NewsBeat
House explodes in east London as 60 firefighters tackle blaze
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A terraced house in east London dramatically exploded and sparked a major blaze, with 60 firefighters called to the scene.
Shocking footage filmed from a double-decker bus shows the house blowing up in flames on the residential street at around 4.10pm.
The London Fire Brigade said they received 25 calls regarding the incident and mobilised eight fire engines from Ilford, Dagenham, Barking and surrounding fire stations to the scene.
At the height of the blaze the first floor and loft conversion were fully alight.
It has not been reported if there are any injuries, while residents are continuing to be told to avoid the area while the incident is being investigated.
Station Commander Darren McTernan said from the scene: “Firefighters worked hard to bring this fire under control. Crews will remain on scene throughout the evening.
“Ley Street remains closed between Eastern Avenue and Vicarage Road, impacting traffic in the surrounding area, so please continue to avoid the area if you can.
“One of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used at the scene as a water tower to help fight the fire from above. The Brigade’s drone team were also deployed to the incident, offering the Incident Commander an aerial view of the scene.”
Taking to X, Jas Athwal, MP for Ilford South, wrote: ‘Please be aware there is an ongoing fire in a residential property on Ley Street in Ilford.
‘London Fire Brigade & Redbridge Borough Police are on the scene. People are advised to stay away from the area while the emergency services attend.’
BBC News, Liverpool
BBC/Jonny Humphries“I’ve seen many tears shed throughout this from professionals, not just within policing.”
Those are the words of the man who had the heavy responsibility of leading the investigation into the Southport stabbing attack that killed Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King, six.
It was approaching 13:00 BST on 29 July when Det Ch Insp Jason Pye heard the news.
The vastly experienced detective was in Liverpool Crown Court dealing with another case when he got a phone call about what had just unfolded at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in Hart Street.
One hour earlier, Axel Rudakubana had moved through the Hart Space dance studio systematically stabbing child after child.
Rudakubana ended his rampage meekly, dropping his kitchen knife and surrounding to the police without a word.
But by then, three children were dead, eight children and two adults were seriously injured and 15 other children were left with unimaginable trauma.
Det Ch Insp Pye said it was a “long six months” until the moment, on Monday, when Rudakubana surprised everyone by changing his pleas to guilty on what should have been the first day of his trial.
For much of that time, and in the full glare of the international media, his investigation team and the wider Merseyside Police force had seen and heard the most harrowing evidence of their collective careers.
“Yes this is our job, we put our hand up to do it,” he said.
“We never expect to wake up in the morning and come to something like this but neither did any of those 26 children or their families or the adults as well.”
Acknowledging the toll of the case, Det Ch Insp Pye added: “It is difficult.
“It’s difficult for people who constantly see some of the details, and who have had to read through it on a constant basis, not just within policing…
“But it’s the families and getting justice that keeps us going day-by-day.”
The exceptionally harrowing nature of Rudakubana’s crimes has meant several officers in the force have had to take sick leave.
“I know that there are some police officers who are still struggling and are off work at the moment because of what they’ve come across and what they’ve seen,” he said.
The horrific details of Rudakubana’s crimes were only one part of the immense strain placed on Merseyside Police last summer.
PA MediaLess than 48 hours after he had been taken to Copy Lane police station, the appalling details of the crimes – coupled with misinformation about the killer’s identity and background – sparked violence on the streets.
A vigil on the evening after the murders turned into what the force’s Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy, described as “one of the worst nights of my career”.
More than 100 officers and police staff injured during outbreaks of violence, first in Southport, then in Liverpool City Centre and in Walton.
Some of those called to battle with rioters hurling missiles and damaging police vehicles had also been called to the aftermath of the massacre on 29 July.
For the detectives laser-focused on unravelling the truth of what happened, the mayhem on the streets was absolutely baffling.
Det Ch Insp Pye said: “It was very, very fast moving until we got him charged.
“He was arrested round about 12 o’clock on the Monday [29 July] and with an extension I could have 72 hours maximum, so we had to charge him by just after midnight on the Wednesday.
“To come in and see those riots within the community where these three little girls had lost their lives and everybody else had been impacted in the way that they had was really distasteful for us, it was difficult to understand why it was happening, and it had a real impact on the families as well.”
