Local Democracy Reporting Service

More than £2m has been released to deal with homelessness in Bromley as the number of families without a permanent home drops for the first time in years.

Councillors agreed last night to move £2.4m from the council’s contingency – money set aside for emergencies – to help ease homelessness pressures that are being seen across the capital.

Officers originally predicted pressures of £3.15m, a figure that has dropped as the number of families being placed in temporary accommodation falls from 20 to 12 a month.

It comes as the number of homeless families has fallen below 1,600 in Bromley, to 1,516, for the first time in years.

Colin Smith, the leader of the council, said at an executive meeting last night: “One of the strong points about this contingency drawdown is for the first time in many a long year the number of current homeless has dropped by somewhere in the region of 80.

“That is the reason we are not spending quite as much and why we don’t need the full draw-down. So, it’s not that the trend is over, but fingers crossed and it shows the excellent work we are doing around prevention.”

We used this wonderful photo by Jason Hawkes of the River Thames and Battersea Power Station 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.

Image source, Jason Hawkes

Image source, Madison Square Garden Company

Plans for a new globe-shaped music and entertainment venue in Stratford, east London, have been submitted.

MSG Sphere would create thousands of jobs and generate billions of pounds to the capital's economy, according to the Madison Square Garden Company which filed the plans with the local authority.

Image source, Madison Square Garden Company

The venue would be wrapped in triangular LED panels which, when active, would showcase a range of static and moving images including digital art, content related to current and future events in the venue, and advertising.

Image source, Madison Square Garden Company

It would have a capacity of up to 21,500 and feature a large LED screen, a haptic flooring system which conveys bass through the floor so that the audience can "feel" the experience and a "fully-programmable exterior" which could be dimmed or partially turned off.

It would be built on a former coach park - 4.7-acre site off Angel Lane on the former Olympic Park.

Image source, Madison Square Garden Company

A planning application, externalfor the complex was lodged with the London Legacy Development Corporation, which is in charge of development on the former Olympic Park, on Tuesday.

For more information, visit london.msg.com, external.

Image source, Metropolitan Police

Police have arrested a ninth man in connection with a murder at a party in Stamford Hill.

Eylon Poku, 20, was stabbed to death at a party on Wilderton Street, Hackney, on 22 September 2018.

On Wednesday an 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Eight other people have been arrested as part of the investigation, all of which have been released under investigation.

They are:

• five 18-year-old men
• a 28-year-old man

• a 29-year-old man
• a 17-year-old man

Det Insp Rita Tierney, said: “We know that this was a large house party with many people in attendance who would have seen Elyon that evening.

“Any mobile footage of the night could prove useful to our investigation and we are keen for anyone who has videos or images to get in touch with us by calling the incident room."

Inside Croydon

The postcode lottery in the health service is putting lives at risk here in south London, with an estimated 400 people in Sutton affected every year.

Everyone knows about bowel cancer and cervical cancer. They are common enough to be screened for. But suppose there was a disease that affected nearly three times as many people as those two put together?

Full story, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Cleaning and catering at St Helier Hospital in Sutton will go on strike tomorrow, it has been announced.

The workers, who are employed by facilities management company Mitie, claim that they will not receive a nationally agreed NHS pay rise - which was implemented in 2018.

At the time, hospital porters, cleaning and catering staff were directly employed by the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust.

But, they have since transferred to Mitie.

Across the two hospitals, nearly 70 members of staff are affected.

GMB Union's Helen O’Connor said: “Their jobs are essential to the smooth running of the hospitals in the trust.

“Experienced workers tend to leave the NHS for good when they are treated badly and over time this has a negative impact on patients.

The protest is set to take place from 9.30am outside St Helier Hospital in Wrythe Lane.

The Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust has been contacted for comment

Image source, PA

England football captain Harry Kane has collected his MBE from Prince William at Buckingham Palace today.

The 25-year-old Tottenham striker was awarded the honour for services to football and in recognition of England's semi-final run at the 2018 World Cup in the Queen's 2019 New Year Honours list.

He has scored 147 goals for club and country since his first appearance for Tottenham in 2013.

Kane guided England to the World Cup 2018 quarter-finals under Southgate, picking up the Golden Boot along the way.

Image source, PA

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Local Democracy Reporting Service

A “culture of bullying” exists in Kingston Hospital’s theatres department, according to nearly half of the staff interviewed by researchers.

Hospital bosses commissioned an independent review into the team after receiving reports from some staff who were experiencing bullying.

The review was undertaken between November 2018 and January 2019.

