He was previously at category B Wandsworth prison in south-west London, near Wimbledon, where he enjoyed so much success as a player.

Becker is spending time behind bars after he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for hiding assets during bankruptcy proceedings.

He doesn’t have British citizenship and is in danger of being deported as early as next year.

Elijah Rowe of Wandsworth was found guilty of murder. Muhammed Danso and a fifteen-year-old boy were found guilty of manslaughter.

Police were called to Dowdeswell Close on May 6^th, 2021, where the victim was found.

All three were convicted at Kingston Crown Court and will be sentenced there on the on the 29^{th of} July.

They were all handed in at one of the county’s forces five knife banks.

Eighteen were recovered by officers from known hotspots in the county.

It’s all part of the national initiative – Operation Sceptre.

 ‘The Happy and Glorious’ auction lots include Queen Victoria’s bloomers and a tapestry of the Queen Mother.

There is also a surprise sphere that opens to show the heads of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

A fifteen-year-old cake baked for the diamond wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip has a guide price of £200-£300.

Cervarix is designed to fight two types of human papillomavirus.

The Brentford based pharmaceutical giant is the first foreign producer of a jab to be approved by Chinese regulators.

It’ll mark the first phase of the charity's £10million headquarter project.

The willows are part of a £50,000 donation of trees and plants from Surrey Freemasons. 

The Wildlife Aid Centre project will eventually include a visitor centre and a new state of the art wildlife hospital and rehab centre.

The UK government, European commission and premier league approved the four-and-a-quarter-billion-pound deal this week.

The deal is due to be completed on Monday with net proceeds going to support the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.

Assurance have been given that Roman Abramovich won’t make money from the sale.

Officers were called to Chertsey Road at around 140pm to reports of a man being attacked.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault causing GBH injuries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the police on 101.

The council says one of the reasons it waived road closure fees was to help more people get out and celebrate. 

The Museum of Croydon will launch a special digital exhibition celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee online next week.

Residents are also being encouraged to sponsor a street or celebration tree in a park as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project.

Daphine Aikens joins a select group of people who have been singled out for the honour which marks exceptional contribution.

She set up the foodbank in 2010 to address the issue of poverty across West London. 

Over its 12 years, it has helped more than 120,000 people and given out 1.4million meals.

Wildlife Aid Foundation is coping with an influx of hatchlings at its centre in Leatherhead. 

These include abandoned and injured baby birds, three of which saw their nest removed during tree felling works. 

The law states that if you discover a nest where work is due to start, you are required to postpone and not disturb it. 

Emergency crews were called yesterday just after 11.30 to Phipps Bridge Road.

She was assessed at the scene by ambulance crews but wasn’t taken to hospital.

The cause is under investigation.

Martin Thomas, The Lord Thomas of Gresford, is currently the Liberal Democrats’ shadow Attorney General.

He spent 17 years researching his book “My Dear Hamy: Insights and Intrigues at the Court, Caroline Princess of Wales.”

It focuses on the lives of three women who played their part in royal circles in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

Manger, The Royal Parks, will start planting 70 trees in an area slightly larger than two football pitches in the winter. 

 The woodland, costing £100,000, will be situated close to Ham Cross plantation.

 The money is coming from The Royal Parks, The Friends of Richmond Park, and the People’s Postcode Lottery.

 The woodland will be fenced to protect trees from browsing deer. 

Ian Fenn, who's 51, says he was asked to leave a branch in March because of his feline friend Chloe.

He claims she stops him feeling "overwhelmed" - but Sainsbury's says the animal poses a food hygiene risk.

Councillors have given the green light for the redevelopment. 

The new building will also contain 5-a-side rooftop football pitches, a climbing wall, flexible community spaces and a café.

Demolishment of the current building, which closed in December 2019, starts later in the summer.  

The Phoenix Enterprise Programme has been offering free support to 800 start-up and early-stage growth companies. 

The latest offering includes five new stages to help business owners with topics like digital skills and recruitment. 

They’ll run until February. 

On the Tuesday, police were called to Clapham Junction, where 23-year-old Jayme Smith was reportedly attacking people.

Officers discovered she was on recall to prison, so she was arrested, and later attacked the two who arrested her.

She’s been sentenced to 26 weeks in prison.

Dr Mohan Sekeram, Barry Causer from Merton Public Health, and Dr Laura Jarvie have amassed over £1,000.

