This week our journalism has focused on landlords breaking the rules and the devastating impact it can have on tenants.

A rogue landlord couple have been told to pay almost £18,000 after illegally kicking a tenant out of their Bellingham home, leaving him homeless for more than two years.

And a corporate landlord may now have to repay “millions” of pounds after Lewisham tower block flats were let without the required licence.

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Rogue landlord couple fined for illegally kicking tenant out of home

A ROGUE landlord couple illegally kicked a tenant out of their home in Bellingham, leaving him homeless for more than two years.

Mary and Peter Lewis, of Beckenham, were ordered to pay almost £18,000 in fines, compensation and costs after Lewisham Council launched legal action against them.

Full story here

Landlord may have to repay “millions” in rent over unlicensed flats

A CORPORATE landlord may have to repay millions of pounds in rent to Lewisham tower block residents after letting out the flats without a licence.

Lewisham Council has sent legal letters to residents of Legal & General’s Bale & Anchor complex, comprising the tower blocks Bale House and Anchor House, telling them they may be eligible for rent repayments.

Full story here

This week we continue to highlight the tragic case of 89-year-old James Darmody who was hit by a dangerous driver in Sydenham. He died from his injuries just over two weeks later.

His family has now given approval for us to publish CCTV of the moment he was struck down by Kamal Cayenne-Tonge on Kent House Road. The 25-year-old was overtaking another car when he hit the grandad.

Mr Darmody’s family want people to know the tragic impact reckless decisions such as these can have.

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Shocking moment killer driver hit grandad as family call for change

THIS is the shocking moment a killer driver hit an 89-year-old grandad who later died from his injuries.

CCTV footage shows Kamal Cayenne-Tonge attempting to overtake another car before slamming into James Darmody as he crossed Kent House Road in Sydenham last year.

Mr Darmody’s family, who approved the release of the video, are now calling for safety measures to be introduced on Kent House Road to prevent further tragedies.

Full story here

Bodycam video shows Cayenne-Tonge lying to police about crash

Police bodycam footage shows the moment Cayenne-Tonge lied to police after crashing into the 89-year-old.

In the video, the driver, who stopped at the scene, can be seen telling a police officer that a white Golf hit Mr Darmody.

He went on to claim the car “drove off” towards Sydenham Road after the crash, before giving his details to the officer.

Mr Darmody’s granddaughter, Martina Coady, branded the killer “cruel and callous” for lying about the smash.

Full story here

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This week we bring you the news of how a scorned boyfriend shared revenge porn of his former partner after telling her she had made the “worst decision of her life” when she broke up with him.

He posted explicit images and videos of her on social media while she was celebrating her birthday at her grandad’s house.

In other news, we were also the only news outlet in court for the sentencing of Kamal Cayenne-Tonge, who was jailed for 12 years for killing 89-year-old James Darmody in Sydenham.

Cayenne-Tonge was racing to overtake another car when he struck the grandad and then - along with his sister-in-law - lied to police about his involvement.

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Scorned boyfriend shares revenge porn of ex online after break-up

A SCORNED boyfriend shared revenge porn of his ex on her birthday after threatening to “bait her out” following their break-up.

Rio Macfarlane, 18, shared explicit images and videos of the victim on Instagram while she was celebrating her birthday with family.

He had previously threatened to “bait her out” and give her the “shi****st birthday” ever after she split up with him.

The stalker also bombarded her with phone calls and messages before finally beating her in an attempt to pressure her into deleting evidence of his crimes.

Bromley Magistrates Court heard how Macfarlane was furious when the victim broke up with him in a park last year.

Full story here

Catford driver jailed for 12 years for killing grandad, 89, at crossing

A CATFORD dangerous driver has been jailed for 12 years for killing an 89-year-old grandad after hitting him as he crossed a road in Sydenham.

Kamal Cayenne-Tonge was racing after another car when he hit James Darmody on Kent House Road, near the junction with Sydenham Road, on May 11 last year.

The 25-year-old was trying to overtake the other vehicle when he drove into the wrong lane and crashed into Mr Darmody, Croydon Crown Court heard.

He had been driving at three times the 20mph speed limit in the run-up to the crash.

Cayenne-Tonge, of Scarlet Road, Catford, and his sister-in-law, Neshay Osman James - who was a passenger in the car - stopped at the scene but then lied to police, claiming Mr Darmody had been hit by another vehicle.

Full story here

This week we can reveal how a brutal prostitution ring forced women to work 14-hour days at brothels across the Lewisham borough.

The leader of the gang, Achareeya Spurr, who dubbed herself the “Ice Queen”, bought luxury watches and designer earrings while paying the sex workers as little as £50 a day.

