Labour Party makes last-ditch plea to PM Theresa May to approve peers' Brexit bill changes

Political reporter(wp/es):

Labour has made a last-ditch direct appeal to Prime Minister Theresa May to allow two major changes to the Government’s Brexit bill.  

In a letter addressed to the PM, the Labour party called on the PM to guarantee the rights of EU nationals living in Britain and also give Parliament a vote on the final exit deal.

The two changes were approved as amendments by the House of Lords, which has spent the past weeks reviewing the bill.

Peers defeated the Government on both issues but MPs are expected to overturn the votes when the Brexit Bill returns to the House of Commons next week. 

The letter, sent by shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer and Baroness Smith, shadow leader of the Lords, said the changes would not damage the PM's plans to trigger Article 50 by the end of the month.

It said: "Labour supported both these amendments in the House of Commons. Labour peers both led and helped pass them in the House of Lords, and Labour will continue to fully support these amendments on Monday.

"You will understand, however, our concerns that Government minister (including David Davis in the House of Commons yesterday during the Exiting the EU oral questions) have indicated they will simply ignore these amendments and seek to delete them from the Bill, before any debate or consideration in the House of Commons on the substantive issues raised in the Lords debates .

"Surely the issues raised in the Lords and such large majorities from across the House are worthy of greater consideration?

"We are making this direct appeal to you and hope that you will give it your urgent personal attention."

It comes as the Standard revealed Theresa May could trigger Article 50, setting the wheels of Brexit in motion, on Tuesday.

Private maths tutor who encouraged young boys to engage in sexual activity at his Wembley home

Pic:Nicholas Fay admitted four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
Crime reporter(wp/es):

A private maths tutor has been jailed after admitting a string of sexual offences against young boys he was teaching at his north London home.

Nicholas Fay, 72, was sentenced to two years at Harrow Crown Court after pleading guilty to four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard how he persuaded four boys – aged nine to ten – to engage in sexual activity with him and each other at his Wembley home in July 2015.

One of the boys admitted what had happened to his parents and Fay was arrested a day later.

Upon sentencing, Judge Greenwood said: "What you did was serious. You were a maths tutor and were entrusted by the children and their parents - you abused their trust.

“You incited them to take part in activity with each other. You told them not to tell their parents, but fortunately they did."

Four other boys made similar accusations against Fay dating back to 1999 and 2006 which were referenced by the Judge as bad character evidence.

As well as the jail term, Fay was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and handed a Sexual harm Prevention Order preventing him from unsupervised contact with people under 16.

Police fear that there may be more victims of Fay – who taught privately for 18 years – and have urged any to come forward.

Detective Constable Janine Stevenson of the Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command said: "The victims' parents put their trust in Fay to teach their children whilst they were under his supervision - he breached that trust in the most abhorrent way. 

"I would like to thank all of the families involved in this investigation - without their assistance the outcome would not have been possible.

"Fay initially refused to accept the charges which meant that the children were faced with the fear of having to attend court to give evidence. Thankfully, he eventually changed his plea on the first day of trial, avoiding them additional distress.

"Fay has caused immense distress and trauma for the victims and their families and I hope his sentence will go towards providing some closure for them.

"Fay has been teaching children privately for at least 18 years and we fear there may be more victims. 

“I would urge any other potential victims to come forward and contact me as soon as possible."

Man fighting for life in hospital after 'road rage fight' in south London

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being attacked in what witnesses described as a “road rage” argument in south London.

The man, who is thought to be in his late 40s, was assaulted on Stanthorpe Road bridge near to Streatham station on Friday evening.

South Londoners who witnessed the incident said a man got punched after a "right-of-way dispute" and saw someone running away from the scene.

Shafaq Hassan, a speech and language therapist who lives nearby, said: “We heard people outside our house and went to investigate. 

“Passersby and neighbours had stopped. There was a man sitting on the road surrounded by a few people. I asked what had happened and was told he had been punched.

“As I'm an SLT I automatically sat down next to him to try and comfort him. He looked in shock and disorientated. 

“He had a head injury on back of his head as apparently he hit the pavement and possibly passed out for few minutes."

She added: "I stayed with him as police and medics came. They asked questions to check if he remembered date and year. Eventually they put him on a stretcher and took into the ambulance.

“Other neighbours reported seeing him have a dispute with the other driver about who should give way at the junction."

The road, at the junction with Gleneldon Road was blocked off for several hours while police investigated.

At 10.30pm – more than five hours after the assault – the road was still cordoned off.

A spokesman for the Met Police told the WP they were called by the ambulance service at 5.18pm on Friday to reports of a man who had been assaulted.

They found a man, in his late 40s to early 50s, who had been injured.

He was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

No one has yet been arrested, police said.

Ex-Bond girl and model Catherine McQueen to stand as Tory councillor in Camden and Primrose Hill

Pic:Actress and model Catherine McQueen in 2004, two years after Bond hit Die Another Day was released.
Staff reporter(wp/es):

A former Bond girl is hoping to be elected as a Conservative councillor in north London.

Catherine McQueen, who starred in Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan’s Bond, is to stand in the ward of Camden Town with Primrose Hill.