The money is going to The Dons Local Action Group.

Set up as a grassroots response to Covid, the charity provides digital, food, and furniture support to Merton’s residents.  

Birmingham's struggling to get its staffing up to full capacity.

147,000 people are booked to fly from there over the Jubilee weekend - 144 times more than the same Bank Holiday in 2020.

Queues at security prompted Gatwick and Manchester to tell passengers to get there three hours early.

Travel expert Simon Calder is at Heathrow Airport, and says there's not much we can do about it.

50-year-old David King walked into the Claire’s Accessories in late-March, and threatened the cashier with a pair of scissors.

He took £100 worth of cash and left, then five hours later, tried the same thing in Cards Galore, but the cashier stopped him.

He’s been sentenced to 48 months in prison.

Website Eventbrite is looking for the nation’s biggest hobby-crafter as part of its Hobby Hero competition. 

It’s urging people in Kingston particularly, to come forward and showcase their creative skills. 

Professor Sir Cary Cooper, is a world-renowned expert on wellbeing; he explains the importance of taking up a hobby.

University and College Union members have stopped all activity related to grading students’ work, including exam papers. 

It’s in a row over a number of issues including excessive workloads. 

Kingston University says it doesn’t anticipate much, if any, impact on students.

It’s being issued by Leatherhead charity, Wildlife Aid Foundation, which has seen a spike in the number of hatchlings its taking in.

 Gardeners and tree surgeons are being reminded of the laws that are in place to protect nesting birds. 

According to Natural England, nesting season runs from March to July, and during this time it is an offence to knowingly disturb a nest.  

Anyone carrying out work on hedges, trees and vegetation during this time is advised to make a thorough visual inspection first.

It’s reported that a Mercedes was stolen from a driveway in Pony Chase and later two BMWs were taken around Sandy Lane.

Officers investigating believe these thefts are all connected and carried out by the same suspects.

Inspector Bert Dean said, “We advise that the public keep their keys in a signal blocking pouch such as a faraday bag”.

Anyone with CCTV footage in the area should contact police on 101.

23-year-old Warren Morton pleaded guilty to three sexual assaults, two common assaults and breaching his Sexual Risk Order.

He carried out 4 attacks that all involved him sexually grabbing women from behind, including a girl under the age of 16.

DC Hollie Say, who investigated the incident says, “knowing that he’s off the streets will reassure the local community.”

Officers chased the group after they witnessed a knife being dropped and picked back up during a patrol last Friday. 

In total, 42 people were arrested during week-long British Transport Police operations across the UK. 

Stephen Hammond says he "can't defend the indefensible" after the inquiry found a culture of partying and boozing at Downing Street during lockdown.

Speaking yesterday, the representative for Wimbledon in London said he's worried about the reputation of the Tories:

23 year old Warren Morton pleaded guilty to three sexual assaults, two common assaults and breaching his Sexual Risk Order.

He carried out 4 attacks that all involved him sexually grabbing women from behind, including a girl under the age of 16.

DC Hollie Say, who investigated the incident says, “knowing that he’s off the streets will reassure the local community.”

He was seen at the Boat Club on Barge walk directing his new 1930s movie “The Boys in the Boat”.

It’s based on American rower Joe Rantz, who competed at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Nine deaths were also reported across England, Scotland and Wales, one of which was Twickenham shopkeeper, Tony Mumford. 

Use of privately-owned e-scooters on public roads is illegal, although certain devices can be used via a rental scheme.

Emily Hartridge was believed to have been the first person in the UK killed in a crash involving an e-scooter in Battersea in 2019. 

Met officers and the Deputy Mayor of London will be patrolling the area around Lavender Hill Police Station.

The aim is to give women the chance to voice their safety concerns to police.  

The event, starting at 3pm, is part of a series of similar events.  

It’s reported that the incident happened on last Thursday the 19^th at 3:30 in the afternoon.

The man is described as white, tall, slim and tanned and was wearing a black wooley hat, shorts with a tattoo on his arm.

Officers believe he may be involved in other reported incidents in the area recently.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101.

28-year-old Simon Hayden-Reno attacked her at a home between 2017 and 2018.

It was only in October 2018 that the victim told her mother what was happening.

Detective Constable Heidi Lee says “he now faces a very long time in prison and it is thoroughly deserved”.

Members of the GMB Union employed as cleaners and hostesses will go on strike for three days, starting Monday.

