The City of London snow clearance nightshift commenced mechanical gritting of the Square Mile at 1.00am, completing precautionary east and west gritting routes in the early hours and directing all street sweeping operations to winter maintenance activities at 3.00am.The night operation continued to grit known problem areas including high risk and priority highways and footways in accordance with the City of London Snow and Winter Emergency Plan. These priority areas included London Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Tower Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, station fronts, bus stops, crossing points, raised junctions and traffic islands City-wide.  During the nightshift the gritting operation treated 39 miles of highway and used approximately 15 tons of salt.

Morning shift commenced at 7.00am with two gritters sent out at 7.30am to salt east and west sides of the City. The early and middle sweeping shifts have all been directed to work on the City Snow Plan with works ongoing. It is anticipated that this work will be completed by 5.00pm (prior to major worker footfall) with all roads having, as a minimum, a safe, snow free footway. We aim to remove the majority of snow/ slush from all footways to avoid icing over during the night. We will be gritting manually and mechanically throughout the night.

In addition to the planned work we are responding to the feedback from our staff's site inspections while the weather forecast is being monitored by the winter service manager and used as basis for future service delivery planning.

Published: 03 December 2010

Former Labour MP David Chaytor has admitted fraudulently claiming Parliamentary expenses.

He became the first politician to get a criminal conviction in connection with the expenses scandal when he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to three charges of false accounting.

Chaytor, 61, had previously denied the charges and was due to stand trial at London's Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

But he changed his plea on Friday at the Old Bailey. The move came after legal challenges to stop the trial failed.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court published its reasons for rejecting a claim by Chaytor and two other former MPs that criminal proceedings against them would infringe parliamentary privilege.

Published: 03 December 2010

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With the UK's busiest online shopping day ‘Mega Monday’ (6 December) fast approaching, the National Fraud Authority (NFA) and the UK’s Lead Force for fraud, City of London Police, are ringing-out the bells about the growing threat of online fraudsters.

With over half the UK adult population now shopping online, forecasters predict pre-Christmas web sales will peak at £23.2m between 12-1pm on ‘Mega Monday’. But police analysts advise this frenetic activity also raises the risk of buyers losing money to criminals.

Shoppers should be aware that behind some flashy websites, canny criminals are looking to cash-in on the December online spree. Anonymous fraudsters can set up legitimate-looking websites to sell either counterfeit goods or no goods at all.

According to figures compiled by the NFA’s Action Fraud and the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), there has been a 15 per cent increase in reports of online shopping and auction fraud since July.

The organisations are also warning people to take extra care when purchasing popular Christmas gifts online. Previous reports to Action Fraud and other agencies, suggest the following products are the top five to feature in online shopping and auction fraud:
 
1. Smart Phones
2. Digital Cameras
3. Designer goods including jewellery and branded boots
4. Laptops and notebooks
5. Video game systems.
 
Financial Fraud Action UK and CIFAS – The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service are supporting the call for consumers to take basic steps online to protect themselves this Christmas.
 
To make sure your online shopping is safe and secure remember these top tips:

• Use secure websites that you trust. Do your research before making a purchase. Check online forums for feedback
• Do they have a real-world presence? Can you see their address and phone number? Is it a valid UK registered phone number?
• Check the browser address changes from 'http' to 'https' to indicate you have a secure connection and look for a padlock or an unbroken key symbol on your web browser
• If website prices for designer items, games and smart phones seem too good to be true, they probably are. Legitimate popular technology and designer items are rarely discounted
• For further advice and to report fraud, log onto www.actionfraud.org.uk or call 0300 123 2040
• Textphone 0300 123 2050
• Visit www.getsafeonline.org.uk for other tips on staying safe online. 

Det Ch Supt, Steve Head, Head of City of London Police’s Economic Crime Directorate, said: “Fraudsters hide behind showy websites and never have to face their victims, but we have to pick up the pieces. This is a crime that ruins Christmas. These victims lose a lot of money, but perhaps more upsetting is that they don’t even have the gifts to give their family and friends.
 
“Christmas is a time of goodwill, but don’t show that generosity to the fraudsters. Do the checks and be secure.”

Dr Bernard Herdan, CEO, National Fraud Authority: “All that glitters is not always gold and - particularly at this time of year - too many people fall foul of fraudsters while rushing to buy Christmas presents online.  Like more than half of us now, I'm a huge fan of online shopping, but I always make sure I protect myself. The good news is it is really simple to stay safe online. 

"Please follow our easy tips.  They really could make all the difference to your happy Christmas.  And if you are unfortunate enough to get caught-out by a fraudster, report it to Action Fraud.  The experts there will take your report, provide you with comprehensive fraud prevention advice, and send the intelligence to the police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, so helping to identify, track and stop these criminals.”
 
Kate Beddington-Brown, Head of Communications at CIFAS, said: “At this time of year, most of us are spending more online than usual.  With all of the pressures surrounding us in the lead-up to the festive season, it is all too easy to overlook the security measures that we usually take for granted. Using the prevention tips above can help you have a much happier Christmas than you will do if you fall prey to an online fraudster.”
 
