W Chump and Sons Limited was set up by the Chadlington farmer as a production company for the Grand Tour when he signed with Amazon in 2015.

The 66-year-old was a director for W Chump and Sons with co-stars James May and Richard Hammond, along with executive producer and friend Andy Wilman.

The name is an acronym for Wilman, Clarkson, Hammond, and May (using the German word “und” for the ‘and’).

It was put into voluntary liquidation back in 2024 after their tenure on the motoring show came to an end.

And with roughly £24 million in assets to be distributed as a final payout, the four directors were said to be in for a healthy payday.

New files submitted to Companies House suggest the business is nearing the end of being wound down.

They say that in the latest period to April 2026, there was a final cash distribution or £4,373.44 (4p in the £).

The presenters and Mr Wilman approved a fixed liquidators’ fee of £10,000 plus VAT.

The liquidation is effectively nearing completion now. There are no creditor claims to settle, the company’s assets have largely been distributed to shareholders, and the remaining work is primarily administrative before the liquidation can be formally closed.

Mr Clarkson now focuses on his other business, including running Diddly Squat farm and its farm shop as well as The Farmer’s Dog on the A40 near Burford.

Phoebe Lee is also getting ready to implement the tax for her younger children

A mum has revealed why she “taxes” her seven year old daughter’s pocket money. Phoebe Lee, 35, has established what she describes as a “mini democracy” within her home, where her young children vote on certain household matters and contribute modest amounts of their pocket money into a shared family fund.

Phoebe lives with her husband Alex and their three children, aged seven, four and two. While the couple cover all major household expenses, she explains the idea is to give their children a sense of ownership, responsibility and understanding of how public systems function.

The AI architect and founder of Inherit Health, said: “I am aware there are so many decisions that are made for our kids, and they have a lot of agencies in a lot of areas, and we try to give them control when we can. While Alex and I pay for everything, this is their house too – we want them to feel like they can make decisions in their home.”

The system started with straightforward voting exercises at home, inspired by Phoebe’s interest in ethical technology and her husband’s background as a public servant. Brit Phoebe, from Twickenham, said they wanted to introduce concepts such as contribution, community responsibility and decision-making in an age-appropriate manner.

She said: “Being in ethical tech – I want them to learn a lesson. My husband is a public servant and we wanted them to feel that community contribution. We encourage the children to understand where money goes, including donations and public services.

“We handle donations and make sure we donate time or second-hand bits, or my daughter sells bracelets.” Central to the system is what the family humorously refers to as a “fun tax”, where both parents and children put small weekly amounts into a shared pot used for optional extras such as treats or larger household purchases.

Her seven year old currently chips in roughly 20p weekly from her pocket money, with her four and two year old set to participate once they’re old enough to receive some cash. She explained: “She gets £3 a week in pocket money and £1 goes into savings. Then she can make other money from chores, but we are very strict on what they are.

“We haven’t got much in the pot yet, but we are hoping to increase our side and have around £300 by December. The contribution is symbolic rather than financially significant – my husband and I are paying far larger amounts into the same system.

“It’s supposed to be fun tax – we are not making them pay the Wi-Fi or the rent.” She revealed that she and her husband each put in approximately £4 weekly, with intentions to boost adult contributions as the system develops, while maintaining the children’s amounts as an educational tool.

She added: “The tax is about everyone. She will feel like she has contributed, even though it’s much less than us. There’s something in that where she feels like she’s paid for it too.” Phoebe explains the goal is to instil lessons about budgeting and delayed gratification, while demonstrating how collective decision-making functions in reality.

Within the system, the family also holds votes on shared items including activities or purchases, allowing the children to put forward their own suggestions. For Phoebe, the method is fundamentally linked to broader lessons she hopes to impart to her children regarding society, public services and fairness.

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She has also discussed introducing concepts around taxation and public services in an age-appropriate manner, citing the NHS and state education as examples of systems supported through collective contribution. She said: “We are trying to keep her informed in an age-appropriate way.