However, the report was delayed in being published because so many staff wanted to speak to the researchers.

They found that 68% of staff had experienced or witnessed bullying first hand, although fewer (42%) said there was a culture of bullying in theatres.

Just 12% said there was not a culture of bullying, while the rest (46%) said there generally was not, but it depends who is working.

Most of the reported cases of bullying involved someone shouting at a colleague, but staff also reported people spreading malicious rumours, threatening behaviour and criticism.

The report found there was a “consistency in names of individuals and teams” who were reportedly bullying or harassing other staff.

It concludes: “All of the staff who were interviewed during the meetings were extremely professional, insightful and wanting to offer their contribution in the genuine hope that there would be a resultant change in theatres.

“The staff who were interviewed expressed that patient care was at the heart of their considerations and they were committed to improving the culture within theatres.

“Although not prevalent throughout theatres, the investigation found that there is evidence of a culture of bullying, as defined in the trust’s bullying and harassment policy, among certain individuals and in particular teams.”

BBC Business Live

Image source, Getty Images

Airline Wow Air has stopped flying - leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

In the early hours of Thursday morning the Icelandic airline said it had cancelled the day's flights while completing an agreement with a group of investors over raising new funds.

But, it later announced it has "ceased operation", with all future flights cancelled.

The carrier served London Gatwick and London Stansted

In a statement the airline said: "Wow Air has ceased operation. All Wow Air flights have been cancelled.

"Passengers are advised to check available flights with other airlines.

"Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances."

The Civil Aviation Authority said travel firms with an Atol licence are responsible for making alternative arrangements to bring their customers home if they are currently overseas with a Wow Air booking.

The regulator said there are a number of options for passengers who booked flights via other methods, including requesting a refund through credit and debit card providers or making a claim with their travel insurance provider.

ABP Port of Cardiff and Tata Steel in Shotton are on the list of 18 potential UK sites.

A supposed copy of a 15th Century masterpiece is actually found to have been created in his studio.

Scotland Yard is missing chances to protect vulnerable children from exploitation, a report finds.

Image source, LFB

A man had to be rescued by firefighters and taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a flat in Tottenham this morning.

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to Park Lane at 08:03 GMT and had the fire under control by 10:09.

London Fire Brigade said the two-roomed flat on the first floor was destroyed by fire and part of a pitched roof.

The sites will assemble components for the Heathrow project ,which will be transported there when needed.

Image source, PA

A 129-year-old instrument central to an upcoming theatre production of Captain Corelli's Mandolin has been lost less than a month before the show's opening night.

Alex Mugnaioni, who plays the dashing Captain Antonio Corelli in the adaptation of British writer Louis de Bernieres' 1994 book, misplaced the mandolin after rehearsals on Tuesday.

The Neapolitan instrument is thought to have gone missing on the 18:34 Southeastern train service from London Bridge to Sidcup.

The show's producers have launched an appeal for the return of the mandolin, which they say is vital to the production.

Mugnaioni made a plea for the instrument's safe return, suggesting it had been mistakenly picked up by a passer-by.

He said: "We spent a long time hunting for the perfect mandolin, it's devastating to lose it so close to the show.

"I'm playing throughout the show and you create quite a connection with an instrument. If anyone has picked it up by mistake we'd be so grateful for its return."

Producers are offering a reward of tickets to the opening night on 25 April at the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames.

People living near the tower have health problems such as coughing up blood and breathing difficulties.

Image source, LFB

Fire crews will stay at the scene of a large warehouse fire in Beckenham which was badly damaged yesterday.

Firefighters were called to the textile warehouse on Cricket Lane at 08:21 and spent most of the day tackling the blaze.

Around 80 firefighters - from Beckenham, Forest Hill, Woodside, West Norwood, Bromley, Greenwich, Norbury, Clapham and Millwall fire stations - were all sent to the warehouse.

London Fire Brigade's Lee Sparks said: "When firefighters arrived they were faced with a large fire in a single storey warehouse.

"A large quantity of clothing is alight and the fire had spread to the roof of the building.

"Fire crews have been working hard to bring the fire under control but there are some deep seated pockets of fire so it is likely that they will remain at the scene for some time."

Image source, Met Police

A 33-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murdering a man inside a flat in Acton earlier this year has been told he won't face any further action, the Met has said.

Kamil Malysz, 34, was stabbed to death at a home on Alfred Road, Acton, on 27 January.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as haemorrhaging due to a stab injury.

The Met released the suspect after he was questioned and bailed - and has now since been released.

The investigation into Mr Malysz's death is ongoing.