Local News
Mayor Lutfur Rahman welcomes new homes in Stepney
IT’S OFFICIAL! Construction has begun on the Council’s HAP Regeneration Scheme in Stepney Green. HAP is the regeneration of Harriott, Apsley and Pattison Houses – hence the name. Mayor Lutfur Rahman and Cllr Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Homebuilding and Enhancing Council Homes and Neighbour...
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Car crash on The Highway causes traffic chaos
TRAFFIC was in chaos this morning, 1st October, as The Highway was closed in both directions. There had been a collision just before 3.30am, and crash investigators needed to keep the road closed. The collision was serious, with the London Ambulance Service sending two crews and paramedics in fast r...
Posh chocs in salmonella contamination scare
TWO UPMARKET chocolates have been recalled by World of Sweets as salmonella has been found in the products. The recalled products are: ●Alyan Dubai Style Chocolate Truffles (120g, product code 319456); ●Alyan Dubai Style Crunchy Knafeh and Pistachio Milk Chocolate (100G, product code 3185910). ...
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Bananas spotted in Bethnal Green
THEY CAME, ten years ago, as two tiny trees, that Museum Gardens were throwing out. They were adopted by the Russia Lane Day Centre. Now, after a long and exceptionally hot summer, the banana trees have produced fruit. Russia Lane is a day centre for people living with advanced dementia. The residen...
Newham man jailed for killing his mother
A MAN WHO killed his own mother was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 22 years at a hearing at the Old Bailey on 28th September. Richard Clayton, 45, had strangled her – and then rang police to confess. The family of the dead woman, Angela Clayton, spoke about her with love ......
Council develops partnership with local businesses
WE KNOW that Tower Hamlets Council delivers quality services to residents – sometimes, but not always, targeted at those struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living. Did you know that the Council also delivers quality support to people who are running, or want to run, small businesses? That...
Man jailed for life after Hackney shooting
A MAN has been jailed for life after a shooting classified as attempted murder. He did not pull the trigger himself. Although he was convicted of attempted murder, he recruited someone else to carry out the shooting. The jailed man has been named as Beytullah Gunduz, 39, of Hackney. The police found...
Mayor Lutfur Rahman extends school clothing grants
MORE FAMILIES will now be eligible to claim grants to help with the cost of school clothing – and now’s the time to apply. The clothing grants are part of a package of support for families on low income. The scheme initially offered grants in respect of children starting primary or secondary sch...
Sounds on Sunday: 50 years ago – 1976-24
FIFTY YEARS AGO we were humming along to the hits of 1976. Some have magnificently stood the test of time; others have not. Join us on Memory Lane as we review them on their golden anniversaries. Abba are still doing a Manchester City – hogging the top spot and leaving other players languishing in...
Three more charged in fatal Newham shooting case
ONE MAN has already been charged with murder – and now three other men are also facing a murder charge. The men have now been named after attending Court, where they were all remanded in custody. The murdered man is Masum Miah, who was found in St Bartholomew’s Road, Newham, with gunshot wounds....
Crowds flock to Brick Lane Curry Festival
BRICK LANE was thronging with people who had come to have a last bit of summer fun as the famous Curry Zone held its 2026 Curry Festival. It was the biggest one yet. Tower Hamlets is one of the most harmonious communities in London. Its residents turned out in force for the Festival, and they ... Th...
Trump gets his geography wrong again
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump met Andy Burnham while they were both at the United Nations in New York last week. They sat together for a few words with the press after their meeting. It was then that Trump became confused over whom he was meeting. He mentioned the “tremendous patriotism in Britain”...
Mayor Lutfur Rahman congratulates Cricket Cup players
IT WAS all smiles as teams took part in a tournament for the Mayor’s Cricket Cup over August and September. It wasn’t so much “Cup” as “Cups”, as six winners proudly took home their trophies. Mayor Lutfur Rahman voiced his enthusiasm for the competition, saying, “It has been fantastic ...
New London heating plan is slightly strange
WILL YOUR household waste be heating homes and businesses along the Thames in the next decade? It’s a green way of doing things, but it’s potentially rather cumbersome. The idea has been around a while, and it has just been awarded £41 million in government funding. The plan is to start at the ...
Time to apply for education grants
TOWER HAMLETS has always been in the lead when it comes to helping young people stay on in education. And if you are a young person doing just that – at school or college level or going to university – and you meet the financial conditions, it’s time to apply for your grant. There are ... The ...
Waitrose in third product recall this month
THREE TIMES this month Waitrose has had to recall a product from sale over safety concerns. First it was rhubarb crumble; then it was black olives; and now it is oat milk. The product being recalled is the one litre Waitrose Essential Unsweetened Oat Drink. The affected packs have sell-by dates betw...
Mayor Lutfur Rahman champions water safety
WATER SAFETY is not a frivolous issue. Water can kill – and sometimes it does, and sometimes it does it here, very close to home. Mayor Lutfur Rahman is all too aware of that – and determined to do all he can to promote water safety awareness among young people. The Mayor made his commitment ......
Jailed sex traffickers lived on Isle of Dogs
FOUR PEOPLE have been sentenced to a total of 23 years in prison for their parts in running a criminal network which trafficked 24 Thai women. The convictions came after a detailed investigation by the Metropolitan Police Slavery and Child Exploitation Team. The investigation began in 2025 after Met...
New cargo bike arrives in Bow
IT’S SMALL, but perfectly formed – if, that is, you want a cheap and eco-friendly way of transporting goods (and, it seems, people) around the borough. It may be the answer to your problems. A cargo bike is a bike with a fitted wheeled container on the front. For residents, they bridge the gap b...
Trump cracks down on free press – but they fight back
US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP has picked a fight with the US media – but they are fighting back in the courts and with direct action to defend the principle of a free press. The context for the spat is that the US mid-term elections take place on Tuesday, 3rd November and Donald Trump’s approval rat...