant mother Ami Gaston was among those near the wreckage after the 20-car pile-up near Witney.

The 31-year-old was on her way to her 20-week pregnancy scan with her partner when the couple had to swerve to avoid a car which had crashed into the central reservation.

“We were driving on the A40, we were in the right hand lane,” Ms Gaston told the Standard.

“I said, there’s something in the road and before we knew it the car was right in front of us. He had crashed into the middle barrier, had his car door open and his face was against an airbag. 

“I’m guessing he skidded on ice, it was minus two this morning.

“He was horizontal across the right hand lane into the middle barrier.”

She said it was too dangerous to stop meaning she was forced to carry on driving as the pile-up happened behind her car. Ms Gaston then phoned for an ambulance.

“Thank god we didn’t witness the pile up,” she said. “We were on the way to the hospital for our 20 week scan so we just saw that car.”

Tom Russell was also driving along the road and witnessed the pile-up but said it was too foggy to make out exactly what happened.

“People we're driving too fast and not really aware of conditions,” he told the Standard. 

“I'd seen people coming towards me on the other side of the dual carriageway flashing their lights. 

“So I slowed right down and then saw hazards ahead so I pulled into left hand lane and stopped. People still drove past us and hit pile up ahead.

“The emergency services were there really quickly. But it was not a nice thing to be caught up in especially as after I'd stopped and you could hear people crashing behind.

“I was lucky as were others around me. Unfortunately some others were not so lucky and my thoughts are with them and their families.”

The heavy fog is expected to return on Thursday. It has caused delays to dozens of flights at London City Airport as well as poor visibility on the roads.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said they were called at 8.25am this morning following reports of a crash involving multiple cars.

He said: “Officers are at the scene along with the fire and rescue services. A number of people are believed to have been injured.

"Road closures are currently in place and drivers are advised to avoid the area."

Paramedics in three ambulances, three rapid response cars, and the air ambulance car raced to the scene. The weather was too foggy for the air ambulance to be scrambled.