Latest news with #Lambeth
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Dementia patient's fees deemed 'unfair' and must be repaid by council
A council in south London has been found to have unfairly charged a man with dementia nearly £6,500 in interest and legal fees when he failed to reply to requests for payment of his Council has been told by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that it must improve its working practices after failing to consider the man had dementia, before he passed council has also been ordered to apologise to the man's daughter and pay back the fees as well as an additional £300 for the distress caused.A spokesperson for the council said they fully accept the findings and had acted on the ombudsman's recommendations. The ombudsman said the council had failed to communicate with the man, called Mr Y in its report, about the charges for his care until late 2022, by which time there was a "significant" debt worth £32,813.32. The council said it did not have a policy on charging interest and legal fees on overdue charges for adult social care, and that it referred debts to solicitors to progress debt recovery on its ombudsman's investigation concluded the actions of both the council and the solicitors were at fault and recommended introducing policies and procedures on charging these costs when it comes to unpaid care charges.A spokesperson for Lambeth Council said it was committed to providing the "best service possible for all of its residents" and that it worked hard to resolve problems quickly and fairly whenever they arose."We are determined to learn from this and improve how we communicate with residents about care charges. "We regret that our service fell short in this case and remain committed to working with residents and the ombudsman to improve our services going forward."
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Who was Bulic Forsythe and how was the Lambeth Council employee murdered?
A COUNCIL worker was murdered suspiciously back in 1993 after he reportedly spoke to colleagues about a suspected paedophile ring. Here's everything you need to know about the horrific killing of Bulic Forsythe, which is featured in an episode of C4's In the Footsteps of Killers. 2 Who was Bulic Forsythe? Bulic Forsythe was a senior manager in the housing department of Lambeth Council in south London, respected for his professionalism and commitment to his work. At the time of his death in February 1993, he was responsible for building management within the council. In the days leading up to his death, Bulic reportedly confided in a colleague that he had discovered evidence of a paedophile ring operating within Lambeth Council properties and was considering going public with the information. A report published in July 2021 by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) found that Lambeth Council staff failed children in care and foster homes repeatedly from the 1960s. Over a 40-year period, more than 700 children in the borough suffered sadistic sexual abuse. Per Wandsworth Guardian, a police report into Bulic's death states: "The murder of Mr Forsythe remains unsolved. "It was the subject of a recent review by the Metropolitan Police Service (Operation Redsnow), as a result of concerns that there was a connection between Mr Forsythe's employment at Lambeth Council and his murder, but no evidence of such a connection was found. "At the very least, the murder of Mr Forsythe is likely to have caused concern and fear on the part of staff and councillors." In 2015, Sky News reported how Bulic might have discovered that council property was being used to carry out this abhorrent abuse. How was Bulic Forsythe murdered? Bulic was killed in a suspicious manner — on February 26, 1993, his flat was set alight. His body was subsequently discovered inside, with a post-mortem revealing his skull was fractured before the fire was started — indicating he was beaten to death prior to the arson attack. Witnesses reported seeing three men leaving Bulic's flat carrying bags of documents and files shortly before the fire. A witness who lived nearby and appeared on the BBC's Crimewatch said: "I was going over to the paper shop to buy a paper and I saw three men coming out of Foster Court around the front. "They were carrying briefcases and some folders in their hands. Why I noticed them was because they looked official and I've never saw them here before." Internal Lambeth Council reports and later investigations suggest that his murder may have been linked to his knowledge of, and intention to expose, a paedophile ring involving senior council staff. These reports detailed shocking allegations of sexual abuse, including the use of council premises for the rape of women and children by senior officials. Bulic was said to have told a colleague he was going to "spill the beans" about what he had discovered Despite these serious allegations, the findings were not formally investigated by police at the time, with the case remaining unsolved. The murder caused widespread fear among council staff, as it was seen as a warning to anyone who might ask too many questions or attempt to expose wrongdoing within the council. In the Footsteps of Killers A new investigation into the murder of Bulic Forsythe is featured in an episode of Channel 4's In the Footsteps of Killers. Presented by Emilia Fox and leading criminologist Professor David Wilson, the show examines the circumstances around his death and the allegations of abuse within Lambeth Council. Aiming to shed new light on one of London's most disturbing unsolved murders, the doc explores whether Bulic was killed because he was about to expose a network of abuse and corruption within Lambeth Council. You can catch the episode of In the Footsteps of Killers featuring the murder of Bulic Forsythe at 10pm on Channel 4 on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Labour councillor urged to resign for ‘lying to judge about LTN'
