Latest news with #SoutheastLondon
The Sun
09-07-2025
- The Sun
Schoolboy, 12, dies in devastating fire that ripped through block of flats in middle of night – as family pay tribute
A 12-YEAR-OLD boy has died after a devastating blaze ripped through a block of flats late last night. Ten fire engines and other emergency services scrambled to the scene in Lewisham, Southeast London, just before midnight after a fire at a block of maisonettes. 3 3 3 Sadly, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, a 12-year-old boy died at the scene, confirmed the Met Police. His family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. The schoolboy, named locally as Fabian, was said to be a "lovely" lad and keen footballer who supported Manchester United, reports Metro. His aunt told the outlet: "He was a big Manchester United fan. His father had died from cancer. He was lovely. "The family wanted him to be a doctor. He was also very good at football. We are all heartbroken. A woman, aged 54, was taken to hospital by paramedics but her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing, said cops. Seventy firefighters were summoned to Orchard Gardens near Lewisham Road, after the control centre received 14 calls in relation to the blaze. The fire engulfed part of a five-room maisonette split across the ground and first floors. Control Officers received the first of 14 emergency calls at 11:55pm, dispatching crews from Greenwich, Lewisham, Lee Green and surrounding stations. The incident was thankfully declared under control at 2:02am - more than two hours after it began. Pictures from the scene showed the extent of the damage at the flats with charred walls and broken windows left behind. Dramatic moment fire engulfs Wexford bus as inferno blocks road & emergency services rushed to the scene Cops were seen standing around a cordon in the early hours of the morning after the fire wreaked havoc. Detective Chief Inspector Danian Reid, from the Met's local investigations team in south east London, said: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone involved. 'We continue to work alongside investigators from the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire. 'We understand the impact this will have on the community and there will be local neighbourhood officers, and other emergency services, in the area as enquiries continue." The cause of the fire is being investigated by the London Fire Brigade but is not believed to be suspicious at this stage. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 11.56pm on Tuesday 8 July to reports of a fire in Lewisham Road, SE13, 'We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, advanced paramedic practitioners, an incident response officer and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). 'We treated one person who was discharged. Sadly, a boy was pronounced dead at the scene.'
Times
06-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Administrators' warning over Fortress insolvency move
Administrators of the alleged Fortress Capital Partners 'Ponzi scheme' have described a second insolvency proposal to take control of the unregulated investment firm as 'highly speculative'. A proposal for a five-year insolvency process made by a vehicle called Lend Corp Limited, which is linked to the purported 'architect of the company's failure', was last week circulated to creditors. The second proposal for a company voluntary arrangement had been made only two months after a first attempt was voted down by creditors, including HM Revenue & Customs. Fortress was an investment scheme whose backers included several celebrities as well as members of a southeast London church. It promoted returns of up to 18 per cent a year, before collapsing in September 2023. Its failure has triggered an investigation by the Metropolitan Police and led to an extraordinary dispute between administrators at Begbies Traynor and the Fortress creditors' committee. Begbies has claimed Fortress has 'all the hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme'. • 'Architect' of demise of Fortress linked to insolvency proposal Borrowers included Kevin Maxwell, son of the late media baron Robert Maxwell, and investors included Scott McTominay, the Napoli and Scotland footballer. McTominay, 28, is owed £1 million, according to the latest schedule of unsecured creditors. In total, unsecured creditors have been left with a deficit of £19.5 million, mostly owed to investors. A spokeswoman for the Met said officers continued to investigate allegations of fraud. There have been no arrests. The sole director of Lend Corp, incorporated around the time Fortress entered administration, is Mario Falcone, who made his name in the television series The Only Way is Essex. Falcone, 37, was previously listed as Fortress's head of business development and is owed £450,000 by Fortress. • The extraordinary downfall of Fortress Capital Partners In the report sent to creditors, seen by The Times, administrators said Lend Corp has been set up to 'operate in a similar way' as Fortress and will be 'utilising the services' of Ashley Reading, Fortress's former chief executive who was made bankrupt in 2010. Lend Corp has committed to pay 50 per cent of the net profits into the CVA over five years, including £350,000 upfront. This is in return for the acquisition of assets of Fortress, which include the overdrawn directors' loan accounts of Reading, as well as for his daughter Cameron Reading, 25, a model, Fortress's former head of investor relations and the girlfriend of McTominay. It also includes any interest in a luxury Kent home occupied by Reading's family as well as debtors to Fortress, including Maxwell. 