In other news, we also found out that Lewisham Council spent £5k on food at one of its meetings - and we exposed a serial stalker who has terrorised five of his former partners over the past decade.

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Lewisham prostitution ring “Ice Queen” ran brothels across borough

A PROSTITUTION ring run by a woman who dubbed herself the “Ice Queen” has been convicted of operating brothels across Lewisham.

Achareeya Spurr, 49, trafficked women into the UK from Thailand and forced them to work gruelling 14-hour days under brutal conditions.

The mother ran brothels in Distillery Tower - the apartment block that looms over Deptford Bridge DLR station - and another in a flat on Longbridge Way, near Catford.

She and her husband Chin Ping, a British national originally from China, also ran 22 other brothels elsewhere in the capital and the south-east of England.

They were assisted by their two “lieutenants” Ugur Sahin and Sarunyoo Siriwan, who is also Spurr’s son, Woolwich Crown Court heard.

Full story here

Lewisham Council under fire for blowing £5k on food at meeting

LEWISHAM Council has come under fire for “splashing out” almost £5k on food at its annual general meeting last year.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance said locals will take a dim view of the local authority spending £4,120 on the grub at the AGM in May last year.

Our Freedom of Information request uncovered the council also forked out £2,491 on the Mayor of Lewisham’s Community Awards Service on June 3 2025.

It comes after the local authority increased council taxes by 4.99% - the maximum hike allowed - earlier this year.

Benjamin Elks, grassroots development manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Local taxpayers will be rightly concerned at the bills Lewisham Council is running up for events.”

Full story here

Serial stalker jailed after terrorising five former partners in a decade

THIS is the face of a serial stalker who has terrorised five of his former partners over the past eight years.

Jordan Brawn, 31, of Overdown Road, Bellingham, Lewisham, was jailed for three years and four months for stalking on Tuesday.

The thug, who is also a convicted sex offender, threatened to kill his then girlfriend if she dated another man during his relentless campaign against her last year.

He also made ominous warnings about hurting her children and family and continuously called her from an unknown number, bombarding her with more than 1,100 calls in a month.

The victim, who the Lewisham Letter has decided not to name, is the fifth of Brawn’s former partners to suffer at his hands.

Full story here

This week we can reveal how Lewisham Council forked out more than £205k on one of its bosses last year.

Chris Maines, the Lib Dem candidate for Blackheath, branded it an “eye-wateringly high” sum and said it would shock many locals.

We also heard in court this week how a dog savaged a detective in Deptford, leaving her with physical and mental scars.

It turns out the owner of the animal previously posted a terrifying video of it on social media, boasting that it was an “absolute beast”.

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Council paid social care boss £205k-a-year in “shock” revelation

LEWISHAM Council forked out more than £205k - or roughly £1,000 a day - on its head of adult social care and health last year, we can reveal.

Our Freedom Of Information request discovered the council spent the whopping sum on Denise Radley through the agency Client Directs Limited.

She was by far the most expensive contractor on the council’s books last year, with the local authority paying £205,331 between March 1 2025 and February 28 2026.

This means her equivalent day rate was £1,092, which includes an “add-on fee” for the agency.

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Dog trainer brags about her “absolute beast” before Deptford attack

A GUARD dog trainer shared terrifying footage of her dog viciously barking just months before it savaged a detective in Deptford.

Shayla Dalligan, who owns the dog, bragged about the Belgian Malinois being an “absolute unit” in the caption of her post, which was shared on her training firm’s Instagram page.

The dog - which she nicknamed “Badman Bruce” - can be seen jumping up towards the camera and revealing its ultra-sharp teeth as it barks in the video, which can be seen in full on our website.

Just months later the animal plunged its teeth into the plain clothes detective’s stomach in Trundleys Road, leaving her physically and mentally scarred.

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This week we bring you coverage of a court case involving a woman accused of fraudulently taking a visa test on behalf of another person at a centre in Lewisham High Street.

Judith Meta-Mbombo Mintosha is accused of carrying out the ruse at centres across the country. Prosecutors said she took the Life in the UK tests on behalf of others for financial gain.

In other news we also spoke to a Lewisham resident who blasted the council for failing to properly investigate her complaint about KFC in Lewisham High Street.

Terri Lee Grant told the council she found a suspected rodent dropping and undercooked meat in her chicken. She kept the meat in her fridge for weeks waiting for the council to test it - but no one ever came.

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‘Fraudster’ posed as another woman to pass visa test, court hears

A MUM-of-five has been charged with fraudulently posing as other women to take “Life in the UK” visa tests at centres in Lewisham and elsewhere.

