Fitzrovia News

Updated plans for a Marylebone to Fitzrovia cycle route, external are to be shown at a public consultation event tonight.

The wife of Aravindan Balakrishnan, the Brixton Communist cult leader who is due to be sentenced tomorrow for raping two of his followers and imprisoning his daughter for 30 years has said his conviction is a "frame-up".

Image source, PA

Chanda Balakrishnan is standing by her husband Aravindan, 75, who faces jail for a string of sex attacks and for cruelty towards his daughter, who he secretly fathered with another woman.

She told The Times [behind the pay wall]:, external "If (the women) were genuinely in fear, they could have left at any time. They both went out to work every day."

Four schoolboys, all aged 13, were sexually assaulted by two men on a footpath in Clapton, Hackney, says the Met Police.

It has released CCTV of the two suspects after the assaults, which took place on a footpath on Lower Clapton Road at the junction with Atherden Road at around 13:45 on 8 July. 

The boys were on their way to school when the men assaulted them. All four escaped and told their school about what happened. 

David Friend
BBC Radio London

David Cameron’s “bunch of migrants" comment has been described on BBC Radio London as“callous” and “the sort of golf club bar discourse that you might have expected from someone of his class, or lack of it”.

Vanessa Feltz spoke to Shadow International Development Secretary Diane Abbott and Respect Party leader George Galloway earlier.

Ms Abbott told Vanessa: "I was sitting on the Front Bench, opposite David Cameron, when he used that phrase and I must say it jarred and I was a little bit surprised as well. But it comes across as callous and dismissive and I think it gives a clue to David Cameron’s real attitude to refugees.

Vanessa asked: "What do you think the clue indicates?"

Ms Abbott said: It’s a callous sounding phrase and actually as part of the European family of nations, seeing the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War, it is wrong that the British Prime Minister should be callous about the situation and these people’s plight."

Respect Party leader and London Mayoral candidate, George Galloway responded to the comments by telling Vanessa: "It was unbecoming of a Prime Minister, in Parliament, to use that kind of language.

"It’s the sort of golf club bar discourse that you might have expected from someone of his class, or lack of it. So it was unbecoming. It was insulting and it was illuminative of his underlying feelings of many people, I think, at the top in right wing politics in Britain."

Image source, Getty Images

Sported by luminaries from Winston Churchill and King George V to David Beckham and Samantha Cameron, the tattoo has been in and out of fashion since Victorian times. 

As a new exhibition opens at the Museum of London, BBC London's Ros Taylor looks at how tastes and trends have changed over the generations.  

Commuters were left furious after more than 20 trains into London were cancelled or delayed during this morning's rush hour. 

Regular Southeastern services from stations between Ashford International and the capital were held back for around an hour and a half after overrunning engineering works left lines without power.

Travellers arrived at stations along the route to find all peak-time trains into London cancelled. Some faced a two-hour wait for their next service.  

A spokesman for Southeastern said services were back up and running before  08:00, following the power issue between Maidstone East and Swanley, but commuters could still expect "knock-on" delays through the morning.

Latest information @BBCTravelAlert

Image source, Thinkstock

A BBC News study has found the Metropolitan Police made 7,519 arrests for burglary between 2014-15 but recorded 73,640 crimes.

It means Scotland Yard made just over 10 arrests for every 100 offences.

Across England forces made 14 arrests for 100 burglaries, analysis found.

BBC Travel

Archway Road is closed and traffic is queuing in both directions between the Northwood Road junction and the Flowers Mews junction because of a a police incident.

Crystal Palace Park Road in Penge has been closed causing delays in the area because of emergency repairs to a gas main.

For the latest travel updates visit the BBC London travel page or follow @BBCTravelAlert, external

Susana Mendonca
BBC Radio London Political Reporter

Mr Galloway says if he is elected as London mayor he'd compulsory purchase any home left empty in London and make 50% of new builds affordable.

Susana Mendonca
BBC Radio London Political Reporter

George Galloway says David Cameron's "bunch" of refugees comment in the House of Commons yesterday "was illuminative of his underlying feelings".

Susana Mendonca
BBC Radio London Political Reporter

Respect leader George Galloway tells Vanessa Feltz that if he were the Labour candidate he'd win the London mayoral race "by a landslide".

Image source, PA

Respect leader and candidate for London mayor George Galloway is now talking to Vanessa Feltz on BBC Radio London about why he should get your vote.

It'll be a chilly start to the day with frost in places.

However, there'll be plenty of sunshine, although the skies will turn increasingly cloudy and it'll become breezy by the end of the afternoon.  

Maximum temperature: 9C (48F)

Pippa Stephens
BBC News Online, London

Good morning.

I'll be bringing you updates of all the latest news, sport, travel and weather in London until 18:00.

If you would like to get in touch, you can tweet, external, email or leave a message on our Facebook, external page.