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Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Locals' fury as dockless e-bike bay in affluent London area is overrun by 'careless' cyclists who dump their bicycles on road and pavement
Furious locals have told how a dockless e-bike parking bay in one of London 's most exclusive areas is causing chaos as 'careless' riders dump their bicycles in the middle of the road. The bay in Chesterfield Gardens, Mayfair, has been a 'nuisance' ever since its installation in June as an army of bikes regularly pile up and block the entrance to a busy cul-de-sac and car park. Angry locals claim it is 'only a matter of time' before someone is seriously injured as drivers can't see past the mountain of bikes and pavements are often blocked. They claim they have repeatedly asked Westminster Council to remove the bay or box it in, but the area remains overrun on a daily basis. Local Fiona Mackay told MailOnline: 'It is only a matter of time before a pedestrian or other user of this corner is seriously injured or worse. 'This area is very busy in the evening as well as during the day and filled with tourists of all descriptions. In addition, we have a large number of elderly in the area who have mobility issues. Anyone with sight problems will be in serious trouble trying to use this crossing.' Ms Mackay added that despite nearby residents making it very clear the bay is a safety hazard at the start of a 'trial' period, the area continues to be used by cyclists. Do YOU have a story? Email 'Locals made it very plain at the beginning of a trial period that safety was compromised by placing a dockless parking bay on the corner of Chesterfield Gardens and Curzon Street,' she said. 'E-bikes are the future for transport in London but the safe siting of parking bays for them is imperative.' The bikes are said to block access to Leconfield House's garage, as well as restrict access to Chesterfield Gardens, which leads to a busy underground car park. Annika Blixt, General Manager of Chesterfield House, told MailOnline the situation has become 'intolerable' as 'careless' e-bike riders will dump their bicycles down on the street without thinking of the safety hazards. 'Residents, when driving out of Chesterfield Gardens onto Curzon Street often have reduced visibility due to the E-bikes being thrown down, sometimes in the middle of the street and pedestrians often cannot walk on the pavement due to the same issue,' she said. 'This situation has become intolerable due to the careless behaviour of E-bike users, who are able to drop off bikes in the proximity of the dockless bay, but not within it. 'We have repeatedly asked Westminster Council to remove the bay and even had a meeting with a representative of the council in June about this. Another local told MailOnline the situation has become 'intolerable' as 'careless' e-bike riders will dump their bicycles down on the street 'Why someone thought that this space was a good location for a dockless bay when this is right at the entrance of a cul-de-sac which leads to an underground car park which is in constant use, eludes me.' MailOnline has contacted Westminster Council for comment. It comes days after the star of Jesus of Nazareth spoke out about his four-year battle with the council over e-bikes piling up outside his front door. Robert Powell, 81, revealed he 'sent 570 photographs' to Camden Council showing the bikes taking over his doorstep. The Bafta-nominated actor urged the council to take action, saying he and his wife, Barbara Lord, once counted at least 100 bikes in a parking bay in front of their Highgate home. Camden Council responded by saying it is working to relocate the bay and has marked out a new bay further up the road. A council spokesman told the Telegraph: 'We've been in touch with Mr Powell and Mrs Lord and assured them that we're using our powers to relocate this bay while we work to secure a new permanent location. 'While we're committed to promoting active travel options like cycling, we also understand how inappropriate parking of electric bikes can block access for residents. 'As part of our new approach, our team have been busy enforcing the removal of obstructive bikes – without notice – as part of their regular inspections.'
