The 13 climate change activists whocaused 25 flights to be cancelled and triggered "immense" financial costs with a runway protest at Heathrow Airport have been described in court as "people of real conscience who care about the planet".

Image source, Met Police

Some of the protesters had to sit in front of the dock at London's Willesden Magistrates' Court which was packed with co-defendants.

They are awaiting sentence after having been found guilty of aggravated trespass and entering a security-restricted area of an aerodrome with a July 2015 protest at the UK's largest airport.

Kirsty Brimelow QC, representing four of the defendants, told the court "These are people who are professional. They are qualified and highly educated.”

She said "there is a range of in-depth, genuine and excellent testimonies" in support of them from a high court judge, barristers, the MP John McDonnell and the actress Sue Johnston.

The activists will be sentenced later.

Image source, Met Police

BBC Newsnight

In case you missed it last night, London MP and Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan tells Evan Davis about the importance of opportunities for Londoners and how he had a fatwa against him because he voted for same sex marriage.

BBC Weather

It will be a mostly bright afternoon with patchy cloud at times, with western parts such as Harrow seeing the best of the sunshine. 

However, it will feel quite pleasant in the afternoon sunshine. 

Maximum Temperature: 8C (46F). 

Pippa Stephens
BBC News Online, London

• London transport sex offence reports rise by a third
• Meet the real life Elizabeth Line - not the capital's renamed Crossrail project
• Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna says young Londoners are being drawn into gangs because hard-working parents don't have enough time to spend with them.

BBC Newsbeat

When New Yorker Elizabeth Line woke up to find her name trending, she naturally thought the worst.

"I got a text from a girlfriend... I was like, 'Oh no, what have I done? Am I going to embarrass my family and my friends?'"

Image source, Elizabeth Line

Turns out she wasn't in the middle of a full-on bout of Twitter shaming and her reputation was still intact.

What had actually happened was Transport for London in the UK had announced they were going to name the new Crossrail line under London after the Queen - calling it the Elizabeth line.

Police have released CCTV footage of a transit security guard fighting off a thief trying to steal the cash he was delivering. 

It was filmed at the Post Office on Hampstead High Street on 16 February and police are asking for anyone with information to come forward. 

Reports of sex offences on the capital's transport network in 2015 have risen by 36% compared to the year before, figures from the Met show. 

Image source, Reuters

Police received 1,603 reports between April and December 2015, up from 1,117 complaints in the same period in 2014. 

The Met says the rise in the number of incidents is partly due to their campaign asking passengers to report incidents.

Air traffic controller Adam Spink took this stunning picture this morning from the control tower at Heathrow Airport. 

Image source, Adam Spink

BBC Weather Watchers

A cold and frosty morning across London with a widespread hard frost. 

Image source, BBC Weather

Pippa Stephens
BBC News Online, London

• A man has died after being struck by a car as he ran into a road in west London chasing after his dog 
• The head of the Metropolitan Police has said he will not be "bullied" into apologising to Lord Bramall  
• Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna says Britain must stay in the EU to remain competitive.

Susana Mendonca
BBC Radio London Political Reporter

Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna says young Londoners are being drawn into gangs because hard-working parents don't have enough time to spend with their children. 

Mr Umunna is campaigning for the government to continue funding for an anti-gangs initiative. He told Vanessa Feltz on BBC Radio London that the perception that young people involved in gangs are all from unstable families is wrong:

He says: "Very often they're from a stable family unit, but parents are holding down two jobs, so don't have enough time to spend with their young people. We need a work life balance."

Vanessa Feltz
BBC Radio London presenter

On BBC Radio London Vanessa Feltz is talking to Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna on the government's decision to scrap a scheme to stop gang activity. He will raise the issue in a Commons debate later. 

Also, after the last strike by junior doctors the government said it would impose the new contracts on medics but now the union says it will seek a judicial review and there will be three more 48-hour strikes. 

And we are discussing violence at children's football games after a parent threatened to stab a referee, another headbutted a linesman and young players threatened to smash up a changing room. 

BBC Weather

A cold morning with sharp frost but the day will become brighter with long sunny spells. 

In to the afternoon cloud will tend to increase a little though there should still be some bright spells. 

Maximum temperature: 7C (45F) 

A man has died after being struck by a car as he ran into a road in west London chasing after his dog. 

The 35-year-old was hit by a silver Peugeot 307 on Stockley Road roundabout in West Drayton at 22:40 on 19 February, Met Police said. 

Image source, Google

Paramedics attended to the man, who is yet to be formally identified, but he died at the scene. 

The driver of the car has not been arrested and the police have appealed for witnesses.  

BBC Travel

A broken down lorry is causing queues on the M25 anticlockwise for up to 12 miles from J27 M11 to J24 Potters Bar.

And in the City of London, traffic is moving slowly on Upper Thames Street because of road works near Blackfriars.

BBC Travel

There are delays on Virgin Trains, East Coast and Great Northern, both in and out Kings Cross following a signal failure near Stevenage.  

Pippa Stephens
BBC News Online, London

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage. I'll be bringing you the latest news, sport, travel and weather updates from London.

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