London locals face council tax hikes from April

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London – Source: London Assembly

According to an investigation conducted by the Evening Standard, Londoners will face average council tax increases of up to £100 from April onwards.

The hikes come as London Mayor Sadiq Khan calls for extra funding for police forces to address knife crime in the city.

Local councils also seek additional funding for adult social services.

Though Kingston will again set the highest council tax rate in London, households will face tax increases in all 33 of the capital’s local areas.

The mayor’s annual budget was approved on Monday by the London Assembly.

House fire in Hither green

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters attended a fire at a house in Hither Green early on Wednesday morning.

The fire destroyed the first floor and damaged part of the roof.

The house fire in #HitherGreen is now under control. The first floor and part of the roof was damaged by fire. There are no report of any injuries https://t.co/DbfKfXgV2w pic.twitter.com/xyQZYGd4O0

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) February 27, 2019

Fire crews from Lewisham, Lee Green, Greenwich and Forest Hill fire stations were at the scene.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Jury considering verdicts in Bestival drugs death

John Michie and wife Carol Fletcher-Michie drove to the Bestival site – Source: Getty Images

Jurors are considering a verdict in the trial of Ceon Broughton, accused of manslaughter after his girlfriend overdosed on drugs during Bestival, a music festival in Dorset.

The victim is Louella Fletcher-Michie, 24, the daughter of actor John Michie.

She was found dead in a wooded area near the festival grounds in 2017, 400m away from a hospital tent.

Mr Broughton, 30, is accused of neglecting to help her for fear of breaching his suspended jail term.

The court heard that he filmed his girlfriend as she became ‘disturbed, agitated, and then seriously ill’ and continued recording after her apparent death.

Hatton Garden suspect had previous drug charge 

Artist impression of Michael Seed – Artist – Julia Quenzler

Michael Seed, the alarm expert in the £14m raid of the Hatton Garden safe deposit in 2015, was previously sentenced to three years’ jail time for supplying Class A and Class B drugs in 1984.

The prosecution are accusing Mr Seed of being the ‘Basil’, a key part of the of the Hatton Garden heist and someone who may have links to a £86 million diamond heist in Belguim.

Mr. Seed denies two charges of conspiracy to commit burglary and one charge of conspiracy to handle stolen property.

The trial continues.