Latest news with #LondonParks
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE London's most dangerous parks revealed: How the capital's beauty spots have been blighted by knife crime and violence
They were once tranquil retreats where families would gather to happily play, couples would go on a romantic walk or workers would enjoy a lunchbreak. But London 's parks are being gripped by a mounting crimewave that is turning the green spaces into danger zones amid fears over knife crime, theft and assaults. Crimes recorded by the Royal Parks, which manages 5,000 acres of green space including Hyde Park and Regent's Park, have nearly doubled in two years. The charity recorded 101 incidents of 'crime or criminal damage' in its latest 2023/24 year, up from 76 in 2022/23; 55 in 2021/22; and 44 in 2020/21. Sexual offences, phone thefts and drug dealing are among the crimes most often reported, while cyclists have been threatened and had expensive bikes stolen. Now there are fears the situation could worsen after the dedicated Royal Parks Police team was scrapped as part of Metropolitan Police budget cuts announced in April – which will see the officers absorbed into local neighbourhood teams. The Met recorded an astonishing 16,789 offences involving a bladed weapon in 2024 – about one every half an hour, according to the Office for National Statistics. As recently as Monday, a shocking video showed a knife-wielding attacker pulling out a huge blade and threatening a young girl at Gladstone Park in Dollis Hill. But this is just one example of the dangers now faced by those in London's parks. Hyde Park Hyde Park is the most visited of London's royal parks and hosts events such as Winter Wonderland and the British Summer Time concert series. But some of the 13million annual visitors to the park, which opened to the public in 1637, have also endured witnessing terrifying crimes in recent years. Just this week, a defiant woman fought off a man riding an e-bike as he tried to grab her handbag in the park near Hyde Park Corner Underground station. The hoodie-wearing man was seen in a video on a path as he approached two women from behind, and tried to grab one of the pair's handbags. But the woman appeared to have heard him coming towards her. As he tried to snatch the bag, she managed to cling on to her possessions and he sped off. In another horrifying incident in June 2021, onlookers watched as a man was chased through Hyde Park by a gang wielding machetes before being hacked to the ground. Shocking footage showed a sprawling confrontation between a large group of youths and what appeared to be a single victim in a black tracksuit. As members of the public fled, the gang pursued the victim through the park before he slipped and fell to the ground enabling them to punch and kick him in the head. On one video that was widely shared, a hysterical woman watching on screams: 'He got stabbed! There's a knife, there's a knife! Oh my God, oh s***, oh God oh God!' Another clip, when the man is already lying prone, shows a man standing over him deliver a blow to his midriff and a shout of: 'He bored him! Oh s*** he bored him!' A 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital with stab wounds following the incident. Back in April 2019, videos emerged of a gangland-style standoff as thugs smashed bottles and chased each other with huge knives across the park. It came after thousands had descended on the park for '420' - where people smoke cannabis to try to get the drug legalised - in a day that ended in bloodshed. Police were called to the western side of the park at around 4.40pm after a man in his 20s was stabbed. He was taken to hospital in a non-life threatening condition. Regent's Park The Regent's Park, which opened in 1835, has also witnessed knife attacks and violent thefts – with cyclists particularly fearful of being targeted. In February this year, cyclist Patrick Conneely had his £4,200 road bike robbed by hammer-wielding thugs during his morning ride through the park. Cycle club members who gather in the North West London park each day before it opens to cars have suffered a series of violent robberies by armed 'bike-jackers'. Mr Conneely was doing a lap around the Outer Circle road when was passed by two men riding a moped, who inspected his bike before turning around and pursuing him. Video showed the encounter that followed, with one of the men leaping off the moped and shouting at Mr Conneely to, as he recalled, 'Give me the f***ing bike'. After the 33-year-old data analyst bravely refused, the thug took a hammer from the top box and waved it at him while continuing to shout violent threats. He then grabbed the bike and jumped on the moped carrying it above his head. Mr Conneely tried to push the moped over but the men rode off at speed. Fearful cyclists called on the Met to increase pre-dawn patrols of the park to deter the robbers, and the force said in response that it had introduced 'additional