Monday 6th December 2010 Shotgun found buried in children's play park in Hackney
Police have discovered a working shotgun hidden in a children's play
park in east London. The find was made after the police received a tip
off and used a metal detector and sniffer dog to search the park.
Officers found a Browning firearm with ammunition buried just 8 inches
down. It was wrapped in cloth and dismantled into three working parts.
The Met are now checking a database of firearms incidents to check if
the gun was used in any crimes. Det Sgt Dave Coxall said: "In the last
12 months over 40 firearms have been recovered in Hackney, helping
prevent serious injury and death on our streets. This success shows
how responsive officers are to the intelligence we receive and I would
urge anyone with information about firearms in the borough to contact
us." London

Wednesday 24th November 2010 Apple PC sells for £133,250
An original Apple PC has fetched £133,250 at auction in London. The
Apple 1 computer was the first personal computer to be offered for
sale in working, rather than kit form. The Apple I sold along with its
original packaging and a signed sales letter from Apple co-founder and
current chief executive Steve Jobs. The machine was one of only 200
ever made and originally sold for $666.66 in 1976. It was bought at
Christie's by Italian businessman and private collector Marco
Boglione. London

Friday 12th November 2010 Wilkins parts company with Chelsea
Chelsea will not be renewing their contract with assistant manager Ray
Wilkins who is leaving the club with immediate effect. Wilkins, 54,
has had two spells with the club and was described by Carlo Ancelotti
in his autobiography as a key part of the London club's recent
success. Chelsea's chief executive Ron Gourlay said: "I would like to
thank Ray for everything he has done for Chelsea." The club has not
given reason for his departure of the former England international. London

Monday 8th November 2010 Rapper stabbed in Highgate mugging
Rapper DJ Ironik has been stabbed by muggers who robbed him of his
jewellery in an attack in Highgate, North London. The 22-year-old
rapper, himself an anti-knife campaigner, suffered a stab wound to the
buttock when he was set upon by two men in hooded tops in the early
hours of Saturday morning. He was taken to a nearby hospital for
treatment. DJ Ironik, real name James Charters, was returning from a
gig in Essex at the time of the assault. He has thanked fans for their
support following the attack via his Twitter feed, saying: "It could
of been much worse so thank God it weren't and I'm just resting and
recovering." London

Friday 29th October 2010 Wuthering Heights first edition fetches £163,250
A first edition of the novel Wuthering Heights has been sold at
auction for £163,250. The three-volume edition, formerly owned by a
Norfolk parson, reached more than double the guide price. London
auctioneers Sotheby's described the books as "very rare". The
three-volume edition was once owned by Rev Nathaniel Micklethwait, who
lived at Coltishall Hall in Norfolk. The reverend’s name was written
in the book. A first edition of Black Beauty - written by Norfolk-born
Anna Sewell - also sold at the auction. Bidding reached £6,875, far
more than the guide price of £3,000 and £4,000. Sewell wrote Black
Beauty between 1871 and 1877 while living at Old Catton, near Norwich. London

Monday 25th October 2010 Giant hand pushing car sculpture approved for Park Lane
A sculpture of a giant silver child's hand pushing a ‘toy’ car has
been granted planning permission to be placed in London's Mayfair. The
15ft (4.6m)-high piece by Italian sculptor Lorenzo Quinn, titled
'Vroom Vroom', has been given the go ahead by Westminster Council. It
will go on display on the central reservation in Park Lane at its
junction with Stanhope Gate in central London. The planning
application accepted that the artwork is to be placed "between busy
traffic lanes" but suggested it was not expected to pose a danger to
traffic. London

Friday 22nd October 2010 BBC newsreader Jon Sopel injured in scooter crash
BBC newsreader Jon Sopel was recovering in hospital after breaking his
hip in a scooter accident. Sopel crashed his motor scooter while on
his way to Westminster to front the BBC's Spending Review coverage.
Sopel refused offers of help from the public thinking his injury was
not serious. He remounted his scooter and continued his journey to
Westminster. When the pain became unbearable he realised he was badly
hurt and got to a central London hospital. "I thought I had just given
myself a dead leg at first and that the pain would ease - but it
didn't; it became unbearable," said Sopel, who underwent an operation
on the broken hip later described as “successful”. Sopel, who presents
on the BBC News Channel and is front man on BBC One’s Politics Show,
was told he’ll need several weeks off work to recuperate. London

Friday 8th October 2010 London cycle service hits a million
One million journeys have been made on London's bike hire scheme in
the 10 weeks since its launch. Over 90,000 people have signed up as
members of the £140m scheme since its launch on 30 July. Mayor Boris
Johnson, who has said only three bikes had been stolen, said its
success had "gladdened my heart". Johnson said: "A million 'thank
yous' go to Londoners for the warmth with which they have embraced our
beautiful blue bikes. The zest in which people have taken to two
wheels and joined the cycling revolution we are engendering in the
capital has gladdened my heart." London

Friday 24th September 2010 Boris bike injuries leads to call for helmets
Road safety charity ‘Brake’ has called for helmets to be included in
London's cycle hire scheme after it was revealed that six people had
been injured since the scheme's launch in July. Around 750,000
journeys have been now been made but the bikes do not come with
helmets. Of the six injured at least one person has been hospitalised
for head injuries. A Brake spokeswoman said: "We recommend all adult
cyclists wear one, as well as children, whether you are cycling on or
off road. Schemes like the cycle hire project are great but some kind
of helmet is surely imperative when users have to travel on such busy
roads.” London

Tuesday 21st September 2010 New Bond Street the most expensive retail location in Europe
London's New Bond Street has topped a survey of European retail locations, making it the most expensive place in Europe to rent retail space. With shop rents rising to £925 per square foot per year it is now more expensive than Paris's Avenue des Champs-Elysees. New Bond Street is situated in Mayfair in London's West End and is home to many exclusive brands including Armani. However, New York's Fifth Avenue keeps its place as the most expensive shopping strip in the world, putting it ahead of Causeway Bay in Hong Kong and Ginza in Tokyo. Rents on New Bond Street rose by 19.4% year-on-year. London