Category: Championat

Hackney charities and organisations have launched a bid to take over the old Colvestone Primary School building after the council recognised the site as an asset of community value (ACV).

A consortium of local residents and groups announced their proposal last month to save the east London building from deteriorating by repurposing it as a creative and cultural hub, theLocal Democracy Reporting Servicesaid.

It comes after Hackney Council closed the school along with three others in August last year due to falling pupil numbers.

Further primary school closures have been proposed by the council and are expected to go ahead in August 2025.

The consortium’s proposal argues “early reoccupation” would prevent the building from deteriorating and bring down costs for the council, and it suggested the council could offer an interim or long-term lease for groups to move into the space while it determines the building’s future.

Those taking part in the bid include Pollock’s Toy Museum, Julian Joseph’s Music Hub, Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, and Mercury Prize-shortlisted musician and producer Samuel Shepherd, known as Floating Points.

The plans are also supported by several businesses hoping to offer lessons in art, music, furniture, clothes-making, recycling, and more.

“Schools are closing as a result of London becoming unaffordable for young families, [and] councils are being starved of government funds,” said the consortium’s co-ordinator Bill Parry-Davies.

“Viable alternative uses that confer community benefits, like the Colvestone School bid, are possible and these would preserve and enhance the rich architectural, educational and social heritage which these former schools embody.”

Under the Localism Act 2011, once buildings are listed as ACVs with the local authority, the community has a right to bid for the property if the council decides to sell it.

This triggers a moratorium period to allow locals to raise funds to purchase the building before any private sale takes place.

Hackney Council’s cabinet member for finance, councillor Robert Chapman, said: “We are committed to finding the most sustainable and most appropriate uses for all former school sites in the borough.

“It is now for the organisations and associations that have sought such recognition to demonstrate they can bring the building and land into sustainable use.

“In the meantime, we will continue to develop our own plans for this site and others.

“It remains the case that any change of use of a former school requires the consent of the Secretary of State.”

An exhibition showcasing the stories and history of a London homeless community is opening later this month.

Homelessness Heritage in Waterloo will weave together personal accounts, artworks and photographs to shed light on those who lived in the Bullring area in Waterloo.

Also known as Cardboard City, the area was home to an encampment made from hundreds of cardboard boxes in the underpasses between Waterloo station and the South Bank.

Up to 200 people were sleeping rough in boxes in the area in the mid-1980s. The homeless community was evicted in 1998 following a High Court order.

The project is funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant, which celebrates working-class history.

It comes after Historic England gave a grant of almost £25,000for a project looking at Cardboard City.

Shaped and led by those with lived experience of homelessness, the exhibition aims to bring together stories of love, solidarity and resilience while also confronting the challenges of fear, hardship, and destitution, organisers said.

Euchar Gravina, artistic director at St John’s Waterloo, said the exhibition represented “the first public outcome of this ongoing project” and as a result will not be “comprehensive”.

“Instead, it offers a heartfelt endeavour to preserve and reflect upon the memories shared by and archival fragments of those whose lives were shaped by it, while honouring the legacy of those who are no longer with us.”

Tom Foxall, Historic England’s regional director, said: “There are so many hidden histories to uncover here in London, with the Cardboard City among the most poignant.

“The strength of our Everyday Heritage grant programme is we are funding projects that are community-led and really engage with local people by empowering them to research and tell their own stories.”

Homelessness Heritage in Waterloo: “The spirit of the Bullring lives on…” runs from18 Feb to 2 March in the Crypt at St John’s Church in Waterloo.

An investigation is under way after a child was killed when they were hit by a train in south London last month.

The incident occurred just after 08:00 GMT on 23 January at the Bourneview footpath crossing, between Whyteleafe and Kenley, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said.

The train was travelling at about 50mph (80km/h) when the child was struck.

A British Transport Police spokesperson said the child died at the scene and the death was not being treated as suspicious.

The Bourneview footpath crossing provides a pedestrian access route between two residential areas of Kenley and has gates and signage instructing users on how to cross.

The child, who has not been formally identified by the police, was a pupil at Riddlesdown Collegiate in Kenley, Inside Croydonreported.

