BBC London News

Updates for London have now ended for the day but we'll be back at 08:00 on Friday with the latest videos, news, sport, travel and weather.

Keep checking back here for any breaking news throughout the evening.

BBC Weather

Tonight it will remain cold and largely cloudy with scattered mainly light wintry showers, being blown in on the easterly breeze. This may lead to a light dusting of snow, but this is unlikely to cause any travel disruption.

Minimum temperature: 0C (32F).

Four criminals who blew up cash machines series of raids have been jailed for a total of 42 years.

• Andrew Bransome, 40, of Wallington, was jailed for 12 years
• Malcolm Jervis, 53, of Romford, was jailed for 16 years
• Louis Golding, 45, of Woodford Green, was jailed for 10 years and eight months
• Martyn Williamson 44-year-old, of Coulsdon, was sentenced for four years

The gang struck on 14 occasions at nine stations across London, Surrey and Essex in a two-year spree.

One station was targeted four times over the period from March 2014 to last May while another was hit twice in two days.

Ward matrons - who are in charge of beds - have a tough job.

Kathryn Caruthes - a matron at the emergency care unit at Northwick Park Hospital in north London shows us just how difficult it is.

The Government has stressed that despite the pressures of winter the vast majority of patients were seen and treated quickly and busy periods in hospitals were supported by an extra £400 million of funding.

Image source, Google

Solid concrete is being cleared from around 10 meters of sewage pipes in Peckham, after building materials were poured down the drain.

Thames Water attacked the “selfish and irresponsible actions of an unknown rogue builder" in Hanover Park.

The work, three metres deep, is also causing traffic disruption.

“This is very frustrating, a complete waste of our time, and not the first time damage has been caused by people pouring concrete into our sewers" Thames Water spokesman said.

"After fixing the problem, we will investigate and then reclaim the costs from whoever is responsible.”

 An illegal immigrant brutally beat a 62-year-old carer to death in London's Hyde Park hours after being released on bail for shoplifting, a court has heard. 

Homeless 22-year-old Hani Khalaf - who denies murder - allegedly kicked, punched and stamped on Jairo Medina near Speakers' Corner on the evening of 11 August, leaving him for dead. 

He pocketed the victim's cash and stole his mobile phone which he tried to sell on hours later, the Old Bailey was told. 

Mr Medina's bruised and broken body was discovered early the next day  by a groundsman on his way to work. 

Investigators found CCTV of Mr Khalaf with his victim at 23:00 on the night of the killing at a supermarket near Marble Arch although Mr Glasgow said there was no obvious link between them.

Mr Medina, from Chelsea, west London, was originally from Colombia and was a single gay man with a preference for young dark-skinned men, the court heard. 

Investigators found Mr Khalaf's DNA on Mr Medina's rucksack and he was arrested within days, on 18 August.

Officers also found the victim's blood on the defendant's watch, belt and shoes, the court heard. 

The trial was adjourned until tomorrow.

BBC Radio London

The outgoing Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe has told BBC Radio London he's confident the Met could cope with the security implications of a state visit by President Trump. 

Mr Trump's anticipated visit to the UK has caused outrage after he signed an executive order introducing a 90-day travel ban on residents from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

More than 1.8 million Britons have signed a petition calling on Theresa May to rescind the invitation of a state visit. 

But speaking to Eddie Nestor, Sir Bernard said a visit by Donald Trump would be no more challenging than any other state visit:

Sir Bernard also responded to the police watchdog's statement yesterday that there is "evidence...a large number of documents were shredded" in May 2014 relating to a Metropolitan Police unit that investigates domestic extremism and disorder. 

The commissioner told us if there had been an impropriety the investigation would find it.

Image source, Jay William Stewart

A cyclist has died following a collision with a lorry in London - the third to be killed in the capital in four days. 

Police were called at 13:30 today to reports of a crash on Knights Road, Silvertown, east London. 

A male cyclist, in his early 30s, was found suffering from critical injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, Scotland Yard said. 

Inquiries are under way to locate his next of kin and no arrests have been made. 

It comes following the deaths of two cyclists within hours of each other on Monday. 

Anita Szucs, 30, was killed as she rode home from work in a hit-and-run collision on Bounces Road, Enfield, in the early hours of the morning. 

During the morning peak a second cyclist, Karla Roman, 32, died after a collision with a coach on Whitechapel High Street, Tower Hamlets. 

East London and Guardian Series

A PARTY hall near where a violent attack happened has withdrawn its request to sell alcohol at a 50th birthday this weekend., external

Police say a 22-year-old man was found shot and stabbed in a car outside Praba Banqueting Hall, in High Road, Ilford, external, during celebrations for a 21st birthday party at 5am on Sunday. One man has been arrested for affray.

Redbridge Council were due to consider the temporary application to sell booze at the venue from 7pm Saturday February 12 until 5am the following morning.

The BBC Britain Instagram account, external has been taken over by a photographer who has been looking at the capital through his lens. 

Home Office ministers have lost a human rights fight with a convicted drug dealer they want to deport to Jamaica. 

Ministers said the deportation of illegal immigrant Andrew Quarey, 46, who in 2013 had been given a three-year jail term after being convicted of dealing heroin and crack cocaine in Camden, north London, was in the public interest. 

