Chris Ballinger

Plug-in solar panel kits will be available in the UK from August 27 at retailers including Currys, B&Q, Wickes, Screwfix, Lidl, Asda and Amazon. Designed for balconies and fences, the systems connect directly to a mains socket and could save a typical household £70 to £110 annually, though they cannot power an entire home and must not be used with extension leads or travel adaptors. Kits start at about £400, with estimated payback periods of four to six years. Users must notify their electricity network operator within 28 days, while manufacturers EcoFlow and UKSOL are preparing products for the new market.

Metropolitan Police officers used a circular saw and battering ram to enter a flat on Wandsworth Road in Lambeth during a dawn raid. A man in his twenties was arrested on suspicion of importing prohibited weapons after 10 knives, including lock knives and flick knives, were found. Police allege he was involved in importing knives from China, including banned zombie knives previously seized by Border Force. The report also notes that zombie knives and machetes were banned in 2024 and that knife-related homicides in England and Wales fell to a 35-year low in the year ending March 2026.

Jack White paid tribute to Dolly Parton during his London concert by performing “Jolene,” a song he had not played live for years. The performance followed the announcement of Parton’s death at age 80 by her nephew Brian Seaver, who praised her influence on singers, songwriters and fans worldwide. Parton’s family plans a private funeral and has encouraged public tributes and donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The report also notes her recently canceled Las Vegas residency and prior health challenges.

The Metropolitan Police have launched a murder investigation after human remains found in woodland near Padstow Walk, Feltham, were confirmed to belong to a woman believed to have been aged between 25 and 45. Her identity and the circumstances of her death remain unknown, and police say it is unclear how long the remains had been at the site. A postmortem has taken place, while detectives appeal for information. Local claims that wildfires exposed the remains have not been confirmed by the London Fire Brigade.

Simon Levy, a 41-year-old serving a whole-life sentence for murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, has denied allegedly stabbing HMP Belmarsh officer Paul Dunne in the neck and arm with a pen and attempting to strangle him. The alleged February 18 attack occurred while Levy was awaiting trial for the murders, rapes and multiple sexual assaults. Westminster Magistrates’ Court sent the case to Inner London Crown Court for trial on September 14. The report also outlines Levy’s history of sexual offending on the London Underground, earlier prison-officer assault, criminal justice supervision and the circumstances surrounding his murder convictions.

Dylan Patel, 26, of Southall, has been identified as the pilot of a two-seat Cessna that crashed in a field near Ongar, Essex, on June 30, killing him and passenger Vamshi Mandala, 25, of India. The aircraft had taken off from North Weald airfield for a short flight experience. An inquest has been adjourned after Essex Police launched a criminal investigation alongside an Air Accidents Investigation Branch probe. Preliminary post-mortems found both men died from multiple injuries, with toxicology results pending.

The Met Office has issued an amber extreme-heat warning covering London and large parts of England from 9am to midnight on Thursday, August 13, with temperatures potentially reaching 37–38C. Officials warn of health risks including sunburn, dehydration and heat exhaustion, along with possible disruption to road, rail and air travel, infrastructure failures, power cuts and increased water-safety incidents. Thursday is expected to be the peak of the heat, with warmth lingering in southern and southeastern England on Friday before cooler air spreads south on Saturday.

Vilius Domarkas, 38, of Croydon, admitted causing the death of a 65-year-old highways worker by dangerous driving after his Citroen veered into a coned-off area on an M23 slip road near Gatwick Airport. Police said Domarkas appeared heavily intoxicated, with a blood-alcohol reading nearly three times the legal limit, and dashcam footage showed erratic driving before the crash. He is due to be sentenced at Hove Crown Court on 28 September 2026.

Police seized 90 supercars worth more than £8 million during a weekend crackdown on dangerous and antisocial driving in Kensington and Chelsea and around Hyde Park. The vehicles included a Ferrari Monza SP2 valued at about £3.7 million; its driver had only a provisional licence and had been behind the wheel for less than 30 minutes. The operation also led to arrests involving suspected handling of stolen goods and money laundering, drug supply, harassment-related behavior and an immigration offence. Metropolitan Police and Westminster City Council said the enforcement action was intended to protect residents, businesses and other road users from reckless driving and nuisance.

Simon Levy, a 40-year-old Tottenham man convicted of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, also sexually assaulted a third woman and attacked ten women on the London Underground. Police found nearly 100,000 items on his computer, including searches about rape, murder, crime, Andrew Tate and Donald Trump. The evidence showed escalating sexual offending despite repeated contact with probation and other authorities. Levy was released under investigation after initially being arrested for Valencia-Trujillo’s murder, allowing him to later kill Wilkins; he denied both murders, refused police questioning and did not testify at his Old Bailey trial.

London’s bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships has received a major boost after West Ham United agreed with London Stadium LLP and Athletics Ventures to make London Stadium available. The agreement followed detailed negotiations involving the club, stadium operators, government officials and football authorities, with West Ham insisting that supporters and minimal disruption to the 2029/30 football schedule remain its priorities. Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson had publicly urged the club to resolve the issue, joking that Great Britain’s athletics team would bring more medals to the stadium than West Ham had won in its history. The final bid is now submitted, backed by the UK Government, the Mayor of London and UK sporting bodies.