Judith Meta-Mbombo Mintosha, 44, allegedly pretended to be Martha Atakorah to take the test at PDA (Training) Limited in Lewisham High Street.

Prosecutors say Mintosha pulled the same trick at several other centres across the UK, including one which she allegedly went to several times - posing as two different women.

Nnamdi Nwodo, prosecuting, said Mintosha was obtaining test results for others for her own financial gain.

The “Life in the UK” computer test is a key step for individuals seeking Indefinite Leave to Remain or naturalisation as a British citizen.

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Mum blasts council for failing to test KFC chicken “mouse dropping”

A MUM has blasted Lewisham Council for failing to test her KFC chicken after she complained about a suspected rodent dropping and “undercooked meat”.

Terri was shocked by what she saw when she started eating the Family Feast chicken meal she bought for her family from KFC in Lewisham High Street.

The 34-year-old immediately stopped her daughters from eating the chicken after spotting a dark brown “foreign object” in the meat.

She reported her discovery to Lewisham Council’s environmental health team and kept the meal sealed in her fridge - as advised - so it could be tested by the local authority.

However, no one ever came to inspect the chicken, despite her chasing the council multiple times.

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This week we heard how a mum previously convicted of child cruelty breached a restriction barring her from working with vulnerable adults and children by applying for a care worker job.

We also delved into a complex High Court case involving a Lewisham nurse who “abducted” her four-year-old daughter to Ghana, leaving the dad fighting for her return to the UK.

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Child cruelty mum caught applying for care worker job despite ban

A MOTHER convicted of child cruelty has breached a barring restriction prohibiting her from working with children and vulnerable adults.

Jasmin Hossain, 50, of Marvels Lane, Grove Park, Lewisham, applied for a job as a care worker, despite being banned from the sector due to a conviction for child cruelty.

She was added to the barred list by the Independent Safeguarding Authority - now the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) - after being jailed for child cruelty at Croydon Crown Court in 2010.

However, she breached the barring restriction in 2014 by applying for a DBS certificate for a support worker job with Angel HR

And in January this year she was once again convicted of breaching the restriction after applying for a care worker job with Capital Homecare UK Ltd.

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Lewisham nurse “abducted” girl, 4, to Ghana without dad’s consent

A LEWISHAM nurse “abducted” her four-year-old daughter and dumped her in Ghana without her father’s permission, a court heard.

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been fighting a long-running legal battle with the dad to bar the child’s return to the UK.

She even questioned the paternity of the child last year by demanding the father take a DNA test, claiming she had a “one night stand” with another man in 2016.

High Court Judge Mr Justice Harrison said the application was made “out of spite” and warned that the child - referred to as A in the proceedings - had suffered “long-term consequences” as a result of the traumatic experience.

He said: “In my judgement she is a child who is likely to have suffered emotional harm.”

“The mother describes A as a resilient child. Maybe so, but it is a resilience borne of adversity.”

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This week we can bring you the first report on an office supplies boss who stands accused of health and safety offences after a worker was injured in a fall through the roof of his Bellingham warehouse.

We can also take you inside the Deptford shop where an inspector found unfit “blood tofu” and mouldy fish. Anything Chinese Supermarket was handed a one out of five food hygiene rating after the visit.

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Office supplies boss facing trial after worker hurt falling through roof

AN OFFICE supplies firm boss is facing trial after a worker was injured falling through the roof of his building.

Charles Mather, the owner of Vitesse, has been charged with health and safety offences after the incident at the firm’s warehouse and office space on Bellingham Trading Estate.

Prosecutors say Mather’s “odd-job men” James Nicholls and Peter Skinner were working on the roof when the accident happened in 2020, leaving Mr Nicholls injured.

Mather, 62, of Chislehurst, Bromley, is accused of failing to look after the health and safety of the pair and another employee, Simon Fowle, who was below the roof at the time.

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Mouldy fish and unfit “blood tofu” found in Chinese supermarket

A FOOD hygiene inspector found mouldy fish and unfit “blood tofu” in a Chinese supermarket in Deptford.

The inspector handed Anything Chinese Supermarket, in Deptford High Street, a one out of five food hygiene rating after the visit.

Among the shocking findings were mouldy smoked fish, unfit cooked “blood tofu” - blocks of coagulated blood - and filthy scales.

A “substantial” amount of imported pre-packed meat and fish products were also lacking traceability information in the shop, with non-English labels on them, the report found.

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This week we spoke to the stalking victim targeted by convicted sex offender Mohammed Aminu, whose guilty verdict we covered in last week’s newsletter.

