Latest news with #TowerHamlets
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Tower Hamlets joins pilot where building materials reused
A scheme where locally reclaimed building materials are reused is to be expanded to an east London Hamlets Council has joined the Reuse Of Materials Using Local Unitary Stakeholders pilot, which it says is part of its response to the climate initiative creates a "reuse marketplace", where old but good quality materials can be bought or sold, similar to auction websites. Items can include reclaimed bricks, kitchen units and bathroom from council-owned sites, such as schools and offices, will be offered for reuse, with surplus stock from public and private developments also being made available to community projects. The council said the scheme would help cut waste, reduce carbon emissions and create a circular Ahmed, cabinet member for environment and the climate emergency, said it was a "bold and necessary step" towards a more sustainable borough."This initiative not only helps us build more homes in a cost-effective and sustainable way but also opens up new opportunities for green jobs and community engagement," he Adams, director at Maconda Solutions, which runs the programme, said Tower Hamlets was helping to "establish London as the world's circular capital".The City of London is already taking part in the pilot, which is backed by research partnerships with UK universities.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Angela Rayner accused of playing 'catch-up' over new Chinese mega-embassy after being 'spooked' by national security concerns
faced claims last night that she had only raised questions over the new Chinese mega-embassy after being 'spooked' by briefings over national security concerns. The Deputy Prime Minister has demanded Beijing provides additional information after the blueprints contained blacked-out drawings. Several rooms on planning documents submitted to Tower Hamlets Council, including the basement area, have been marked 'redacted for security reasons'. A letter sent from Ms Rayner's department has given the embassy a two-week deadline to supply unredacted drawings and explain the reasons for not showing them. The move marked a change in tone for the Government over the embassy, amid fears that despite warnings of an espionage risk, Labour would agree to the plan. But a well-placed source told The Mail on Sunday that Ms Rayner has been 'spoken to' by the security services, who had flagged concerns over the application. The source claimed the advice had forced the Deputy PM to at least ask more questions over what would be the biggest embassy complex in Europe. The Royal Mint Court site, near London's financial district, has sparked fears it will include 'spy dungeons' in the heart of the City. Last week, it emerged that Ms Rayner, who is also in charge of local government and housing, had given China the two-week deadline to explain the mystery. The source said: 'There is a tribe in the Foreign Office who think we should be closer to China. They think that lots of good things would happen – diplomatically, with investment – if we were to green-light the embassy.' But the source added: 'Now other voices are saying there are a lot of reasons to be cautious, including that the Chinese are not being as open as we would like about the planning. They have spoken to her, and Rayner's been spooked.' A Government source responded by saying they could not comment on planning matters. Ms Rayner also faced claims that she was 'politicising' the issue. Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly said: 'Everything she does, and every decision she makes, she sees through the prism of her leadership ambitions. 'The Government rushed to try and please the Chinese Communist party, including making big announcements about this embassy. They clearly didn't ask the serious questions about its size, scale and use – and they're clearly trying to play catch-up.' In an interview to be released today, Reform deputy leader Richard Tice told the Latika Takes podcast: 'I don't think we should be accepting their new proposed embassy in the heart of the City of London.' The Chinese Embassy said last week that it took 'into full consideration' the UK's planning policy when it submitted the application.
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Outrage as luxury £425 a night hotel paid for by YOU taken over to house asylum seekers in ‘insult to law-abiding Brits
BRITAIN'S borders fiasco worsened last night when the Home Office took over a four-star hotel that costs tourists up to £425 a night. Rooms at the Britannia International, which boasts 'superb views over London', are being readied for asylum seekers at taxpayers' expense in anticipation of a summer surge in Channel crossings. 7 7 The move was last night branded an 'insult'. Residents and business owners said they fear for their safety, and that it would attract protests. A demo was held there on Tuesday and yesterday police guarded the hotel, while a fence had been thrown up around its entrance. Workers hauled beds inside, as Tower Hamlets Council confirmed it would be used for migrants — and said they should get the 'full package of support'. Britannia Hotels has hailed its biggest and flagship residence — as a 'modern, glass-fronted building close to the internationally famous business district'. When open to the public, a standard room can cost as much as £425 a night. They are said to have 'superb views over London'. The hotel offers two restaurants and bars, making it the 'perfect base for a city break'. Amenities include a games room with a pool table and gym. It is unclear if migrants will be allowed to use them. An indoor pool and sauna are thought to have been shut down. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told The Sun: 'It is outrageous that the Government is splurging taxpayers' hard-earned money on luxury hotels for illegal immigrants when most people in this country would struggle to afford a hotel in central London. 'This is one of the most luxurious hotels people can only dream of staying in, right in the heart of London's financial centre. 'No wonder illegal immigrants are flooding across the channel in record numbers when this weak Labour government welcomes them with hotel accommodation funded by hard-working taxpayers. 'This is an insult to law-abiding citizens. 'The Government must urgently act to deport every single illegal arrival, then the crossings would rapidly stop but Keir Starmer is too weak to do this.' Susan Hall, Tory leader in London's City Hall, added: 'It's incredible that four-star hotels like this are being used to house migrants. 'This move will damage every small firm in Canary Wharf trying to survive. 'Women and children, I can tell you, don't feel safe around these hotels in London. 'It shows things are getting worse and worse for hard-working Brits, who are trying to keep their families going. 'This is the damage it is doing to society, and I think it is going to cause a really serious problem.' Some 23,534 migrants have already arrived on small boats this year — 48 per cent higher than this time in 2024. Sources indicated the International will remain empty until necessary, with the Home Office striking a deal to rent 400 rooms for £81 a night. It means the weekly bill for the hotel could be up to £226,800 if every room is used. Yesterday labourers were seen carrying mattresses into the hotel shortly after 8am. A team flanked by private security also brought in metal bed frames and a pallet of orange juice and food. It is thought agency staff have been drafted in to run it, with existing contractors let go. A cleaner and mum of two arrived for her last shift yesterday and said: 'I don't think it's right that I and all the staff have been given redundancy letters. 