August 2011 Archives

A councillor has been charged with a total of 22 counts of possessing indecent images - 17 of them of children.

Councillor Andrew Lamont, who has served residents in Norland ward of Kensington and Chelsea since 2006, was charged last week with 17 counts of making or possessing indecent images of children, and five of possessing extreme pornographic images.

The 52 year-old of Swanscombe Road, Notting Hill is due to appear at West London Magistrates Court tomorrow (Thursday) to face the charges.

A 16 year-old boy has been charged with grievous bodily harm following a stabbing at the end of the Notting Hill Carnival.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is from Hammersmith, and appeared at West London Youth Court on Wednesday (31) morning accused of GBH with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

The website of Chelsea music venue Cadogan Hall was hacked this morning, with a message claiming to be from notorious hackers Noko.

A cyber attack was launched on the events page of the hall, which is in Sloane Terrace, on Wednesday (31) morning, leaving staff puzzled as to why they might be targeted.

Anyone wanting to see what musical performances are coming up at the venue will have been greeted by a maze of green numbers and letters flashing up, followed by a message reading 'Hacked by Noko.'

London Underground has launched a public consultation on a development above South Kensington tube station.

Work on the proposal has been carried out with the help of Kensington and Chelsea Council, to find the best way to develop the station to reduce congestion and provide disabled access to the District and Circle line platforms.

Currently the narrow flight of stairs from the platforms is causing congestion while many customers find the station difficult to use because it can only be accessed via stairs.

A man stabbed during Notting Hill Carnival has been named as university student Rio Andre.

Messages of support have been posted all over social networking website Twitter, with friends wishing him well after he was stabbed in the abdomen and hand.

An iconic bookshop facing closure has had support from all corners of the globe to try and keep it open.

Since it was put up for sale in May, no buyer has been found for the Travel Bookshop in Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill, and it is now due to close in early September.

But last week, a campaign was launched to save the store, which was made famous by Hugh Grant in the film Notting Hill, by writer Olivia Cole, who said she would work in the shop for free if a buyer could be found.

Two plaques have been unveiled in Notting Hill to remember the women responsible for bringing the carnival to the area's streets.

Claudia Jones, who held an indoor Caribbean carnival in 1959, and Rhaune Laslett, who took a fair celebrating different cultures to the streets with a procession, were both honoured at a ceremony on Friday (26).

The plaques were both unveiled in front of a crowd of around 500 people, and face each other on the corner of Tavistock Square and Portobello Road.

An attempted robbery was foiled when the female victim kneed her attacker in the groin.

At about 8.10pm on Saturday (27) the 26 year-old victim was walking along Portobello Road, Notting Hill.

A 23 year-old man has been jailed for three and a half years for robbing a woman of her £2,000 Rolex watch and possession of crack cocaine.

Warren Mitchell of Lowerwood Court, Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill, targeted the woman as she left The Globe pub in Talbot Road, Notting Hill in the early hours of April 9.

The victim was going home with her friend when Mitchell approached and grabbed the Rolex from her wrist.

This year's Notting Hill Carnival has been hailed as a success by police, despite the stabbing of a man in his 20s.

The victim was attacked in Ladbroke Grove, close to the junction with Oxford Gardens at about 6pm on Monday (29) towards the end of the two-day celebrations.

He was taken to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, where he is in a serious condition. Five people, including a 16 year-old boy, have been arrested in connection with the attack.