“She benefits from things like the NHS and state school because we pay taxes for them – I want her to start to understand them. I want her to understand the system is designed in the UK to avoid entitlement while still giving children a sense of inclusion in family life.

“It is about bringing them into decisions in a way that doesn’t feel burdensome,” she said. The family anticipates the shared “fun tax” pot will accumulate gradually over time as contributions rise, with Phoebe joking it might eventually fund larger household items such as a trampoline.

She said: “We anticipate to grow the funds… which could buy a great second-hand trampoline. It’s not about control, it’s about understanding how things work in a family, and eventually in the world.”

Xabi Alonso has heaped praise on one of his Chelsea players, likening him to a former Real Madrid teammate and Ballon d’Or winner.

Chelsea have enjoyed a great start to the season under new manager Alonso, winning four of their opening five games across all competitions and only narrowly losing to champions Arsenal last week.

Their formidable attack has already notched up 16 goals, though they face a tricky test on Saturday, against Hull City who are yet to concede in the Premier League this season.

Cole Palmer and £117million summer signing Morgan Rogers have earned plenty of plaudits but it is Joao Pedro who was recently voted Premier League Player of the Month for August.

The centre-forward, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Brighton last year in a transfer worth up to £60m, has scored twice and assisted two in the opening three league games.

Last season, Pedro was a rare bright spot in an otherwise awful campaign for the Blues, recording 20 goals and nine assists, and was named Chelsea Player of the Season.

And Alonso believes the 24-year-old should already be considered among the best No.9s in the world, like Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland.

‘If you count how many top strikers we have in the Premier League, I am sure that Joao is there. So I would rate him that way,’ the Chelsea manager said in his pre-match press conference.

‘He has been top. Not just football-wise, personality-wise. His maturity, his desire.

‘He has a very strong goal this year: to have a great season, to score many goals, and to be a nominee for not just this month but more months.

‘I am not surprised, but really happy with the kind of player that we have here with Joao.’

The praise for Pedro did not stop there however, with Alonso positively comparing the Brazil international to one of the greatest centre-forwards of the last decade: Karim Benzema.

The pair were teammates at Real Madrid where the Frenchmen won four La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues across a 14-year spell, which culminated with him lifting the Ballon d’Or in 2022.

‘In many things he reminds me of him,’ Alonso added, boldly tipping Pedro to emulate Benzema’s great success.

‘Because he is good in the box, he is good out of the box, he is good coming to the left side, he is good with the head. He is very complete and he is intelligent.

‘He is still young. He still has things to develop. But he has many, many absolutely outstanding qualities.’

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Qasim Rizwan, from Bolton, said he feels as if his “life has restarted” after overcoming autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA).

He also visited experts at the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) national frozen blood bank in Liverpool who helped save his life.

Qasim was diagnosed with AIHA in June last year, but doctors at Manchester Children’s Hospital initially struggled to match his blood type.

Scientists at NHSBT discovered he was a rare mix, including r’r’, a subtype of the Rhesus system that is shared by roughly one in 10,000 people.

Only around 50 blood donors are type r’r’.

Qasim Rizwan with doctors (Image: NHSBT/PA Wire)

Staff urgently defrosted and sent all six matching units of blood from its national frozen blood bank, as well as sending another unit from its facility in Colindale.

One of the units Qasim received was the same age as him and was donated when he was just eight days old.

A rare donor was also specifically called up to give blood.

The transfusions were given alongside other medication, steroids and immunoglobulin to cure Qasim’s condition.

AIHA is a rare disorder, which impacts around 1,200 people in the UK each year and causes the immune system to mistakenly target and destroy red blood cells faster than the body can make them.

Symptoms include extreme tiredness, a rapid heartbeat and jaundice.

Qasim said: “I felt like I was going to die. I was really scared, hoping I would survive, and eventually I did.

