A house fire in Croydon has left two people dead and two others fighting for their lives. The blaze occurred in Sanderstead Road last night (December 29).
Its cause is not yet known. Photos from the scene show forensic tents in place.
A spokesperson for the Met said: "Police were called by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) at 10.48pm on Friday, December 29, to a house fire in Sanderstead Road, South Croydon.
"Officers attended along with LFB and the London Ambulance Service. Two men – no further details- were sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Officers are working to inform their next of kin.
"A third man was taken to hospital where he remains in a life-threatening condition. A fourth and fifth man later self-presented at hospital.
"One of the men is in a life-threatening condition and the other has since been discharged. The cause of the fire is under investigation by LFB and police."
Shana Swash has welcomed her first baby and confirmed their adorable name. The 33-year-old, from Islington, has taken to social media to share the happy news she gave birth just days before Christmas.
The actress, who is best known for playing Demi Miller in EastEnders, welcomed her baby girl with fiancé Nick Jones and took to her Instagram to share a sweet first photo of their daughter.
They posted a series of black and white snaps of their baby as well as photos of the new parents embracing her. Shana also shared a photo of herself with her baby and Nick just moments after giving birth.
Beside the images, Shana simply wrote: "Kitty Frances Swash Jones 18.12.2023". The new parents have been flooded with words of support, with one person writing: "Love all 3 of you", while a second added: "Ohh congrats! So delighted for you! Biggest hugs and love."
The former EastEnders star played Walford's Demi Miller for two years from 2004, is the younger sister to I'm A Celeb winner Joe Swash who also played her on-screen brother on the soap. The ex-soap star shared her pregnancy news in June, when she shared a snap proudly holding up her baby scan pictures, while her besotted partner kissed her on the cheek.
Joe Swash as Mickey Miller and Shana Swash as Demi Miller in EastEnders (Image: BBC)
Shana is now a business owner and runs coffee stall with her beau called Swash &Jones Coffee co. in London's Islington. Back in August 2021, Shana announced her engagement to carpenter Nick - they are yet to tie the knot.
At the time, she flashed her diamond engagement ring in a slew of images, as she sweetly held up her hand to show off the dazzling piece of jewellery.
Want more EastEnders news and gossip? Click here to view our dedicated page.
A mother accused of killing her four-year-old son in a knife attack broke down in tears during her first appearance at the Old Bailey. Keziah Macharia, 41, was charged with the murder Kobi Macharia Dooly after he was found with multiple cuts in his cot December 20, only a few days before Christmas.
On Thursday, friends and family of the boy attended court for a preliminary hearing with Macharia appearing by video link from Bronzefield prison. During the hearing, Judge Lynn Tayton set a timetable for the case with a plea and trial preparation hearing on March 21. A trial before a High Court judge was provisionally scheduled to go on for up to 10 days from next November 4.
Macharia, dressed in a grey sweatshirt, had spoken only to confirm her name and date of birth then sobbed throughout the rest of the hearing as prosecutor Louise Oakley outlined details of the case.
Forensic officers at a property on Montague Road in Dalston, east London, where the four-year-old died (Image: PA)
On the evening of December 20, police had been alerted to concerns for Kobi’s welfare by his father, Ben Dooly, who had split up with the defendant about a year before. Within minutes of the 999 call, officers forced their way into the defendant’s home in Hackney, East London, at 10.59pm.
They found Kobi lying in his cot with a number of sharp force injuries. He was taken to the Royal London Hospital where he died at 16 minutes past midnight on December 21. Macharia was arrested at the address in Montague Road and charged with murder on December 22.
While a cause of death has yet to be confirmed, it is believed Kobi died from sharp force injuries, including one to the front of the neck and another to the upper left chest. At the conclusion of the short hearing, Judge Tayton remanded Macharia into custody.
Previously, Kobi’s father Mr Dooly had released a statement saying: “With heavy hearts we bid farewell to Kobi, you will be so dearly missed. The joy and laughter you brought to the world has been taken far too soon. We will be thinking of you day and night for eternity until we meet you again. The family would like to acknowledge and appreciate all messages of support. Please respect our family privacy at this very difficult time.”
A Mountain Warehouse coat built for any bad weather is discounted on Amazon. There are four colours available: black, khaki, grey, and navy. While the coat was originally £219, the khaki coat is now £99 in sizes 8, 12, and 16, while the black coat is £99 in sizes 10, 12, and 14. The others have been reduced to £129.
At Mountain Warehouse, all the sizes and colours are £129. The Alaskan Womens 3 In 1 Long Jacket is three coats in one; there's a detachable inner puffer jacket and an outer waterproof coat that can both be work separately or combined into one jacket.
The coat can be worn as a puffer, windbreaker, or combination of the two (Image: Mountain Warehouse)
The Mountain Warehouse coat is tested to withstand 10,000mm of extremely heavy rain in a 24-hour period. It's also breathable to keep the wearer cool and comfortable and has taped seams to ensure it's completely waterproof.
Mountain Warehouse also has a sale on wellies to go with the coat. Their Mucker Womens Neoprene Long Boots are down to £59.99 from £99.99, and have a single five-star review that reads " Really sturdy and comfy too! Will hopefully last a long time."