She told us how she knew Aminu had “ill intent” when he started following her around NRG Gym, in Lewisham High Street.

She shared footage of the predator’s disturbing behaviour with us to warn other women to “trust their gut”. You can view the video in full on our website.

In other news, we can also share pictures of the filthy conditions inside Hi Five chicken shop in Lee High Road, Lewisham.

We asked the council for the pictures after a manager at Hi Five told us that the recent 0 star hygiene report about the shop was “false”. The pictures tell a different story.

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Shocking moment predator caught stalking woman in NRG gym

THIS is the shocking moment a convicted sex offender was caught on camera stalking a woman working out in a Lewisham gym.

Mohammed Aminu, 28, can be seen sitting behind the victim, watching her as she exercises at NRG Gym in Lewisham High Street.

Aminu pursued the woman around the gym after accessing the facility by coercing another member into letting him into one of the pin-operated entrance security pods.

The brave victim, who filmed Aminu sitting behind her and later hiding behind a wall, was so terrified he would attack her she asked her male friend to come to the gym to escort her home.

She has now shared her footage with the Lewisham Letter in a bid to raise awareness among other women to “trust their gut” when the feel something is wrong.

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Dirty conditions at Lewisham chicken shop exposed in new pictures

THESE pictures show the dirty conditions inside a Lewisham chicken shop blasted by a food hygiene inspector.

The images, which were taken by an inspector during a visit to Hi Five Chicken and Gourmet Burger, in Lee High Road, show a dirty chopping board, open containers of raw and cooked chicken and dirty surfaces and equipment.

It comes after we revealed how the chicken shop was handed a 0 food hygiene rating by the council, although this was later upgraded to a 1 after the business appealed.

The inspector warned there was “clear cross-contamination” between raw poultry and other food in the shop in their food hygiene report.

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This week we bring you the news of how developers transformed a street in Catford into a HMO hotspot by turning normal houses into “cramped” shared properties to rent out to the council

We can also reveal how a convicted sex offender stalked a woman in a Lewisham gym, leaving her petrified she would be killed.

The predator gained access to the gym by intimidating another female member into letting him enter via a pin-operated security pod.

Like so many other 24/7 gyms it was not staffed at the time of the incident, raising serious public safety concerns.

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“Developers ghettoising our road by turning homes into house shares”

A RESIDENT has warned developers are “ghettoising” her street by turning homes into “cramped” shared housing to rent out to the council.

Alison Howard said she has identified dozens of homes in Sandhurst Road, Catford, which have been turned into HMOs – essentially shared houses – in the past few years.

Ms Howard claims many of the rooms are being rented out to Lewisham Council through the local authority’s ‘private sector leasing scheme’, which offers landlords guaranteed rent for the whole year.

She added that while the conversion spree has been a “money-making machine” for developers, it has come at a cost for local residents.

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Predator caught spying on woman in Lewisham High Street gym

A PREDATOR was caught hiding behind a wall spying on a woman enjoying a late-night workout at a gym in Lewisham High Street.

Mohammed Aminu forced his way into NRG Gym by tail-gaiting a woman as she entered one of the pin-operated security pods.

The 28-year-old convicted sex offender, of Newlands Park, Sydenham, then went upstairs and sat behind another woman - the victim - while she was working out.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, noticed Aminu staring intently at her and started filming him in a bid to deter him.

However, his creepy behaviour continued as he followed her down into the women’s only section and started staring at her in the mirror.

The victim confronted him about being in the restricted area before walking away a second time, only to later spot him hiding behind a wall - glaring at her again.

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This week we bring you the news that Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust paid £38million in damages over medical blunders last year.

We also discovered that in one of its latest settlements - finalised earlier this month - the trust agreed to pay the family of a boy £9million in damages.

In other news, we also looked into bus lane fines on the back of our revelation that Lewisham Council raked in £71k from a single yellow box junction in its first month in operation.

It turns out there has been a 44 per cent increase in the number of fines issued to drivers who entered the bus lane on Lewisham High Street.

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NHS pays out £38M over testicle removal and other local blunders

The NHS paid out £38million in damages over the removal of a testicle and other medical negligence claims at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust last year.

Some of the other injuries blamed on negligence included cosmetic disfigurement and amputation, our Freedom of Information request discovered.

Other pay-outs involved a “foreign body” being left in situ and “wrong site surgery”.

The Lewisham Letter also discovered that earlier this month, the trust agreed to pay out another £9MILLION in damages to the family of a boy who filed a negligence case at the High Court.