An RAIB spokesperson said the investigation would seek to determine the sequence of events leading to the accident, including factors affecting the child’s actions, previous incidents at the crossing, risk management strategies, and any underlying factors.

The investigation is independent of any investigations carried out by the railway industry or the Office of Rail and Road.

A report containing the findings and any safety recommendations would be published on the RAIB website at the conclusion of the investigation.

A fire that tore through a luxury London hotel favoured by celebrities was caused by wood falling from a pizza oven.

The Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone, which had been due to host a post-Bafta Film Awards party on Sunday evening, was partially destroyed by the fire on 14 February.

The flames spread through the four-storey hotel in central London via ducting, damaging parts of the ground floor and half of the second floor and destroying the third floor and roof, London Fire Brigade said.

The fire service said the fire had been started accidentally “by burning wood falling from a pizza oven and igniting the void between the basement and ground floor”.

The five-star hotel in Marylebone was a former fire station, built in the 1880s.

London Brigade assistant commissioner Paul McCourt said: “Crews worked incredibly hard for over eight hours in arduous conditions.

“Presented with a complex fire in a historically significant building, formerly Manchester Square Fire Station, firefighters successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to neighbouring properties.”

Around 100 people were evacuated and no injuries were reported.

More than 120 firefighters and 20 fire engines were called to the scene.

A PhD student accused of raping 10 women using alcohol and drugs has denied buying a drug from China in order to carry out sexual assaults on women.

Zhenhao Zou, who denies all charges, began giving evidence during his trial at Inner London Crown Court on Monday.

Asked about his online purchase of two bottles of Butanediol that were found in his wardrobe by police, Mr Zou said he intended to take the drug in nightclubs to get high.

He said he poured it into drinks and drank them himself in order to feel “happier in parties”.

Asked if he intended to use that substance to carry out sexual assaults on women, he replied: “No.”

The 27-year-old is accused of drugging and raping three women in London and seven in China between 2019 and 2023. He denies the charges.

On Monday he told the court that he came into contact with drugs like cocaine and ketamine from parties and going to nightclubs while he was a PhD student at University College London (UCL).

In a prepared statement he gave to police in January 2024 following his arrest, which was read to jurors, Mr Zou said: “The two bottles in my room were bought in July 2023 and the substance is Butanediol which I use for moisturising my face and body.

“The bottles are sealed because I had not used it yet as I had not finished my moisturiser.”

Earlier in court he said he purchased the drug from online retailer Taobao in China and had it delivered to him in the UK.

Asked by his barrister if it was true that he used Butanediol as a moisturiser, he said no.

Mr Zou said he did not tell the police about taking the drug because he didn’t want to be considered as a drug user.

In his January 2024 statement to police, Mr Zou also said: “I am in the habit of taking pictures of my sexual activity with my sexual partners. The pictures are only taken with her consent and agreement.

“As to the allegation of rape I deny having sexual intercourse with a partner without her consent and I always believed she consented to it.”

Earlier on Monday Mr Zou told the court his “favourite” pornography involved sleeping women.

Asked by his lawyer Mark Cotter KC why that type of pornography appealed to him, Mr Zou said: “I like it because the girl appears to be still and quiet when they are having sex.”

Mr Cotter then asked Mr Zou: “What about being asleep?”

The student replied: “Yes, that’s my favourite type. But I could not find that.”

The jury has previously been shown videos the prosecution alleges show Mr Zou having sex with drunk and unconscious women.

At the trial two women have testified that he raped them as they drifted in and out of consciousness.

Mr Zou said told the court he grew up in China and then came to study at university in the UK.

He said he returned to China between March 2020 and July 2021 because of the Covid pandemic.

Prosecutors said Mr Zou appears to be “a smart and charming young man” but is in fact “a persistent sexual predator, a voyeur and a rapist”.

He denies 11 charges of raping 10 different women. The trial continues.

Additional reporting by PA Media.

Jackets worn by retired British Army veterans are getting a new lease of life before they go on display at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The distinctive red jackets with black cuffs and gold buttons worn by Chelsea Pensioners, who live at Royal Hospital Chelsea in south-west London, are being recycled into cushions.

Veterans are helping to dismantle the wool garments – which are being phased out for an easier to wear fabric – while the sewing is being done by prisoners through an initiative by the charity Fine Cell Work.

