Tributes paid to firefighters and man killed in former RAF base blaze

Tributes have been paid to the two firefighters and a man killed in a huge blaze at a former RAF base.

Firefighters Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, died in the major incident at Bicester Motion on Thursday, and David Chester, 57, from Bicester, was also killed.

A police cordon was still in place on Saturday afternoon outside Bicester Motion, where a tent has been erected and a heavy police presence remains.

A golden plaque has been installed at the entrance to the site, with a tribute reading: "Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Bicester Motion. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the sad loss of two firefighters and the member of the public. Love from the Bicester community."

It is surrounded by flowers and messages left in tribute by members of the public.

One of the tributes is from firefighters from the London Fire Brigade.

Three people died, including a firefighters from LFB (Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)

A navy blue T-shirt with the words "A21 Paddington London Fire Brigade" was left at the scene.

It lay alongside flowers and a card which reads: "Martyn, Jennie. Dear god protect these brave persons. Grant them your almighty protection and unite them safely with their families after their duty has ended."

Both firefighters worked at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) and Mr Sadler was also part of the London Fire Brigade.

Two further OFRS firefighters suffered serious injuries and are in hospital, Oxfordshire County Council said previously.

Chief fire officer Rob MacDougall gave an emotional statement at the scene of the fire on Friday, saying: "I am immensely proud and grateful for the exemplary multi-agency response and the unwavering bravery demonstrated by all the emergency services personnel."

Ten fire and rescue crews were called to tackle the blaze at 6.39pm on Thursday, which prompted a major response and warnings for local residents to stay indoors.

Floral tributes left near the scene of a fire (Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)

Residents described seeing "apocalyptic" black smoke rising above the area.

Other cards laid at the scene include a child's drawing covered in fire engine stickers with the words: "Thank you hero fighters."

Bicester resident Angela Roseline, 58, went to lay flowers at the scene on Saturday.

She said: "We depend on our emergency services a lot. You go out to work, not to pass away, and that's what's happened.

"It's affected me so badly that I had to come down just to show my respects.

"These individuals have families. I bet now they're hurting. But we want to let them know that we care for them, we love them, and we're praying for them, and that's the most important thing today.

The tributes have built up since the fire (Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)

"They're always in my heart. I'll be praying for them, that's what I'll be doing."

A fundraising site in memory of those who lost their lives has been set up by Bicester resident Daniel Chartrand, and the GoFundMe has already raised more than £1,000 of its £4,500 target.

Dave Ward, 81, a retired firefighter, was among those paying respects at Bicester Fire Station, where a large number of tributes have also been laid.

He placed a bunch of flowers and saluted the tribute.

He said: "I'm a retired fire fighter. I retired in 1988 but I've served in London and I now understand that one of the guys was from London."

Speaking through tears he added: "Nobody will understand what a great family it is to be in the fire service.

"We're all brothers wherever we serve."

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4 South London tower blocks up to 29 storeys tall to be built close to National Rail station

Plans to build four new tower blocks up to 29 storeys tall near a South London railway station have been approved.

The development, from Tide Construction Limited, will see vacant land located at 76-161 Ilderton Road transformed to deliver new social housing along with hundreds of studios which will form part of co-living accommodation.

The land, which is located close to the railway line that serves South Bermondsey Station, was last used as a yard to sell second-hand lorries and vans.

Two separate buildings, known as the North Building and the South Building, will contain two tower blocks each and will be separated by a 738 sqm pocket park which can be accessed by the public.

The North Building will contain Blocks A and B, and will be 29 and 23 storeys in height and is where the co-living space will be located. The co-living space, also known as purpose built shared living, is a type of managed rented housing designed for single people.

It will consist of 865 individual studios along with a range of shared spaces such as a games room, laundry facilities, shared kitchen and dining facilities and co-working spaces.

The development will deliver hundreds of studios plus 186 flats in a separate building which will all be for social rent (Image: Southwark Council documents)

Each of the studios will contain a double bed, lounge space, a kitchenette and an en-suite shower room; 86 of the studios (10per cent) will be wheelchair accessible.

During a meeting of Southwark Council's Planning Committee on Wednesday (May 14), a planning officer explained that communal living is targeted at people who are starting out in their career and aren't in a position to buy their own homes, but it can also be suitable for single, middle aged people.

