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Eleven people treated for smoke inhalation after fire breaks out in residential building in LondonEleven people have been taken to hospital after a fire broke out at a converted terraced house in the upmarket London neighbourhood of South Kensington.Fifteen fire engines and about 100 firefighters were called to the fire at a terraced house converted into apartments on Emperor’s Gate, in the south-west of...

UK’s largest water company also calls for dividend payouts and lower fines for breaches to avoid taxpayer bailoutThames Water has been lobbying the government and regulators to let it increase bills by 40%, pay lower fines for breaches and keep paying out dividends as part of efforts to avert a taxpayer bailout, according to a report.The under-fire utilities firm, the UK’s largest water company,...

Proposed sale of Abyssinian artefact taken during 1868 battle triggers appeal for restitution of ‘wrongfully acquired’ itemThe Ethiopian government has called the auction of a looted colonial-era shield “inappropriate and immoral” as it attempts to stop its sale this week and prevent it from disappearing into a private collection.The Anderson & Garland auction house, in Newcastle upon Tyne, was contacted by the Ethiopian National...

Factories, nightclubs, lifesavers and pigeon-fanciers to be celebrated in films and community storytellingStories of an old bacon factory in Wiltshire, a rollerskating hotspot in Birmingham and a pigeon fanciers’ enclave in West Yorkshire are to be celebrated as part of an attempt to preserve England’s working-class heritage.A beloved north-west nightclub, a London pub that helped launch the careers of 1970s and 80s pop and...

Teaching unions say guidance includes practices already adopted and most schools already have policies in placeMinisters have confirmed plans to ban the use of mobile phones in English schools, releasing guidance for headteachers that some unions said included practices that had already been widely adopted.However, one headteacher welcomed the Department for Education (DfE) plan, saying it would help give schools the confidence to make...

Andy Haldane, government’s top levelling-up adviser, calls for urgent rethink to prevent deeper cuts across EnglandThe government’s top levelling-up adviser has warned ministers that failure to tackle the funding crisis for councils across England is threatening one of the Conservatives’ flagship 2019 election promises.Andy Haldane, the chair of the government’s levelling-up advisory council, said a “root and branch rethink” of local authority funding was...

On average about 30 bodies are retrieved from its waters in London each year. Only a few ever make the headlinesHistoric placenames along the River Thames in London once summed up its macabre past. There was Dead Man’s Dock at Deptford, Dead Man’s Steps at Wapping, and Dead Man’s Hole, which still exists, at Tower Bridge. They evoked stories of people who were executed,...

Clinics de-listed people without warning, forcing them to go private or find another NHS practicePatients across England who failed to visit their dentists since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic have been systematically barred by some clinics from getting NHS treatment.Dental practices across the country informed patients they could no longer get NHS treatment, citing non-attendance over a period of two years or more...

Met Office issues warning with risk of power cuts, travel delays and rural communities becoming cut offA band of heavy snow could cause disruption later this week across parts of the UK, with as much as 20cm possible in higher areas.Temperatures will drop as the week goes on, with a yellow snow warning issued that covers much of Wales as well as northern and...

Man, 39, arrested on suspicion of dangerous dogs offences after incident in JaywickA woman has died after being assaulted by two dogs in Jaywick and a man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous dogs offences, Essex police have said.Officers believed she was attacked by two dogs and the animals were later destroyed, the force said. Continue reading...

Searches carried out at Abdul Ezedi’s Newcastle home and in London as his female victim remains ‘critical but stable’With the hunt for Abdul Ezedi entering its fourth day, police have appealed for the public to come forward with information about the suspected chemical attacker.Investigators released two images of white plastic bottles with warnings about corrosive substances, which may be linked to the attack on...

