Members of the Caribbean Social Forum can no longer meet in person due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Retired striker Dexter Blackstock is using his company to help people donate PPE to frontline staff dealing with coronavirus.

Iftekhar Khondaker pleads not guilty to killing Suel Delgado in Brighton in December.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Campaigners are calling on Hackney council to suspend all of its planning processes after questioning whether people can effectively have a say on the shaping of their communities during lockdown.

Image source, Google

Concerns over whether consultations on important developments can proceed while residents are kept to their homes during the pandemic have been raised by two groups – campaigners pressing for more affordable housing on the site of the Morning Lane Tesco, and local residents keen to have a say on the redevelopment of Haggerston Baths.

A spokesperson for the Hackney Society, which works to preserve the borough’s heritage, said: “There exists an opportunity for Hackney to take the lead and move at full speed with its ambition to enhance digital planning and extend this to the consultation process."

Developers Hackney Walk Ltd are signed up to build a residential, office and retail hub on the site of the Morning Lane Tesco, which sits on land purchased for £55m by Hackney Council in 2017, with an expectation by the borough’s Mayor Philip Glanville that any application will include a significantly higher percentage of affordable housing than the 20% floated last year.

In February a spokesperson for Hackney Walk said: "We are working very hard to ensure that this (20%) is exceeded and that the proposals deliver as many affordable homes as possible."

The council has rebuffed calls for processes to be suspended, saying that the government has advised local authorities to continue delivering planning services “wherever possible” during the pandemic.

It is understood that, ahead of any decision being made on the transformation of the borough’s town centre, the next step in the process will be another meeting where councillors will be able to scrutinise developers’ evolving proposals, though according to the Town Hall, there are “no plans to hold this meeting in the immediate future”.

Two children and a man had to be rescued from a fourth floor balcony after a flat fire in west London.

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire at a flat on Draco Street in Kennington, at 12.45. The fire was under control by 13.35.

Most of a flat on the third floor of a five storey block was damaged by the fire.

A man and a woman left the affected flat before the Brigade arrived.

The man and two children were uninjured after firefighters were forced to use a turntable ladder to rescue them.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

MPs and peers plan to take part in some parliamentary business via video link.

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

Members of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS staff choir have created their own recording of Mariah Carey's 'Anytime You Need a Friend' in support of the NHS.

Singer Mariah Carey said the cover of her song for the NHS "brought tears to my eyes".

The single is the creation Breathe Harmony members who "met" through weekly virtual rehearsals, submitting individual home recordings on their mobile phones, to create a message of solidarity.

They were joined by singers of charity MyCool Music Foundation whose musical director Mike King produced the recording.

"Singing is not only fantastic for physical and mental health and wellbeing but it brings people together," said Mr King.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ nurse and Breathe Harmony choir member, Stella Gay, said: “In such a horrible time, this was an escape and a time to be me again. To be able to forget everything, even for a few minutes, with people who understand what we are facing. It recharges your batteries and reminds me that I’m not alone.”

Breathe Harmony was established in 2017 to give Guy’s and St Thomas’ staff a creative outlet to help combat stress, promote health and wellbeing through singing and to create a sense of community amongst NHS colleagues.

Proceeds from the sale , externalof the song which is officially released tomorrow will go to NHS charities.

Image source, Metropolitan Police

Police patrols in south London are increasing efforts to visit vulnerable and isolated people as emergency calls drop.

Officers across Croydon, Bromley and Sutton have begun a "welfare patrol" to check on vulnerable people, provide food supplies and offer crime prevention advice.

The move comes as calls to emergency service lines from 12 March to 16 April have dropped 17% compared to the same period last year.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a reported increase in coronavirus related scams – especially targeting the elderly and vulnerable.

In line with Public Health England guideline officers now conducting doorstop visits for a maximum of 15 minutes, keeping at least two-meters (6ft 6in) away and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Many of the residents have not spoken to anyone since the outbreak and they have expressed their gratitude to officers for visiting them – including a 78-year-old man from Coulsdon who was almost conned out of £40,000 in an investment scam before police intervened.

The scheme builds on Operation Nogi, a community outreach programme started in Croydon in August 2019.

Sgt Liam Hack, who is the Operation Nogi lead, said: “I have been completely blown away by the amazing response we have had for this initiative. “It’s nice to know what a difference these visits are making to people’s lives, especially during such a challenging time."

Image source, Metropolitan Police

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Harrow Council has urged businesses in the borough to be patient when it comes to dealing with government support grants issued due to coronavirus.

It explained that officers have been working to process the grants, with more than £4m already put through.

Several businesses in Harrow said they will rely on these grants to ensure they can continue to operate once the coronavirus crisis has eased.

Harrow Council added that “thousands of applications are being processed as quickly as possible” and asked applicants to “bear with them” as they go through them all.

The government said it will provide one-off grants of £10,000 to small businesses eligible for rate reliefs while those in the retail, leisure and hospitality sector could benefit from up to £25,000.

In neighbouring Brent, the council has paid out more than £12m worth of funding to nearly 900 businesses.