“It is quite therapeutic,” says Chelsea Pensioner Anne Lloyd as she unpicks a seam, pops off a button and snips away fabric from a ceremonial scarlet uniform.

Each piece is being deconstructed and sewn back together as cushions for seating in the London Square Chelsea Pensioners Garden, being exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The show is held each May in the grounds of Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Ms Lloyd, 79, says she is a “new girl” at the Royal Chelsea Hospital, having moved there last November.

Putting on the scarlet jacket for the first time was memorable.

“Oh it’s wonderful,” she says. “It’s such a privilege. As soon as you put it on, you’re six inches taller.”

She says she is looking forward to seeing the end result of the transformed uniforms.

After the flower show, the exhibited garden will become a private space for Chelsea Pensioners, their families and other non-resident veterans – including the seating with its scarlet upholstery.

“And the joy is also going to be the fact that we can keep it afterwards and then all the pensioners can go and enjoy the garden,” she adds.

Fine Cell Work aims to rehabilitate people who are serving time, or prison leavers, by giving them skills in embroidery and needlework.

The charity is working with the pensioners on the project.

Workshops manager Jordanne Cliffe says: “The original intention when we started Fine Cell Work 26 years ago was to allow prisoners the opportunity to learn new skills in embroidery and needlework.

“About seven years ago we created our post-release programme so that those who have stitched with us when they were in prison, can join us post-release to continue that support.”

The cushions will be taken into prisons to have the final touches applied by those taking part in workshops, before being installed at the Chelsea Flower Show.

An aspiring ballroom dancer, who was seven when he was injured by a bomb in his native Ukraine, has become the subject of an award-winning London film.

Romchyk is the true story of Roman Oleksiv, who was badly burned in a Russian missile strike in July 2022 which also killed his mother.

The movie was filmed by students at Goldsmiths, University of London, in and around their campus in New Cross.

It was shown to the Pope during the Vatican’s global summit looking into protecting children from war.

The film was the brainchild of Kostiantyn Bidnenko, who proposed making a short piece about Roman to his fellow Goldsmiths MA students.

It examines the boy’s recovery and attempts to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

“I saw a news article about what happened to Roman,” Mr Bidnenko said.

“For me, he became a symbol of all children who suffer because of war.”

Lara Kozah, who was also part of the student production team, said: “It was a challenge to convincingly transform London into Ukraine for the filming.

“We used a nearby park for the outdoor scenes. We repurposed a classroom for the hospital scenes.

“We built a bedroom in a studio from scratch.”

A local Ukrainian society helped them cast the actors.

They met the Pope to show him the film during the Vatican’s International Summit on Children’s Rights in early February.

Ms Kozah said it was a “surreal experience” and an honour.

“The Holy Father really engaged with the film,” she said.

“We want to show this story worldwide to show people what the real consequences of war are for children.”

Romchyk won an award at the Cambria Film Festival in California, and is being entered into other international short film festivals.

Mr Bidnenko said: “The biggest award for me is that Roman and his father really liked this film and the careful way we handled his story.”

Additional reporting by Clifford Thompson

A declining birth rate in London is responsible for a continued drop in demand for school places in the capital, according to anew report.

London Councils, a local government collective, has reported a predicted decrease of 3.6% in the capital’s reception pupil numbers over the next four years.

It attributed this to a 20% decrease in the birth rate in London between 2012 and 2022.

Ian Edwards, from London Councils, said boroughs were supporting schools as the demand for places declined.

The cross-party organisation has also predicted a 2.9% decrease in demand for pupils beginning secondary school, roughly equivalent to 100 year 7 classes.

Lower pupil numbers impact the amount of funding a school receives, which can lead to schools making difficult decisions to balance their budgets.

This could include a reduction in staff numbers, which may impact a school’s ability to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), London Councils said.

Other decisions includemerging or closing schools.

While the large majority of London boroughs are forecasting ongoing drops in pupil numbers, some boroughs are predicting growth.

According to the report, seven outer London boroughs are predicting an increase in reception pupil admissions and four outer London boroughs are anticipating a rise in Year 7 admissions over the next four years.

These London boroughs have not been named in the report.

London Councils said the declining birth rate in the capital was the main reason for the decrease in demand for school places.