“I really like the doctors, they helped me so much. They were so kind to me and they calmed me down if I was sad or angry.

“I feel like I have my daily routine and everything is back to normal. My life has restarted.

“I just feel unique and it’s quite amazing that I have rare blood.”

Qasim’s mother, Mahnaz Nazar, said her son “was a fit and healthy eight-year-old” before symptoms started.

The mental health support worker, 43, said: “Just a typical boisterous boy who loves sports, riding his bike, and he’s very sharp.

“It came on quite suddenly – he went from being healthy to waking up one morning with yellow eyes and skin.

Qasim Rizwan with doctors (Image: NHSBT/PA Wire)

“At the doctors, everything was going haywire. His heart rate was high and he was getting breathless just speaking – the doctors were surprised he was still walking.

“We were sent to Bolton Hospital. It took a week to figure out what was going on. It was terrifying because you don’t know what was going on, all you see is your child getting worse and worse. He was deteriorating in front of our eyes, getting yellower, and he could not tolerate noise or light.

“Then we were sent to Manchester Children’s Hospital.

“When they realised it was a blood issue, they were struggling to match his blood.

“They said they had some already stored in Liverpool, then after that was used, they said they had ran out and that they contacted someone who was a match and asked for a donation.

“It was quite daunting to watch him have a transfusion. He felt really well afterwards and perked up a lot. But the blood was breaking down so quickly the donated cells were gone in a few hours.”

Qasim spent around three weeks in hospital overall.

He visited NHSBT’s frozen blood bank in August with his father Rizwan Ahmed, 46, and brother Yusuf.

“I really enjoyed looking around the blood centre and seeing everything,” Qasim said.

“I didn’t know everybody did this in the background.

“Most of the people in the building saved my life and they are still saving lives too. Thank you to all the donors for donating blood to me because I have rare blood.”

Ms Nazar has also since become a blood donor herself.

Qasim Rizwan after his first transfusion. (Image: NHSBT/PA Wire)

She said: “The team at Manchester were absolutely amazing. Qasim wanted to know every little detail – what would happen next, the size of the needle – and they were very patient with him.

“I am very grateful to all the scientists and specialists at NHSBT who found out his blood types then found enough blood to keep him going. He thoroughly enjoyed his meeting and getting to know how things work.

“And blood donors are amazing. I can’t thank them enough, without them, Qasim would probably not be here, he would not have survived, and we will be forever grateful for that.”

Joanne Mathews, manager of the NHSBT frozen blood bank, said: “We work behind the scenes and almost never meet patients, so we loved hosting Qasim and his family.

“He met a few people who worked on his case and they all had big smiles.

“Qasim was so curious and polite – and he looked so cute in an adult lab coat.”

Rachael Barber, paediatric intensive care consultant and medical director for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, said: “Stories like Qasim’s show just how vital blood donations are to us to enable us to care for children with rare blood types.”

Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, a London derby between the smart spenders and the big spenders.

That is probably an unfair dichotomy, because Spurs’s squad has been crying out for investment, and that has certainly arrived this summer. The club’s new leadership team has overseen more than £300m worth of purchases.

The arrival of Jean Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi, two of the league’s best progressive passers from centre-back, makes it clear that improving Spurs’s build up play is a priority for Roberto De Zerbi.

De Zerbi wants his teams to draw pressure from opponents and progress down the middle of the pitch with short passes, so it was imperative that Spurs upgraded in midfield. They have done just that by buying Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, for a combined £185m.

Spurs’s forward options remain much the same though, which could prove a drag in the season’s early weeks. Compared to Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool, Spurs do not have the same firepower, but they should have more control and solidity this season.

Brentford lost just three league games at home last season, and they were unfortunate not to qualify for Europe. A lighter workload offers Keith Andrews the chance to consolidate on an excellent first season as head coach, and perhaps overtake some of those clubs with continental commitments.