'Our view is that this CVA is highly speculative, and creditors should be aware that other than the initial contribution there may be little further return,' Begbies stated in its report. • Concern over plan to take Fortress out of administration They warn that Lend Corp has 'no track record' and will be 'working closely with' Ashley Reading, 'who is himself a former bankrupt and architect of the company's failure'. While they said the proposal 'represents a significant 'hope' value and no more', they said creditors may wish to consider it because the alternative, liquidation, may produce worse returns. The CVA proposes generating an estimated £7.7 million, a 42p-in-the-pound dividend for creditors. Begbies said this outcome may be better than the estimated 3p from a liquidation. However, the firm is 'unable to say with any certainty' that the proposed returns are achievable or whether the proposal 'strikes a fair balance between the interests of the company and the creditors'. During the insolvency there had been concerns that Ashley Reading had not been 'forthcoming with information', particularly in relation to loans from Fortress to his daughter used to purchase property in Dubai and Spain, administrators claimed. Ashley Reading said: 'I'm grateful to Begbies and Lend Corp for giving creditors a second chance to recover a significant portion of their money. I hope they choose to take it.' He has previously said that 'all funds raised by Fortress complied with correct processes'. Falcone was approached for comment.
Sky News
25-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Patient death linked to cyber attack on NHS, hospital trust says
The death of a person has been linked to last year's cyber attack on the NHS. The attack saw 1,100 cancer treatments delayed, 2,000 outpatient appointments cancelled and more than 1,000 operations postponed when cyber criminals attacked two major NHS trusts. Now, the first death of a patient linked to the attack has been confirmed by King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. "One patient sadly died unexpectedly during the cyber attack," said a spokesperson. "The patient safety incident investigation identified a number of contributing factors that led to the patient's death. "This included a long wait for a blood test result due to the cyber attack impacting pathology services at the time. "We have met with the patient's family, and shared the findings of the safety investigation with them." Synnovis, which provides services primarily in southeast London, was the victim of a ransomware attack, understood to be carried out by Russian group Qilin, on 3 June last year. Sensitive data stolen from an NHS provider in a cyber attack was apparently published online. NHS England said a criminal group claimed it has released patient information hacked from Synnovis, which provides pathology services on blood tests. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
Times
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Actress and playwright Faith Omole's hidden London
This time last year, the Alfred Fagon award-winning writer and actress Faith Omole was celebrating a milestone: the debut of her first play at the Bush Theatre. 'It was such a full-circle moment,' she reflects. 'I've loved that theatre for a long time, and I'm so incredibly proud I had my production debut in that space.' Omole, a British-Nigerian creative powerhouse who trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, is no stranger to London's most iconic stages. Her acting credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare's Globe, An Ideal Husband in the West End and Standing at the Sky's Edge at the National Theatre, which earned her an Olivier nomination. But beyond performance, she feels most comfortable in the wings. 'I wrote my first play in a quiet corner of the Globe, in between rehearsals and shows, and you can often find me tucked away at the National,' she says. Omole, based in southeast London, is now adapting a musical version of Alexander McCall Smith's prize-winning novel The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. • My Father's Fable review — Faith Omole's family saga brims with wit I've lived in north London, east and west for a bit, but southeast London is home for me. It's the best vibe. After that, anywhere along the South Bank. I've worked at the Globe and the National and I always get so happy when I finish a show in the evening, then make my way home along the river to get to a station. The South Bank's also where I started writing. Much like many other writers, you'll find me three coffees and a traybake down, trying to finish a scene. Something about that area makes me feel hopeful and excited. When you get off at your stop on the Tube — move. Do not amble. You pick an exit and you head for it. You weave in and out of the people, and you walk fast or you may well get stuck down there. And always have your contactless card