plain clothes and uniform patrols' before the park officially opens. Gladstone Park A knife-wielding attacker threatened a young girl at Gladstone Park in Dollis Hill, North West London, on Monday evening in shocking scenes caught on camera. The hooded perpetrator ran up to the girl and brazenly lunged the huge kitchen knife just inches away from her face – as she put her hands up and tried to back away. She managed to flee the attacker who came lunging at her with the weapon, but they continued to square up to other people before settling with the knife by their side. The incident took place on Monday evening at what appears to be a party – with dozens screaming in fear as a man said: 'She backed out a shank, are you mad?' The Met said: 'On Monday, 30 June at 10.03pm police attended Gladstone Park, Brent having been made aware of a video on social media of a woman with a knife. 'Officers saw no one who matched the description of the woman in the video. No one was injured, no weapons were found and no arrests were made. Enquiries continue.' Gladstone Park became a public park in 1901 and was named after former prime minister Sir William Gladstone who used Dollis Hill House as a weekend retreat. Pennyfields Park Pennyfields Park in Tower Hamlets was the location of a man being subjected to a terrifying attack by a hooded gang of axe and machete thugs in March. Footage showed the trio dressed in tracksuits and balaclavas as they surrounded their victim in broad daylight – with the male forced to the floor and attacked. The victim pulls out his phone following the stabbing as others run towards him, with one of the men can be seen walking away carrying an axe in his right hand. A Met statement said at the time: 'Police attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service who treated a boy for stab wounds.' The boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where his injuries were later confirmed to be non-life changing or threatening. Fryent Country Park Fryent Country Park in Wembley was where two sisters were murdered four years ago in a tragic case. Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, were stabbed while celebrating the latter's birthday in June 2020 as lockdown rules began to ease. Their killer Danyal Hussein was jailed at the Old Bailey in October 2021 aged 19 for a minimum of 35 years for savagely murdering them as part of a Satanic blood pact. They were discovered murdered by Ms Smallman's boyfriend – but, in a sickening twist, the grieving family faced a double blow when it emerged two police officers had taken selfies with their dead bodies and shared them in two WhatsApp groups. Metropolitan Police constables Deniz Jaffer and Jamie Lewis were then jailed for two years and nine months in December 2021 after admitting misconduct in public office.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Mystery pollen bomb strikes London: Baffled residents complain of tight chests, red eyes, and brain fog - despite the Met Office forecasting low levels
Londoners have complained of a mysterious 'pollen bomb' across the city's parks over the bank holiday weekend. Despite the Met Office forecasting low pollen levels, park-goers said they were left 'choking' on thick clouds of pollen. On social media, residents complained of tight chests, red eyes, and brain fog as they walked through the parks. In a video posted to TikTok, one user said: 'I felt like I had literal shards of pollen going into my eyes. Please tell me I'm not the only one because that was scary and I need to know how to prepare for the rest of summer if it's going to be like this.' Conditions were so bad that even those who normally don't suffer from hay fever were even affected. One commenter wrote: 'I thought it was just me. I've never had an issue with hay fever until this weekend.' Piers Morgan was one of those affected by the pollen bomb, tweeting: 'Anyone else got shocking hay fever in London today? 'Even trusty Fexofenadine barely touching the wheezing, sneezy, fog-brained sides..' Piers Morgan was one of those affected by the pollen bomb, tweeting: 'Anyone else got shocking hay fever in London today?' One TikTok user described the situation in London Fields, a park in Hackney, as a 'pollen tsunami'. The user said that the pollen levels were so high that they were struggling to see and having difficulty breathing while in the park. This poster wasn't alone, as social media has been flooded with similar accounts. In a video posted to TikTok, another Londoner asked: 'What is going on in London with the pollen? 