'We are taxpayers and have done nothing wrong. 'Now we will struggle to make ends meet. 'We are gutted.' On Tuesday 150 anti-migrant activists protested outside the International until 9pm. Just five took part in a counter protest. Some flocked there amid false rumours circulated by far-right thug Tommy Robinson that migrants had arrived there from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex — also the scene of demos. Around 50 cops were drafted in to Canary Wharf, with no arrests. 7 7 Reform's chief whip Lee Anderson was at the International demo and said he was 'absolutely furious' at the hotel's closure. The MP added: 'This hotel here — it must cost a couple of hundred quid a night to stay there. 'Most normal people in this country would not be able to afford to stay here for a weekend, but we have illegals coming here.' Yesterday local homeowners told of their fears that a migrant hotel would tank property values. Software engineer Matt, who declined to give his surname, said: 'The houses here go for £1million, though probably not any more. 'I'm really worried about house prices going down. 'Now seems a bad time to sell up.' Mary, 58, who lives five minutes away, fumed: 'This used to be the best place in the world but it's gone to the dogs. 'I struggle on my pension. 'I paid taxes all my life. And they are in a four-star hotel?' It is thought there are 210 asylum hotels in the UK. It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel The council Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have pledged to cut their use entirely by 2029. The Britannia Hotel group was approached for comment. It has a portfolio of 64 UK hotels and is a major provider of asylum accommodation. A cost-cutting drive has seen the average price of a migrant hotel room fall to £118.87, down from £162.16 in March 2023. Last month we told how the annual asylum support bill of £4.7billion was equivalent to the annual taxes forked out by a city the size of Manchester. Tower Hamlets Council said: 'We are aware of the Government's decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. 'It is important the Government ensures there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. 'We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.' The Home Office said: 'We inherited a broken asylum system from the Tories with costs spiralling out of control. 'As part of the plan to restore order and close all asylum hotels by the end of the parliament, we are boosting border security, substantially increasing removals of those with no right to be here. 'We are also tackling the Tories' wasteful contracts by ending the use of more expensive accommodation and moving to cheaper options.' 7 7 7
Sky News
22-07-2025
- Sky News
Celebrity osteopath jailed for voyeurism after spying on thousands of women
A celebrity osteopath who secretly took pictures and videos of thousands of women has been jailed for three years and five months. Torben Stig Hersborg, from Tower Hamlets, east London, was found to have filmed and photographed around 2,000 women across more than a decade at his clinic in Old Street. The 64-year-old - labelled "one of London's most prolific voyeurs" - also recorded women on beaches, on footpaths, waiting at bus stops or for the Tube and when they were in their own homes. The Danish national - who had a celebrity client list including sports stars and actors - admitted to eight counts of voyeurism and was jailed at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday. Alex Weichselbaum, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Hersborg operated in plain sight for too long. "Having targeted thousands of women over 12 years, we believe the scale and significance of his offending makes him one of London's most prolific voyeurs. "Hersborg deliberately abused the trust of his unwitting patients by filming them in intimate positions and targeted strangers for his own sexual gratification. "Women should be free to live their lives without unwanted intrusion - particularly from sexual offenders like Hersborg who deliberately chose to film or photograph them in their most private or intimate moments." Hersborg's crimes were revealed when a member of the public called the police in December last year after they saw him in the backseat of his vehicle, parked outside university accommodation in Islington, north London. He was sat on top of black plastic bags and wearing black gloves. A telescope was found in the car, as well as a video camera pointed at students inside the building. Officers found thousands of photos and videos on devices in his possession after his arrest, including images of women undressing in their own bedrooms and two of women having sexual intercourse. The women in the photographs and videos could not be identified, the CPS said.
The Independent
22-07-2025
- The Independent
Celebrity osteopath unmasked as serial voyeur jailed after spying on 2,000 women
A celebrity osteopath branded 'one of London's most prolific voyeurs' has been jailed for three years and five months for secretly taking pictures and videos of thousands of women. Danish national Torben Stig Hersborg, 64, of Tower Hamlets, east London, filmed and photographed around 2,000 women across more than a decade in his clinic in Old Street, north-east London, as well as on beaches, on footpaths, waiting at bus stops or for the Tube and when they were in their own homes. He was jailed at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting eight counts of voyeurism. The victims who were spied on could not be identified from the images, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. Alex Weichselbaum, from the CPS, said: 'Hersborg operated in plain sight for too long and, having targeted thousands of women over 12 years, we believe the scale and significance of his offending makes him one of London's most prolific voyeurs. 'His meticulously planned acts included setting up secret cameras in his clinic and covertly filming women – both in public and when they thought they were in the privacy of their own homes. 'Hersborg deliberately abused the trust of his unwitting patients by filming them in intimate positions and targeted strangers for his own sexual gratification. 'Women should be free to live their lives without unwanted intrusion – particularly from sexual offenders like Hersborg who deliberately chose to film or photograph them in their most private or intimate moments.' The osteopath boasted a celebrity client list including Caroline Wozniacki and Anna Friel. His crimes were revealed when a member of the public called police in December last year after they saw Hersborg in the back seat of his Lexus vehicle parked outside university accommodation in Islington, north London. He was wearing black gloves and sat on top of black plastic bags, and a telescope and video camera were found in the car. After he was arrested, investigators found thousands of photos and videos on devices in his possession, including images of women undressing and two while they were having sex.
