Dozens of firefighters battle blaze in north west London shop

Pic:Dozens of fire fighters battled a blaze at a shop and flats
Staff reporter(wp/es):

Dozens of firefighters battled a blaze as it ripped through a shop in north-west London.

Flames tore through a shop and flats in Harlesden on Wednesday morning.

Some 35 fire fighters rushed to the scene of the blaze in Park Parade just after 7.30am.

Six crews worked to tackle the fire which destroyed part of the shop’s ground floor, London Fire Brigade said.

Two people were taken to hospital suffering smoke and carbon monoxide inhalation, London Ambulance Service added.

Motorists were urged to avoid the area.

Station Manager Jerome Kumedzina said: "The fire was affecting a large part of the building’s ground floor and our crews worked incredibly hard to get it under control. 

“We are now extinguishing remaining hot spots on the property's first floor. Park Parade is still cordoned off while we deal with the incident so motorists should avoid the area."

Bystanders took to social media to discuss the situation.

Lloyds Bank to close 100 branches and axe 200 jobs

Business correspondent(wp/es):

Lloyds Bank is to close a further 100 branches, which will result in more than 200 job losses, a trade union has said.

The banking group is facing fresh criticism over the closures, with Unite saying the “continuous stream” of branch closures appears to show no sign of ending.

Some 54 Lloyds, 22 Halifax and 24 Bank of Scotland branches will be affected, the union said.

And according to Unite, 200 members of staff across the UK have now been they no longer have jobs and their branch will be shutting.

Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer, said the loss of more banks will be “painful” for high streets.

He added: "Unite is angered that another 200 staff have today been told that their job will be cut due to their branch shutting.

"Lloyds Banking Group's rationale for branch closures is the claimed customer preference towards the use of technology across banking.

"However this simply doesn't ring true when it's clear that many customers still value the face to face engagement with experienced and knowledgeable bank staff.

"The industry must halt these endless branch closure programs and open their eyes to what these closures are doing to rural communities, their disabled customers and the small business customers who depend on access to a local branch."

A Lloyds spokesman said the group's retail division was cutting 325 jobs as part of previously announced reductions under a management restructuring, while 96 new roles will be created.

The 100 branches will close between July and October, part of some 200 closures announced last summer.

"These branch closures - previously announced in July 2016 - are in response to changing customer behaviour, and the reduced number of transactions being made in branches," said the spokesman.

"Our branches will continue to play a vital role in our multi-channel approach to meeting the full range of customer needs, and we expect to continue to have the biggest branch network in the UK.

"As we continue to make investment in our network, we will further expand the mobile branch fleet across Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Bank, with the addition of nine new mobile branches. This will provide continuity of services in some of those areas affected by branch closures, alongside other ways to access banking locally."

Lloyds said all those affected were briefed on their positions on Wednesday morning, and that unions were consulted in advance.

The banking group's spokesman added: "The group's policy is always to use natural turnover and to redeploy employees wherever possible. Where it is necessary for employees to leave the company, wherever possible, this is achieved through offering voluntary redundancy. Compulsory redundancies will always be a last resort."

woman saved granddaughter's life by dousing flames

International correspondent(wp):

A teenager was saved after the St Petersburg train attack by her grandmother who extinguished her burning hair, it emerged today.

Alexandra Zyablitskaya, 15, was knocked unconscious by the blast which ripped through the carriage in Russia’s second city on Monday, killing 14 people and injuring 68 more.

Alexandra, a talented artist from the city of Barnaul, had been visiting graphic designers at the time.

Her grandmother, Vera, 58, told reporters she first feared her granddaughter had been killed.

She said: “We entered the carriage, and a few seconds later there was an explosion. I was thrown away from her by the blast.

"When I finally found her, Sasha (Alexandra) showed no sign of life. Her hair was burning, mine was too. I extinguished the flames as well as I could. 

“After a few minutes my granddaughter finally responded. I closed her eyes with my hands so that she would not see what was happening close by.”

The pair managed to climb from the wreckage amid dying victims after the driver took the train to the next station in order to make evacuation easier.

Vera added: “Now I understand that we managed to survive only because we were sitting down when the blast came. Those who were standing in the carriage were killed.”

The teenager suffered concussion and burns on her arm.

The blast occurred at around 2.30pm local time, after the train had left  Sennaya Ploshchad station in the centre of St Petersburg. 

Russian investigators suspect former sushi chef, Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen Akbarzhon Dzhalilov, 22, of being the suicide bomber.

Screaming woman dragged to ground and sexually assaulted in terrifying attack in Stockwell

Crime reporter(wp/es):

 A young woman was dragged to the ground and sexually assaulted in a terrifying attack in south London.

The attacker fled the scene after the victim began screaming for help, alerting people nearby to what was happening.

The woman, aged in her 20s, was pulled to the floor and attacked outside a block of flats on Binfield Road in Stockwell in the early hours of Sunday morning.

She was set upon at around 4am before the attacker fled to Stockwell Tube station.

Specialist police are now supporting the victim as officers continue to investigate and appeal for witnesses and information.

DS Steve Elliott said police believe a number of people are thought to have been nearby at the time of the assault, which happened outside Strudwick Court.

He said: “We are urgently seeking to speak to any person who may have information in relation to this incident, or the identity of the assailant."