The South Building will also consist of two tower blocks known as Block C and Block D that will be 16 storeys and 10 storeys tall. The South Building will be made up of entirely affordable housing with all 186 homes across the two blocks being social rent.

The planning officer said delivering entirely social housing within the South Building should be treated as a "major benefit of the scheme" due to the borough's acute need of social housing.

Of the 186 homes, 77 will be one-beds, 79 will be two-beds while 30 will be three-beds - 18 of the homes in the South Building (10per cent) will be wheelchair accessible.

The North Building will contain one commercial or community unit while the South Building will contain two commercial units.

The construction phase is expected to generate 107 jobs, 26 construction industry apprenticeships and 107 short courses for unemployed Southwark residents. Tide Construction will also contribute £400,000 towards construction phase jobs.

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Crumbling South London hospital 'not fit for purpose' and puts patients at risk says ex estates manager

St Helier Hospital's crumbling infrastructure is placing patient safety in jeopardy, according to its former estates manager.

These concerns follow the government's decision to push vital redevelopment back to the 2030s following a review of the New Hospitals Programme.

Despite being older than the NHS itself, years of underinvestment have seen the Sutton hospital deteriorate. Leaking ceilings, broken lifts, sinking floors and corridor care have all become normal for all visitors to St Helier.

Now, former staff, patients and the local MP Bobby Dean fear that the hospital itself could soon pose a health risk.

"I've seen a lot in 30 years working in the NHS, but the condition of the buildings at St Helier is among the worst," said Ken Welch, the hospital's former Director of Facilities, Estates and Supplies. "I'm seriously concerned about the risk of fire, particularly with the growing use of corridor care. But most of all, I'm worried about the safety of the patients."

Flooding shut St Helier hospital's blood department on January 13, cancelling many patients' tests (Image: Liberal Democrats)

Earlier this year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed that the hospital's blood department was forced to shut down after serious flooding hit the phlebotomy unit on the ground floor of Ferguson House. Dozens of patients had their blood tests cancelled at the last minute, with no choice but to reschedule.

This was not the first time patients have been impacted by the hospital's crumbling and unreliable infrastructure. Kate, a mother from the surrounding area, described the difficulties she faced at St Helier when her newborn son and elderly father both required emergency care within days of each other.

She told the LDRS: "The care received from individuals at St Helier Hospital can't be faulted, but the system is failing them. The hospital is not equipped with adequate facilities or staff to cope with demand. The doctors and nurses cannot provide the care they obviously want to give.

"We had to take my son to St Helier Hospital at two days old due to a lack of midwives to carry out home visits. The lift was out of action, so we had to climb the stairs. The hospital as a whole is run down and tired; in any other setting, this building would not be fit for purpose.

Large parts of the site are in severe disrepair, with leaking ceilings and sinking floors among the most common issues (Image: Liberal Democrats)

"The week my son was born, my 80-year-old father ended up in St Helier. When I arrived, he was in a corridor slipping out of a wheelchair. I was heavily pregnant and worried he was going to fall off, so I kept asking staff for help. They were so busy we were fobbed off, but eventually taken to triage.

"Minutes after being released to the main waiting area, he was taken to resus as his heart wasn't beating correctly. I dread to think of the outcome if I hadn't been there to ask for help."

Hospital upgrade is still 8 years away

Hopes for a new and long-awaited Specialist Emergency Care Unit next to St Helier Hospital were dashed in January when the Labour government announced it would postpone the plans to 2033.

This comes despite a 2019 pledge by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to provide £500 million for a new hospital in Sutton under the nationwide New Hospitals Programme.

That cost has now ballooned to between £1.5 billion and £2 billion. The Labour government has since dismissed Johnson's hospital-building pledges as "a work of fiction", throwing the future of St Helier into uncertainty.

Former estates manager Ken Welch said the conditions at St Helier Hospital were among the worst he's seen (Image: Liberal Democrats)

During Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions (May 14), Bobby Dean MP pressed the Prime Minister to take immediate action. "They have a very real fear that some of the buildings on the existing estate are at risk of catastrophic failure before the decade is out," he said.

"Can the government reassure me that they will work with the local trust on the plan to maintain and adapt the existing estate to ensure that St Helier can survive all the way through the major works completed?"