Midfielder Mamadou Sangaré, signed for £39m from Lens, looks the pick of their summer business, tipped to be a £100m sale to one of the big boys (which is an unromantic perspective on the transfer, but very much Brentford’s model).

Asked about the Mali international, Andrews said: “He’s a very talented midfielder who can do lots of different aspects of that role.

“He’s a very focused, very determined and very ambitious young man. He’s very humble but equally as hungry to achieve impressive things. He’s certainly a player on an upward trajectory.”

Forwards Jadon Anthony and Callum Wilson are other arrivals, and Michael Kayode’s long throws will continue to be a serious weapon.

Full team news on the way shortly.

India is battling a surge in H1N1 flu infections, prompting the federal health ministry to step up surveillance and hospital preparedness.

The national capital New Delhi has recorded 1,777 cases this year, almost eight times the number (229) reported during the same period in 2025.

Dr Randeep Guleria, a senior pulmonologist and director of Medanta Medical School, Gurugram, says the H1N1 cases are much higher than reported. 

“It’s quite likely that the reported numbers are an underestimate because they depend on how many people are tested,” Guleria said. “If you speak to patients admitted to hospital who test positive for H1N1, you often find that other members of their family have similar symptoms, although they have not been tested.”

“There is a surge and we are seeing a lot of patients. We are testing only those who come to hospital and are more seriously ill,” Guleria said.

H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, is a subtype of influenza A. It is a contagious respiratory infection that can cause fever and cough and in severe cases it can lead to pneumonia and respiratory failure. 

Officials at the Indian Council of Medical Research said the rise did not mean the emergence of a new strain of the virus.

The surge comes during India’s rainy season, when seasonal influenza and other respiratory infections typically increase.

Doctors in Delhi say they are seeing more patients with high fevers, persistent coughs and flu-like symptoms, although most cases remain mild.

The H1N1 cases have been reported beyond New Delhi. The metro cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Bangaluru have reported a high number of cases, although the pattern is not uniform across the country. 

Doctors in Bangaluru have reported more influenza A infections among children, with some developing pneumonia and respiratory distress.

India’s health minister JP Nadda said there was a need for continued vigilance and robust surveillance. He has asked officials to monitor unusual increases and clusters of cases and ensure hospitals could respond quickly.

“Swine flu (H1N1) can show up through symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, headache, runny nose, body aches and fatigue… If you experience these symptoms, seek medical advice at your nearest healthcare centre,” the health ministry said on X.

Delhi’s health minister, Pankaj Kumar Singh, said the capital had enough beds, doctors, medicines and medical equipment to manage the increase. “Delhi is fully prepared to deal with the present health situation,” Singh said.

India has had several waves of H1N1 since the virus emerged globally in 2009.

The infection, commonly called swine flu, became a recurring seasonal respiratory illness after the 2009 pandemic rather than disappearing from circulation.

India recorded 3,320 H1N1 cases and 14 deaths in 2025, according to Ministry of Health data.

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Sadiq Khan is preparing to ban log burners across London in his latest ‘clean air’ clampdown.

In recent years, log burners have become the latest status symbol for middle-class Brits following the popularity of Aga cookers and Smeg fridges in years gone by. 

But for Londoners who have installed wood stoves in their fireplaces, often at a cost of between £2,000 and £4,000, they now face having to rip them out under new laws proposed by the Mayor of London.

To enforce the ban, Lord Khan wants to introduce area-specific bans through new zero-emission zones.   

The policy is part of a new set of proposals to cut emissions which also includes curbs on domestic bonfires. 

With the powers he currently has as mayor, Lord Khan faces hurdles in implementing his latest clampdown.

Currently, local authorities can implement smoke control areas and bonfire bans on council property, such as allotments.

But this only prohibits the burning of certain types of fuel, such as wet wood, and so homeowners can typically burn dry logs in modern wood burners, as long as they meet efficiency rules.  