'Every time when you go outside, especially to the park, it feels like you're choking even though you don't have hay fever.' This user said the clouds of pollen were so thick that they had left a visible residue on their clothing and hair, adding that even their dog was coughing. However, with the Met Office only forecasting 'low' pollen levels, some residents were left confused as to what was causing their sudden reaction. One TikTok user said: 'Is there something going on in London air today? Because I don't know what it is but stuff keeps on going into my eyes and I've seen it happening to other people too.' The user added: 'There's stuff in the air today and it's flying about.' The 'pollen count' literally predicts the amount of pollen grains per cubic metre of air. The Met Office predicts the upcoming pollen count by combining measurements of pollen in the air with predicted weather patterns to work out how the pollen will spread. What is considered a high pollen count varies depending on the type of plant, but symptoms typically emerge around 50 particles per cubic metre. However, the Met Office's forecast doesn't offer the kind of information that would have alerted Londoners to the 'pollen bomb' exploding in the capital's parks. Yolanda Clewlow, the Met Office's UK Pollen Forecast Manager, told MailOnline: 'Currently, our forecasts are region-specific and thus don't necessarily reflect very local details such as local parks in London.' Additionally, the 'visible' types of pollen, which many social media users reported seeing falling from trees, don't typically cause allergies and aren't considered in the Met Office forecast. According to Ms Clewlow, the extreme levels of pollen around certain parks were due to the weather and trees in bloom at this time of year. She says: 'We are currently in tree pollen season and are at the tail end of both oak and plane pollen seasons. 'However, there are a lot of plane trees in London and these are currently in season and may be contributing to the allergy symptoms that are being experienced in London.' The Kleenex 'Your Pollen Pal' forecast predicts that pollen counts for birch will reach 250 particles per metre, while oak pollen levels will reach 126 particles per metre. For reference, the Met Office considers a birch pollen count between 81 and 200 as high. In 2017, a team of Polish researchers showed that these species can cause particularly high pollen counts when planted in urban parks. The researchers found that oak and birch trees produced more pollen when they were isolated than when they were planted in groups. This means London's parks, which are typically dotted with individual trees, could have a much greater pollen potential than rural areas. Over the weekend, these seasonal factors combined with the weather conditions to create a perfect storm for pollen. Ms Clewlow says: 'The weather so far this spring has been ideal for tree pollen being released and in addition, the low rainfall has meant pollen hasn't been washed out of the atmosphere.' According to the Met Office, humid, windy days allow pollen to spread further. Likewise, days with high amounts of sunshine typically lead to more pollen being released in the early evening. In London on Monday, humidity peaked at over 80 per cent while consistent winds of 16 miles per hour helped the pollen spread around the parks. Likewise, research has shown that warmer temperatures due to climate change are causing more intense peaks of birch pollen season and starting the oak pollen season earlier. Studies have also shown that city-dwellers experience significantly higher symptom severity and longer symptom duration than people in rural areas when exposed to the same levels of pollen. Ms Clewlow adds: 'Poor air quality can also exacerbate allergy symptoms.' Thankfully, Londoners will be glad to know that the UK is now moving out of the pollen season for both oak and birch, so the issue should abate over the coming weeks. Why DO some people suddenly develop hay fever out of the blue? For most hay fever sufferers, symptoms begin in childhood and persist for the rest of their lives. But some people appear to develop the condition suddenly and without any obvious reason, even well into their adult life. No-one knows exactly why hay fever can appear out of the blue but there are a number of theories. One is that they experienced very mild symptoms as a child that they did not notice. Another is the 'hygiene hypothesis', that our bodies are weaker as we age because we aren't exposed to as many infections as children. Research has indicated that youngsters who grow up on farms with regular contact with animals are less likely to develop allergies later in life. Another possibility is that sudden hay fever happens when the body is exposed to new surroundings - like moving from the city to the countryside, where there is usually more pollen. But the same might also be true in people moving from rural to urban areas, with some evidence that pollution can exacerbate hay fever. A weakening of the immune system could also be a trigger. A bad infection, illness or traumatic emotional event may leave the body vulnerable to normally harmless allergens. Between 15 and 20 per cent of people in the UK are thought to be affected, with the numbers being even higher among teenagers and symptoms typically peaking in people's 20s.