The Independent
20-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Inside the battle to save a once award-winning building which is now crumbling from neglect
When 73-year-old pensioner Pat Findley moved into Lillington and Longmoore Gardens before the turn of the millennium, she was ecstatic. The 1970s Grade-II listed estate in Pimlico, with around 1,000 homes, was an award-winning complex boasting 'beautiful' brutalist architecture and a quaint garden room at its centre. The council was attentive; the community was close-knit. But fast forward three decades, and Ms Findley says she feels like she's 'at war'. In the past year, roofs have collapsed, flats have flooded, residents have been hospitalised by scalding or 'contaminated' water, and sewage pipes have burst, causing the smell of faeces to permeate through the estate. Ms Findley says there is a new issue 'every three months'. Her own flat is infested with woodlice. Families have been evacuated, and residents have been left sleep-deprived and struggling to work after failed attempts to fix leaks and persistent mould. A recent Freedom of Information request found that the estate needed 2,086 plumbing repairs between January 2020 and March 2025. The estate has since been nicknamed 'leaky Lillington'. Leaseholders, nevertheless, have seen their maintenance bills skyrocket, as they foot half the costs of the council's decisions. But Westminster Council, she says, which owns and manages the estate, is stubborn in the face of the residents' complaints. One leaseholder, who asked to be anonymous out of fear for reprisal from the council, put it plainly: 'The council see us as the enemy.' The council has dismissed these allegations, saying they have a 'thorough complaints process', adding that they 'have apologised for any stress caused'. When asked about the specific issue of leaking, they claimed it was due to 'an ageing communal hot water and heating system that needs to be replaced', adding that they were 'working towards finding a more efficient, reliable and sustainable option'. Their acceptance of problems notwithstanding, the council received top marks when the housing regulator inspected the estate in February this year. This prompted at least 55 residents to co-sign a letter disputing the result to Labour deputy prime minister Angela Rayner. They accused the council and the regulator of 'marking their own homework'. A response from Ms Rayner's team, three months later, directed the residents to make a complaint to Westminster Council. Now, Ms Findley says she wishes she had 'never moved into that plot in the first place'. 'They don't give a toss and we're treated like dirt,' she says. 'I don't need the stress anymore. It's grinding me down.' The only relief is the community of residents that have rallied around one another. In the time that Ms Findley has lived in Lillington, social housing across the UK has fallen into disrepair following chronic underinvestment and neglect, as the central government has shifted the burden of responsibility for these homes onto less well-funded local councils. When The Independent visited the estate and spoke to residents from houses across the complex, one theme was common: Lillington and Longmoore Gardens are dangerous and a disaster is waiting to happen. London Fire Brigade last year raised concerns with Westminster Council about safety issues in the estate. Many of the residents asked to be quoted anonymously because they feared repercussions from the council, even eviction. Ernest Stafford, from the Residents' Association, urged the council to reassure residents that they are allowed to voice concerns about the estate without fear of being evicted but the council reportedly declined to intervene, prompting accusations from the residents that the council was 'quite happy to intimidate' people into silence. One resident, a mother of three, says she is 'extremely concerned' by the council's lackadaisical approach to dangerous situations. She has spent the past year battling a repeatedly collapsing and leaking ceiling in her flat. 'My life can't get any worse than it is sadly,' she says. 'I've been through it all.' She describes an incident in January in which the block's fuse box was left on fire after an electrician contracted by the council declined to properly investigate why the lights in several flats were flickering. The blazing fuse box was discovered by an employee of the UK power network after the resident called them for help. 'I dread to think what might have happened if they hadn't come when they did,' she says, adding that her block is full of vulnerable and elderly people. 'It posed a real and serious danger to the safety of everyone in the building.' Another resident in a different house in the estate says she 'suffered long periods of sleep deprivation and stress' after the roof on her building began badly leaking, partially flooding her flat. A poor repair meant the leaking persisted for years. A previous leak in her flat took months for the council to fix. 'I have never felt the council take into account the impact of their poor repairs processes on residents' day-to-day life and wellbeing,' she says. 'There was generally little sense of urgency or understanding of my issues, it was just another job number to them.' Underscoring what the residents say is apathy from the council is the poor management of costs and a lack of accountability and transparency. The role of head of repairs for Westminster Council has changed four times in the last two years, stifling attempts to remedy the issues with repairs. An advert was put out for the role of head of repairs last year, listing the salary as up to £120,000, further upsetting the residents. A leaseholder in another building provided documents that showed her maintenance costs had doubled to nearly £7,000 in just a few years. Included in those costs was a bill to be paid by all the leaseholders of that block for £8,300, to cover the insurance and maintenance of the lifts. She said she had not seen a single lift operator tending to the elevators since she moved in. 'If the contractor says they have to do something, the council just says yes,' she says. 'There is no traceability of any kind.' Ed Pitt Ford, the Conservative councillor for Pimlico North, says the current Labour council in place since 2022 is 'wasting a huge amount of money' without oversight. 'It feels like the contractors are operating unsupervised, the contracts are not being managed and hence a huge amount of money is being wasted,' he says.