In recent years, log burners have become the latest status symbol for middle-class Brits following the popularity of Aga cookers and Smeg fridges in years gone by

Lord Khan is asking the Government to devolve additional powers to him and other local authority leaders while urging ministers to ‘go further’ in their efforts to clamp down on so-called ‘solid fuel burning’. 

He has argued that the current rules are hindering his efforts to reduce emissions while also claiming that small increases in solid-fuel burning can lead to disproportionate harm to health.   

Labour have already mulled fresh restrictions on wood-burning stoves in a bid to bring emission targets in line with the EU.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Sir James Cleverly accused Lord Khan of intruding into people’s lives.

He said: ‘Londoners need a mayor who will put policing our streets before policing our homes and gardens, prioritising getting things built over having a row with people about log burners.

‘Instead of finding new ways to tie up London and Londoners in new red tape and bans, we need to unshackle London’s potential and build a safer, cheaper, and more ambitious city we can be proud of again.’

During his tenure as mayor, Lord Khan has focused on cutting emissions across the capital.

These include the expansion of London’s ultra-low-emission zone (ULEZ), and his backing of ‘active travel’ policies such as low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and giving over more of the road network to cyclists. 

Sir James Cleverly, who has his eyes on the Tory nomination for Mayor in the 2028 election, accused Lord Khan of intruding into people’s lives

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However, the expansion of ULEZ into areas of car-dependent outer London has angered many voters who accused Lord Khan of launching a war on motorists.

In June, the Daily Mail found that ULEZ had not improved the air quality in the Big Smoke as the Mayor had claimed.

Last year, the Mayor of London credited the £12.50-per-day ultra low emission zone with bringing levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) across the capital to within legal limits for the first time.

But analysis of official air quality figures from local authorities suggests more than half of all boroughs are still recording illegal levels of the toxic gas, which is largely emitted from diesel vehicles.

The NO2 is an annual average of 40 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) of air. Last year, a report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs claimed London fell wholly within this limit for 2024.

However, at least 18 areas of the capital are still recording annual average levels above this at individual monitoring stations.

One in the centre of Romford recorded an annualised average almost twice the limit in 2024, as did several stations in the City of London – where ULEZ was introduced seven years ago.

In June, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: ‘London’s ULEZ, the world’s largest clean air zone, has been a huge success in cleaning up London’s air, with harmful roadside NO2 concentrations now 24 per cent lower in outer London compared to without the ULEZ in place.

‘Air quality data from Defra shows that London met legal limits for nitrogen dioxide for the first time in 2024.

‘We know the damage that air pollution can cause to the health of Londoners so we always look at all the data available in the capital to get a clear picture of the work that still needs to be done.

‘All Londoners are now breathing much cleaner air, but there is still more to do and the Mayor will continue to take action as we build a greener, fairer London for everyone.’

The Manchester Evening News was on hand to review last night’s gig at New Century Hall with the legendary Scottish group

Scottish rock, psychedelia, house, and indie pop legends Primal Scream played Manchester’s New Century Hall on Friday (September 11). Manchester Evening News’ Roland Gent was on hand to take in the eclectic set that included playing their 2000 album XTRMNTR in its entirety.

Do they still want to be free and do want they want to do? Do they still want to get loaded and have a good time?

Well yes they do, but like all good things it’s a long slow tease with a magnificent climax. And in footballing parlance, it’s a gig of two halves.

Tonight it’s a fair move to play XTRMNTR from 2000 in its entirety. Then what? Is that going to be it?

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Clearly they can’t recreate the highs of Screamadelica, just due to personnel no longer involved. Will there be encores?

There’s a tribute to Mani who gets a mention and a chant from the home town crowd, and for me they never quite have the same sound without Manchester’s Denise Johnson.

Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes are the last men standing, and Darrin Mooney’s been with them since 1997, Throb Young, Martin Duffy, Denise and Mani have all gone.

