Rebecca Mcculloch

Saeed Yasin Hosseini obtained a Pimlico council flat in 2011 by claiming he was a single man living in temporary accommodation, although he was living with his wife in a North London property she owned. He illegally sublet the flat, later bought it through Right to Buy while claiming it was his main residence, and received a £100,000 discount. Westminster City Council secured a confiscation order requiring him to repay £494,415.52 within three months. He also received a suspended one-year sentence for contempt of court after admitting he had moved money from accounts in breach of a restraint order.

A man in his 60s is fighting for his life after being assaulted outside The Enkel Arms on Seven Sisters Road in Islington. Emergency crews took him to a major trauma centre, while Metropolitan Police officers and forensic specialists investigated the scene. No arrests had been made, the attacker remained at large, and police appealed for witnesses with dashcam or doorbell footage. The road cordon was later lifted, though the investigation continued.

A 21-year-old man is fighting for his life after being stabbed on Yeading Lane in Northolt on August 24, while a 26-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Police believe the injuries occurred during an altercation and have arrested a 51-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm. A crime scene remains in place as investigators seek witnesses, and a Metropolitan Police officer sustained a minor injury during one arrest.

More than 100 roads in and around Notting Hill will be closed during the 2026 Notting Hill Carnival, with parking restrictions beginning late on August 29 and closures running mainly from August 30 to September 1. Notting Hill Gate will have new traffic restrictions, while residents are advised to move vehicles before the event. Several Tube stations will be closed, restricted or exceptionally busy, and TfL will divert numerous day and night bus routes while operating special limited-stop services. Attendees are encouraged to travel via Paddington station and walk to the Carnival area.

A 31-year-old woman, Kerry Ann Goodbrand, died at the scene after falling from a height on Rowcross Street in Southwark on August 21. Mohammed Sherif, 54, has been charged with her murder and is due to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court. The Metropolitan Police is investigating and has appealed for information, while specialist officers continue to support Goodbrand’s next of kin.

A new Team Marathon will take place in Hackney Wick, East London, on May 22, 2027, with teams of four collectively completing the full 26.2-mile distance. Unlike a traditional relay, teams will run together around a route that has not yet been announced. Organiser Benchmark plans a festival-style event featuring DJs, live music, a brass band, cheer zones, street food and spectator areas. London presale tickets begin at 10am on August 26, 2026, with 100 founding team tickets available at £26.20 per runner; solo participants can also register and be matched with a team.

Rose Smith, a 75-year-old woman, died in hospital on August 12, one day after a break-in at her home in Tollington Park, Finsbury Park. Her family described her as loving, sociable and full of life. An 81-year-old man was also found injured at the property. Police have arrested a 46-year-old man on suspicion of murder and aggravated burglary, while detectives continue to seek witnesses and doorbell footage.

Ten affordable or free family activities are recommended for the London bank holiday weekend, including parks, zoos, a miniature railway, an urban beach, cultural events and museums. Highlights include the £1 Brockwell Park miniature railway, free children’s activities at Notting Hill Carnival, Coram’s Fields, Costa del Croydon, Crystal Palace Park, Greenwich Fair, Mudchute Park & Farm, the Speaker Box Street Party in Wembley and the free Young V&A.

Health policy researcher Emily Medhurst attracted widespread attention after choosing the history of Transport for London’s patterned moquette seat fabrics as her specialist subject on BBC Mastermind. She scored eight marks in the round, finished third overall and won praise online, particularly for wearing a hand-knitted Overground-inspired vest. The London Transport Museum also publicly celebrated her enthusiasm for moquette design.

The Old Oak Tree pub in Southall was fined approximately £17,000 after Ealing Council inspectors repeatedly found bed bugs in guest bedrooms, cockroaches in the kitchen and slip, trip and fall hazards. Despite advice, warning letters and legal notices, Old Oak Tree Pub Ltd failed to make the required improvements and breached a health and safety improvement notice. The company was fined £4,800, director Darshan Singh Grewal was fined £4,000 and given a criminal record, and the defendants were ordered to pay additional surcharges and prosecution costs.

Plans submitted for the final phase of Stratford Cross could deliver around 2,000 homes in Stratford, including affordable, market-rate, student and co-living accommodation. The proposal also includes a public park, retail space and improved cycling routes. If approved by Newham Council, construction could begin in 2028 and take approximately three years. Developers Lendlease and The Crown Estate say the wider project has generated local wages, employment, apprenticeships and other social value.

London is expected to move out of heatwave conditions, with temperatures averaging around 23°C next week. After a mainly dry start, drizzle, heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning are forecast from August 26 onward, including during the Notting Hill Carnival and the bank holiday weekend. The Met Office says warmer-than-average conditions and further hot spells remain possible in southern England, while weather expert Jim Dales warns that flooding could follow the varied effects of recent heatwaves.