The Scottish ex-model and actress wants to clean up the area’s streets and crack down on crime, anti-social behaviour and drugs, the Times reported.

The 38-year-old Tory hopeful appeared in a minor role as a Russian model in the 2002 Bond film and has also modelled for photo shoots in magazines Marie Claire, Elle, FHM, GQ and Tatler.

She will be one of the Conservative party’s candidates to contest the north London seat, which currently has three Labour council representatives.

"I'm living with my son in what should be a residential area, but when I tell people that Camden Town is a residential area they can't believe what I'm saying,” she told the Camden New Journal.

“You have people late at night running through the streets screaming, p**sing in the streets, throwing up. And then in the day you get drug pushers."

Ms McQueen was born in Edinburgh and began modelling aged 16 before completing a degree in Law and Business from City University.

She has had acting roles in The Bill and Judge John Deed on top of touring as a DJ in clubs across the US and in Hollywood.

Man charged after design graduate stabbed to death in front of schoolchildren in Mottingham

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a 21-year-old design graduate who was stabbed to death following a fight in south east London. 

Dean Modeste, 21, was chased and stabbed to death in front of children walking home from school last month. 

He fled 100 yards down the street past pupils before collapsing following the attack in Mottingham at 3.45pm on February 24. 

Police called to reports of a fight in Lambscroft Avenue found Mr Modeste, from Barking, slumped on the street outside a house in Charlesfield.

Paramedics battled to save his life but he was pronounced dead at the scene. 

A post mortem found he had died of multiple stab wounds. 

His friends paid tribute to the “caring and loving” young man. 

Speaking to the Standard the day after his death his cousin Reece Modeste said: “I’m broken. My sister told me that he had been hurt and I was just devastated. He was more like a brother than a cousin. He was loyal and always real. 

“We all got together on his birthday and listened to music. He always loved his music.”

Police said a 17-year-old boy had been arrested and charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon on Friday.  

He will appear at Bromley Magistartes’ Court on Saturday. 

Four other men aged 19, 18, 16 and 20 were arrested close to the scene on suspicion of murder and later bailed pending further inquiries.

Police said the 19, 18 and 16 year olds are due back in custody in late March. The 20-year-old is due back in early May. 

Enquiries are ongoing.

Man seriously injured in hospital after brawl at south London pub

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man is seriously injured in hospital after he was stabbed repeatedly during a brawl inside a south London pub.

A forensics tent was set up outside the Earlsfield Pub after the man, aged in his 30s, was stabbed during a fight late on Friday night. 

Police and paramedics descended on Garratt Lane after being called to the scene shortly before 10pm.

Medics treated the man for stab wounds before he was rushed to a hospital in south London.

Scotland Yard said he remained there in a stable condition on Saturday morning. 

His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The street and nearby railway station were cordoned off by police as officers carried out their investigations late into the night.

Witnesses took to social media to describe seeing a swarm of emergency services in the area and a forensics tent set up.

Dianne Adams, who posted an image of the white tent on Twitter, wrote: “Awful to see this at the Earlsfield Pub. Feel very, very sad. This is bad.”

Police said no arrests have been made and enquiries continue.

Father stabbed to death while protecting friend from knife gang in Islington's Upper Street

Staff reporter(wp/es):

A father was stabbed to death on a busy high street protecting a friend from knife-wielding attackers, his devastated family said today.

Jonathan McPhillips, 28, staggered 200 yards along Islington’s Upper Street before collapsing outside cocktail bar Be At One just after midnight on Saturday.

Paramedics performed first aid in the street before transferring him to hospital, where he died three days later with his family at his bedside.

Announcing her son’s death on Facebook, the avid Arsenal fan’s mother Michelle posted a photograph of them riding a moped, with the caption: “Take me to heaven with you. Ride high and look down from the sky.”

She added: “My angel has flown, rest in peace baby boy.”

Witnesses said Mr McPhillips, known as JJ, was knifed in an unprovoked attack as he shielded a teenage friend from a gang who ambushed them on a petrol station forecourt.

Police later found the 17-year-old lying in a pool of blood outside the town hall. He has since been discharged from hospital.

Mr McPhillips’ cousin Lainie Carr told the Standard: “Our family is in grief. He was a devoted dad, son, nephew and cousin who died in the most horrible way. I just hope we can find the person who did this.”

Close friend Shane Yerrell stayed with Mr McPhillips in hospital and has now launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £1,000 for his two young daughters.

He said: “He died protecting someone who was being attacked by a gang which just sums up the person he was. He’s definitely a hero in my eyes.

“He was the type of person that would lift anyone from a bad mood, one of the most honest and genuine people you will ever meet and has two beautiful little girls who adored him.”

Mr McPhillips is the tenth victim to die as a result of knife crime on the capital’s streets this year.

DCI Dave Whellams, leading the murder inquiry, today urged witnesses to the attack on the busy street to come forward.

He said: “This was an area of Upper Street which is always busy on a Friday night going into the weekend.

“I’m sure there would have been many people present who would have witnessed the altercation between two groups of youths.

“This seems to be a totally unprovoked attack which has resulted in the death of a young man and left a teenager injured.

“I would urge those people to contact our incident room and tell us what they have seen.”

There have been no arrests.