The deputy leader of a Labour council is facing calls to resign after being accused of lying in a witness statement to the High Court over a low-traffic neighbourhood. Rezina Chowdhury, the cabinet member for sustainability at Lambeth, is facing claims she misled the judge in her defence of the West Dulwich low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN). She is also facing claims that her behaviour relating to the traffic-relocation scheme broke the council's code of conduct. This month the court battle over the LTN in south London came to national attention when Justice Tim Smith ordered Lambeth to remove the scheme after ruling it had been implemented unlawfully. It was the first time that a court had ordered a council to remove an LTN. The judge concluded that the council's dismissive approach to locals, including failing to consider a dossier of evidence they presented that highlighted potential problems with the scheme, amounted to a 'serious failing'. During the case, court documents revealed that Chowdhury, who is also a member of Labour's National Policy Forum, ignored five emails and two recorded-delivery letters sent by Jonathan Fowles, a resident. His correspondence was asking to meet to discuss data analysis he had conducted, indicating that the proposed LTN risked increasing accidents and pollution. After receiving no reply, Fowles, who is a member of the West Dulwich Action Group, which brought the case against Lambeth, attended Chowdhury's drop-in surgery to try to speak to her in person. A recording of the meeting shows that when challenged, Chowdhury's immediate reply was that she had ignored Fowles because she believed he was against LTNs and acting in bad faith. Yet Chowdhury's witness statement to the court states: 'I do not consider that there has been at any point a 'refusal to engage with those who might be critical of what the council was proposing'.' On the specific meeting with Fowles, she adds: 'At no point did I say the words 'anti-LTN' nor suggest this was the reason for not continuing to correspond with Mr Fowles. At no point during the surgery did I say anything to the effect that 'my previous refusals to engage with West Dulwich Action Group were because the correspondence had been anti-LTN'.' The recording of the meeting reveals she said: 'The issue why I haven't responded to you is that in your emails you said that you didn't have a position on LTNs either way, but then I went back a couple of years and noticed you sent me an email where you were against LTNs so that was a red flag and if I'm honest I just thought, well, I didn't think you were being completely honest with me and that's why I resisted.' Fowles denies that he sent any such email and when Chowdhury was given the opportunity to share the email with both the court and The Times, she did not. • Is Britain finally on the road to zero emissions? Fowles also denies that he was ever against LTNs but says that even if he was, it should not have disqualified him from correspondence or meeting the councillor. Making false claims in a witness statement is contempt of court if it was done knowingly. If someone is found in contempt, the court can impose a prison term of up to two years or an unlimited fine. The Times understands that Chowdhury was aware that her conversation with Fowles was being recorded. The council's legal team were also given Fowles's witness statement before the case was heard, which included a transcript of what was said at the meeting, but Chowdhury still chose not to submit a new statement to clarify the record. The judge's ruling acknowledges a 'factual dispute' over what was said at the meeting but states that it was 'unnecessary to resolve' because it was irrelevant to the outcome of the case. However, Fowles wants Chowdhury held to account. He believes the deputy leader's conduct breaches Lambeth's code of conduct, which says councillors must maintain an open mind towards those who hold a different view and deal with their representations 'fairly, appropriately and impartially'. • Uninsured learner driver fled after killing woman in head-on crash He said: 'Rezina Chowdhury should resign. I was never against LTNs and just wanted to correspond with her as a concerned resident but she did her best to avoid meeting me simply because she thought I held a different opinion to her own. 'In my view, that alone should be grounds for her sacking because it breaches Lambeth's code of conduct but her appalling behaviour did not stop there. Her witness statement denies saying what she did in fact say to me and in doing this, she is effectively accusing me of lying in my statement. But the recording clearly shows that she is the one who is lying. 'To lie to the court is unacceptable behaviour for anyone, let alone an elected representative and she should do the decent thing and step down.' Chowdhury declined to answer a series of questions posed by The Times but said in a statement: 'My statement to the High Court is as I recall.' She added: 'We implemented the West Dulwich Street Improvements to reduce road danger and create a neighbourhood where residents can live safer, happier and healthier lives. We engaged widely with residents, community organisations and businesses as part of this process.' Lambeth council said: 'We have a complaints process, and anyone is able to use that process if they believe they have evidence of a breach of the council's members code of conduct.' The 57-year old Labour politician was appointed Lambeth's cabinet member for 'sustainable Lambeth and clean air' in 2022, making her responsible for the borough's LTNs and other climate initiatives. Her previous professional experience was working for polling and research companies and Public Health England, having graduated in race and ethnic relations at Birkbeck, University of London. She owns a