Conservationists are on standby to assist a beluga whale in the River Thames should it be necessary.

Some scenes in musical "Hair" would have been considered dangerous and illegal until 27 September, 1968.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, LDRS

Tired neighbours have asked councillors to look again at a Georgian pub’s closing times because of alleged noise from customers in the beer garden.

Residents living near to the Cutty Sark Tavern in Ballast Quay claim the pub’s garden is frequently noisy well past the clearing time set out in the boozer’s current licence.

Punters are allowed to stay in the garden – which can fit up to 100 people in – up until 23:00 most nights.

On behalf of residents, Greenwich councillor Chris Lloyd has applied for the current arrangements to be reconsidered.

In his application for a review, the councillor wrote: “The current time of 23:00 Monday to Saturday, 22:30 and Sunday at 22:30, with pub noise frequently continuing well beyond this time, is anti-social and has a detrimental effect on residents’ quality of life, and the enjoyment of their homes.

“They would like the committee to consider this amendment and in fairness to bring the licence into line with other pubs abutting residential areas, most of which have a more reasonable clearance time of 10pm or earlier.”

The Cutty Sark has been a pub since 1795, and since 2012 has been part of Young and Co’s brewery. The application will be considered next week.

Image source, Metropolitan Police

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a "vulnerable" man stabbed a man to death in a supported living hostel.

Vincent Douglas, 60, was found suffering from stab wounds to his abdomen, hands and face in the garden of the hostel where he lived in Dulwich, south-east London, on 2 December 2017.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Steven Thwaites, 62, who also lived at the hostel, initially claimed Mr Douglas stabbed himself, but was arrested after giving "a number of confused and conflicting accounts" of the incident.

Thwaites was found guilty of the murder and told he must serve a minimum sentence of 20 years at Blackfriars Crown Court on Wednesday.

Det Insp Will Reynolds, of the Met Police, said:"This was a very sad and unnecessary death. Both men were vulnerable adults, living in supported accommodation and without any history of conflict.

"Vincent Douglas posed no threat at all to Thwaites, as evidenced by the CCTV, played to the court.

"For reasons, still not understood today, Thwaites stabbed Vincent Douglas a number of times."

A primary school in west London has dropped plans to shorten its teaching week by half a day to save money.

St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Isleworth suggested earlier this year to finish classes at 12:45 BST on Fridays because it was struggling with its budget.

It asked parents to consider finding their own childcare arrangements for Friday afternoons.

But the school confirmed in June it was "currently in a position to maintain a five-day week from September 2018", Hounslow Council's member for education, councillor Tom Bruce, said.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Google

An historic theatre in north London, which staged the first play broadcast on live television, could be demolished due to high upkeep costs.

The Intimate Theatre in Palmers Green made history when George and Margaret, a comedy by Gerald Savory, was televised on the BBC in 1946.

Since then many stars, including Richard Attenborough, Roger Moore and David Bowie, have graced its stage.

But, the building, which is owned by St Monica’s Catholic Church on Stonard Road, could be knocked down to make way for a more modern parish centre.

A church newsletter sent out on 1 September 1 states: “Existing expenditure on maintaining these building is costly and will continue to be in the future.

Since the church’s plans were announced, more than 2,000 people have signed an online petition to save the theatre.

The Intimate was built as a church hall in 1931 and became a theatre in 1935, when it was home to John Clements’ repertory theatre company.

It is now one of the last remaining local theatres left in London.

The building has mainly been used as a function room for parish events since 1988, although some local theatre groups have continued to use it to stage performances.

St Monica’s said it needed an “accessible, flexible, multi-function building” and the only way to achieve this was to replace the existing building.

The church, which admitted the decision had not been an easy one, intends to apply for planning permission in the coming months.

Image source, LFB

A tyre workshop and about 100 tyres have been destroyed in a fire in Sidcup last night.

Watch manager Tom Pawley, of the London Fire Brigade (LFB), said the blaze had been "well developed" by the time firefighters got there after receiving the call just before 22:00.

About 40 firefighters and six engines took about two hours to bring the fire on Maidstone Road under control.

No one has been injured and the cause is under investigation.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Over 250 Hackney women had breast cancer screening appointments cancelled over a three-month period, figures show.

Of the 255 patients whose appointments were called off between February and April, the National Breast Screening Service data shows that 219 were down to staff shortages, whilst 36 were due to equipment failure.

The Royal Free Hospital (RFH) took over breast screening services for women in central and east London (CELBSS) from Barts Health NHS Trust in July.

NHS director of public health commissioning Matthew Bazeley said: “We can confirm that significant progress has been made regarding the service workforce, allowing services to be reinstated at the Homerton Hospital, which serves most Hackney women.

“There is a national shortage of qualified mammographers and this shortage is impacting services nationwide.”

He also stated that the performance of Barts’ screening service had “deteriorated” by the time the Royal Free took it on.

The figures were presented at a meeting of the Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission yesterday, in response to a letter raising concerns on the issue sent by Cllr Ben Hayhurst (Lab, Hackney Central).

BBC London News

Image source, PA

We used this photo of a cab driver as our banner, but we want a new picture every day to show off the capital.

Have you taken a photo of your part of London which you think would be suitable? If so, email it in high resolution (2048 x 1152 or 1680 x 945) to london.locallive@bbc.co.uk.

Police say the matter has been dealt with by community resolution.

Arsenal's Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey is likely to leave the club next summer after the Gunners withdraw a contract offer.

Image source, LFB

A third floor flat in Lewisham has been destroyed and part of its roof damaged as a result of a fire yesterday.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was called to the block of flats in Lewisham Road, at 16:35.

The blaze was under control by 18:20 and no one was injured.

About 40 people had left the four-storey building before firefighters arrived.

The cause is under investigation.

Owners of London Stadium spend £4m of taxpayers' money in legal fees in three years over disputes with tenants West Ham.

Image source, Met Police

A 22-year-old man accused of stealing a large Siberian Forest cat called Mr Muk has been released without charge, the Met Police has confirmed.

Mr Muk, from Islington, had been missing since being taken from outside his owner's home in Petherton Road on 30 July.

A public appeal was issued by the Met Police after an unknown man was spotted cradling Mr Muk at Canonbury train station on the same evening the ten-year-old cat was reported missing.

Police said Mr Muk was reunited with his owner on Tuesday evening after a man was arrested in West Hampstead on suspicion of theft.

Following an interview, the Met say the matter has been resolved through a community resolution.

Salih Khater is accused of driving into members of the public and police outside Parliament.

Fire chief Dany Cotton says she wanted firefighters to know she was there for them as they went into the tower.

BBC London Travel
BBC Radio London Travel

BBC Weather

It will be a dry, fine and warm afternoon with lots of sunshine and blue skies. A light breeze.

Maximum temperature: 20 to 23°C (68 to 73°F).

Ten people had to evacuate a warehouse in Wimbledon Park this morning after part of a digger caught fire.

Six crews of fire engines - from Wimbledon, Wandsworth, Tooting, Battersea, New Malden and Mitcham fire stations - were called to Weir Road at 09:56.

The crews spent just under two hours tackling the fire - which was under control by 11:37.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said there were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is now under investigation.

Sarah Lee
BBC London

Image source, Getty Images

On 27 September 1968 the curtain fell on centuries of theatre censorship. Hours later, a cast of long-haired young actors took to the stage in a show depicting drug-taking, anti-war protests and shocking nudity.

London's West End was never the same again.