Summary

  • Updates for Thursday 21 January 2016

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates resume at 08:00 on Friday

  1. Coming up on air: Deloitte looks at housing its young staff memberspublished at 13:11

    BBC London News

    Coming up on the lunchtime news at 13:30, BBC London's Caroline Davies will have more on the company looking to help house its young staff in the capital. 

    Professional services firm Deloitte is working with developers to secure cheaper rents for its junior staff members and is considering building its own accommodation.

  2. Afternoon weather: Cloudy and remaining drypublished at 12:53

    BBC Weather

    Cloud will build from the west this afternoon, but most places should stay dry until after dark. 

    Highs of 5C (41F).

  3. 'Quarter of the increase in knife crime in England and Wales' reported by Met Policepublished at 12:34

    The rise in total recorded crime across England and Wales is the biggest year-on-year jump since from 2001 to 2002, according to the Office for National Statistics. , external

    And almost a quarter of the increase in knife crime offences in the same time period were reported by the Met Police, it says.

  4. Rail move will 'improve commuters' life', says Green Party's Sian Berrypublished at 12:20

    Green candidate for London mayor Sian Berry says the government's move to transfer the responsibility for inner suburban rail services to Transport for London, external will "improve life for very many commuters". 

    She says: "“For far too long, suburban rail passengers have endured overcrowding, frequent cancellations and massive disruption to services at holiday periods, while the companies who run those trains make fat profits."

    Sian BerryImage source, Green Party

    "It is an obvious improvement to bring those routes under the control of TfL, which does not need to make a profit and will focus on reinvestment not rewarding shareholders," she adds.

  5. New Tube staff offer 'includes a four-year pay deal'published at 12:04

    Union leaders will meet to discuss calling off planned strikes by Tube workers after London Underground (LU) bosses made an offer on pay and a new night service. 

    Aslef, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association will hold separate meetings after making "good progress" in fresh talks this week. 

    LU is writing to the unions confirming its offer, which includes a four-year pay deal.

  6. Met hunts for 10 people after Halloween Lambeth rave turned violentpublished at 11:32

    Met Police

    Ten people are being hunted by the Met after crowds throwing bottles, chairs and a petrol bomb clashed with riot police at an illegal rave in south London last Halloween.

    Police were called to reports of disorder and criminal damage at the event in the London Fire Brigade Workshop in Whitgift Street, Lambeth on the evening of 31 October.

    Twenty six police officers and a police dog, named Maverick, were injured.

    The Met asks for anyone with any information to come forward. 

    Media caption,

    Appeal over Halloween disorder in Lambeth

  7. Khan: mayor 'should control who runs London's commuter routes'published at 11:11

    Labour’s London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan, says while the government's announcement to improve rail travel in the capital, external is a step in the right direction, it’s still a consultation with no sign of a proper agreement with the relevant authorities.

    "Many of London's train users face a daily nightmare of delays, cancellations and overcrowded trains," he says.

    "That’s why I have been campaigning for some time for the Mayor to take control of who runs London’s commuter routes and insist on a better service for passengers."

  8. TfL taking over rail lines 'great for people in south east London'published at 11:00

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  9. 'London Suburban Metro service' mooted as part of rail proposalspublished at 10:55

    A London Suburban Metro service with the potential for "more than 80% of stations to have a train every 15 minutes" is one of the plans attempting to improve rail travel across under-served parts of London. , external

    Improvements could include more regular services via Clapham Junction, south east London and Kent, said the Department for Transport and London Mayor Boris Johnson. 

    Boris Johnson and Patrick McLoughlin
    Image caption,

    Boris Johnson and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin at Liverpool Street Station

    They also proposed possibly developing new rail lines to connect "poorly serviced areas and support new homes and jobs" as the capital's population is due to rise to 10 million by 2030.  

    Transport for London has previously been called upon by a think tank to run south London rail services. 

  10. 'One fire a day' in London caused by faulty electrical goodspublished at 10:47

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  11. Harris seek head for school lacking planning permissionpublished at 10:14

    Inside Croydon

    The Harris Federation, which already operates several schools in Croydon, has started advertising for a head teacher for a primary school, external on the Purley Way, even though the school is not yet built and has not even been granted planning permission.  

  12. Fatal commuter stabbing 'may be linked to earlier attack'published at 09:59

    Police, external believe the murder of a commuter in Morden on Tuesday morning may be linked to another stabbing less than an hour earlier.

    Daniel YoungImage source, Met Police

    Daniel Young, 30, was stabbed in Kendor Gardens near Morden Tube. A 23-year-old man was injured in a stabbing 40 minutes earlier just over a mile away in Mitcham.

    A man, 26, arrested in connection with the murder, has been released on bail.

  13. Putin 'probably' behind Litvinenko murderpublished at 09:45
    Breaking

    The murder of former spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 was "probably" approved by President Vladimir Putin, a public inquiry has concluded.

    Mr Litvinenko died aged 43 in London in 2006, days after being poisoned with radioactive polonium-210, which he is believed to have drunk in a cup of tea.

    Follow live updates on the report here.

  14. Tube passenger injuries increasepublished at 09:40

    There has been an increase in the number of passengers getting hurt on London's Tube platforms.

    A Freedom of Information request revealed there were 298 reported accidents in 2014 compared to just 56 in 2003.

    Transport for London, external said its rail network is one of the safest in Europe.

  15. Alexander Litvinenko: Spy findings duepublished at 09:24

    The findings of a public inquiry into the killing of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London are set to be released by a judge later.

    Mr Litvinenko, 43, died days after being poisoned with radioactive polonium-210, which he is believed to have drunk in a cup of tea.

    Alexander LitvinenkoImage source, Getty Images

    Two Russian men, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, have denied killing him.

    The judge will decide whether to name any culprits and whether any elements in the Russian state were responsible.

  16. Dog poo DNA test starts in Barkingpublished at 09:05

    A pilot scheme to test the DNA of dog poo to try and catch owners who fail to clear up after their pet has started in Barking and Dagenham.

    A dogImage source, Getty Images

    Samples of dog mess will be collected by officers from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council and park rangers during the next three months.

    DNA will then be compared to a database of registered owners.

    Dog poo DNA test starts in Barking

    A pilot scheme to test the DNA of dog poo to try and catch owners who fail to clear up after their pet has started in Barking and Dagenham.

    Read More
  17. Initial Night Tube proposal was 'unreasonable' for workerspublished at 08:48

    BBC Radio London

    Speaking to Radio London, Caroline Pidgeon says striking by Tube workers should be the "last resort" and it is a signal there has been a breakdown in communications. 

    Tube workers strikingImage source, TUSC

    Ms Pidgeon says London Mayor Boris Johnson made the situation worse by setting an artificial deadline for the Night Tube as if the unions could "string it out long enough", the mayor would have "egg on his face". 

    The Liberal Democrat candidate in May's mayoral election says she thinks it was "unreasonable" for Tube workers to be told they would have to work nights as they may have responsibilities such as caring. 

  18. Right to Buy scheme 'damaging for Londoners'published at 08:39

    BBC Radio London

    Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon says the Right to Buy scheme is "a real threat to social and council housing in London".

    She told Vanessa Feltz she would set up her own building company to help provide her proposed 50,000 council homes.  

    She adds: "The sale of council homes and housing association is so damaging to the London economy and at being able to house Londoners."