‘Distressing’
For Det Ch Insp Pye, the task of the 80-strong team of detectives was to tune out the unfolding catastrophe and carry on with the task at hand.
There was no painstaking investigative work needed to get the killer identified and into custody – that was the “easy bit” – according to Det Ch Insp Pye.
“The difficult part is what I class as all this noise that’s been around it,” he said.
“We have to assess the noise, we have to see whether we need to bring it in evidentially, so that’s what’s been difficult, that’s what’s created the complex investigation not the actual evidence itself.
“I’ve tried, if I’m honest, to stay away from social media and stay away from the conspiracy theories but we have had to be aware of it as an investigation team in case there was anything that we would have to bring into the investigation.”
The most important task is now done -Rudakubana has admitted every offence against him and will more than likely spend the rest of his life in prison.
For Det Ch Insp Pye, now is the time most distressing parts of their careers could manifest itself.
“Now that we’ve [got justice] and now that things have steadied down a little bit – that might be the time that we need – to reflect and just consider the welfare of all of our officers,” he said.
NewsBeat
Kyle Walker: Premier League star heading to Italy after Man City accept AC Milan loan bid | UK News
Manchester City have accepted AC Milan’s loan-to-buy offer for defender Kyle Walker.
Under the terms of the deal the Italian club can sign the England international permanently in the summer, for a fee of around £4.2m (€5m), Sky in Italy said.
Walker, 34, will arrive in the city around lunchtime on Thursday and have a medical in the afternoon before signing the contract at AC Milan’s headquarters, Casa Milan, Sky Sports said.
Kyle Walker arrives for his medical ahead of his move to AC Milan. Pic: Reuters
Manchester City celebrating winning their fourth consecutive Premier League in May. File pic: Reuters
Walker, who moved to the club from Tottenham for £50m in 2017, has helped City win 17 trophies, including six Premier League titles – including a record four in a row – and the Champions League.
He was close to joining Bayern Munich after City’s treble win in 2023 but instead signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2026.
Last month, the player revealed he suffered “vile, racist and threatening” abuse on social media after a Champions League defeat at Juventus.
He said Instagram and the authorities “need to stop this happening for the sake of all who are suffering this abuse”.
Read more from Sky News:
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The news of his departure comes the day after another defeat in Europe’s premier club competition, as City were beaten 4-2 in Paris by Paris Saint-Germain, despite having led 2-0.
They are out of the knockout places with one game left in the league phase having taken eight points from seven matches so far.
BBC News, South East
Getty ImagesAdele has been accused of sabotaging the sale of a £6m mansion she used to live in by its owners, who claim she once said it was haunted.
The award-winning singer rented the Grade II-listed Lock House in Partridge Green, West Sussex, in 2012.
The owner has submitted planning permission to transform the property from a single dwelling to three residential units and convert an existing garage and flat into a separate cottage.
In the submission, the owner said comments made by Adele about the 10-bedroom house being haunted during an interview had hindered the selling process.
“The first tenant, Adele, stayed for six months and blighted the property by saying it is haunted,” it said.
“This comment negatively impacted future marketing efforts and continues to affect the property’s reputation to this day.”
‘The creeps’
Discussing Lock House in an interview with Anderson Cooper on CBS when she lived at the property, Adele said: “This bit’s all quite scary, really.
“I’m not rattling around here on my own. It gives me the creeps.”
Adele did not use the word “haunted” during the interview.
After the singer vacated the property, it was relisted for sale, but received no offers.
It was then rented to a tenant who wanted to use the property to run a bespoke dressmaking business. But it was later discovered the tenant was running a residential retreat with 11 guest bedrooms and a fitness boot camp, the application said.
According to the application, the owner has actively tried to sell the property for about 14 years.
The only offer ever received was in August 2020, but the prospective buyer withdrew after learning about the property’s supposed haunted status, it added.
Lock House was originally constructed in about 1909 before it underwent a major reconstruction programme in 1940.
In 1971, it was divided up and sold at auction in 26 separate lots. But it was subsequently bought by the church and became the Convent of the Visitation.
The current owner acquired Lock House in 2003 from a property trader, who had previously purchased it after the convent relocated to Albourne.