Visit Action Fraud for daily prevention tips in the run up to Christmas, join NFA’s Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

Published: 03 December 2010

City of London Police has arrested three men in connection to a suspected one million pound land banking fraud involving City-based firms.

On Tuesday (Nov 30) two men, aged 26 and 49, were arrested in Bromley and at a London office, and on Thursday a third man, 31, was arrested at his home in Lewisham.

All three were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering and later released on bail.

The operation came as detectives from the National Lead Force for fraud continued to investigate the activities of two companies that have been offering investments in plots of land.

Staff from Browne Mackenzie, which is now in liquidation, and Lawrence Taylor & Co Ltd are believed to have cold called investors and offered land for sale at sites in Scotland and Northampton.

During these conversations, or in prospectuses subsequently sent, investors are suspected of being misled about the potential of the land to rise in value.

Detective Inspector Andy Thompson, from the City of London Police, said:

"Since taking on this case we have moved very quickly to make these three arrests. Further action is anticipated in the coming weeks.

"It is now very important for anyone who has invested in land offered by these companies to contact us as soon as possible. Even the smallest pieces of information could prove crucial to our investigation."

Published: 03 December 2010

Commenting on the government's newly announced policy on the number of skilled migrants from outside the EU allowed into the UK, Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said:

"While we are pleased that the government has listened to business on intra-company transfers, we are still concerned that the lack of flexibility inherent in a cap will have a detrimental effect on London's competitiveness and productivity."

The government's decision to reduce Tier 1 to just 1000 people a year was an unwelcome surprise which will deprive London of some the brightest and best professionals in the world."

"We will continue to lobby the government for an immigration system that minimises damage to London based firms and in the months to come we will be closely monitoring the effect the cap is having on the capital's economy."

Published: 03 December 2010

Sir,

The Prime Minister’s ‘’wooing’’ of Nordic and Baltic nations with a January summit came as no surprise (“Cameron woos Nordic nations, November 24).

London has traded with the Hanseatic and other near ports for thousands of years: at one time the German merchants running our wool trade (near Cannon Street station) even elected their own City Alderman and policed their own streets.

So, rather than worry about whether the UK is in spirit a Nordic, Baltic or even a Scandic country, we should remember that our shared traditions of passport-less open trade and entrepreneurship come from bordering the North Sea and its adjacent waterways.

A good case can be made for these waters acting as a catalyst for early European economic growth – a sort of medieval superhighway of goods and ideas.  Even today in Hamburg they say ‘When it rains in London, we put up our umbrellas here.’’

Michael Bear
Lord Mayor of the City of London
Mansion House EC4

Published: 02 December 2010

Large areas of the country have come to a standstill, raising questions over Britain's capacity to cope in sub-zero conditions.

Thousands of commuters were left high and dry after rail operators cancelled many services altogether, while several major airports closed their doors and motorists faced chaos on the roads after many were forced to spend the night sleeping in their cars.

Meanwhile, 300 passengers found themselves stranded overnight on a Southern train in West Sussex after heavy snow caused a series of line failures at Three Bridges station.

Passenger Rebecca Forsey told the BBC: "It was an absolute nightmare. We had to wait around for several hours in the cold on a freezing platform. We finally got something to eat at 4am."

Bad weather meant thousands of children were turned away from lessons at schools across the country while workers arrived late or were forced to take the day off.

The number of schools forced to close because of the weather has more than doubled overnight, according to the Department for Education. Around 7,000 schools across the UK were shut today compared with about 3,000 yesterday, the Government said.

And as forecasters predicted more wintery weather, critics hit out at Britain's handling of the cold snap. Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said the crisis was costing the economy up to £1.2 billion a day.

Police in the North East denied reports circulating on social networking sites that they were pulling over and fining drivers who had snow on their cars. Both Durham and Northumbria Police spoke out to counter rumours being spread on the internet and via text message.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police confirmed: "As at any time of the year, in the interests of road safety, drivers are required to have a clear view through their windows when driving and officers may speak to drivers if this is not the case. However information appearing on Facebook that we are specifically targeting drivers for having snow on their car is just not the case - it would appear to be just another urban myth."

And road rescue group the AA continued to receive large numbers of calls. Spokesman Gavin Hill-Smith said they were busy with 5,500 breakdowns nationally from midnight to 11am. The rescue centre was receiving about 1,300 calls per hour, which Mr Hill-Smith said was far fewer than yesterday.

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2010, All Rights Reserved

Published: 02 December 2010

Central London may see freezing temperatures this week and into the weekend, with some reports forecasting snow. We will keep you updated, but as a precaution we would urge all our residents, businesses and visitors to take extra care.

Parks

All parks in Westminster are currently reported as open.

Schools

All schools in Westminster are currently reported as open.

We are prepared, have ample supplies of grit and teams on standby ready to ensure we keep central London moving. But we’re asking everyone to do their bit too.