home worth more than £1 million within one of Lambeth's recently introduced LTNs. In an interview last year, Chowdhury admitted that she did not like 'getting bogged down in lengthy' consultations but critics say her failure to consider the views of residents has proved costly for local taxpayers. • Car parking spaces may get bigger to ease squeeze The High Court's ruling that the West Dulwich LTN was unlawful is the second time in less than a year that one of Lambeth's LTNs has had to be removed. Last year, the borough was forced to withdraw the Streatham Wells LTN under pressure from Sir Sadiq Khan before the London mayor election after it caused such delays on one of the main routes out of south London that local buses were taking two hours to travel three miles. The introduction and then removal of these two LTNs, including the legal battle the council fought against residents, has cost local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds. Residents who have met Chowdhury on constituency matters say that she can be sympathetic and personable. However, those who have met her to raise concerns about LTNs say she is 'dismissive' and 'arrogant'. Critics believe Chowdhury's obsession with LTNs is clouding her judgment. Last month she retweeted an abusive attack on a group of volunteers who were sacrificing their spare time to repair a children's paddling pool in the borough. The Streatham Action group put up a post thanking volunteers for their time but another X user took this as an opportunity to attack the group, accusing them of being a 'load of wealthy white nimbys in massive houses tutting about not being able to drive their cars recklessly with 20mph limits, LTNs, and shock-horror cycle lanes'. Chowdhury retweeted the post and only removed it after a backlash. When approached by The Times to explain her actions, she declined to comment. After the Streatham Wells and West Dulwich LTN incidents, the Lambeth Conservatives and the Lambeth Liberal Democrats are now calling on Chowdhury to go. However, so far, there has been no indication that she plans to do so, refusing even to issue an apology for hers or the council's mistakes.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
'We're doing what Sadiq Khan can't!' Fed-up commuters take matters in their own hands and scrub graffiti off Tube trains
They are the UK's oldest passenger trains in regular scheduled use, and are known for their rather tired feel and appearance given they started running in the 1970s. But a group of volunteers so angered by graffiti-covered carriages on the London Underground 's Bakerloo line have taken matters into their hands to clean them up. The team led by Joe Reeve, 28, are now attracting praise from Transport for London (TfL) train drivers and passengers who have thanked them for their efforts. Mr Reeve, who is the founder of a policy group called Looking for Growth, has been critical of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan - saying he is 'doing what Sadiq Khant'. Speaking about wider concerns about the state of the Tube, he told The Standard: 'I take the Bakerloo line every morning and I see someone push past the barrier. 'Then when I get down to the Tube, every single carriage is full of graffiti. It feels like no one is doing anything to make the city better. I'm pretty patriotic. 'I love London, and I think it should be the best city in the world. I had the option to move to the US for work, but I want to stay in the UK and see it get better.' He added: 'Sadiq has been mayor for a while and has said in videos he's proud of what he's achieved. I - and a lot of people - feel pretty frustrated with him.' Mr Reeve, who lives in Lambeth, South London, said three drivers have thanked the group for their efforts, with one telling them: 'At least someone's doing something.' TfL claims that it works to remove graffiti as quickly as possible - but where it cannot be removed easily, it is covered if possible and cleaned during engineering hours. The aim is to keep trains out on the network and minimise passenger delays. Susan Hall, leader of the City Hall Conservative Group, told MailOnline: 'A group of activists in one morning have put Khan and TfL to shame by showing how easy it is to clean up our Tube. 'It's disappointing that the Mayor constantly has to be humiliated into acting, but we look forward to legions of TfL staff being put to good use wiping down the remaining graffiti which has adorned Tube carriages for disgracefully too long.' It comes after shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick highlighted fare dodging on the TfL network last month. He released a video in which he confronted people who forced their way through the ticket barriers at Stratford station, and it quickly went viral. Siwan Hayward, TfL's director of security, policing and enforcement, told MailOnline today: 'The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority. 'We are working closely with the police to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour on the network, with over 2,500 police and police community support officers and 500 TfL enforcement staff patrolling the network at all times. 'We work hard to ensure that our customers and staff feel safe when travelling on the network and continue to strengthen our capability to deter and detect fare evaders and ensure our trains and stations remain a pleasant and clean environment for passengers.' The current rate of fare evasion on the TfL network is estimated at 3.4 per cent of journeys, and the transport body wants to cut this to 1.5 per cent by 2030. The issue has also been highlighted by the ongoing Channel 5 documentary 'Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law' which is next airing this Sunday at 9pm. The Bakerloo line runs from Elephant and Castle to Harrow & Wealdstone, with the current set of 1972 Mark 2 stock trains now more than half a century old.