ready, because someone is probably late for work and you will feel their wrath. I started rock climbing last year and my husband and I go as often as we can. Substation in Brixton is my favourite. I'm not even getting better, I just love to go. I'd definitely recommend [the Indian restaurant] Ganapati in Peckham, it's really tasty. Even thinking about it has me wanting to head there right now. Finally, check out The Bookshop on the Heath in Blackheath. It's so nice in there and has a great mixture of old and new books. • Read more London Loves stories I would spend a day with Malorie Blackman in the early 2000s. Her books had a major impact on me as a young girl. I finished Noughts & Crosses at 3am, then went to school the next day and forced my friends to read it too. I'd love to go for coffee with Malorie in those early days, as she was creating her book. I'm obsessed with Raye right now. She is incredible. Her voice is crazy and the songs are just too good. Her journey in her industry inspires me as a writer and actor. There's a massive community of artists here and they inspire me all the time. I think it's great to have so much access to new writing in London, [and] really important that we celebrate great and brave work in theatre. It's equally important we give young people access. So many shows changed my life and gave me the tools to understand emotional and societal complexities. I hope we can continue to champion the arts so that young people in schools can experience that too. I want the buses to go back to being 70p for adults — what a time. I want all public transport to be cheaper to be honest. Although because of the prices, I do walk a lot more to get around London … silver linings. I'd start the day with hot yoga, a run or some climbing. Then I'd meet up with friends for brunch and have a really good coffee and a catch-up. One of my best friends and I often have a book day: we head to a bookstore — probably the big Waterstones in Green Park — and stay in there for ages to read all the blurbs of the newly released fiction. Then we buy a book or two … or three. After that, I'd head to the cinema (and watch Ryan Coogler's Sinners again, because wow) or the theatre with my husband. If not that, we'd find a restaurant we haven't been to yet. The most recent experience that comes to mind is watching the Euro 2024 final at a pub in Balham with family and friends. I really thought it was coming home. Also, the energy when England scored — electric. Everyone hugging strangers, jumping up and down and dropping drinks all over the place. • Evita on the Palladium balcony — and theatre's eight greatest wow moments So many coffee chains. And wi-fi on the tube. My hope in general is that we'll find a way to be less taken up with social media — it's overstimulating. There's a beautiful number of different cultures in London. I love being able to tell stories that acknowledge and/or celebrate that. Similarly, it's a buzzing city full of lots of people. Character nuance is found when you interact with that and take an interest in different individuals. It is the greatest honour to perform on stages on which people who have inspired me have performed. There are many full-circle moments. I can still remember sitting in the audience of the National at 15 and watching Fiona Shaw in Mother Courage and thinking, 'I want to do that.' And then watching Oedipus with my drama class and thinking, 'Oh wow, that's how you tell stories.' Likewise with writing — watching my play My Father's Fable open at the Bush was surreal. I've loved that theatre for a long time. I'd like to think I never take a performance or a writing commission for granted. Broadway. Omole is rehearsing Intimate Apparel at the Donmar Warehouse, running Jun 20-Aug 9. Angel, a TV series she wrote with her husband, Paul Syrstad, and her brother Kenneth, will be released this summer
BBC News
10-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Waterloo to Lewisham 'Bakerloop' bus route to launch in autumn
A new bus route named the Bakerloop is set to launch in autumn to connect stations and areas in south-east for London (TfL) said the BL1 express bus service will run between Waterloo and Lewisham and is part of the Superloop network areas the bus will mirror the proposed Bakerloo Tube line extension route covering stops such as Old Kent Road and Burgess consultation on the BL1 route closed on 14 March and received mostly positive support from residents and local stakeholders, TfL said. 'Just the beginning' A bus stop that was proposed on Station Road towards Waterloo has been removed to allow a "quicker and more direct route" for the Bakerloop when leaving of Lewisham, Brenda Dacres said: "Lewisham welcomes the launch of the Bakerloop bus and thanks the mayor and TfL for taking action to address the long-standing transport gap in southeast London. But this must be just the beginning."TfL's director of Public Transport Service Planning said that they will monitor all bus services to accurately reflect customer demand in the area. The BL1 will operate between 05:00 and 00:30 every 12 minutes during the daytime from Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes in the evenings and on has also revealed new plans for three further routes - consultations on these proposals are set to begin this autumn.