The union says that contractor Mitie has “spent millions taking over a new company”, despite withholding wages for seven weeks.

Mitie spokesperson statement: 

“We are disappointed with the decision to take industrial action. Our people are what make our business exceptional and we are proud to offer industry leading benefits. We have implemented a change to pay periods on this contract so that our colleagues can move from four-weekly to monthly paydays – a change that colleagues throughout Mitie have said is a significant improvement. 

“We have measures in place to ensure that we continue to deliver these vital services to the Trust and maintain a clean and safe environment for patients and staff.” 

Background

• We have changed the pay period for colleagues on this contract from four-weekly to monthly paydays. This ensures colleagues are paid on the same date each month and receive a regular base salary each payday. Feedback from colleagues elsewhere within Mitie who have moved from four-weekly to monthly paydays have seen the change as positive, as it helps them manage their finances better, as most outgoings, such as rent, mortgage payments, council tax, utility bills etc are paid on a monthly basis.
• We have put several measures in place to ensure colleagues are fully supported during this time. This included offering salary advances, which are interest-free and can be repaid over many months, for those who need it.
• As part of ongoing discussions with GMB we also offered an interim payment to ensure colleagues didn’t suffer financial detriment during this time. This was rejected by GMB.
• No wages have been withheld from colleagues.
• There have been no changes to our colleagues terms and conditions.
• We are proud to offer industry-leading colleague benefits, including free life assurance for all our colleagues, a free multi-language 24/7 GP service for all our colleagues and their families, free Mitie shares, and an Employee Assistance Programme that offers practical and mental wellbeing support for all our colleagues.

The reports in The Times come ahead of Rishi Sunak's package of support to help with the rising cost of living.

He's expected to raise some cash by following Labour's demand for a windfall tax on big oil and gas companies.

Liberal Democrat leader and Kingston MP Sir Ed Davey's not overly optimistic.

The black activists were tried for inciting a riot in protest against the police targeting of The Mangrove restaurant in Notting Hill. 

Their trial in 1970 lasted 55 days before they were all acquitted of the most serious charges. 

Danny Clarke is the co-designer of the Grow 2 Know “Hands Off Mangrove” garden.

But the partygate scandal isn't off his plate just yet - with a committee of MPs to say whether he misled the House of Commons.

The inquiry found Downing Street staff drank into the early hours at gatherings while strict Covid rules were in place.

Tory MP for Wimbledon, Stephen Hammond, is worried about the reputation of his party.

The Department for Transport's released its Flightpath to the Future plan - committing to making the UK a "global leader" in air travel.

But industry experts say they want to see "pace" to the proposals.

The victim was walking near Brooklands Road on Tuesday 17th of May at around 11pm.

Three people took part in the assault who made demands for a watch.

The suspect were believed to be in a Mercedes and drove into Caenshill Road near to Summit Place.

Anyone with any dashcam footage is asked to contact police on 101 

Andy Gibbons was first elected in 1994, and was deputy leader of the Wandsworth Labour Party.

Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan says he was “a stalwart of local politics, a dedicated husband, loving father, hardworking teacher and passionate trade unionist”.

The 16-year-olds, from Epsom and Carshlaton, are also accused of aggravated vehicle taking.

They’re due to appear in court next week.

30 year old Tyler Byrne from Hampshire was struck by a train in February last year.

Rail Accident Investigation Branch investigators found Mr Byrne had "lost awareness of his position".

Its report has made three safety recommendations, two of which have been addressed to Network Rail.

 Some players worry the Grand Slam will feel less important.

This follows on from a decision that was made to strip the ranking points to stop Russian and Belarusian players from competing.

But Murray says those watching the action won't "know or care" about the points but will "remember who wins".

 Patented medicines will be offered at a not-for-profit price - which the boss says may benefit more than one-billion people.

Albert Bourla from the Tadworth based pharma giant says he's proud of his company 

He also commented on the rise in monkeypox cases in Europe - but believes coronavirus is a bigger threat.

The Duke of Cambridge made a surprise visit to The Reuben Foundation Imaging centre and spoke with staff and patients.

He also witnessed a live radiology procedure while he was at the site yesterday.  

The prince became president of the hospital in 2007.

Urgent referrals for urological cancers as a whole across the South East reached an all-time high in March.

Over 4,300 people checked in that month alone according to figures from the NHS.

The service is putting the increase down to a joint awareness campaign it launched with Prostate Cancer UK in February.