Metro
16-07-2025
- Metro
New police unit to challenge 'predators' targeting women in London bars
Specially-trained police officers will start patrolling London's nightlife to protect women just trying to live their lives. In an attempt to crack down on predatory behaviour at night, officers are being deployed at party hotspots in the hope to reduce the number of assaults, spikings and worse. It comes as the UK is seeing an 'epidemic' of violence against women and girls, with the number of number of rapes and sexual assaults have increased from 34,000 to 123,000 across the country in 2023-2024. Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zhou was jailed for life for drugging and raping women at parties in London, with police believing he could have attacked more than 50 women. Craig France, 34, was jailed for 10 years in March after he was found to have lured young women to 'afterparties' at his house where he would subject them to sex attacks while they were 'completely out of it'. And it's not just sexual crimes. In March, men 'armed with machetes' tried to storm Mayfair nightclub Tabu after they were denied entry. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Even celebrities have been accused of bringing violence to London's nightclub scene, with Chris Brown in court last week charged with 'attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent'. The announcement of the new specialised patrols came alongside the government's £53 million pledge to target dangerous offenders. Domestic abuse perpetrators who are deemed to pose the highest risk 'will be forced to change their behaviour' according to the Home Office. This includes 'intensive' one-to-one case management for up to a year, and protections orders to keep offenders away from those they hurt. More Trending The scheme – which first began to be piloted in 2016 – reportedly saw physical abuse cut by 82% and sexual abuse down by 88%. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'The roll out of these new programmes means the relentless pursuit of perpetrators who pose a risk to women and girls whether they operate at home or on the streets – and intervening early to prevent further harm. 'Through our mission to make our streets safer, we will take every opportunity to challenge and change dangerous behaviours, intensively monitor and manage perpetrators who pose a risk, and give victims the support they need to take back their lives.' In March, Westminster Council began requiring all new licensed venues to assess risks to women's safety. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Boy, 15, admits to throwing chair over Stratford Westfield balcony MORE: Iconic London attraction will close for years during £60,000,000 upgrade MORE: 'Elegant' UK seaside town gets new direct train to London after it was axed five years ago
Edinburgh Live
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Legend Neil Young's Hyde Park concert 'cut off' as he breaks one strict rule
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Music chiefs were compelled to cut the power during Neil Young's Hyde Park performance as he exceeded his allotted time. The star was scheduled to wrap up at 10.20pm on Friday night, adhering to a strict 10.30pm curfew in the Royal park. However, the 79 year old was still energetically performing an extended version of 'Rockin' in the Free World' at 10.32pm, prompting festival bosses to intervene. An insider revealed: "Neil and his band were having a great time and would have kept on going. There were at least three false endings to the song before festival bosses decided enough was enough. Neil and the band looked a bit puzzled when the power was cut but they are strict about these things - especially as it's a royal park." Westminster Council enforces a 10.30pm finish as part of their licensing conditions. There were some jeers near the front when it became apparent that the power had been switched off. However, fans praised Friday night's show, stating: "It was one of the all-time great BST shows. Neil completely rocked out the place." Hyde Park has witnessed high-profile curfew breaches in the past - most notably for Bruce Springsteen in 2012, reports the Mirror. Sir Paul McCartney had joined Bruce and his E Street Band to perform Beatles classics 'I Saw Her Standing There' and 'Twist and Shout'. But as they prepared to start another song, their power was cut by the then-promoters of the Hard Rock Calling festival. BST is managed by a different team. Steve Van Zandt, the E Street Band's guitarist, expressed outrage at the "police state". Then-London Mayor Boris Johnson deemed it "an excessively efficacious decision". However, when Springsteen returned to Hyde Park in 2023, he poked fun at the incident. During a rendition of Glory Days, he quipped to the 65,000-strong crowd: "It's time to go home. I'm telling you, they are going to pull the f***ing plug again." It was previously reported by The Mirror that organisers had planned for Bruce's concert to start earlier, at 7pm, to avoid breaching the 10.30pm curfew. The strategy paid off, as the show concluded at 10pm. Young's BST performance came just two weeks after his headlining set on Glastonbury's Pyramid stage. BST HYDE PARK REVIEW BY TOM BRYANT. Following a magical performance at Worthy Farm two weeks prior, Neil Young surpassed expectations with a captivating show in Hyde Park. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the 79 year old rock legend delivered a hits-packed set list with ease, featuring classics like Old Man, Harvest Moon, and The Needle and the Damage Done. His 1970 hit, After the Gold Rush, made a rare appearance and marked its tour debut. Seated at the piano in the tranquil Royal park, it was a moment of sheer perfection that silenced the crowd. Apart from this, the grunge pioneer was at his peak, with his band creating an extraordinary amount of sound as they jammed into the night, culminating in a thrilling encore of Rockin' in the Free World. That is, until 10.32pm....