Where do you go with Primal Scream now? One of the great British bands but since Riot City blues in 2006 they’ve never really touched their past glories with members coming and going and sadly dying.

Bobby Gillsepie is 65 now, how many other people who qualify for a pension look great in leather trousers? He still dances like your nan at a wedding, and his communication with the crowd in a camp Glaswegian accent is virtually indecipherable, but that’s to be expected.

But with Bobby Gillespie you never know what to expect, his band have achieved more styles than virtually any other group and hit the heights with jangly pop, punk, soul, dub, funk, electronica and rock.

They could play anything and that’s half the fun of they gig, will they won’t they pull out the big hits?

Xterminator featured Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. The album also featured contributions from Chemical Brothers and Bernard Sumner.

None of those musicians were clearly going to be appearing so how did Primal Scream do it?

They key thing is that touring bassist Phil Mossman is superb, somewhere between Jah Wobble and Mani.

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As soon as he leads off Kill all Hippies its clear that this version of the band are on it.

Yes you get all of XTRMNTR in a heavy groove laden, ‘dubby’ strobe party, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Two versions of Swastika eyes to sing along to but there’s also a jazzy dub work out of Blood Money.

It’s a sensory overload.

Then the band take a break and announce an encore, we get Kowalski from Vanishing Point as a Mani tribute.

Then the cover of I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time.

It seems like that could be it but it’s not, they then smash the audience with all the hits.

Jailbird, I’m Losing More Than I’ll Ever Have morphs into Loaded.

In the middle of Loaded, Gillespie declares that he first met Mani when he “went on a bender at the Hacienda”

There’s Movin’ On Up, Country Girl and Rocks.

It’s a celebration but on some of those big tunes I’m still hearing the backing vocals of Denise Johnson, whose voice really took them into the stratosphere.

Set list

• Kill All Hippies
• Accelerator
• Exterminator
• Swastika Eyes
• (Jagz Kooner mix)
• Pills
• Blood Money
• Keep Your Dreams
• Insect Royalty
• MBV Arkestra (If They Move, Kill ‘Em)
• Swastika Eyes
• (Chemical Brothers version)
• Shoot Speed/Kill Light

Encore

• Kowalski
• I’m 5 Years Ahead of My Time (Cover version by The Third Bardo)
• Jailbird
• Loaded
• Movin’ on Up
• Country Girl
• Rocks

The empty building on Stoneyhurst Street in Possilpark was undergoing renovations at the time of the fire.

A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a blaze at a Glasgow tenement block that firemen battled for two days.

The empty building on the city’s Stoneyhurst Street in Possilpark went up in flames on Sunday.

It was being refurbished when the fire took hold at around 5pm.

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The building’s renovation works had been subject to rumours it was to be used for asylum seekers, refugees or asylum seekers.

Six fire engines and specialist resources were dispatched to the fire, which ripped through the fourth floor of the flat block.

Footage taken from the scene showed flames tearing through the roof of the flats.

Local residents told how the fire spread at a rapid pace. One said: “The flats on Stonyhurst Street which were being refurbished are on fire. The fire looks serious as flames are soaring through the roof.”

On Monday, John Swinney vowed “all the force of the law” would be applied if the tenement fire was deliberate.

Local Labour MSP Paul Sweeney said he was part of a group of elected representatives who secured funding for the formerly derelict building to be used to ease the city’s housing woes, with properties to be given to those on the waiting list of NG Homes.

Police said on Saturday: “A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a wilful fire in Glasgow.

“The incident was reported to the emergency services around 4.50pm on Sunday, 6 September, at an empty building on Stoneyhurst Street.

“There were no reported injuries.

“The 48-year-old man is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday, 14, September.”

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They are the scourge of pavements the length and breadth of the country.

Now a Daily Mail investigation can reveal why those who leave rented Lime bikes strewn across our streets keep getting away with it.