Cllr Shama Tatler, responsible for business at Brent Council, said: “These are unprecedented times and we want to ensure that each and every business that’s eligible for this support receives the help they are entitled to as quickly as possible.”

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) based in east London, said it is carrying out research to understand the current capacity of graveyards in the UK.

Image source, PA Media

It comes after a spike in the numbers of Muslims and people of ethnic backgrounds who have contracted coronavirus.

Cremation is forbidden for Muslims and Jews and concern has been expressed about the ability to bury the deceased.

There are three million Muslims in Britain, according to the MCB.

On its website , external it said in a worst case scenario "we would be looking at 50,000 deaths. This would require 20,000 graves (assuming an average of 2.5 bodies per grave)."

It urges families to be "proactive" and work with local authorities and burial council services.

Muslims traditionally wash the dead body before burial, which is supposed to be carried out as soon as possible after death.

The purification ritual known as"ghusl, external" is often carried out at mosques and the MCB is offering advice on how to perform this safely to avoid cross contamination.

Danson Runners, based in Bexleyheath, south east London, are running together virtually to raise money for their local hospice.

Film by Gem O'Reilly

UK companies are turning to their local communities to help them survive the coronavirus lockdown.

Purna Ghale was caught up in a strict lockdown in Nepal but is now back at work in a London hospital.

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

Image source, PA Media

A further 153 people have died from coronavirus in London hospitals, according to latest data released by NHS England.

It brings the total death toll from Covid-19 in the capital to 3,377.

London North West University Trust, which runs hospitals in Harrow, Brent and Ealing, now has the most deaths linked to coronavirus having now recorded 350.

Royal Free (348), King's (288), Barts (280) and Imperial (244) make up the top five NHS Trusts in London with the most patients killed by the virus.

Only University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust has more in the whole of England with 505 coronavirus-related deaths.

Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

Police have been told to stop people working in parks or sitting on benches for a long time.

Guidance to officers in England says neither activity is likely to be a “reasonable excuse” for someone to leave their home during the lockdown.

But the advice - from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing - said people can move to a friend's address for a ‘cooling-off’ period “following arguments at home”.

It said such moves must be “genuine” and “measured in days, not hours”.

The advice comes from a three-page document designed to help officers enforce the lockdown measures which were brought in three weeks ago and look set to be extended.

Part of the guidance spells out that it is acceptable to buy luxury items while shopping, and that driving somewhere to exercise is acceptable as long as "far more time" is spent walking than driving.

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

Image source, PA Media

The Old Vic near Waterloo Station will need to launch a "critical and major fundraising campaign" in the future as it undergoes a process of "rebuilding", according to the theatre's artistic director Matthew Warchus.

He added that the money will need to be raised to ensure the London venue can "continue operating with the creative daring and vibrant social mission that we are determined for".

Mr Warchus said the Old Vic has postponed its summer production of the musical Local Hero.

He also revealed that the theatre is working to organise new dates for the postponed run of 4000 Miles, which stars Timothee Chalamet and Eileen Atkins.

A production of A Christmas Carol, which has been adapted by Jack Thorne, will be returning to the theatre for the forth consecutive year in November.

He added that "it's not unreasonable to expect that theatres will have reopened by the time this production is scheduled to perform in November".

A family-owned restaurant has re-opened its premises to serve take-aways, while also feeding its local police station.

The restaurant is also donating free pizzas to NHS staff.

About 1,500 of the adapted devices will be made each week by the start of May, developers say.

Tom Edwards
Transport Correspondent, BBC London

Image source, Reuters

Transport for London (TfL) have confirmed 26 workers have now died from Covid-19 - most of them are bus drivers.

Drivers remain very anxious and scared, but their cabs have now been sealed off.

A four-week trial to ban boarding buses using the front doors I’m told seems to have gone well and the unions hope it will be introduced quickly across London.

But, many transport workers want personal protective equipment (PPE) - especially masks.

London has not yet following Germany and New York in mandating masks on public transport - but pressure is growing.

TfL said PPE isn’t recommended by experts in non-surgical settings and can be counter productive but it is watching the advice king how they’d get supplies if that changes.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, Imperial College London

Imperial College London academic Prof Neil Ferguson has warned that social distancing would have to be maintained regardless until a vaccine was found.

Prof Ferguson, who has helped shape the government's response to the pandemic, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme the UK was "starting to see plateauing".

He added: "We will have to maintain some level of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available."

Prof Ferguson said it will take several more days for the pace of deaths to drop and more weeks to draw definitive conclusions that could allow restrictions to be lifted.

"I'm reminded by the fact we had a Department for Brexit for Government - that was a major national emergency," Prof Ferguson said.

"As it were - and we're faced with something which is, at the moment, even larger than Brexit and yet I don't see quite the same evidence for that level of organisation.

"If we relax measures too much then we'll see a resurgence of transmission.

"What we really need is the ability to put something in their place. If we want to open schools, let people get back to work, then we need to keep transmission down in another manner."