According to its current listing, Lock House and its 32-acre estate features 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court, a helicopter pad and a cinema room.
It is up for sale for £5,995,000.
Politics
‘Bickering’ councillors accused of acting like ‘nasty children on school playgrounds’ in heated meeting
A Gloucester City Council meeting descended into chaos as councillors were accused of acting like “nasty children” in a playground during what should have been a straightforward budget discussion.
The four-hour meeting at North Warehouse on January 20 was marked by “bickering, nastiness and finger-pointing from councillors,” according to scrutiny committee vice-chairman Tree Chambers-Dubus.
The Labour councillor for Moreland condemned the behaviour during the single-item budget meeting, which she said had become “ridiculous” and resembled a playground rather than a civic forum.
The meeting was intended to discuss spending proposals for the 2025/26 financial year, but quickly veered off course into unrelated topics.
Tree Chambers-Dubus was speaking at the meeting
GCC/WikICommons
Instead of focusing on budget matters, councillors spent time debating whether the UK Government should ban the controversial herbicide, glyphosate. The meeting also became mired in accusations about councillors allegedly concealing information regarding indoor market rent issues.
Additional time was spent discussing how rough sleepers are counted in the city and methods for tackling graffiti.
“I thought it was a budget meeting,” Chambers-Dubus told chairman Andrew Gravells three hours into the proceedings.
“Why are we getting into nitpicking at people, pointing the finger at people, making accusations at people,” Chambers-Dubus demanded during the meeting.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Chairman Andrew Gravells
GCC
She insisted the focus should have been on “how the finances translate to what our priorities should be”.
“We probably could have got this meeting done in a fraction of the time,” she said.
“A lot of what has been said, and the bickering, nastiness, quite frankly, is not actually going to have done anything or any good this evening other than keep people sitting here.”
“It’s ridiculous. It’s like a playground,” she concluded.
The conduct of council members has reportedly been a long-standing concern, with dozens of complaints recently submitted about councillor behaviour.
Labour councillor Tree Chambers-Dubus
GCC
A special panel has been established to address these complaints, according to council insiders.
The issues came to light publicly last May when then-mayor Kathy Williams used her outgoing speech to highlight bullying within the council.
Williams pledged to campaign for changes in legislation that would require councillors to undergo Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
NewsBeat
This Is Rigged activist who damaged Stone of Destiny display case ordered to undertake unpaid work | UK News
A graduate who vandalised a display case containing the Stone of Destiny at Edinburgh Castle has been handed a community payback order with unpaid work.
This Is Rigged activist Joe Madden, 22, attacked the cabinet containing a crown and the stone during a demonstration over the cost of living crisis, causing around £3,000 of damage.
He was with two other students, Jamie Priest, 26, and Catriona Roberts, 22, who were also spared jail for their role in the protest on 15 November 2023.
The display case protecting the stone was damaged. Pic: PA/HES
Madden pleaded guilty to damaging the display cabinet in the crown jewels room by hitting it with a rock, hammer, chisel and similar implements, when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.
He returned to the dock on Thursday, where he was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order and 180 hours of unpaid work.
Sheriff Kenneth Campbell said: “There is a right to express oneself and engage in political activity but it is not unqualified and this crossed the line.”
The Stone of Destiny. Pic: PA
The court previously heard Madden, of Dunbar in East Lothian, was seen holding a “brick or stone which he attempted to smash the cabinet with” by a tour guide who pressed a panic button.
Fiscal depute Nadia Stewart said the tour guide, who saw what appeared to be spray paint being sprayed on the cabinet, heard someone earlier say “this is a peaceful protest”.
Defending, Clare Ryan noted the damage was around £3,000.
She added: “Mr Madden has no previous convictions. He pled at first diet. He is now residing in Dunbar just after finishing his degree.
“It’s very important principles he still adheres to. He is working with the organisation, but he has no interest in taking part in further protest that ends up in the justice system.
“He has found it quite difficult.”
Read more from Sky News:
Storm Eowyn brings rare danger to life
Thousands flee as fire erupts north of Los Angeles
The Stone of Destiny has been associated with the Scottish and UK monarchies for centuries.
It was long used in the inauguration of Scottish monarchs but was seized by King Edward I of England as war loot in 1296 and taken to London.