To see all the best Deals, Sales and Bargains in London, check out ourFacebook group.
The coat has 4.2 stars from 590 reviews. One person said: "Nice looking coat. Lovely and warm and waterproof. Lightweight. Can be worn as just outer waterproof coat or inner padded coat or both together. I am size 12 and bought a size 12 prefect fit."
Another wrote "Serves me well, I have tried walking in heavy rain and high cold winds for hours, held well and never got wet at all, above all kept really warm, now it’s my favourite work coat, you just have to order the right size.
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"I recommend trying, worth every penny." One negative review added "It is much too snug a fit and the hood is not lined. Very disappointed. The inner jacket is too easily detachable and comes out nearly every time you take the jacket off."
A man has been stabbed to death in East London in the early hours of Boxing Day morning, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed. The police force were called shortly after 3am today (December 26) to reports of a stabbing just moments from Old Street station on Cranwood Street in the borough of Hackney.
Along with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service, officers rushed to the scene where they found a man with stab wounds. The man, believed to be aged 49 years old, has died as a result of his injuries.
Four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder. These are two men aged 49 and 42, and two women aged 35 and 44. All four remain in custody.
A crime scene remains in place on Cranwood Street, where the stabbing happened. The Metropolitan Police force are now appealing for information about the incident, and are urging people to come forward.
They say: "Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD669/26Dec. You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
This is a breaking news incident. For the latest updates follow our live blog below?
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that can develop during any stage of pregnancy. It is more likely to occur in the second or third trimester and usually disappears after giving birth.
It happens when your body cannot produce the amount of extra insulin your body needs during pregnancy. According to the NHS, it's often not an issue but sometimes it may cause issues for you and your baby during pregnancy and after birth.
There is a lower risk of any problems if it is detected early and well-managed. You will be screened for the condition after an initial antenatal appointment if they feel you are at risk.
After an initial antenatal appointment, your midwife will screen you for the condition if they feel you are at risk. They will carry out an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which takes about 2 hours and is done when you're between 24 and 28 weeks pregnant.
It involves having a blood test in the morning, on an empty stomach. After this you are given a glucose drink.
Then, two hours later, another blood sample is taken to see how your body is dealing with the glucose.
You are advised to inform your midwife/GP if you have any symptoms (Image: Getty)
Symptoms of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is quite hard to detect as it does not usually cause any symptoms. Some women may develop symptoms if their blood sugar levels get too high, such as:
increased thirst
a dry mouth
needing to pee more often than usual
tiredness
blurred eyesight
genital itching or thrush
Most of these symptoms can occur during pregnancy so if there is concern it is important to speak to your midwife about what you are experiencing.
Who's at risk?
Any pregnant woman can get gestational diabetes, but some factors increase the risk. They include if:
you are above 40
you had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
your body mass index (BMI) is above 30
you previously had a baby who weighed 4.5kg (10lb) or more at birth
a parent or sibling has diabetes
you are of south Asian, Black, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern origin (even if you were born in the UK)
you have had a gastric bypass or other weight-loss surgery
Problems gestational diabetes can cause
Although most people with gestational diabetes experience a healthy pregnancy, some people do face issues during pregnancy and after birth. These include:
your baby growing larger than usual – increasing your chance of needing induced labour or a caesarean section
polyhydramnios – large amounts of the fluid (amniotic) that surrounds the baby in the womb. This can cause problems at delivery
premature birth
pre-eclampsia– a condition that causes high blood pressure and can create complications
your baby being born with jaundice your baby
the loss of your baby - this is rare
Despite gestational diabetes going away after birth, it does mean you are at an increased risk of getting type two diabetes in the future. It can also redevelop in future pregnancies.
If you have the condition you should have regular blood tests post giving birth. A blood test is needed six to thirteen weeks after and then after that, once a year.
Treatments
Often you won't need any medicine for gestational diabetes and controlling your blood sugar levels may be enough. You can do so with a blood sugar testing kit that you will be given.
Ways to reduce your blood sugar levels include being more active and changing your diet. It is only if these changes don't lower your blood sugar levels enough that you will be given medicine.
This could be insulin injections or tablets. The condition also often means induction of labour or a caesarean may be recommended as it is better to give birth before 41 weeks.
A man has died in South London this morning after it caught alight in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
Firefighters were called to the blaze in a flat on Kimber Road in Wandsworth just before 4am this morning where they found the fire engulfing a three bedroom ground floor flat, in a converted end of terraced house.
Half of the flat was damaged by the fire, and upon entering the property firefighters found one man inside who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The fire happened on Kimber Road in Wandsworth (Image: Google)
Firefighters from stations in Wandsworth, Battersea and Tooting all attended the scene and the incident was under control by 5.26am.
An investigation is now underway to find out what exactly caused the fatal blaze.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Sadly a man has died following a flat fire on Kimber Road in Wandsworth.
"Half of a three bedroom ground floor flat, in a converted end of terraced house, was damaged by the fire. One man was found inside the property and pronounced dead at the scene.
"The Brigade was called about the incident at 0352 and the fire was under control by 0526. Firefighters from Wandsworth, Battersea and Tooting fire stations attended the scene.