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Neil Young Hyde Park show is dramatically cut off as bosses pull the plug
Rocker Neil Young breached the strict 10.30pm London Hyde Park curfew after an epic concert - forcing BST Hyde Park bosses to turn off his guitars Music bosses were forced to cut the power to Neil Young 's Hyde Park show as he was rocking out too much. The star was supposed to finish at 10.20pm on Friday night ahead of a strict 10.30pm curfew in the Royal park. But the 79-year-old was still going strong at 10.32pm with an extended version of Rockin' in the Free World forcing festival chiefs to to step in. One source said: 'Neil and his band were having a great time and would have kept on going. There were at least three false endings to the song before festival bosses decided enough was enough. Neil and the band looked a bit puzzled when the power was cut but they are strict about these things - especially as it's a royal park.' Westminster Council insists on a 10.30pm finish as part of their licensing conditions. There were some boos near the front when it emerged the power had been turned off. But fans said of Friday night's show: 'It was one of the all-time great BST shows. Neil completely rocked out the place.' Hyde Park has had high-profile curfew breaches before - most notably for Bruce Springsteen in 2012. Sir Paul McCartney had joined Bruce and his E Street Band to play Beatles classics I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout. But as they got ready to launch into another number, their power was switched off by the then-promoters of the Hard Rock Calling festival. BST is run by a different team. Steve Van Zandt, the E Street Band's guitarist, vented his fury at the "police state". Then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said it was "an excessively efficacious decision". The Boss was back at Hyde Park in 2023 and could see the funny side. During a performance of Glory Days, he told the 65,000-strong audience: "It's time to go home. I'm telling you, they are going to pull the f***ing plug again." The Mirror revealed at the time how Bruce was scheduled to start his concert earlier at 7pm to ensure the 10.30pm curfew was not breached. The plan by BST Hyde Park bosses worked as the gig ended at 10pm. The performance by Young for his BST show comes just two weeks after his headline Glastonbury show on the Pyramid stage, BST HYDE PARK REVIEW BY TOM BRYANT It would take some effort to eclipse what was a magical show on Worthy Farm two weeks ago. But as the sun set on W2, Neil Young did just that with a spell-binding performance for the ages. All the focus had been on Neil's Glastonbury show in the build up to his short European tour. Not least the controversy over whether he would allow the BBC to screen his Pyramid stage performance. But here in Hyde Park it was all about the music - and the 79-year-old rocker delivered with aplomb. There was no scrimping on a hits-packed set list including Old Man, Harvest Moon and the Needle and the Damage Done. There was even a rare outing for his 1970 hit After the Gold Rush which made its tour debut. Sat astride a piano, it was a moment of perfection and you could hear a pin drop in the hushed Royal park. Otherwise, the godfather of grunge was at his rocking best, his band generating an inordinate amount of noise as they jammed away into the night with a thrilling encore of Rockin' in the Free World. Until 10.32pm that is….