It was built into a coronation chair at Westminster Abbey and was used in the coronation ceremonies of kings and queens of England and, later, Great Britain after the Scottish and English crowns were united in the early 17th century.
In 1950, a group of students carried out an audacious raid to steal it from Westminster Abbey and return it to Scotland to try and advance the cause of independence.
The incident led to the sandstone block splitting in two but it was later recovered.
The Stone of Destiny was used in Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 and also in the coronation of the King in 2023.
It was formally returned to Scotland in 1996 to go on display at Edinburgh Castle, but in March last year it left the capital for Perth Museum as the centrepiece of a £27m redevelopment.
NewsBeat
Storm Eowyn live: Rare ‘stay at home’ weather warning issued as dangerous 100mph winds pose threat to life
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Hundreds of schools will close, all trains in Scotland will be suspended and police have warned people not to travel in areas under a rare red “danger to life” weather warning for high winds issued for parts of the country on Friday.
The Met Office issued a rare red warning across Northern Ireland and Scotland, where winds are forecast to pick up rapidly during the Friday morning rush hour, with peak gusts of 80-90mph, and perhaps up to 100mph along some exposed coasts.
Forecasters warn that flying debris could put lives in jeopardy, and people are urged to stay indoors.
Around 4.5 million people will receive an emergency alert to their mobile phone at 6pm to warn of the risks.
Police said no road users should travel in or to the red weather warning area, and motorists in areas affected were advised not to drive unless absolutely essential.
The Met Office red warning, which runs from 10am to 5pm, covers the central belt including Glasgow and Edinburgh, stretching north on the west coast to Jura in Argyll and Bute and south to Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway.
Schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland are set to close on Friday.
20 Scottish local authorities to close schools
A total of 19 local authorities in Scotland have now announced all schools in their respective areas will be closed because of storm Eowyn on Friday.
Stirling, Falkirk, Angus and Fife councils all announced via social media that all of their schools would be shut with the red weather warning due to come into effect at 10am on Friday.
The four councils join Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Fife, North and South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire and Falkirk councils, which have said all schools and nurseries will be closed.
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 16:57
Travel services suspended in Northern Ireland
Bus and train services have been suspended in Northern Ireland during the red weather warning in place on Friday morning for Storm Eowyn.
Translink’s director of service operations, Ian Campbell, said: “We have worked closely with the multiple emergency planning agencies, and this decision to cancel services is necessary to ensure the safety of all our customers and employees.
“Amber alerts for strong winds are also in effect for most of tomorrow which will likely impact services even after the red alert ends.
“We will be working collaboratively with all agencies to assess any damage to both road and rail routes and only resume services when it is safe to do so.
“There is likely to be fallen trees and extensive debris that will need to be cleared, and bus and train services may need to operate with speed restrictions or operate diversions for bus services if roads are impassable.”
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 16:24
Train operators issue “Do Not Travel” warnings for Friday
Northern Trains has issued a Do Not Travel warning covering all services in Cumbria, Blackpool North to York, Wigan to Leeds, Manchester Victoria to Leeds via Hebden Bridge, Huddersfield to Sheffield, Leeds-Nottingham and the new Northumberland line from Newcastle to Ashington.
TransPennine Express has already urged passengers not to attempt to travel from northern England to Scotland on Friday.
It is now telling passengers: “We are advising customers to avoid travelling, unless absolutely essential, between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. Services which we are able to operate across the rest of the TransPennine Express network will run to an amended timetable and may be subject to significant disruption with short notice delays, alterations and cancellations all possible.”
Simon Calder23 January 2025 15:42
Dramatic footage shows high wind pulling shed off ground
Dramatic footage has been circulated online of extremely strong winds in Cornwall.
Several videos and pictures shared on social media shows objects being swept away in winds and even an entire shed being lifted from the ground.
Earlier, European Storm Forecast Experiment published a map putting southern England under a level 2 tornado warning for severe wind gusts with a few tornado events possible.
They said: “a strong event cannot be ruled out”.
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 15:40
More schools and nurseries to close
All schools and nurseries across Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Fife and Falkirk councils will be closed on Friday because of Storm Eowyn.
The four councils are the latest to confirm closures in Scotland, taking the total to 16.
Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, North and South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute councils previously said all schools and nurseries will be closed on Friday.
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 15:30
Thousands of train journeys suspended
Britons are facing a day full of disrpution on Friday, as rare red weather warnings come into place triggered by 100mph winds brought by Storm Eowyn.
Thousands of train journeys have been cancelled, with ScotRail suspending all of its services on Friday.
The company, who operate more than 2,000 rail services a day, said it “would not be safe to operate passenger services due to forecast weather conditions”.
A number of train companies including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, and Grand Central have told customers not to travel on routes across parts of North Wales and Scotland as “very strong winds, rain and snow” are expected to disrupt train services from Friday.
National Rail said in a statement published on Thursday: “Strong winds can blow trees into infrastructure, damaging the overhead lines that power electric trains.
“The winds can mean it’s unsafe to carry out repairs at height – or with certain machinery until the winds have dropped.
“Trains may have to run at a reduced speed causing delays to your journey.”
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 15:14
Widespread cancellations on Irish Sea by Stena Line
Stena Line has cancelled almost all of its sailings between Wales and Ireland on Friday. The Fishguard-Rosslare link will not operate at all. In addition, tonight’s 10.30pm sailing from Holyhead to Dublin is cancelled – as are most on the route on Friday. But the 4.30pm and 10.30pm ferries from the Irish capital are currently showing as on time.
From Cairnryan in southwest Scotland to Belfast, Stena Line has cancelled the 11.30pm departure on Thursday. The corresponding ferry from Belfast will sail early to try to avoid the worst of the weather. Friday’s first four sailings each way on the route are cancelled, with the 7.30pm departure in each direction “in doubt”.
Stena Line says: “You can amend your booking online to an alternative sailing or route without any charge fee or fare difference applied.”
Alice Reynolds23 January 2025 14:56
All ScotRail services suspended on Friday
ScotRail said that all its services will be suspended on Friday January 24.
In a statement posted on X, it said: “With the safety of customers and staff of paramount importance, we will not be safe to operate passenger services due to the forecast weather conditions across Scotland during #StormEowyn.
“All ScotRail services are suspended on Friday, January 24.
“We strongly advise you not to travel, as there will be no train services, and no alternative transport will be available.”
It said that high winds “could lead to trees and other debris falling onto the tracks, trapping trains and putting people in danger. It can also impact service recovery times due to poor road and driving conditions”.
“Once the warnings pass, the network will have to undergo safety inspections before services can be reintroduced.”
The company advised people to check the ScotRail website or app before travelling on Saturday morning.
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 14:41
Rail: East Coast main line in disarray all weekend
Passengers on the UK’s flagship railway, the East Coast main line, face disruption all weekend.
The line connects London King’s Cross with Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland. On Friday passengers are advised not to travel north of York, and the stretch from Newcastle to February is completely closed.
Passengers booked on LNER for Friday can use their tickets for Friday on Thursday or up to Monday 27 January – but at the weekend London-Peterborough is closed for engineering work.
The rail firm says: “LNER services will start and terminate at Peterborough, where rail replacement coaches will operate to Bedford for train services to London St Pancras.”
Hull Trains is running services via Sheffield to St Pancras, with journey times increased by about an hour.
Barney Davis23 January 2025 14:30
More Scottish schools to be closed tomorrow
Scotland’s Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop there will be widespread disruption to the transport network as more counties announce their schools will close.
She said: “I would urge people to follow police advice and avoid travel in the area affected by the red warning for wind. If you do need to travel, your journey is likely to be badly disrupted and there will likely be cancellations to rail, ferry and air services.
“Traffic Scotland will provide the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts.
“The conditions will inevitably cause major disruption to rail, ferry and aviation services too, so please contact your operator to see if your journey has been affected.”
North and South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute councils have all confirmed their schools would be closed with the red weather warning for wind in force.
They join Glasgow, East Ayrshire and West Lothian, which made the same announcements on social media earlier on Thursday, bringing the total number of authorities with all schools closed to 12 in Scotland.
Barney Davis23 January 2025 14:06
Footage from a taxi’s dashcam captured the moment that murderer Axel Rudakubana arrived at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class to carry out his murderous attack.
