Luke Donnelly

Residents of Gem House in Marylebone are being evicted after the block’s 16 flats were sold for private rental following the 2023 bankruptcy of social housing provider Kinsman and a legal loophole in Westminster City Council’s original agreement. Rents reportedly rose from about £795 to £6,850 per month, leaving families facing temporary accommodation, including Annas Jawamir’s family, whose mother is due to undergo hip surgery. The council’s legal challenge to preserve the homes as affordable housing was rejected by the Court of Appeal. Labour councillor Concia Albert urged Westminster Council to accept responsibility and rehouse residents securely, while the council said it was providing advice and support but did not commit to direct housing offers.

Unite has warned that it could escalate current strikes by 1,500 Arriva drivers in North and East London into city-wide bus action unless Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London provide a firm timetable for retrofitting effective air conditioning in bus cabs. Drivers cite temperatures reaching 40C, inadequate toilet facilities and insufficient rest between shifts, and are seeking a contractual Bill of Rights. The union wants the retrofits completed within six to eight months, while Khan says an extreme-weather taskforce is assessing the feasibility of the work and other measures. Campaigners and some drivers have criticized Unite for failing to resolve the problems sooner.

Nine males aged 13 to 21 were arrested at Best Hand Car Wash on Beddington Lane after police responded to a suspected aggravated burglary early on August 24, 2026. The arrests also involved suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon, while the 21-year-old was additionally arrested over suspected vehicle theft. All nine have been bailed pending further inquiries; no injuries were reported, and the site remains cordoned off as police investigate.

Extreme heat and low rainfall have dried and shrunk clay beneath railway tracks in Essex, raising derailment risks after a Greater Anglia train derailed near Wickford on August 14. Services on c2c and Greater Anglia routes between Southend and London will operate under amended timetables, adding two to eight minutes to journeys from August 25 and September 1 respectively. Restrictions and emergency engineering work, including ballast replacement and track tamping, will continue until ground conditions recover, with no timetable for a return to normal services.

Sergiu Leahu, 40, of no fixed address, has been charged with murdering 42-year-old Masum Miah, who was shot on St Bartholomew’s Road in East Ham on August 18. Leahu is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court. Detectives are appealing for information, dashcam, CCTV and doorbell footage, particularly involving a black Nissan Duke seen near the scene.