Technology used by Lime is seriously flawed, meaning that in certain areas riders can park anywhere they please without any punishment, our findings reveal.

Enforcement is so weak that our reporter was able to leave bikes obstructing London landmarks and on the doorsteps of multi-million pound homes without receiving a single warning or fine, despite a vow from the company that operates the bikes it will penalise bad parking.

It has led to chaotic scenes across the country, with ranks of the 80lb electric bikes left blocking entrances to stations and businesses.

California-based e-bike firm Lime operates in cities across the country, including in Salford, Nottingham, Oxford and Milton Keynes.

But anti-social parking has plagued London in particular, with some councils not requiring users to park in designated bays.

Lime states that in these ‘dockless’ areas, bikes must be parked ‘neatly to the side of the pavement’. 

When our reporter parked in a spot clearly obstructing the entrance of a home in Greenwich, the Lime app simply displayed a message – which could just be ignored

The Mail was also able to park inside block the entrance of the Fan Museum on the same road

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Guidance on its website says riders ‘should always be considerate of other pavement users’ and lists five parking rules.

Riders are asked to take a photo of how they have parked and upload it to Lime’s app.

But the Mail has found that this does little to ensure its rules are followed. Our investigation spanned three south London boroughs that allow dockless parking: Wandsworth, Southwark and Greenwich.

We discovered that, when parking in a spot clearly obstructing a footpath or entrance, the Lime app displayed a message stating: ‘Move vehicle out of footpath: To help everyone get past, move your vehicle away from footpaths, entrances and ramps.’

But each time our reporter was able to ignore this message and park the bike.

It meant we were able to walk away from bikes blocking entrances to the likes of the Greenwich Theatre and the Globe Theatre, despite the app recognising that it was obstructing pedestrians. We even managed to leave a bike on the steps of Southwark Cathedral.

The app also allowed us to park bikes inside the porches of multimillion pound houses.

The Lime app was better at preventing parking in ‘exclusion zones’, such as those surrounding the Cutty Sark and Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, but this was not always the case.

Even when positioned in the middle of Greenwich’s bustling market, which is supposed to be protected by an exclusion zone, the Lime bikes could still be parked 

The Lime bike could even be parked on the steps of the entrance to Southwark Cathedral

Badly parked e-bikes are particularly problematic in London, where some councils, including Greenwich and Southwark, do not require users to park in a designated bay. The Mail was able to dump one bike in the middle of bustling Borough Market in Southwark… 

…as well as in the middle of the road outside the Globe Theatre on the South Bank

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One Lime bike was also able to be parked obstructing the entrance of Greenwich Theatre

…and a nearby deli

We managed to park bikes in the middle of bustling markets in Borough and Greenwich, which are supposed to be protected by exclusion zones. Our reporter moved all the bikes after they had been parked.

Lime has said that users who don’t park according to its rules receive a warning, followed by escalating fines of up to £20 before repeat offenders are banned from its service.

However, the Mail was not issued a single warning despite committing 26 parking contraventions.

Lime has struggled to tackle the issue because its GPS technology is not accurate enough to determine whether a bike has been parked properly.

Just last week, Lime apologised to a blind couple after an app glitch led to bikes blocking pavements in Bromley, south-east London, where the firm’s bikes are not permitted, forcing them to walk across a busy main road with their guide dog.

Earlier this year, Lime announced that it was rolling out new bikes with improved GPS technology, which it said would make ‘a huge difference’ to parking enforcement.

But Erik Matthies, policy lead at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said its efforts ‘clearly still fall short of what is needed’.

Mr Matthies, who has sight loss, said e-bikes ‘present a danger’ to blind and partially sighted people when parked badly.

A Lime spokesman said: ‘Proper parking is important to Lime and we take instances of misparked vehicles seriously.

‘This year alone we’ve issued hundreds of thousands of warnings and tens of thousands of fines to riders who parked incorrectly in London.’