Details about the case are shrouded in mystery but the Lewisham Letter understands huge pay-outs like this are almost always due to negligence during childbirth, with the baby suffering an injury that requires life-long care.

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Lewisham High Street bus lane fines soar by 44% in a year

LEWISHAM High Street bus lane fines have soared by 44 per cent in a year, netting the council £47k in penalties.

The council issued a total of 953 penalties to drivers who were caught in the bus lane last year, our Freedom of Information request found.

This is a 44 per cent increase on the 661 bus lane fines handed out in 2024, which made the council £37,395.

Meanwhile, the council also upped its takings from fining drivers who broke no entry rules on the high street.

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This week we are publishing CCTV footage showing the moment Forest Hill probation officer Bethany Dent-Reynolds kissed and hugged murderer Kieran Robinson during one of her visits to see him in jail.

The pair are kissing right under the noses of prison guards in the footage. The Public Safety Foundation told us it amounts to a “massive failure” by the prison service.

In other news, we also discovered that dozens of flats in a new-build development in central Lewisham have been empty for more than a year.

Campaigners now fear the Lewisham Shopping Centre mega-development could suffer the same fate, turning the centre of town into a “ghost town”.

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CCTV of probation officer kissing and hugging murderer on jail visit

THIS is the moment a probation officer was caught on camera hugging and kissing her murderer boyfriend in prison.

The footage, published in full on our website, was filmed during one of Bethany Dent-Reynolds’ several visits to see Kieran Robinson at HMP Lowdham Grange.

The Lewisham Letter revealed last week how the 27-year-old, from Forest Hill, had been jailed for eight months at Woolwich Crown Court for misconduct in public office.

The court heard how the pair, who met when Dent-Reynolds was working as a prison officer, exchanged “sexual” WhatsApp messages and calls over the course of their relationship.

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Lewisham ‘ghost town’ fears as new-builds sit empty for over a year

CAMPAIGNERS fear central Lewisham could become a “ghost town” after we discovered dozens of flats have sat empty for more than a year on a new-build site.

Lewisham Council slapped a 100% council tax premium on 42 properties in Silver Road, Lewisham, that have been empty for more than a year, our Freedom of Information request found.

It means that Silver Road has a more long-term empty properties than any other street in the borough.

London Square Development built five commercial units and 141 flats at Axion House, 1 Silver Street, in 2023.

During our visit, all of the commercial units appeared to be empty and the sign at the front said they were “available”.

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This week we can reveal how Lewisham Council issued more than £71k in fines to drivers who stopped in a yellow box junction in its first month in operation.

Our Freedom of Information request discovered the council made a whopping £1.7 MILLION from yellow box penalties alone last year.

And we can also bring you the news that a Forest Hill prison officer has been jailed for eight months over her inappropriate relationship with a convicted murderer.

We were the only press in the court for the sentencing hearing. If you think local journalism is important, please consider supporting us and subscribe to our website.

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Council makes £71k from ONE yellow box junction in its first month

LEWISHAM COUNCIL has raked in more than £71,000 from a single yellow box junction in its first month in operation, we can reveal.

Our Freedom of Information request found 896 penalties, amounting to £71,680, were handed out over the new yellow box at the Westwood Hill junction with Lawrie Park Road in Sydenham in December.

In total, the council issued 16,527 yellow box fines to drivers last year, netting the local authority a whopping £1.7million.

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Prison officer jailed for relationship with killer serving life sentence

A FOREST HILL prison officer has been jailed for eight months for her relationship with an imprisoned murderer.

Bethany Dent-Reynolds, 27, of Sunderland Road, Forest Hill, engaged in “sexual” WhatsApp messages and calls with killer Kieran Robinson, a court heard.

The pair originally met when she was working at Belmarsh Prison, although their relationship only started after she left the jail to become a probation officer at HMP Brixton.

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This week, we can bring you the news that a Lewisham midwife has been struck off after inhaling “gas and air” in an empty labour room at University Hospital Lewisham.

She went on to do exactly the same thing at another London hospital just a few months later, raising serious concerns about patient safety.

We were the only media present for her disciplinary hearing. It’s a story that’s all too familiar and part of the reason we set up our news site for the borough - the biggest “local news desert” in the UK.

We think it’s important that local stories like this - and the dozens of other exclusives we’ve published in the past few months - are reported on.

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Lewisham midwife struck off for inhaling gas in empty labour rooms

A LEWISHAM midwife has been struck off after she was caught inhaling “gas and air” in empty hospital labour rooms while working.

Olanike Toye took Entonox, a 50/50 mix of nitrous oxide - also known as “laughing gas” - and oxygen, at University Hospital Lewisham in 2022, a disciplinary panel found.