Exclusive: Local voluntary groups forced to cut services or close as council funding pulledWhen a Citizens Advice has to close despite demand being ‘off the scale’Charity leaders have warned of the “devastating knock-on impact” of the financial crisis in English town halls, as evidence emerges of cuts and closures at local voluntary groups, where vital grant funding has been cut by stricken councils.Citizens Advice...

Court rules not enough evidence provided to prove defendants failed to comply with section 14 order at anti-fossil fuel rallyGreta Thunberg and four others charged with public order offences over a protest in London have been cleared after a judge ruled that they had no case to answer.Thunberg was charged alongside Christofer Kebbon, Joshua James Unwin, Jeff Rice and Peter Barker with “failing to...

Father of Dareen Nuru says they have been told to move out of south London flat but have nowhere else to goThe family of a one-year-old girl sent to hospital six times because of damp and mould in their south London flat say they are scared about her health and have pleaded for help from their local council.The parents say their daughter’s plight has...

Treatment for ailments including sore throats, earaches and shingles to be offered without a GP appointmentPatients in England can get treatment for seven common conditions without needing to see a GP, under a shake-up of pharmacy services.From Wednesday, thousands of pharmacists will be able to assess and treat patients for sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections...

Man, 44, and boy, 15, remain in custody after Max Dixon and Mason Rist killed in Knowle West on SaturdayThe teenage boys killed in a stabbing attack in Bristol have been named locally as Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15.The pair were stabbed in Knowle West at about 11.20pm on Saturday and died later in hospital, Avon and Somerset police said. Continue reading...

Capital’s councils say they are struggling to keep schools open as pupil funding dries upLondon’s councils are preparing to mothball schools to avoid a boom and bust cycle of closures, as the falling birthrate, high housing costs and the aftermath of Brexit and the Covid pandemic drive down the number of children living in the capital.With some areas of London projected to see the...

Tens of millions have been spent on human-made defences over the years, but the impact of the climate crisis means flooding is inevitableWhen Jo Bloom saw the monitoring station on the River Severn above Shrewsbury register water levels of 6.5 metres as Storm Henk struck in early January, she began preparing for the worst. Bloom, who runs the Bewdley Flood Group, a local initiative...

Decorator Matthew Turner stole three watches worth more than £30,000 from Hugh Grosvenor’s bedroomA decorator who stole three watches worth more than £30,000 from the Duke of Westminster’s home has been told he “escaped prison by the skin of your teeth”.Matthew Turner, 24, was given a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years, at Chester crown court after admitting the burglary of three watches from...

Trains north of Preston affected as weather warnings are issued for more wind and rainA rail company has advised customers to not attempt to go north of Preston on Tuesday afternoon because of cancellations caused by Storm Jocelyn.Avanti West Coast is among the train providers warning members of the public that they will not be able to travel by rail in large parts of...

Charities call on government to prioritise outside spaces for play as MPs begin inquiry into planning and children’s wellbeingChildren and young people are suffering huge damage to their health and wellbeing from policymakers refusing to prioritise the need for outdoor play, charities have said.As MPs begin an inquiry into how better planning could enhance the wellbeing of children, the charities said urgent change was...

Thousands without electricity while roads closed, rail services suspended and flights cancelledStorm Isha – latest updatesThousands of people have been left without power as Storm Isha brings disruption to electricity and transport networks.The storm battered the UK with heavy rain and gusts of up to 99mph with the entire country subject to wind warnings issued by the Met Office. Continue reading...

Police confirm they are not looking for anyone else in connection with incident after four people found deadPolice failed to attend a 999 call made from a house where four people, including two young children, were subsequently found dead.Norfolk police said it was contacted by a man at the address at about 6am on Friday but no officers were deployed. Continue reading...

Met Office data indicates lows of -11C hit overnight in England, with snow warnings in all four parts of UK on ThursdayThe UK has shivered through another cold night as weather warnings for snow and ice are in place throughout Thursday.Much of the UK endured temperatures below freezing overnight, with preliminary data from the Met Office indicating the mercury fell to as low as...