The morning case file
London Crime Briefing
Significant incidents, hearings, outcomes and public-data changes across the capital.
Topic
southwarkcouncil
13 stories, newest first.
Courts · SouthwarkInquest to probe death of 12-year-old Mia Shay St Hilaire after milkshake
A formal inquest will investigate the death of Mia Shay St Hilaire, 12, who died in August 2023 after consuming a milkshake suspected to contain nuts at Pop Inn Café in Bermondsey. Southwark Council's investigation found nuts in the drink, and the café operator has already been fined for food safety breaches.
Southwark2 min readTrust 60 · Craft 77 · Hype 20
Courts · SouthwarkBermondsey residents face eviction after landlord buys estate
More than 150 people on Bermondsey's St James Estate have received eviction notices and rent increases of up to £524 per month. The notices were issued one day before the Renters' Rights Act abolished Section 21 evictions, prompting fears of conversion to Houses in Multiple Occupation.
Southwark4 min readTrust 60 · Craft 70 · Hype 45
Community Safety · SouthwarkSouthwark Council Refuses Berkeley Homes' Bid to Cut Affordable Housing
Southwark Council's Planning Committee has unanimously refused an application by Berkeley Homes to significantly reduce the number of affordable homes in its Elephant and Castle development. The developer cited rising costs, but councillors pointed to the company's substantial profits.
Southwark4 min readTrust 60 · Craft 70 · Hype 45
Community Safety · SouthwarkPeckham Rye businesses face ruin after cinema tower closure
Businesses along Peckham Rye have suffered devastating losses after a 10-day road closure due to fears of a collapsing cinema tower. Shopkeepers received no prior warning from Southwark Council, despite visible cracks on the tower for months.
Southwark3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 77 · Hype 55
Courts · EalingCouple told to take adoption leave before councils scrap plans
A London couple were advised to take a year of adoption leave from work and buy children's items before Ealing, Hounslow, and Southwark Councils abandoned their adoption plans. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found multiple failures in the process.
Ealing4 min readTrust 60 · Craft 65 · Hype 45
Community Safety · SouthwarkSouthwark Council proposes siblings share rooms until 20
Southwark Council is proposing new housing allocation rules, including same-sex siblings sharing bedrooms until age 20 and a new low-priority housing band. The changes aim to rebuild confidence in the allocation of scarce social housing, following criticism from a government watchdog.
Southwark4 min readTrust 60 · Craft 70 · Hype 45
Community Safety · SouthwarkRye Lane closed in Peckham over dangerous building fears
Southwark council has closed Rye Lane in Peckham due to safety concerns over a dangerous building at the former Tower Cinema Gateway. Residents have been moved to hotels, and emergency scaffolding has been installed. Police have secured the road since Thursday night, diverting bus routes.
Southwark3 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 45
Community Safety · SouthwarkPeckham road closed over 'dangerous' former cinema structure
Rye Lane in Peckham has been shut since Thursday evening due to a potentially hazardous building at the site of the former Tower Cinema Gateway. Southwark Council is conducting a structural assessment, with police managing traffic diversions.
Southwark2 min readTrust 42 · Craft 59 · Hype 41
Community Safety · SouthwarkSouthwark council urged to reject plans to cut affordable homes
Southwark Council's Planning Committee has been recommended to refuse amended plans by Berkeley Homes to significantly reduce affordable housing at its Borough Triangle development. The proposal would see the number of affordable homes drop from 230 to 60.
Southwark4 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 45
Courts · SouthwarkSouthwark Council apologises after vulnerable resident's phone cut off for three months
Southwark Council has apologised after a vulnerable resident's landline was disconnected for three months due to the council's failure to pay her phone bill. The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman found the council at fault for the delay, which has since been rectified.
Southwark4 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 25
Community Safety · SouthwarkSouthwark night patrol extended to 2027 with £600,000 boost
Southwark Council's night time patrol service has been extended until August 2027, backed by an additional £600,000 in funding. The uniformed officers respond to reports of violence against women and girls and anti-social behaviour across the borough.
Southwark3 min readTrust 44 · Craft 67 · Hype 41
Community Safety · SouthwarkSouthwark Council toughens rules for private landlords
Southwark Council has updated its Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy to impose tougher sanctions on landlords failing to meet housing standards. The move, supported by the Renters Rights Act 2025, aims to protect the rights of private tenants across the borough.
Southwark4 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 45
Community Safety · SouthwarkSainsbury's pauses facial recognition at East Dulwich store after wrongful shoplifter alert
Sainsbury's has suspended live facial recognition at its East Dulwich branch following an incident where a customer was wrongly identified as a shoplifter. The supermarket apologised to Matt Arnold, 46, who was stopped at a self-service till and asked to leave. A similar error occurred in Elephant and Castle in January.
Southwark4 min readTrust 74 · Craft 95 · Hype 30