The video showed Rudakubana, who had booked the taxi under a fake name, ignoring the driver’s request for payment and going to the doors of The Hart Space in Southport on 29 July 2024.
He then went into a side entrance and carried out his crimes.
After admitting three murders and ten attempted murders, he was jailed for 52 years at Liverpool Crown Court.
Politics
Labour LOSING London to Tories and Reform as report shows 585,000 illegal migrants in capital
Labour’s grip over London is breaking as voters desert Starmer’s party for the Tories and Reform, a shocking map has shown.
It comes after a report put the number of illegal migrants in the nation’s capital at 585,000, intensifying concerns migration is putting unsustainable strain on Britain’s public services and infrastructure.
The map, which has been generated by aggregating recent national polling weighted for recency and historic pollster accuracy, shows Labour’s heartland crumbling from the outside in.
It shows Starmer’s party losing eight seats around the edge of London to three different parties if an election was held tomorrow.
Hendon, Chelsea and Fulham, Chipping Barnet and Uxbridge and South Ruislip would all go Conservative, Bethnal Green and Stepney and Ilford North would fall to independents while Bexleyheath and Crayford and Dagenham and Rainham would swing right to Reform.
The map also shows Reform gaining Hornchurch and Upminster from the Tories in what would be historic ‘firsts’ for the disruptor party.
EXPLORE: Current voting intention of London constituencies
Projected electoral map of London. Note Reform gains in the east, Tory gains in the north west and two independent gains in Wes Streeting and Rushanara Ali’s seats.
GBN
Current Electoral Map of London.
GBN
Voter frustration with uncontrolled migration has been a major driver in Labour’s dwindling fortunes in the capital.
A recent report compiled on behalf of Thames Water estimated one in 12 of the population was living in London illegally.
The report combined migration estimates from the Pew Research Center in the US, the London School of Economics, Office for National Statistics with the number of National Insurance registrations for non-EU foreign nationals over a nine-year period.
The analysis put the number of illegal migrants in London at a minimum of 390,355 and a maximum of 585,533, with a median figure of 487,944.
The Home Office does not have any comprehensive data on the number of people coming to the UK illegally, aside from Channel crossings.
In 2025, 1,019 have crossed the Channel is small boats so far this year, the joint fastest rate since records began in 2018.
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Reform UK London AM, Alex Wilson said: “The news that one in 12 Londoners are illegal migrants is a truly shocking revelation. The establishment’s mass immigration experiment has ruined the fabric of our once great capital city.
“Given these numbers, it’s no shock it’s impossible to get on London’s housing ladder. It’s no shock crime is hitting record highs, year after year. It’s no shock that a rape is reported every hour in London.
“These eye watering numbers should be a wake up call for the establishment. Enough is enough, London expects better. It’s time to take back control of our capital city. Only Reform UK will save London.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “This Government is strengthening global partnerships and rooting out the criminal gangs who profit from small boat crossings which threaten lives.
“We have also removed 16,400 illegal migrants in just six months, the highest figure in half a decade, making it clear that those who arrive illegally will be returned.”
A Thames Water spokesman said: “Water companies have a regulatory obligation to undertake a ‘water balance’, which includes understanding how much water our customers use on a per-person basis, and how it is distributed across our supply area.
“Analysis to estimate ‘hidden and transient’ populations is carried out by an independent firm of consultants, who draw from publicly available sources including census, surveys, and published academic research. Thames Water played no part in the writing of the report and the conclusions drawn are those of the independent firm that carried out the research.”
A man has been arrested after a knife attack in which five people were injured at an Argos warehouse in Croydon, south London.
One of those who was hurt in the incident, on Thursday morning, told the PA news agency the person who attacked him was “stabbing at me like a serial killer” and that he fought him off by hitting him on the head with a fire extinguisher.
Five people were treated for injuries after the incident at the Argos depot on Marlowe Way in the Beddington area of Croydon.
One was taken to a major trauma centre in London and four others were transported to hospital, the London Ambulance Service said.
An air ambulance was deployed to Beddington Park in response. Pic: PA
Joseph Denton, 29, described being at the site for an audit and hearing shouting from the warehouse.
He said: “We thought we’ve got to go and help them.
“[The attacker] was stabbing at me, and I was deflecting it. He sliced my finger open and got a couple of other cuts on my arms, and then basically fought him off there.