In his response, Keir Starmer promised Dean a meeting with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to discuss the issue and blamed the previous Tory government for letting residents down by giving promises they were never going to deliver."

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Amazon shoppers say budget vacuum cleaner is 'better than Dyson' as it drops 30%

Amazon has slashed the price of a cordless vacuum cleaner by 30% and shoppers have said it's 'exceptional for the price'. The Smoture VAC01 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is now available at a record low price of £119.50, offering a saving of £50.49 from the usual price tag of £169.99.

This model has also earned the Amazon's Choice label, which the retailer uses to highlight highly-rated and well-priced products ready for immediate dispatch. The Smoture VAC01 boasts 'powerful' suction due to its brushless 550w motor, which is claimed to remove even deeply embedded dirt.

It features a touch-screen display for switching between its four cleaning modes: Eco, Standard, Boost and Auto. In Auto mode, the vacuum cleaner automatically adjusts its suction power to suit the floor type, so it can increase the strength for carpets or reduce it for easier-to-clean hard floors.

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The display also notifies users of any blockages and displays the remaining battery life, which can last up to 60 minutes, or 18 minutes on the powerful boost mode. The Smoture vacuum is designed with a self-standing feature – allowing it to stand independently without falling over – and comes with a wall-mounted charging station for convenient storage.

With a 4.8-star rating, the Smoture VAC01 outperforms the 4.2-star rated Shark's Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Cordless Vacuum. Priced at £199.99, this model is said to feature Shark's 'best ever' hair pick up and offers the brand's popular de-tangling brush roll, reports the Mirror.

Smoture VAC01

This is also a feature of the Hoover HF9 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner With Anti Hair Wrap, which can be reduced from £239 to £139 with the code POWER. This 'Pet Exclusive' model boasts a 4.7-star rating and comes with a pet hair tool and a long crevice tool.

However, the Smoture VAC01 has received rave reviews from satisfied customers, with one saying: "My best buy this year. The build quality is excellent – it is very robust. The wall mount is great without being over fussy and includes a handy tool store. Using the machine is a doddle – it handles copious amounts of dog hair, and I am really impressed with the machine's power. A nice touch is the inclusion of spare filters, fragrance tablets and a handy cleaning tool. Would definitely recommend."

'Love this vacuum. It picks up dirt really well and the suction is great for a cordless'

Another said: "Fantastic, love this vacuum. It picks up dirt really well and the suction is great for a cordless vacuum. The battery life is fantastic and it's super easy to hold and use. It's a lot better than my old Dyson and I will definitely be purchasing another in the future."

A third reviewer said: "The best thing about this is how light and easy to manoeuvre it is on all floor surfaces. [The] suction is plenty powerful and the motor is not noisy. The controls are simple and easy to use and the display clear. The lightness of the main unit coupled with the height adjustment feature make doing awkward areas such as stairs and ceilings nice and easy. The build quality is exceptional for the price and all round I'm very impressed."

However, not all customers are impressed, with one shopper saying: "Nowhere near the same level of suction as a Dyson, but does the job. Decent on hard flooring, picking up bits, but needs more power for carpets."

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Cynthia Erivo to return to the stage after a decade in one-actor West End production of Dracula

Cynthia Erivo will return to the stage for the first time in almost ten years in Sydney Theatre Company's critically acclaimed production of DRACULA. And it promises to be a grand comeback, as she'll embody all twenty-three characters in Stoker's iconic tale .

Adapted and directed by Kip Williams, the play will premiere at the Noël Coward Theatre in 2026, with performances starting on Wednesday, February 4. Tickets will go on sale later in the year, with details and waitlist available here.

The Tony, Grammy and Emmy award-winner said: "Returning to the stage feels like a homecoming, one that I’ve been craving for a long time. To do so with a story as rich, complex, and haunting as DRACULA offers a beautiful opportunity to delve into character, into myth, and into the heart of what makes us human.

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"From the moment I was asked, I could not get the role out of my mind. Kip's vision is thrilling, terrifying, and deeply resonant, offering a chance to sit with not only the darkness in the world, but also the light we fight to hold onto.

"It's a rare gift for an actor to inhabit so many voices and perspectives in one piece, and I’m honoured to do it for West End audiences in this extraordinary production. The prospect of doing this show scares me and I know it will be a huge challenge, this show will ask everything of me - and I'm ready to give it."