But specialist immigration judges decided the welfare of three children in Quarey's family would be seriously jeopardised if he was forced to leave the UK - and Court of Appeal judges have upheld that decision. 

Detail of the case has emerged in a ruling by three judges following a Court of Appeal hearing in London in January. 

Government lawyers said immigration judges had not given enough weight to the public interest in deportation. 

But appeal judges said immigration judges had carried out a proper  balancing exercise - when weighing deportation against the human right to respect for family life - and had not made any legal error.

A design error on the London Overground means passengers now face further disruption on a branch that has been closed completely since September.

It means more weekend suspensions, and the line could be closed completely yet again.

Marc Ashdown has more.

Walter Swinburn was found by his father in the courtyard of his house in Belgravia, London.

Tim Donovan
BBC London, Political Editor

Image source, Heatherwick Studio

A government report has raised further doubts about the case for a Garden Bridge across the Thames. 

Analysis by Treasury officials concludes “the overallcase for the project is weaker today than it was in 2014, external.” 

There are continuing risks over whether the promised private funding can be found for the £185m project, presenting a future risk to the taxpayer. 

It finds there are “significant uncertainties” around the key claims made by Transport for London about the benefits the bridge would bring to the capital. 

Former mayor Boris Johnson instructed TfL to present a business case for the bridge in 2014. 

The Treasury questions some of the assumptions it made. 

TfL claimed the bridge would generate £310m in increased trade and business in the area, as well as an uplift of £73m in residential and commercial property prices. 

But the Treasury analysis says: “It is reasonable to assume some positive value for business and property impact, but this is subject to a high degree of uncertainty.” 

Image source, Arup

The report concludes “the business case presented in 2014 was finely balanced and subject to an unusually high level of uncertainty, and could have been strengthened in several respects. 

“Our analysis shows that the value for money case for the project rests above all on the potential business and property impact, where there are significant uncertainties.” 

Included is an examination of the financial case for the project which has been given £60 million from the government and TfL. There are warnings about the continuing financial risks. 

“The Garden Bridge project is a novel scheme, in which the government / public sector is a funder but not the lead delivery agent. 

“The financing arrangements – including that the private sector funding was not in place at the point of government commitment to the scheme – created a higher risk than is normal for publically funded infrastructure projects of relatively low expenditure. 

“One of the financing risks that can be identified from the business case is that if the Garden Bridge Trust were not able to raise the full amount of private sector contributions required for the scheme, the public sector contribution to the scheme would be at risk. 

“There are two separate risks: that the project would be cancelled, and the public sector contribution would be lost; or that it would go ahead, and a funding shortfall for the Trust would lead to pressure on the government to provide further funding.” 

The unique nature of the project makes an overall judgement difficult, says the report. It recognises that it has the potential to be a ‘cultural asset’ and a draw for tourists. It finds there would be benefits to health and journey times from walking, but says these are relatively minor considerations. 

The most senior official at the Treasury, permanent secretary Tom Scholar, tells the committee in a covering letter that there were concerns about lack of detailed scrutiny of the project at an earlier stage. 

“There must be a public interest in greater debate on the basis of authoritative information transparently provided at an early stage in the life of a project.” 

This week, London mayor Sadiq Khan was urged – in a motion passed by the London Assembly – not to provide a legal guarantee to underwrite the annual maintenance costs of the bridge in the event of a shortfall in private funds. 

City Hall said he hasn’t made up his mind yet.

BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Championship side QPR have confirmed they are looking into the possibility of building a new ground on the site of the Linford Christie Stadium.

Following delays to the proposed regeneration of Old Oak, where the club had been seeking to build a stadium, they are now assessing alternatives.

One option could be a partnership with athletics club Thames Valley Harriers.

Harriers use the venue next to Wormwood Scrubs, which opened in 1967 and was renamed in 1993.

It was originally called the West London Stadium and was then named after Christie, who grew up in the area, the year after he won Olympic 100m gold.

Sixteen "unlawfully elected" councillors are still active in Tower Hamlets the London Assembly has heard.

Tower Hamlets' Mayor, John Biggs, said councillors linked to his disgraced predecessor Lutfur Rahman were "drawing expenses and participating in decisions".

He told the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee that: "if the party they were elected under was an improper organization then something further should have happened."

In April 2015 an Electoral Court Judge removed Mr Rahman from office after he was found guilty of electoral fraud and declared the previous election void.

Lea Ledesma gave Ali Huseyin AB type blood instead of type O.

Image source, British Transport Police

Officers are looking for a man responsible for putting up racist and anti-Semitic stickers on the London Underground. , external

British Transport Police have released an image of a man they want help tracing, after stickers with Nazi terminology and swastikas were found at Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden stations. 

So far seven stickers have been identified and linked to this investigation.   

BBC Weather

Staying cold and rather cloudy with well scattered light sleet or snow showers through the day. 

The odd brighter spell is possible, but it will feel bitterly cold with a keen easterly breeze. 

Maximum Temperature: 3C (37F).

When you walk or drive in the UK, you’re being nudged by dozens of hidden messages embedded in the roads and pavements.  

Click here to find out what you're being told.  

Image source, Amanda Ruggeri