Between 2012 and 2022 there was a reduction of 27,490 live births across the capital.

London Councils attributed this decline to a shortage of affordable family housing in the capital.

Mr Edwards, London Councils executive member for children and young people, said it was a “difficult climate” but councils were determined to ensure there were sufficient high quality school places in each local area.

“Boroughs will continue to work closely with key education partners in London to mitigate the impact of this drop in demand for school places on school budgets and children’s achievements,” he said.

New images have been released of an unidentified woman who was killed 50 years ago when she was struck by a car while walking along a main road.

Locate International, a charity which investigates cold cases of missing and unidentified people, said the woman was struck by one or more vehicles on the A1 near Baldock, Hertfordshire, in the early hours of 18 February 1975.

Despite numerous appeals, her identity has still not been confirmed, but in 2010 police discovered she may have been French and had lived in Paris.

Hertfordshire Police said: “We never completely close unsolved murder or unexplained death cases and any information we receive will be treated with the upmost importance by the Cold Case team.”

When the woman was found on the southbound carriageway of the A1 near the A507 slipway, she was not wearing shoes and her feet were not dirty.

After an appeal in June 2010, which contained a facial reconstruction of the woman, a couple came forward to say they recognised her as a young French woman who had stayed with them in the early 1970s.

David Liversedge had met her in 1972 when she was hitch-hiking on London’s North Circular road during a thunderstorm.

She then went on to stay with David and his wife, Barbara, at their home near Baldock and gave her name as Odile.

She worked making souvenirs at Plug International on an industrial estate in Henlow, Bedfordshire, and would regularly visit Stotfold Social Club. She also had friends in Newquay, Cornwall.

She then went to Cambridge to study at a language school.

Locate International said it had uncovered an article from the Cambridge Evening News on 25 November 1972 which mentions an Odile Ledoux, a 20-year-old French woman studying English in Cambridge, who was not injured in a house fire.

“Since this latest breakthrough we are now actively investigating the name Odile Ledoux in the UK and in France,” a spokesman for Locate International said.

Locate International said a statement from a milkman who had picked up her up shortly before her death said she had appeared scared or worried.

The charity said it also believed she may have come into physical harm at some point in the months building up to her death.

Witness statements also suggest she may have used the name Anne, Anna, or a variation thereof, as well as Odile.

Mark Greenhalgh, Locate International’s CEO, said: ” If she was alive today, she would be in her late 60s to mid-70s, so we are eager for people to come forward before it is too late.”

Two tiny primates at London Zoo are recovering after receiving dental treatment.

Endangered pygmy slow loris Ernest and black-capped squirrel monkey Nuka were brought to the zoo’s veterinary hospital for dental operations, after previous check-ups identified possible gum infections.

London Zoo veterinarian Stefan Saverimuttu said: “Ernest and Nuka were star patients. Both of their dental operations went really well.”

It comes as the Rengent’s Park zoo holds its Vets In Action week during half term, where as part of their ticket children have the chance to learn more about care for animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade and to practise their own vet skills.

The zoo said specialist veterinary dentist Dr Rachel Perry was called in to help ensure the best care for the animals, and Ernest and Nuka were each given a general anaesthetic for their dental exams, which allowed vets to carry out a full health check while the dentists worked.

Following exams and X-rays, the team of vets got to the bottom of the problem: a broken tooth had been lurking beneath Ernest’s gum, causing swelling, and two of Nuka’s teeth – a canine and incisor – needed extracting.

After they removed the problematic teeth the vets stitched up Ernest’s and Nuka’s gums, and they were eventually returned to their keepers.

They have been given anti-inflammatory medicine after their procedures and are being closely monitored.

Mr Saverimuttu said: “Ernest is doing much better now that the troublesome tooth has been removed.

“Nuka was a bit wobbly after his anaesthesia, but within minutes he was back to his usual antics.

“He’s been opting for softer foods while his mouth heals, which isn’t too much of a hardship for him — he’s always had a soft spot for softer foods.”

He added that since his operation Ernest had been able to go into a new part of his habitat to join a mate.

“The two have been given a breeding recommendation, which means they can hopefully play a vital role in the European breeding programme to support this endangered species.”