The Prime Minister says he wants to renew his apology to the British people after Sue Gray's report into Downing Street lockdown parties was released in full.

The civil servant's concluded senior leadership at Number Ten - both political and official - must "bear responsibility."

At one event someone had so much to drink that they were sick.

One official described a party as a "comms risk" after an email invite was sent to 200 staff.

Boris Johnson says many of the events were leaving-dos for staff and he was only there to thank them for their service:

Kingston and Surbiton MP and leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey, says the Prime Minister's actions are unforgiveable.

Dr Helen Wickstead is leading a campaign to save thousands of pieces of history that cannot find a home in museums. 

She’s formed Recycle Archaeology, an action group aiming to create social and educational uses for these pieces.   

 Many of the finds, known as de-selected materials, end up reburied or in skips or landfill. 

More than 12,000 artefacts, from excavations in south west London, have been saved over the years.

This includes 6,000-year-old stone tools, tankards, apothecary bottles, coins, military medals and even animal bone. 

The model from Croydon, who’s the Pirates of the Caribbean star's former-girlfriend, denied he ever pushed her downstairs or kicked her 

The actor’s suing his ex-wife over an article she wrote claiming she was a domestic abuse victim, and she is counter-suing him.

They say it’s part of ongoing industrial action over four issues including excessive workloads and insecure temporary contracts.

Staff will stop all activity related to grading and assessing students’ work including exam papers.

They warn this may affect the release of final grades.

A Kingston University spokesperson said:  

‘It is disappointing that the Kingston UCU branch have decided to promote an assessment boycott at a time when 86% of university branches have rejected this form of action. 

Students have shown remarkable resilience and determination to continue their studies through the pandemic, and the university is committed to ensuring that they are not impacted by this action, which we believe will be undertaken by fewer than 10% of staff.

Our assessment process will continue, and we do not anticipate much, if any impact on students. The university remains committed to national pay bargaining and continues to negotiate with the UCU at a local level on other issues.’

Its first salon was opened in Wimbledon Village on this day in 1982. 

Since then, the group has opened 57 premises and training academies UK wide and cares for 10,000 clients a week. 

Emergency crews were called just before 4pm yesterday to Herondale Avenue.

The boy was riding a child’s scooter, and the driver stopped at the scene and is helping police with their enquiries.

There have been no arrests.

British Transport Police were called to the station’s rear forecourt at 6.45pm on Friday.

A bystander was filmed trying to subdue the animal which in turn, clamped itself to his leg as he grappled with it on the pavement.   

The owner was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control. 

She was released and remains under investigation.

A spokesperson said they are now "satisfied" the sale won't benefit former owner Roman Abramovich "or any other sanctioned individual".

The Premier League has also approved the purchase, with Boehly agreeing to pay 4-and-a-quarter billion pounds for the Premier League club.

Pollyanna Wilkinson’s design is promoting the work done by charity, Mothers for Mothers. 

Perinatal mental illness affects up to 20% of new and expectant mums and covers a wide range of conditions according to the NHS. 

Pollyanna says her garden is about offering hope.  

The force says “the photo is from our friends at Lancashire Police” and is “totally a joke”, it was just reposted by them in 2018.

Among the translations are “Stormzy = not the weather, rapper from Croydon” and “blud = brother; associate”.

However, Surrey has been called out for labelling the initial post as trying to engage with “our younger R&B residents”, since Stormzy isn’t R&B.

Police say it happened to a secondary school age girl outside the library.

Anyone who knows the girl involved or may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Colliers Wood police.

Thirty five year old Daniel Alcon has broken the record for the "longest freestyle rap marathon." 

Mr Alcon teaches English in Valencia in Spain where he now lives.

He says he wanted to raise awareness of Key Changes, a record label exclusively for musicians with mental health challenges.

The monarch is planning to attend the iconic racing fixture on the 4th of June.

Retraining of Racehorses and the Jockey Club have arranged for five of her thoroughbreds to be there.

The US Open champion is the biggest name to be excluded from the Grand Slam following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The removal of points means Medvedev will move above Novak Djokovic to the top of the world standings.

He says it's a strange situation.

The ATP and WTA have taken the stance because the All-England club has banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing this year due to the war in Ukraine.

Osaka, who suffered a first-round defeat to Amanda Anisimova at the French Open, says ranking points really matter.

The Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner has agreed to pay 4-and-a-quarter billion pounds for the Stamford Bridge club.

However, the deal remains subject to government approval due to sanctions imposed on current owner Roman Abramovich.

Earlier, the Prime Minister's spokesperson says the government has started talks with "international partners" over the sale.

Michael Gove is writing to the CEO of Clarion Housing, following severe concerns about the Eastfields Estate in Merton.

MP Stephen Hammond says “too many of my constituents in Wimbledon have been let down by Clarion for too long”.

A Clarion Spokesperson says it was a “complex case” and have issued guidance around complaints procedures.

A catalytic converter was taken from a car inside the Blagdon Road carpark while a shopper in Poundland had their purse stolen. 

Two female suspects also attempted the steal the contents of a handbag in KFC in a distraction theft. 

The Met Police says to keep bags and purses zipped at all times and to carry them across your chest if possible. 

The council has taken home the top prize at the UK Real Estate Investment Infrastructure Forum Awards. 

The authority published its first environmental policy statement in the 1980s. 

Since then, a number of sustainable developments have been built.

These include the nation’s first major zero-carbon community, BedZED, in Hackbridge in 2002.  

The large-scale, mixed-use sustainable community comprises 100 homes, office space, a college and community facilities. 

In 2019, the Council declared a climate emergency and ambitions to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. 

With 52% of the vote share, it came second to Cheltenham.

Richmond Council leader Gareth Roberts says “how very gratifying”.

Out of the 21 victories, Sutton was among the least sure, with barely 35% of the share and placing 19th. 

That’s according to Richmond Park MP, Sarah Olney, who paid staff a visit last week with Lib Dem leader, Sir Ed Davey. 

Ms Olney says it’s because of a lack of capacity in care homes and domiciliary social care providers. 

She says she is working to press the Government to put in place plans to ensure the NHS has the workforce it needs.

We’ve contacted Kingston Hospital for comment. 

That would be a rise of 42 percent from the current 1-thousand 971 pound limit.

The Resolution Foundation’s warning that could see almost 10 million families in England in 'fuel stress' - meaning they'll spend at least 10 percent of income on energy.

Business Secretary and MP for Spelthorne Kwasi Kwarteng insists help’s on the way.

22-year-old Harrison Breading Maton is also accused of robbery, three counts of criminal damage, and possession of an offensive weapon.

Last Friday, police were called after a woman was robbed on the High Street in the early hours.

A 22-year-old was arrested nearby, where officers found the front of House of Fraser and a police car smashed.

Pictures show the kitchen and bathroom covered in dirt, with a large cobweb hanging off of a lone toilet roll on a windowsill.

In another room, a long, almost perfectly straight track of muck runs across the floorboards into the kitchen.

The average house price for its postcode is just over £500,000, and has good links to Tooting Bec and Streatham High Road.

Black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people.

Now there'll be mandatory training for all officers, including black history.

Surrey Police’s Inclusion Lead Nev Kemp says they must “really understand how and why our own behaviours, as well as our systems, impact on our diverse communities and take action to rectify it”.

Full Statement:

Surrey Police Deputy Chief Constable and Inclusion Lead, Nev Kemp, said: “We accept that people from culturally diverse backgrounds, particularly Black people, are disproportionately impacted by how we police. Our data supports this. We must acknowledge this and really understand how and why our own behaviours, as well as our systems, impact on our diverse communities and take action to rectify it.

“This is a landmark moment for policing. We wholeheartedly support the introduction of this plan and will use it to drive real change for our communities and force.

“We must be clear that stating that racism and discrimination exists is not the same as characterising policing or all our officers, staff, and volunteers as racist. The majority would assert that they would not consciously tolerate racism and should anyone fall short they are robustly dealt with.

“This plan is about the fundamentals of how policing is built and the disproportionate impact this has on culturally diverse members of society. Data shows us disparities we cannot explain, and this cannot continue. Our own plan will set out local activity to tackle this, ensure we stay on track, remain accountable and ultimately deliver a Surrey police service that benefits us all.”

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, said: “We have made progress over recent years, but even now many of our policies are unintentionally biased and can be discriminatory against people from culturally diverse backgrounds. This impacts on the service we provide and can break down trust in us.

“In 2020 we launched Our Commitments, a series of promises to ensure that the county is, and feels, safe. This safety – and feeling of safety - needs to apply to all and we know that this is not the case. As a service we have not moved forward quickly enough nor have we formally acknowledged the impact of racism in policing. If this does not change, it will widen the divide with some of our communities and, in Surrey, will go against the commitments we made as an organisation.