In his adaptation, Williams delves into the metaphorical power of DRACULA, crafting a story that reorients the narrative around a psychological battle between fear and desire. Through a solo performance, the piece blurs the boundaries between self and other, suggesting that the monster may not be external, but something stirring inside.

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He added: "I am thrilled to be returning to the West End to direct my adaptation of Bram Stoker's DRACULA and to collaborate with the extraordinary Cynthia Erivo, as she brings to life the many iconic characters of this much-adored tale. Our production expands upon Stoker's exploration of the tension between fear and desire, offering a contemporary perspective on the vampire as a monster that lurks not beyond, but within.

"I am excited to reunite with many of my Dorian Gray collaborators on this project, and it is an immense privilege to have such a singularly gifted artist as Cynthia at the heart of it. I can't wait to share this piece with London audiences, especially in the West End, a place where Bram spent so much of his creative life."

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Twenty One Pilots tickets drop to £47 ahead of final O2 Arena shows this week

Twenty One Pilots are slowly bringing their UK tour to an end this week, with two final shows in London. The American duo, comprised of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, have spent most of the month playing their iconic music to British fans around the country.

And it's all in aid of their brand new album, Clancy, which was released back in 2024. From the record, they released such hits as Overcompensate, Next Semester, Backslide and The Craving.

After hitting Birmingham's Resorts World Arena, Belfast's SSE Arena, Manchester's AO Arena and more, they are finally arriving in London this week. On Tuesday, May 13 and Wednesday, May 14, Twenty One Pilots will play two consecutive shows at London's O2 Arena.

Here, they'll play to around 20,000 people per night. And while tickets were first released months ago, last-minute tickets are still available right now through resale websites. The full breakdown is below:

Viagogo and resale tickets

Sites such as viagogo, Stubhub, and Vivid Seats allow fans to buy resale tickets from other fans. However, it is important to note that ticket conditions often prohibit resale after initial purchase. Those tickets may not be valid for admittance to gigs.

Fans intending to buy tickets for live events through resale websites should check the ticket terms and conditions, to confirm whether resale is prohibited, before they buy. Ticket terms and conditions can be checked with the original seller, such as Ticketmaster or Live Nation. If resale is prohibited, tickets bought second-hand could be voided and admission to the event refused.

Twenty One Pilots will be playing shows in London this week. (Image: GETTY)

How to buy Twenty One Pilots tickets now

Twenty One Pilots tickets are available right now through a number of online retailers. This includes the likes of resale websites viagogo , Vivid Seats and StubHub .

These websites allow fans to buy and sell tickets at their leisure - that's without being forced into any kind of digital queue, or having to suffer through surge prices.

Even more exciting is that tickets are, at the time of writing, being sold for as little as £47 each. That's far cheaper than the tickets' face value.

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What's more, Seat Unique is an official retailer that has a number of tickets still available - with a twist. These tickets include VIP and hospitality perks, including food, drink, early access, after-parties, and more.

Here's all the links fans need to get involved now this week:

Twenty One Pilots fans will be able to see the stars play this week. (Image: GETTY)

Twenty One Pilots UK Tour Dates

• May 5, 2025 - Glasgow, UK, OVO Hydro Arena
• May 6, 2025 - Birmingham, UK, Resorts World Arena
• May 8, 2025 - Belfast, UK, SSE Arena Belfast
• May 9, 2025 - Dublin, IE, 3Arena
• May 11, 2025 - Manchester, UK, AO Arena
• May 13, 2025 - London, UK, The O2
• May 14, 2025 - London, UK, The O2

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Man dies near Camden Market after falling from height

A man has died after falling from a height in Camden, police have confirmed. The incident occurred at around 11.10am on Sunday, May 11.

The fall took place on Water Lane, located just beside Camden Market. The Metropolitan Police attended with the London Ambulance Service.

The police said that a man in his 60s died at the scene, with investigations continuing to identify the man and his next-of-kin.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told MyLondon: "Around 11:10hrs on Sunday, 11 May, police received reports that a man had fallen from height in Water Lane, Camden.

"Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service.

"Despite the efforts of paramedics and police, a man in his 60s was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Investigations are ongoing to identify the man and his next-of-kin."

Have a story you want to share? Email joseph.coughlan@reachplc.com.

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