The panel also concluded that she inhaled the drug, which is used for pain relief during childbirth, during a shift at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in 2023.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel issued a strike off order against Toye at a fitness to practice hearing earlier this week.

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Lewisham chicken shop slammed over “clear cross-contamination”

A LEWISHAM chicken shop has been slammed for poor food hygiene after an inspector reported “clear cross-contamination” between raw poultry and other food.

Hi Five Chicken and Gourmet Burger, in Lee High Road, was initially awarded a 0 star rating after the food hygiene inspection, although this was upgraded to a 1 after the shop appealed.

The manager of the shop is adamant there has been no cross-contamination at his business, branding the inspector’s findings as “false”.

The Lewisham Council report on Hi Five said: “Observed (staff) moving between washing sinks, handling raw chicken and then ready to eat foods/packaging before moving back to washing raw poultry boards… observed clear cross-contamination of raw and ready to eat.”

Click here to read the full story.

I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.

We return this week to bring you the stories of artists being evicted from the Old Town Hall in Catford.

Lewisham Council is booting them out to make way for the new Goldsmiths University campus.

Some of the talented tenants at Catford Dek arts hub may now have to shut up shop - or leave London - due to the lack of affordable, alternative studios.

In other news, we also spoke to a resident who warned her garden will be plunged into darkness if the controversial Blackheath Station Car Park housing development is signed off by councillors next week.

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Artists face being forced out of capital due to council studio eviction

ARTISTS face being forced out of the capital after a council decision to kick them out of their studios in Catford.

Catford Dek - an arts space comprising 35 open-plan studios - is being evicted to make way for the Goldsmiths University expansion into the Old Town Hall.

The current tenants at Catford Dek are now worried about their future and have slammed Lewisham Council for offering them “mouldy” and expensive alternative studios.

Sarah Mercadé, a costume designer based in Catford Dek, told the Lewisham Letter she may have to leave London due to the council’s decision.

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“Housing development will decimate sunlight in my garden”

A BLACKHEATH resident is sounding the alarm over a housing development which would plunge her garden into DARKNESS.

The hugely controversial project would see the construction of a four-storey apartment block in Blackheath Station Car Park – right next to Emma’s home in Collins Street.

Emma has discovered through a planning report she commissioned that the building would block sunshine from reaching all but just 7% of her garden.

It comes after more than 1,200 objections were filed against the development, including by celebrities such as Jude Law and LBC presenter Nick Ferrari.

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This week we bring you our latest coverage on the tragic case of Simon Moss - a dad-of-three who took his own life minutes after being discharged from University Hospital Lewisham.

A coroner has concluded that the hospital missed opportunities to save his life - in particular by failing to get in contact with his family before releasing him from A&E.

We can also reveal this week how a New Cross restaurant boss pleaded guilty to food hygiene offences after inspectors found mice droppings and cockroaches on his premises.

The owner of Pho Na, on Old Kent Road, was previously accused of storing dog meat in his freezer - but those charges have now been dropped.

We will be taking a break over the festive period so we wish you all a very merry Christmas and we will be back with more news in the New Year.

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Lewisham hospital “missed opportunities” to prevent dad’s suicide

UNIVERSITY Hospital Lewisham “missed opportunities” to prevent a suicidal dad-of-three from taking his own life minutes after he was discharged from A&E, a coroner found.

Simon Moss, 49, was rushed to hospital in February last year after climbing onto his roof and threatening to take his own life as a result of delusions.

Police managed to coax him down and he was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Lewisham, where he was seen by the psychiatric liaison team.

However, a mental health nurse judged that Mr Moss was not going to kill himself and discharged him from hospital alone after being unable to find his next of kin’s phone number.

Minutes later Mr Moss jumped to his death from a nearby multi-storey car park.

At the conclusion of his inquest on Tuesday, Xavier Mooyaart, assistant coroner at London Inner South Coroner’s Court, said NHS staff should have gone to greater lengths to find a number for Mr Moss’s family before discharging him.

Read the full story here.

Restaurant owner pleads guilty over droppings and cockroaches

A RESTAURANT owner has pleaded guilty to food hygiene offences after inspectors found mice droppings and live cockroaches in his premises.

Vuong Quoc Nguyen, 47, was previously accused of storing dog meat in a freezer in Pho Na restaurant at 899 Old Kent Road, New Cross.

However prosecutors have now dropped that charge and Nguyen has changed his not guilty plea to five other food hygiene offences to guilty.

On Thursday – the day his trial was due to start – he admitted he had stored meat wrapped in unlabelled leaves in his restaurant.