“I am proud to serve as Surrey’s Chief Constable and if my legacy is that this generation of officers, staff and volunteers are part of an anti-racist organisation delivering a service that is without bias, then we will have made a real difference”.

It's alleged the incidents took place in the Swanley area of Kent in January and February last year.

The 49 year-old, who was an officer with the Metropolitan police, is currently serving a whole-life sentence.

Thousands took part in the 15 mile walk between the hospital’s two sites in Chelsea and Sutton. 

Money raised will go towards the completion of the new Oak Cancer Centre which is due to start taking in patients in the new year. 

The Marsden is Europe's largest comprehensive cancer centre and rated as one of the leading cancer centres in the world.

The research has been carried out by Lloyds Bank ahead of the Chelsea Flower Show which opened to the public today. 

Properties in the vicinity of Chelsea can attract a “county premium” of 276%, or £2.2 million more than the London average. 

RHS Brockhole Garden, in Windermere, garnered the second highest premium of 161% which is £338,528 more than the Cumbria average. 

Third were homes in the vicinity of RHS Bridgewater in Manchester which are on average 144% higher than Lancashire as a whole.

The service - which links Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west to Shenfield in Essex in the east - has opened this morning.

It'll slash many journey times in the capital, but is three-and-a-half years late and more than 4 billion pounds over budget.

The Frenchman reacted angrily after being confronted by a fan who'd run on to celebrate Everton's Premier League survival.

Video footage appeared to show Vieira kicking the supporter to the ground, but officers say the matter won't be taken any further.

Other members of the Royal Family are there too - including Princess Beatrice.

Her Majesty's missed a number of events recently - like the State Opening of Parliament - because of mobility issues, but did make a surprise visit to central London last week to open the new Elizabeth line.

It’s over alleged plans to "fire-and-rehire" staff.

They would be rehired on new contracts and receive a net total of 8 fewer holiday days.

Statement in full from Richmond upon Thames College. 

Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) are hugely disappointed to see strike action go ahead at this time, when students across the country have already experienced a large amount of disruption due to the pandemic.

The College needs to have a new calendar in place for the new academic year to ensure that there is more time for teachers to have INSET days outside the teaching timetable to develop their practice, meet as teams and focus on the individual needs of the students and plan and organise their work. RuTC is currently a significant outlier within the FE sector, with the current very high levels of annual leave entitlement preventing us from being able to allocate specific non-teaching days for staff training, development, collaboration and support for students.

The dispute with University and Colleges Union (UCU) has arisen over the proposal to reduce the current 64 days per year of annual leave (including Bank Holidays and efficiency days) to a level in line with other Further Education (FE) colleges. The consultation and negotiation period (further extended by the College) has come to a close and the proposal is a net loss of 8 days of annual leave with full financial compensation, which equates to teaching staff having a total of 56 days of leave (including Bank Holidays and an increased number of efficiency days).

The College informed UCU on 22nd February 2022 that there would be proposals to change the terms and conditions of the teaching staff contract to see if agreement could be reached and individuals could voluntarily move to the revised contract. It was agreed that we would move to formal consultation on 8th March 2022. The 45-day formal consultation period was due to end on 22nd April 2022 and the College extended the timeline by a further 18 days until 10th May 2022 in the hope of reaching collective agreement. Consultation came to an end on that day when the UCU response made it clear that negotiations could go no further.

The College has demonstrated a consistent and genuine desire to negotiate on the overall package of benefits including pay and levels of annual leave and has confirmed the offer of 100% financial compensation (consolidated) for the net reduction in annual leave. This offer financially compensates and recognises the work that teaching staff regularly carry out during holiday times. In addition, it enables staff to take time back on designated non-teaching days in recognition of additional work carried out during term time.

UCU represent fewer than 50% of the College’s teaching staff, the ballot was not unanimously in favour of strike action and the College have been made aware that many of our teachers are equally disappointed in the union’s decision to strike. There have been no dismissal letters sent to date, as the College is in discussions with individual members of teaching staff, of whom a significant number are accepting the new contract terms on a voluntary basis.