The suspect is described as a man around 5ft 5ins tall, tanned or “dark-skinned European” with dark hair.

Police said he is thought to be aged in his late 20s.

No one has yet been arrested.

New Scotland Yard chief Cressida Dick to start work with £40k pay cut and no police pension

Pic:New Met chief Cressida Dick will be paid £40k less than her predecessor 

Staff reporter(wp/es):

New Scotland Yard chief Cressida Dick is to take charge of the force next Monday with a £40,000 self-imposed pay cut, it was revealed today. 

Mayor Sadiq Khan said she would take up her role new week becoming the most powerful police officer in the country and the first woman in charge of the force in its 188 year history.

However, the announcement also revealed that Ms Dick, 56, had been offered the £270,648 salary of her predecessor, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, as advertised for the role, but instead she had chosen to take the salary of £230,000.

The decision to take a 15 per cent pay cut is said to have been a “personal choice.”

Ms Dick will also not receive a police pension while she is in the job.

The statement issued by the Mayor does not include an explanation for her decision but it says she takes up her post at a challenging time in the Met’s recent history, “when budgets continue to be tightened, London’s population is booming, some crimes are rising and following the recent horrific terrorist attack in Westminster.“

One of her first engagements will be to attend the full police funeral of PC Keith Palmer in Southwark Cathedral next Monday.

PC Palmer, 48, was killed in the terror attack on March 22 when he tried to stop fanatic Khalid Masood from running into the Palace of Westminster armed with two knives. Masood was shot dead by an armed protection officer. 

Ms Dick is understood to have attended Scotland Yard regularly since the terror crisis at a time she was due to be on holiday.

An insider said: “It was all hands to the pump. She has been low key but her input has been very impressive, she has been very calm.”

Ms Dick, who first joined the Met in 1983, said in a statement: “It is a great honour and privilege for me to be taking up this role. I am looking forward to leading what I believe to be the world’s best police service.

“The Met’s response to the terrible events in Westminster demonstrated it is highly professional and effective.

"I am grateful to my predecessor and his team for the planning that went into building such a response and also to Craig Mackey and Mark Rowley for the way in which they have demonstrated such capable and compassionate leadership.

“Terrorism is just one of the challenges we face. Alongside the Mayor and every single one of our officers and staff I will work tirelessly to keep our city safe.”

Mr Khan said: “Our Metropolitan police do an incredible job, working hard with enormous dedication every single day to keep Londoners safe, so it is vital that they have the best possible leader and I know we have found her in Cressida Dick.

“Cressida has already had a long and distinguished career, and brings enormous experience and expertise to lead the Met through some challenging times.

"I am very much looking forward to working with her to keep our capital safe and protected."

David Cameron's son hailed a hero for running to aid of injured Kensington cyclist

Pic:The Camerons, Elwen (right) and friends helped the injured woman

Staff reporter(wp/es):

David Cameron’s son has been hailed a hero after running to the rescue of an injured cyclist in west London with his school friends.

Elwen, 11, and three pals have been praised for their quick thinking after the woman fell from her bike in Kensington.

The St Mary Abbots Primary School pupil phoned for an ambulance, as he and the classmates “took control of situation”, The Sunday Times reported.

After phoning for help, the group stayed with the woman and comforted her until emergency services arrived.

Head teacher Nicola Doyle told the paper: “The boys demonstrated quick thinking and calmness under pressure in a challenging situation.

“Though emergency services are not able to the individual patient, the pupils are to be commended for their maturity and doing the right thing to help. “

She said the school wished the cyclist a speedy recovery.

Elwen is the second of Mr Cameron’s children to go to the Kensington Church of England school after his sister Nancy attended.

Protesters clash in London as far-right EDL marchers met by anti-fascists

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Protesters clashed in central London as far-right supporters were met by anti-fascist campaigners in central London.

A march and rally planned by Britain First and the English Defence League (EDL) is taking place near a counter demonstration from Unite Against Fascism (UAF).

Frantic scenes unfolded when ex-EDL leader Tommy Robinson arrived and a high number of police officers moved to contain potential trouble.

Police said 12 people had been arrested by 2pm as the protests continued through the capital.

Crowds had gathered in Trafalgar Square from around midday and must obey conditions imposed by the Metropolitan Police which include following a set route.

UAF protesters, who appeared to vastly outnumber the far-right, chanted "EDL go to hell" and hundreds of protesters spilled onto the surrounding roads.

Many of those taking part wore masks which covered their faces.

Scotland Yard said on Friday that the information and intelligence available to the Met meant that they felt it necessary to impose the conditions to prevent the demonstrations from resulting in "serious disorder, serious damage to property, serious disruption to the life of the community, and to prevent the intimidation of local people trying to go about their business".

Chief Superintendent Catherine Roper said: "The right to protest is a fundamental right in our democratic society, but this right must be balanced against the right of people to go about their day without fear of violence, disorder or disruption.

"Experience has shown us that when groups with conflicting views come together it can create tension and disorder, not just on the day itself but in the longer term.

"What we have had to carefully consider is how to balance the right to protest with the negative impact on our communities and potential violence and disorder that may have resulted from these protests going ahead as they were suggested.

"If you want to protest on Saturday, we ask that you do so peacefully, no matter what your view. We will adopt a robust arrest policy on anyone who attends and is intent on violence and disorder, or is in breach of these conditions."