He also pleaded guilty to being unable to prove the source of an “animal origin” product – and to failing to comply with a food hygiene improvement notice.

Bromley Magistrates Court heard there were previous problems with pests and the traceability of food products – which were not what they were claimed to be – at the restaurant before Nguyen took over in 2023.

Nguyen’s defence team said he left Vietnam and came to the UK as a “political refugee” in 2007.

Read the full story here.

This week our main story is on police closing down a drugs den which turned an estate into a “lawless” nightmare.

One local told us how addicts smoked crack in the stairways, tried to sell them stolen goods and left residents terrified to leave their homes.

We can also reveal this week why Rowdy Burgers & Desserts, in Deptford, was handed a 1 out of 5 food hygiene rating.

It turns out the inspector spotted the chef wiping his hands on a dirty tea towel after handling raw meat…

Here are your stories:

Police shut down drugs den that sowed fear on “lawless” estate

POLICE have shut down a drugs den after residents complained that it had turned their estate into a “lawless” nightmare.

Neighbours were terrified to go outside after addicts took over the council flat at 27 Grace Path, Sydenham, in May last year.

A local told the Lewisham Letter that users would smoke crack on the stairways, pass out and even try to sell stolen goods to residents.

When police later raided the property they found it was also being used as a shoplifting stash house.

Although hard-working officers have now managed to shut the property - bringing much of the trouble to an end - there are still problem tenants on the estate causing issues, locals say.

One concerned resident, who was too scared to be named, blamed Lewisham Council for the chaos, arguing that the tenant at 27 Grace Path should be evicted far earlier.

They told the Lewisham Letter: “It’s been awful. It was like a hotel for drug users. It was completely lawless.”

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Burger bar slammed after chef seen wiping hands on dirty tea towel

A BURGER bar has come under fire after a chef was seen wiping his gloved hands on a dirty tea towel after touching raw beef mince.

Rowdy Burgers & Desserts, in Deptford Church Street, Deptford, told the Lewisham Letter that the chef had made a “mistake” and that staff have now undergone further food safety training.

A Lewisham Council food hygiene inspector handed the restaurant a 1 out of 5 food hygiene rating after the inspection in October.

The inspector wrote: “I observed the chef handle raw beef mince, then wipe his gloved hands on a dirty tea towel and then go on to another task.”

The report said this increased the risk of cross-contamination. It added that staff also used dirty cloths to wipe down food preparation surfaces.

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This week we can reveal how a father fraudulently avoided paying thousands in child maintenance by denying he was the dad of his child - and sending his mate to take a paternity test on his behalf.

His fraud was uncovered when the test, which his pal undertook at a local health centre, was cross-checked against a DNA database.

Investigators matched the DNA to his friend and then discovered that the father had sent him a £50 payment to cover his petrol for the trip.

We can also expose the rise in crashes on Southend Lane in Bellingham. The road has been branded a “death trap” since the council introduced a bus lane in June.

Our Freedom of Information request has found that crashes have surged by more than 50% in a year…

Here are your stories:

Dad dodged child support by getting pal to take DNA paternity test

A DAD dodged more than £8,600 in child maintenance payments after denying he was his child’s father and sending a pal to undergo a paternity test on his behalf.

Raphael Duyile asked his friend Lanre Balogonn - who runs a celebrity chauffeuring firm - to fraudulently take the DNA test for him at a health centre in the borough.

Woolwich Crown Court heard that Duyile, 33, wanted to stop paying child support to the mother, Chanel Weekes, after his family fell out with her and he started having “financial difficulties”.

When the fraudulent paternity test results came back negative, Duyile brazenly sent a text to Ms Weekes telling her she had “some explaining to do”.

However, investigators uncovered Duyile and Balogonn’s deception – and they have now been handed suspended jail sentences for conspiracy to defraud.

Click here to read the full story.

Crashes on “death trap” road surge by more than 50% in a year

CRASHES on a “death trap” road in Bellingham have surged by more than 50% in a year, the Lewisham Letter can reveal.

Our Freedom of Information request discovered paramedics responded to 14 crashes on Southend Lane, in Bellingham, this year - up on nine smashes in 2024.

Locals believe the increase is down to the council’s introduction of a new bus lane, which they say is being used as a “speedway”.

In September, a 25-year-old moped rider died after a collision with a car in the bus lane - and in October another motorcyclist was hospitalised with serious injuries following a smash at the same spot.

Arif, the owner of SAS Signs on Southend Lane, told the Lewisham Letter: “The rise in crashes is not a coincidence. It’s all happened since the bus lane was introduced.”

Click here to read the full story.