The College notes the concerns raised by UCU around the tabling of the final option to dismiss and re-engage but is resolute that this is a ‘worst case scenario’ only to be pursued in the event that it is unable to reach an agreed compromise position with the unions. This is a standard element of the contract re-negotiation process, where, in the event that no agreement can be reached, the old contract is terminated and the same staff are re-engaged on the new contract. The College remained committed to reaching a collective agreement without having to implement the process set out in the Section 188 notice and it remained the College’s strong and stated preference to reach a negotiated position that would avoid the necessity of implementing this process. The new terms and conditions will then be in line with other Colleges in our sector.

It is disappointing that UCU representatives from the very start of the consultation chose to focus their attention so heavily on this element of the process, at the expense of engaging in meaningful negotiation, as we believe that this dispute could have been resolved without this disruption to our students’ learning and support experience during this extremely important formal examination and assessment period.

The College will be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to our students’ ongoing teaching, learning and assessment. The impact of strike action is likely to vary for different students, depending on the Union membership within different programmes; some students may notice little disruption, others may experience more. We are investigating a range of options to enable any lost learning to be recovered, wherever possible. The strike action will not impact on the operation of formal exams that will be taking place at RuTC during the week of the strike.

The news has been confirmed this afternoon by Buckingham Palace. 

Her Majesty is patron of the RHS but her attendance at this year’s event had been uncertain.

Officers found CCTV recordings on an individual’s phone while they were making enquiries into a separate incident.

The footage allegedly showed interactions between security and members of the public on hospital grounds where force was used.

All 14 people arrested have been bailed until June.

Met Police statement in full: 

Officers from the South Area Safeguarding Unit are investigating the improper use of CCTV by contracted workers, who provide security services at Croydon University Hospital.

The investigation was launched after CCTV recordings were found on an individual’s phone as officers were making enquiries about an unrelated matter.

At this stage, 14 people have been arrested. They have all been bailed until June. 

Investigation continues; the hospital is assisting officers with their enquiries.

The footage shows interactions between security and members of the public on hospital grounds where force was used.

Firefighters were called to Kennet Square just after 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon and it was out just before 3.

The cause of the fire is believed to be a fault in a lithium iron battery.  

A woman and child left the flat before the Brigade arrived. 

There were no reports of any injuries. 

Members of the Royal Family will get a first look today - but we don't know yet if the Queen will be among them.

Wildlife, wellbeing and the Platinum Jubilee are some of the themes.

Mental health charity, Mind has got a garden for the first time, here's CEO Paul Farmer.

The council wants to boost the area’s night-time economy.

Among the issues that’ll shape the strategy are conditions for night workers, and designing the streets and transport to be more safe.

You can find the consultation here 

This weekend, they beat second-placed London Gymkhana by 137 runs.

Bec Old Boys have yet to win a match so far this season, losing to Spencer Sharks by eight wickets.

In Division Two, the table is getting competitive, with Croydon 4, Norwood, and Ploughmans 2 all tied at the top with 60 points.

The jailed tennis star whose serving a 30-month sentence for bankruptcy fraud at Wandsworth Prison plans to cash in on it when he is released. 

A source close to Becker said, ‘it will be a warts-and-all diary on how he got himself into such a troubling position to life in jail.’

It’s claimed that publishers and tv firms are keen to snap up the rights to make documentaries about the star’s life.

A range of offences took place between September 2019 and July 2020 across Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Kingston.

Chuter pleaded guilty to 26 charges including nine for burglary, sixteen counts of fraud and a robbery.

Knife bins are in place on a permanent basis at five locations in Surrey giving people the opportunity to surrender their knives and weapons without fear of prosecution or questions being asked.

Knife banks are located at Staines police station, Reigate police station, Elmbridge council offices, Woking civic centre and Guildford police station.

The authority operates seven leisure centres across the borough serving just under 2,000 members. 

Bosses say they have experienced “significant difficulty” in recruitment to key posts, including lifeguards.

One of the big concerns is swimming pools, with the council saying it’s looking to deliver a timetable to ensure minimal disruption. 

The Eirene sets, named after the Roman goddess of peace, have been designed by a midwife and consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 

They play music, but women can still hear staff members providing words of comfort. 

This, alongside the virtual reality scenes in which they are immersed, aims to help them focus their thoughts and on their breathing. 

Originally started in the summer of 2020, they were shelved due to the increase in traffic, meaning only 60% have been completed.

The works are anticipated to take around six months and one runway will close each night at 10.30. 

This means the final hour of operations at the airport will be completed on a single runway.