Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, @MPSOxford Street

Dogs dressed in hats and glasses being exploited by buskers for tourist cash are being rescued from London’s streets amid animal welfare concerns.

A chow chow named Sarah confiscated by Westminster City Council and Metropolitan Police from a busker on Oxford Street, is among two of that breed alone taken off the streets in recent months.

Westminster animal warden Vicki Bannon had been monitoring Sarah on the streets for some time and built a successful case to get the chow taken from an abusive busker this July, Westminster City Council said.

Sarah had trouble breathing and needed surgery for Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome. She was later re-homed “happy and healthy” with her new family.

Westminster’s licensing committee discussed the emerging dog exploitation trend during their meeting on Wednesday as they discussed wider busking regulations.

A report to the councillors said busking regulators have noticed an increase in the use of animals, with dogs used in street performances by buskers of EU origin.

Cllr Jacqui Wilkinson told the committee three or four more dogs were picked up off Westminster’s streets this week, and the presence of the dogs raised questions about how they are getting into the UK.

“We’ve had vets talking to us about public health, of dogs actually coming into the country with fake passports,” she said.

The council is looking at the animal problem along with its consultation on busking rules in tourist hotspots Oxford Street, Leicester and Trafalgar Squares.

The number of complaints about busking has drastically reduced in Westminster from 2,557 in 2016-17 to 1,733 in 2017-18 after the council introduced four dedicated officers to manage street entertainers.

An RSPCA spokesman said anyone with concerns about animals on the streets should contact them.

Sgt Alan King died after he was repeatedly stabbed in a violent struggle to arrest a suspect in Higham Hill.

He was posthumously awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct.

Image source, Nick Ansell

Passengers have criticised a "disappointing" decision to cut the numbers of carriages on eight trains to and from London.

Greater Anglia has apologised for any "inconvenience" caused by the changes.

One passenger group said a lack of information meant members could not plan their journeys accordingly, with overcrowding becoming worse.

The rail operator said "short-form" trains were "a better option than cancelling trains altogether".

But Greater Anglia warned it "could not guarantee" normal length trains would be in place for the December timetable.

Full story

Image source, London Fire Brigade

Residents were forced to escape a house fire in south-east London.

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire at a house on Barth Road, Plumstead, at about 19.51.

The fire was under control by 21.07 the London Fire Brigade said.

Half of the first floor and a small part of the roof of the mid-terraced house were damaged by the fire. One man and two women left the property before the Brigade arrived.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

BBC London News

Sara Orchard has this morning’s top stories from the BBC London newsroom.

Expect disruption if you're travelling on South Western Railway trains this morning.

After a windy start to the day, a train hit a tree that had fallen on the tracks between Motspur Park and Raynes Park.

The line was closed temporarily. It's now reopened but delays and cancellations are expected to clear by 10:00, SWR said.

Another fallen tree is blocking the line between Brookwood and Farnborough Main, so all lines towards Basingstoke are blocked. Cancellations, delays and service revisions are expected until midday, external.

Image source, Met Police

A 54-year-old man has been charged with murder after a woman's body was found following a fire at her home.

Police were called to a blaze on Mays Road, Teddington, south-west London, just after 01:00 on August 22, the Met said.

The body of 72-year-old Carole Harrison (pictured) was found inside the property.

The man was arrested on suspicion of murder on 25 August and charged on this morning. He is due before magistrates later today.

A letting agency has been demanding hundreds of pounds in payment before prospective tenants are allowed to view properties for rent, the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme has found.

The practice, by Flintons, breaches guidelines and could be unlawful.

Shadow housing minister Melanie Onn said renters needed more rights and the case was the "tip of the iceberg".

Flintons, in London, denied any wrongdoing and said it did not charge any fees for viewings.

Read the full story here.

BBC Weather

Today it will be windy with early rain clearing to leave spells of sunshine, but also some showers.

The showers could be heavy with the risk of hail and thunder.

Another mild day.

Maximum Temperature: 11C to 14C (52F to 57F).

BBC London News

A power failure on the East Coast Mainline has been causing major disruption across the network.

The supply failed yesterday evening between Newark North Gate and Retford, affecting trains travelling between Peterborough and Doncaster - but many services to and from London were cancelled last night.

All services are due to run today but are expected to be busy and with some alterations.

Elsewhere on the trains, a points failure between Purley and Caterham means all lines on Southern trains are blocked. Services running to and from these stations will be cancelled, delayed or revised, external.

Disruption is expected until 09:00.

On the London Overground, minor delays between Euston and Watford Junction have been caused by vandals damaging equipment.

There's a good service on all Tube lines at the moment.

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 until 18:00.

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

Network Rail says it is trying to rectify the fault and rescue trains that have been trapped.

Systems to spot potential victims are failing to identify people over 60, an academic is warning.

After 12 draws in 12 games, Magnus Carlsen beat US opponent Fabiano Caruana in a tie-breaker event.

The Guns 'N Roses guitarist backs a campaign to build a bridge to the Crystal Palace Park dinosaurs.

The 18-year-old is in custody after being held on suspicion of encouragement of terrorism.

Joshua Gardener was filmed using a "zombie knife" attempting to break into the vehicle in Croydon.

How to follow BBC Sport's coverage of the Killik Cup match between the Barbarians and Argentina.

BBC London News

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

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