The London Minute ⏰ Wednesday 18 June 2025
Stoke Newington murder, cinema ‘rapist’ caught, Grenfell fury in Barnet, race to succeed Sadiq + new theatre for Shepherd's Bush Westfield
🌤️ Good morning London. Sorry it’s a few minutes late today. A lot to cram in. Here’s Wednesday’s London Minute.
🚔 Police have launched a murder investigation after a charity co-founder, Annabel Rook, 46, was found stabbed yesterday morning following a gas explosion at a home in Stoke Newington. - Hackney Citizen.
⮑ Her family are being supported by specialist officers. - Met Police.
⮑ London Fire Brigade sent 40 firefighters to the scene at 4am but could not revive the victim.
⮑ Neighbours paid tribute to Annabel. - Jacob Phillips & Anthony France, The Standard.
🔥 The director of housing at Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea at the time of the Grenfell tragedy is now responsible for fire safety at Barnet Homes. Laura Johnson was blamed for picking a ‘value for money’ cladding contract for Grenfell’s panels which fuelled the fire that led to 72 deaths. Johnson is now responsible for fire safety across Barnet’s 13,000 council homes. Bereaved families said it was ‘a slap in the face’. - Now her new employer and councillors are facing questions from local paper, the Barnet Post, thanks to David Floyd.
🗳️ A new poll reveals the names of London Labour party members who are potential candidates in the next city Mayoral election. - Inside the race to succeed Sadiq Khan - George Eaton, New Statesman.
🚦 Businesses surrounding Oxford Street have called on the Mayor to sort out the area's ‘rough sleeping problem’ after he said plans to ban traffic will be progressed ‘as quickly as possible’. - Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter, MyLondon.
⮑ Meanwhile similar plans to ban cars from Deptford High Street have been met with some resistance from a campaign group of traders and residents, writes Louisa Woolf in Southwark News.
💨 We’ll find out The Met’s view on decriminalising cannabis at today’s London Assembly Police and Crime Committee. - The meeting starts at 10am. It’s due to be live-streamed and all the details are here.
🇮🇪 Rappers Kneecap have ‘plastered’ London with messages of support for one of their members who is due to appear in court accused of a terrorism offence. - Josh Payne, The Standard.
🚔 A 67-year-old man was arrested in Primrose Hill after an attempted rape in a Finchley Road cinema. - Ben Gardner, Ham & High.
⮑ The Met Police published this update.
💰 Four charities serving Haringey and Barnet are among several being investigated by the Charity Commission after £22million in cashed cheques were found by HMRC, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter, in Haringey Community Press.
✌️ Better news
This section aims to include better news from all over London. It’s a wide range of things, and as always you’re welcome to submit yours here. My hope is that it inspires more civic pride and community spirit, new plans in your calendar and a few smiles or laughs along the way.
🔵 Relatives of Margaret Llewelyn Davies - a pioneering feminist, suffragist, and friend of the writer Virginia Woolf will - unveil a plaque in her honour in Hampstead. - Bridget Galton, Ham & High.
🎭 A former Debenhams store in the Shepherd's Bush Westfield shopping centre is set to be converted into a 600-seat theatre. - Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter, BBC London.
🚶 ‘Why we are walking backwards in every London borough – for refugees like me’ - Joel Mordi and Amanda Kamanda in the Independent.
🦌 There’s an open weekend at Maryon Wilson Animal Park in Greenwich, which has been saved by a local fundraising effort. - Darryl Chamberlain, The Greenwich Wire.
🛝 Lambeth Council has agreed a rent-free lease on Tulse Hill Adventure Playground, to ‘ensure this much-loved space continues to support safe, free and inclusive play for local children and young people’. - Brixton Buzz.
🎨 There are a whopping 52 reviews of the city’s current exhibitions in the latest London Art Roundup. They’re always short, snappy and the ‘nope’ reviews are often funny.
📮 What’s missing from the newsletter? Share your local news or events here and I’ll post them to the Community Noticeboard tomorrow morning.
📈 The most-viewed links from the last newsletter:
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