Latest news with #TowerHamlets
The Sun
a day ago
- 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
2 days ago
- 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
2 days ago
- 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.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Celebrity osteopath unmasked as 'one of London's worst ever voyeurs' after secretly filming 2,000 women in 12-year upskirting campaign is jailed
A celebrity osteopath branded 'one of London 's most prolific voyeurs' was jailed for more than three years today for secretly taking pictures and videos of 2,000 women. Torben Stig Hersborg, of Tower Hamlets, filmed and photographed the women across more than a decade in his Old Street clinic as well as on beaches, on footpaths, waiting at bus stops or for the Tube and when they were in their own homes. The 64-year-old Danish national was sentenced to three years and five months in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court today after admitting eight counts of voyeurism. The victims spied on by Hersborg - who boasted a celebrity client list including Caroline Wozniacki and Anna Friel - could not be identified from the images. His crimes were revealed when a member of the public called police last December after they spotted a suspicious vehicle outside university accommodation in Islington. Hersborg, who moved to the UK in 1984, was seen in the back seat of a dark Lexus wearing black gloves and sat on seats lined with black plastic bags. A search of the vehicle by detectives found a telescope in the footwell and a video camera with black tape around the lens, pointed at students living inside. A hard drive, SD cards and recording device were all recovered and analysed after Hersborg was arrested and had thousands of files with images and videos of victims. It soon became clear that women were filmed without their knowledge in Hersborg's private practice in Old Street as well as at public locations and in their own homes. Some pictures and videos showed victims undressing in their bedrooms and bathrooms. On two videos found on his SD cards, women were filmed having sex without their knowledge. Prosecutors were unable to identify any of the women who appear in the videos and photographs, nor obtain statements from them. But they instead focused on the digital material in an evidence-led approach which identified consistent patterns of offending. The Crown Prosecution Service built a picture of Hersborg's motive – which over a 12-year period consistently saw him use secret or concealed cameras to focus on intimate areas of the body or when women were in private situations in their home. Working with the Metropolitan Police, the prosecutors brought a this digital evidence to court at the first hearing in December 2024, which saw Hersborg plead guilty to voyeurism charges. After his devices were analysed by officers, Hersborg was later charged with five further counts of voyeurism and admitted all of these offences at a separate court hearing in January 2025. Hersborg, who helped people alleviate muscle and joint pain, is said to have been a childhood friend of Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen. His celebrity clients included the likes of Strictly Come Dancing contestant Viscountess Emma Weymouth and presenter Fearne Cotton. He was also pictured with musicians Beverley Knight and Ronnie Wood, and provided his services for the Sidemen YouTubers during their charity football match. Alex Weichselbaum, senior crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said today: '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.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Watch: Notorious bag thief using his foot during £6,000 crime spree at pubs in City of London
A prolific bag thief who preyed on after-work drinkers at pubs in the City of London has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. CCTV footage captures sneaky Sid Rebai pretending to chat on his mobile phone while using his right foot to drag bags along the ground and away from their distracted owners. Plain-clothed officers spotted the notorious 36-year-old stalking customers at the Hoop and Grapes in Aldgate. Rebai is seen walking near two people deep in conversation as they talk over a pint. Wearing a black cap, cream hoodie top and jeans he extends his leg and uses a foot to pull the rucksack towards him - before quickly picking it up and fleeing. A prolific bag thief has been sentenced to two and a half years in Rebai, 36, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft in the was also handed a Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from entering the Square Mile for six years. — City of London Police (@CityPolice) July 21, 2025 Police approached Rebai, arrested him for theft and returned the bag and its contents to the male victim before he knew it had been pinched. The Old Bailey heard he also targeted All Bar One in Byward Street, The Minories near Tower Hill, Brewdog on Great Tower Street and Portsoken Pavilion in Aldgate Square. Both male and female victims lost laptops, headphones, clothing, wallets, AirPods and sunglasses valued at £6,683. Rebai, of Buckle Street, Tower Hamlets, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft. He was also handed a criminal behaviour order banning him from entering the Square Mile for six years. Inspector Dan Green, of the City of London Police's proactive acquisitive crime team, said: 'This is another great result in seeing a prolific bag thief behind bars and returning stolen items to victims. 'Our warning to criminals - don't come into the City to steal bags. 'If you do, you risk being spotted by our plain-clothed officers, who will track you down, arrest you and bring you to justice.'