This week our main story reflects the devastating impact long housing list waits are having on families in the borough.

We heard from a mother and daughter who have been sleeping in the same bed for years while waiting for a council home.

They are one of 11,000 households waiting in line on Lewisham Council’s housing list.

We also covered the sentencing of Tracey Smith on Friday - the trans woman who left Lewisham West MP Ellie Reeves fearing for her safety after a disturbing campaign of harassment.

And finally, we spoke to have-a-go hero Catford cafe manager Rui Garcia. Mr Garcia told us how he caught the man who burgled his cafe just hours after the crime unfolded.

Here are your stories:

“We’ve been sleeping in same bed for years while waiting for home”

A MOTHER and her adult daughter are desperate for a council home after sleeping in the same bed for EIGHT years.

Gloria Elsy Rodriguez, 55, and her 22-year-old daughter Madeleine Estupinan Rodriguez are fed up with their tiny one-bedroom flat in Glenfarg Road, Catford.

The pair, who do not have a living room, cannot afford to move to a bigger property and have been languishing on the housing list for years.

Gloria, who works as a cleaner, fears they may never be moved to a bigger home.

It comes after we revealed earlier this month how a Lewisham Council tenant was breaking the rules by renting out two of her bedrooms on Airbnb – while thousands wait for a property on the housing list.

Madeleine, who works as a nail technician, said: “I’m fed up with the situation. I cry at night after my mum has fallen asleep.”

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Lewisham trans woman jailed over “sinister” harassment of MP

A TRANS woman has been jailed for bombarding Lewisham West MP Ellie Reeves with dozens of “sinister” messages that left her fearing for her safety, a court heard.

In one of the bizarre messages, Tracey Smith, 58, accused Ms Reeves’ sister, the Chancellor, of attacking her in the Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park, Lewisham.

She also accused Ellie Reeves of being transphobic and wanting to legalise domestic abuse, sexual violence and coercive control.

Smith, of Holdenby Road, Crofton Park, sent Ms Reeves a total of 38 letters, emails and voice messages between July and October last year.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Reeves said: “It started with her telling me I didn’t know the constituency and accusing me of being on holiday.

“Then I was being accused of wanting to legalise domestic abuse, sexual violence and coercive control. She also accused me of being transphobic.”

“She also made accusations against my sister. She accused her of attacking her at the Rivoli Ballroom. I had no idea what she was talking about.”

Click here to read the full story.

Have-a-go hero cafe manager catches burglar just hours after raid

A HAVE-A-GO hero cafe manager caught the man who burgled his business after chasing him across Catford.

Rui Garcia, 50, the head of La Ciabatta, in Rushey Green, Catford, immediately recognised John Roe when he saw him walk past his cafe just hours after watching CCTV of the burglary.

Mr Garcia chased Roe, 56, of Catford, down twice before he finally managed to catch him on his third pursuit.

Mr Garcia told the Lewisham Letter: “It was a one in a million chance.

“I found him, not once, not twice but three times. It was so odd.”

Click here to read the full story.

This week we can share details from a damning food hygiene report on Tony’s Butchers in Catford. An inspector found a cat in a crate… it’s now been removed.

We can also share a father’s shock after he found a couple having sex in a park as he was collecting conkers with his family.

Here are your stories:

Damning report finds cat and meat being refrozen in butcher shop

A DAMNING food hygiene report has found a butcher shop was refreezing its unsold meat at the end of the day – and had a cat on the premises.

A Lewisham Council inspector handed Tony’s Butchers, in Catford Broadway, Catford, a one out of five hygiene rating after the visit.

The report also noted that there was no sanitiser or antibacterial for disinfecting surfaces in the shop at the time of the inspection.

The inspector wrote: “During the inspection, your staff mentioned that food/meat (frozen) which are not sold on the day are returned to freezer.

“Please note that the meat on display would have defrosted and should not be returned to the freezer once defrosted to avoid contamination of food.”

It is understood the inspector also found a cat in a crate in the staff area of the shop.

Click here to read the full story.

Couple caught having sex in park by family collecting conkers

A FATHER was “appalled” after he caught a couple having sex in a park as he and his family were out collecting conkers.

The dad said the episode was particularly disturbing because his children were with him when he saw the shocking behaviour in Blythe Hill Fields, near Catford.

He reported the incident to the police and directed other families away from the area after he came across the pair on September 21.

Leroy Gooden, 45, of Catford, and Samantha Maher, 41, of Lambeth, were arrested and pleaded guilty to an act of outraging public decency.

The father who caught the pair said: “The reason I feel so strongly about this incident is because I was with my children.”

Click here to read the full story.