A former News of the World reporter from Bethnal Green has denied paying a British soldier for tip-offs.

Ryan Sabey appeared at the Old Bailey alongside serviceman Paul Brunt, from Kentish Town, to enter not guilty pleas. They are due to stand trial in February.

BBC London 94.9
Radio

The lead story at 11:00 on BBC London 94.9:

An official report into a near-miss over west London in July says an object, thought to be a small radio-controlled helicopter, came within just 20 feet of a passenger plane that was coming in to land at Heathrow.

Wandsworth Guardian

Two projects have been approved for new tennis courts, external on Raynes Park Playing Fields and the redevelopment of the All England Club at a meeting last night.

Councils have been accused by the government of ripping off drivers and committing "daylight robbery" after a report revealed they are coining it in from parking charges.

Image source, PA

In 2013/14, councils in England made a combined "profit" of £667m from their on and off-street parking operations, it said.

This was 12% more than the 2012/13 figure of £594m, with 44% of the 2013/14 total being generated by councils in London, the RAC Foundation, external survey said.

The five biggest "earners" were all London authorities - the authority with the largest surplus in 2013/14 was previous table-topper Westminster with £51m.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed a species of magic mushroom has been discovered growing in the grounds.

Alan Titchmarsh said he was surprised to find the red and white-headed toadstool, which have hallucinogenic properties, while he was filming for a TV show.

A wave of shop thefts and break-ins, including a late-night burglary blitz on three charity shops, is sweeping the south of the borough, reports the Romford Recorder, external.

Samantha Cameron, the wife of Prime Minister David Cameron, met children taking part in the charity Save the Children's, external Christmas Jumper Day outside 10 Downing Street earlier.

Image source, Reuters

BBC London 94.9
Radio

The lead story at 10:00 on BBC London 94.9:

An official report into a near miss at Heathrow in July has revealed an object, thought to be a small radio-controlled helicopter, came within just 20 feet of a passenger plane that was coming in to land.

Beth Rose
BBC News Online

Hello - I'm taking over Local Live for a little while now while Duncan Smith works on an exciting feature about British cinemas which will be published on the website soon.

A school's playing field will be bulldozed to make way for a car park after plans, which also include classroom expansion, were granted, reports the Sutton Guardian, external.

Sutton Council's planning committee approved a bid to build new classrooms to provide 120 new places at Cheam Common Junior School in Kingsmead Avenue, Worcester Park, as well as using part of the playing field for a staff car park.

In 1889 poet Robert Browning died - his tomb is in Westminster Abbey.

In 1988, a train crash at Clapham Junction killed 35 people and injured more than 100 and a year ago London Mayor Boris Johnson came under fire after it emerged that 40 people working at his City Hall headquarters were employed on zero-hours contracts.

Regent's Park is set to be home to a £200 million 'mega-palace' owned by the Qatari royal family, reports the Ham & High, external.

Image source, Google

Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned - the wife of the former Emir of Qatar - is planning to convert numbers 1, 2 and 3 Cornwall Terrace, Regent's Park, into a palatial family home. Once completed, the mansion is expected to become London's most expensive private residence.

A planning application submitted to Westminster City Council reveals plans for a heated swimming pool, beauty salon and a smoking room.

What do you think? Send an email to london.locallive@bbc.co.uk

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Tottenham & Wood Green Journal

Some of the most vulnerable people in Haringey will be hit hardest of all over the next three years in a raft of cuts as the council is forced to hack another £70m, external from its budget, according to the paper.

BBC London 94.9
Radio

The headlines this hour include:

• Labour and UKIP politicians have clashed over immigration in London in a debate on this morning's breakfast show immigration special live from Kilburn.

• Thames Water has been told to cut its bills by 5%, meaning the average household will save £17 a year between now and 2020.

One of the oldest department stores in London is closing after 123 years, external.

It has been in the same family for four generations and is run by local MP John Randall. But he says online competition means the store will shut at the end of January.

The water regulator has rejected a request by Thames Water to increase household bills by around £8 a year to help pay for its so-called super sewer - instead telling the company to cut bills by 5%.

The government's already granted permission for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, external between Acton and Newham, which is meant to stop raw sewage discharging into the river after heavy rain.

BBC London 94.9
Radio

Nigel Farage says his party struggles to win votes in the capital because many immigrant Londoners don't feel an "affinity" to the UK.

The UKIP Leader has told BBC London 94.9 immigration hasn't meant integration for London.

More with Vanessa from 09:00. Email us your views.

A report's due out later into a near miss between a passenger plane and a drone near Heathrow. The pilot of an Airbus A320 spotted the drone as he was coming in to land in July. It's thought today's report from the UK's aviation regulator will detail how close it came to the plane.

Ed Sheeran was named British act of the year last night at the first BBC Music Awards, held at Earl's Court.

Saturday sees the last performance at the venue which is to be demolished for re-development.