• Keep a close eye on neighbours and vulnerable people – if you’re concerned about someone let us know
  
  
• Clear away snow and ice from in front of your homes and businesses if it’s a hazard – just follow our clearing snow and ice guide
  
  
• Please do keep warm. Pensioners may qualify for extra help and cold weather payments – see advice below

Last year Westminster was the first council in the UK to tell its residents to ignore scare stories that they could be sued for clearing snow and ice. Our guide below has since been adopted by the Government and issued to every single local authority in the country. If you follow it, you will be helping your local community.

Leader of Westminster City Council, Cllr Colin Barrow said: "We’ll be doing our bit, and we have plenty of grit and manpower to ensure the city keeps moving. But we also need a return to common sense and for people not to be afraid to pitch in and help themselves and anyone else who may be vulnerable in the cold weather.

"This includes checking in on that older or disabled neighbour and if necessary, picking up a shovel and clearing away any compacted ice and snow which may making an area dangerous. We've taken our own legal advice on this, and as long people do it properly, they have nothing to fear."

In Westminster more than 600 staff will be drafted in from across the waste and parks departments if snowfall is heavy.  The Council has also bought six new gritters fitted with GPS tracking, which will be used in conjunction with computer-controlled temperature sensors across the borough to see which roads require salting. 

A fleet of flatbed transit vans normally used to collect street litter is on standby and will be converted to send grit to old people's homes, schools and community centres and wherever it's needed. 

Guide to clearing ice and snow

1. DO NOT USE HOT WATER. This will melt the slow, but will replace it with black ice, increasing the risk of injury.
   
   
2. If shovelling snow: Use a shovel with the widest blade available. Make a line down the middle of your path first, so you have a safe surface to walk on. Then you can simply shovel the snow from the centre to the sides.
   
   
3. Spread some ordinary table salt on the area you have cleared to prevent any ice forming. Ordinary salt will work and can be purchased cheaply from any local shop, but avoid spreading on plants or grass.
   
   
4. Use the sun to your advantage. Simply removing the top layer of snow will allow the sun to melt any ice beneath, however you will need to cover any ice with salt to stop refreezing overnight.

Useful contacts

If you’re concerned about someone who may need help, do try and speak to them directly for reassurance. If you’re still worried, you can report your concerns to social services and we’ll investigate. But if there is an imminent danger to life you must dial 999 and speak to the emergency services.

Adult social services: 020 7641 1175 

NHS Direct: 0845 4647 or www.nhs.uk/nhsdirect

NHS Westminster (non-emergency, 24-hour): 020 8969 7777

For cold weather payments for over 60s who are owner occupiers contact us on 020 7641 6161 

westminster.gov.uk

Published: 30 November 2010

The Markets Committee of the City of London Corporation has today (Monday 29 November 2010) voted in favour of revoking the outdated byelaws at its three food markets, which have been overtaken by national and EU legislation.

A lengthy consultation period revealed only one area of real contention: the licensing of the fish porters at Billingsgate. The City of London Corporation does not employ porters, and the licence is only a permit to work, although it recognises the emotional significance to the porters themselves and its historical connotations. However, nobody has made a coherent business case to continuing to licence only 20% of the Billingsgate workforce.

The proposals to revoke the byelaws, some of which date from 1876, have been supported by the fish merchants and their representative body, London Fish Merchants’ Association, who say that their businesses are being adversely affected by the portering arrangements.

Mark Boleat, Chairman of the Markets Committee at the City of London Corporation, says:

“I am very pleased that members have voted in favour of revoking these obsolete byelaws, which are not needed in modern markets. The City of London Corporation recognises that Billingsgate’s porters have opposed the plans and argued that the market’s future is now under threat. We do not share that view at all.

“We are committed to helping Billingsgate flourish and we are confident about its future. Today’s decision is proof of that, and it now paves the way for the Union and the porters’ employers to begin productive negotiations about modernising working practices.”

Andrew Buckingham

Published: 29 November 2010

Commenting on today’s statement by the Home Secretary the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Michael Bear said:

"Immigration is an emotive issue that provokes broader public concerns about its impact on jobs and communities. But the City operates in a global business environment and international firms need the flexibility to recruit the best people.

"The Government has listened to legitimate business concerns, particularly with regards to intra-company transfers, and we appreciate that. We now wait to see how this measure will be implemented. The devil, as always, will be in the detail.

"London is a truly international city, home to talented individuals from all corners of the globe, and we must ensure it remains so for many generations to come."

The City of London’s Policy Chairman, Stuart Fraser, added:

"The Government made a specific pledge to reduce immigration and the City understands this is a pledge that must be kept.

"However, immigration, along with regulation and taxation, has long been an area of concern for the international business community.

"The City has a history of openness - to the top firms and the top people from around the world - long may this continue. Highly skilled workers are not a burden on the state; they generate wealth and are positive contributors to the UK economy and indeed to wider society.

"Obviously a balance has to be struck and these proposals go a long way in providing the certainty and predictability international firms will require if they are to continue to invest in the UK in the years to come."

Sanjay Odedra

Published: 29 November 2010