From the Met Police’s regular scheduling of gross misconduct investigations to politicians shoving their way onto packed bandwagons, these are the biggest stories from London this week:
After months of delay, the first new DLR trains roll out
1st, Wednesday
New DLR trains featuring air conditioning, charging points and the return of front-facing seats are set to boost the DLR’s capacity by 50%, according to Tfl.
The rollout, which began on Wednesday, includes a total of 54 new trains due to enter service, one a week, by the end of 2026.
The fleet was funded with £260 Mn of government investment, a £500 Mn loan from the National Wealth Fund, and £5 Mn from London City Airport.
Lorna Pimlott, National Wealth Fund Managing Director, said: “The DLR serves six Opportunity Areas in London which together have the potential to deliver thousands of new homes and jobs. Around 45,000 homes are already under construction or have planning permission within walking distance of the DLR.”
The new trains will have 10% more capacity, each with five walk-through carriages.
Built by Spanish firm CAF, they faced significant delays and ran over budget due to issues in testing and were built to replace the current 30 year-old fleet.
Met Police officer arrested, 11 under investigation following BBC Panorama documentary
2nd, Thursday
A serving Police officer at Charing Cross police station has been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, following racist and sexist behaviour revealed by the BBC.
The documentary reported officers partook in “blatant racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim hatred and excessive use of force”, including calling for immigrants to be shot, boasting about stamping on a detainee’s leg, and filling false witness reports.
In the documentary, while speaking to an undercover reporter, PC Phil Neilson said: “Either put a bullet through his [immigrant who has overstayed his visa’s] head or deport him. And the ones that shag women, rape women, you do the cock and let them bleed out.”
Nine serving officers, one former officer, and one detention officer are under investigation for gross misconduct by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Sadiq Khan, whos responsibilities include overseeing the Metropolitan Police, said: “It was sickening to watch police officers - those who are tasked with keeping our communities safe - display such blatant racism, misogyny, anti-Muslim hatred and excessive use of force.”
Mark Rowley, Met commissioner, assured people in London could trust his officers.
Information about police behaviour at Charing Cross should be reported to the IOPC on 0300 303 5736 or charingcross@policeconduct.gov.uk.
31-storey office set to be built at 130 Fenchurch Street
30th, Tuesday
Insurance giant, Aviva Investors, had plans for their new headquarters at 130 Fenchurch Street approved by the City of London on Tuesday.
The planned building, a short walk away from the “Walkie Talkie”, is set to provide 57,491 Sq metres of office space, with 300 Sq metres of ground floor public space for outlets.
An external garden, open to the public, on the 20th floor is also planned.
This marks the seventh office building providing over 50,000 Sq metres of office space approved for planning this year, as vacancy rates in newly constructed buildings in the capital fell to 0.5%.
Architecture firm WilkinsonEyre replaced Farshid Moussavi Architecture five years ago, after Aviva Investors rejected initial plans.
Aviva Investors are also involved in the 101 Moorgate and Liverpool street over-station schemes.
The City of London Corporation plans to deliver a minimum of 1.2 Mn Sq metres of net floorspace by 2040.
Close to 500 arrested at Palestine Action protest
4th, Saturday
A total of 492 people have been arrested as organisers, Defend Our Juries, said around 1,000 took part in demonstrations around Trafalgar Square on Saturday.
488 arrests were made for supporting the proscribed group, with ages ranging from 18 to 89 years old. The remaining four arrests were for unrelated matters.
Met Police said a different protest group had gathered in Whitehall later that evening.
Public authorities urged organizers to postpone the demonstrations following this week’s synagogue terror attack.
Following the protests, Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, set out plans to give police more powers to restrict repeated demonstrations.
Speaking to ITV, Zack Polanski, Green party leader, said: “I think it’s really problematic if someone is trying to weaponise the attack that happened yesterday to try and silence protest in this country.
“They’re seperate issues,” He added.
Toxic nitrogen dioxide levels fall to legal limit
30th, Tuesday
The level of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in London has fallen to within legal limit, after experts at King’s College estimated that it would take almost 200 years from 2016.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published new air quality data on Tuesday.
Sadiq Khan has hailed policies such as Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ), which has seen a surge in compliant vehicles from 37%, when it was first introduced, to 97%.
Khan has also accredited the achievement to the implementation of over 2,000 zero-emission buses.
Per year, in London, 4,000 premature deaths are attributed to toxic air and the Royal College of Physicians estimated air pollution cost the UK over £27 Bn per year.
Professor Frank Kelly, from the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College said: “London’s compliance with the UK’s annual mean nitrogen dioxide limit value in 2024 marks a truly remarkable turnaround for the city’s air quality.
“While five other UK locations are still working towards compliance, London’s success demonstrates the power of bold, evidence-based interventions to deliver cleaner air.”