“I picked up a fire extinguisher and opened the door and hit him on the head with it. There were about six of us all attacking him at this point, and then he ran off.”
Police arrested a man at the scene of the stabbing. Pic: PA
Police said one of those taken to hospital was a 54-year-old man whose “injuries were deemed non-life-threatening”.
It is not clear whether one of those taken for treatment includes the arrested man.
Read more from Sky News:
Storm Eowyn triggers red warning
Oscar nominations revealed
Asked about the knife, Mr Denton said: “It was literally the size of my face. It was a Rambo knife about eight inches, with all jagged edges.
“He had his thing just stabbing at me like a serial killer,” he added.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 10.21am this morning to reports of a stabbing incident in Marlowe Way, Croydon.
“We sent a number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer, members of our Tactical Response Unit and London’s Air Ambulance.”
An air ambulance was seen in nearby Beddington Park, as part of the response.
An Argos spokesperson said: “We’re doing everything we can to support the teams on site and gathering as much information as possible to support the police with their investigation.”
US President Donald Trump has been criticised for launching a meme-coin while saying he “doesn’t know much” about the cryptocurrency.
The digital coin called TRUMP appeared on his social media accounts ahead of his inauguration on Monday and quickly became one of the most valuable crypto coins. The value of a single coin shot up to $75 within a day, but since has fallen to $39.
But the launch of the so-called meme-coin – a cryptocurrency with no utility other than for fun or speculation – has been widely criticised by industry insiders.
“Trump’s comments about not knowing much about the coin back up my opinion that he is making a mockery of the industry. It’s a stunt,” says Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner.
The latest dip in value came after Trump told reporters: “I don’t know much about it other than I launched it, other than it was very successful.”
When he was told his coin raised several billion dollars for him, he played it down saying “several billion – that’s peanuts for these guys” pointing to tech billionaires assembled for a press conference about AI.
It’s not the first time Trump has sold crypto products. He made millions from launching a series of NFTs of him in various superhero poses in 2022.
Some industry analysts say the president having his own meme coin is a sign that others should follow as a way to make money from supporters.
“TRUMP token just signaled to every company, municipality, university & individual brand that crypto can now be used as a capital formation and customer bootstrapping mechanism,” Jeff Dorman from investing firm Arca posted online.
However, the overall sentiment seems to be negative towards the president’s meme coin.
Many in the crypto world are waiting for Trump to back up campaign promises to help boost the industry in the US. People like Danny Scott hope to see focused plans, particularly around Bitcoin, from the administration.
Last year Trump promised Bitcoin fans he would make the US the “crypto capital of the planet”. A few days into his term, the president has not issued executive orders involving cryptocurrency, nor has he mentioned it in his speeches.
TRUMP coin is now the 25th most valuable crypto coin with a value of around $8 billion, according to the website CoinMarketCap.
Trump and the team behind it own 80% of the coins so, in theory, they would make billions of dollars if they sold their shares and the price remained the same.
This set-up has been described by crypto researchers at K33 as outdated for similar tokens.
“There’s no sugar-coating this – these tokenomics are horrendous for a meme-coin,” said David Zimmerman, a K33 analyst.
However, K33 analysts acknowledge that the remaining 80% of coins can’t be dumped on the open market so investors are partially shielded from price shocks.
There are thousands of cryptocurrency coins and anyone can create one.
First Lady Melania Trump launched her own meme-coin on the eve of the inauguration, which now has a value of $700m since slumping from $13 a coin to $2.70.
Meme-coins are often launched for fun and used by speculators to make money or to allow fans to show support to a celebrity or moment in internet culture.
But many have led to big losses for people investing in them.
Dan Hughes, from crypto firm Radix, thinks the president and his wife launching their meme-coins undermines the positives of the industry.
“This pattern of celebrity-driven token launches, particularly from political figures, potentially marks a concerning trend in crypto markets where influence and liquidity manipulation could overshadow fundamental value creation,” he said.
Others in the cryptocurrency world think that launching meme-coins to make money is degrading.
“The introduction of these coins during the presidential inauguration raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest and may undermine the dignity of the president and the first lady,” said Grzegorz Drozdz, market analyst at investment firm Conotoxia.
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