Seven buses are completely destroyed and four seriously damaged in the blaze in south-east London.

Nearby flats were evacuated and roads closed after two devices were found in north-west London.

Image source, TFL

FIrefighters have reminded drivers they are "putting lives at risk" by blocking the exits of fire stations as Transport for London (TfL) revealed tens of thousands of motorists have been fined for stopping in yellow box junctions.

More than 120,000 penalty charge notices were given out to drivers stopping in yellow box junctions last year including 16,707 outside Wandsworth Fire Station alone, TfL said.

Tom George, Deputy Commissioner at London Fire Brigade, said: “Don’t block us in. If you are stopping in a yellow box junction outside a fire station, you are putting lives at risk by slowing down fire engines on their way to an emergency."

TfL reinvests money raised through penalty charge notices (PCNs) back into the capital's transport network.

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s director of compliance, policing and on-street operations, said: "We would rather not issue fines to motorists for breaking the rules of the road and urge everyone to be mindful that these junctions are there for a very good reason.”

Image source, Google

Counter-terrorism detectives are investigating after two suspected bombs were found in an empty flat in north-west London.

Two devices were found in a property being refurbished in Craven Park, Harlesden, at 09:30 GMT on Wednesday.

Nearby flats were evacuated and roads were closed after specialist officers assessed them as being suspected improvised explosive devices.

There have been no arrests, the Met said.

BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has confirmed his retirement from playing, ending "an amazing 20 years".

The Ivory Coast striker, 40, had two spells at Chelsea, scoring 164 goals in 381 games and winning four Premier Leagues and the 2012 Champions League.

He spent the last 18 months of his career with US side Phoenix Rising, the club he co-owns.

"After 20 years, I have decided to put an end to my playing career," he told BBC World Service's Sportshour.

BBC Weather

A chilly start with some early sunshine for western districts, but cloudier elsewhere.

Through the day, the cloud in the east will filter westwards, but there will still be some bright spells. Chilly.

Maximum temperature: 5C to 8C (41F to 46F).

Image source, London Fire Brigade

A huge blaze at a depot in south-east London has destroyed seven buses and badly damaged four others.

Firefighters were called out at about 03:30 to the site in Farnborough Hill, Orpington.

People living nearby said they were woken by "explosions". London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it had received around 40 calls about the blaze, which it described as "very visible".

It took about 60 firefighters nearly three hours to get under control.

BBC London Travel
BBC Radio London Travel

Away from the roads there are minor delays on the trams between Wimbledon to Elmers End and Beckenham Junction due to an earlier power failure.

All Tube lines are running with a good service.

For the latest travel updates follow @BBCTravelAlert, external

BBC London News

Good morning.

We'll be bringing you updates of all the latest news, sport, travel and weather in London throughout the day.

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

The BBC joins the patrol of a new police unit set up in London to tackle an increase in knife crime.

Nearby flats were evacuated and roads closed after two devices were found in north-west London.

Image source, PA

Three men and a woman have been charged with offences including conspiracy to kidnap and false imprisonment following police raids in central London.

The group were held after an operation by the Met Police in St Matthew Street on the Peabody Estate in Westminster on Monday.

The Met said Marin Majid, Drilon Hykaj and Agon Salihi have been charged with conspiracy to kidnap, false imprisonment and conspiracy to blackmail.

Detectives have also charged Karen Dumble with conspiracy to kidnap and false imprisonment, the force said.

Mr Majid, 20, of Saville Road, Newham, in east London; Mr Hykaj, 19, of Peppermint Heights, Wembley, in north-west London; Mr Salihi, 22, of Hide Tower, Westminster, and Ms Dumble, 44, of Old Pye Street, Westminster, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

A fifth person arrested during the operation was released with no further action.

A parent says her child was "forced" to take part in an event that goes against her Christian beliefs.

More road-blocking protests by Extinction Rebellion are planned over the next two days.

Eric Michels, who appeared in Skyfall, was found dead at his home in Chessington, London.

A press photographer suffered minor injuries while restrained on the ground at a Jeremy Corbyn rally.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

The organiser of a grime music festival is looking to overturn a bid to impose tighter restrictions amid fears it could drive the event out of business.

Live Nation has lodged an appeal against extra conditions imposed by Haringey council to clamp down on excessive noise and other disturbances linked to the Wireless festival, which is held every year at Finsbury Park.

The events firm says limiting sound levels and closing the event early on Sundays mean Wireless would no longer be commercially viable.

Haringey Council stopped short of revoking Live Nation’s licence in October but imposed a raft of extra conditions designed to address neighbours’ concerns. It followed 67 complaints from people living in nearby houses about noise, anti-social behaviour and other problems.

The council amended the licensing conditions to tighten noise limits and ensure performances finish at 9.30pm on Sunday – 30 minutes earlier than the previously-agreed time. But in a notice of appeal submitted to Highbury Magistrates’ Court on November 16, Live Nation objected to the more stringent conditions.

The document states: “Wireless Festival is unlikely to be commercially viable or practically feasible with such bass levels or with such sound levels on the adjoining Seven Sisters Road.

“Headline artists will be deterred from appearing and the enjoyment of the audience will be materially diminished.”

It adds that the earlier Sunday finishing time “will be seriously damaging to the commerciality and attractiveness of the event.

“Headline artists of international repute will not be interested in finishing their performance at 9.30pm before it is even dark enough for an effective light show as part of the climax of the act.”

The organisers of Wireless Festival sold 135,000 tickets for this year’s event, which was held on July 6 to 8, making it one of the biggest live music events in the UK.

A spokeswoman for Haringey Council said: “As this is going to court, it would not be appropriate to comment.”

BBC London News

Image source, Jason Hawkes

We used this wonderful photo by Jason Hawkes of the city's skyline 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.

Former Yankees star Alex Rodriguez is in London to promote Major League Baseball.

But does he think it will really take off in the UK?

And what is his approach to business?

Relations with Transport for London are at "breaking point", the RMT's general secretary says.