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
STI map of Britain! As cases of terrifying syphilis soar, is your area a hotspot for one of the 5 biggest sexual diseases?
Where you live could have a big impact on your risk of catching an STI—with some areas of the UK being hit far worse by infections than others, new figures reveal. Fresh analysis of 2024 data reveals stark regional differences, with parts of London among the worst affected. The South London borough of Lambeth tops the national table, with the highest rate of sexually transmitted infections in England. In 2024, Lambeth recorded more than 3,250 new diagnoses per 100,000 people—equal to just over three per cent of the local population. Meanwhile, Forest of Dean is the place where you're least likely to pick up an STI, with rates as low as 201 per 100,000. Now, MailOnline has created an interactive map showing how areas compare for infections including syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia. It comes as health officials warn that syphilis cases have surged to the highest level since the late 1940s. Once again, Lambeth was the epicentre, with 138 syphilis cases per 100,000 people. It was followed by Westminster (131) and Southwark (107), continuing the trend of central and south London boroughs being disproportionately affected. Lambeth also recorded the highest rate of gonorrhoea at 1,114 cases per 100,000 people—about one in every 100 residents—followed by the City of London (958) and Southwark (867). The national average was just 124. Although overall gonorrhoea cases dropped by 16 per cent last year, experts are raising concerns over a rise in drug-resistant strains—dubbed super-gonorrhoea. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed 14 cases of the hard-to-treat big had already been detected by May 2025—more than the 13 reported in all of 2024. The city of Lincoln in Lincolnshire that took top spot for chlamydia with 1,390 cases per 100,000, again equivalent to one in every 100 people have the STI. This was followed by Lambeth which recorded 1,182 cases per 100,000 and Hackney with 1,015. The national chlamydia rate in 2024 was 293 cases per 100,000 people, making it the most prevalent STI in the country. Hammersmith and Fulham in west London recorded the highest rate of genital herpes last year with 192 cases per 100,000 people. This was followed by—yet again—Lambeth with 157 cases per 100,000 and Southwark with 146. The national rate was 48 cases of genital herpes per 100,000 people. But Lambeth didn't make the top three for genital warts. Instead it was Hackney which took the crown with 142 cases per 100,000 people. This was followed by the City of London with 134 cases per 100,000 people followed narrowly by Hammersmith and Fulham with 132 cases. Following Lambeth for total STI cases per 100,000 people was Southwark with 2,787 and Hackney with 2,680. For comparison, the national rate was 632 STIs per 100,000. Most STIs are curable if detected early, but many have no symptoms—meaning people can unknowingly spread them to others. Left untreated, they can cause serious complications, including infertility, chronic pain, and even organ damage in the case of syphilis. Speaking earlier this week Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA said: 'These infections can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners – particularly if they are antibiotic resistant,' he said. 'If you've had condomless sex with new or casual partners—either in the UK or overseas—get tested for STIs and HIV at least yearly, even if you don't have symptoms. 'Regular testing protects both you and those you're having sex with.' Experts continue to stress: prevention is better than cure, and safe sex matters wherever you live.
