South London News

Platform lifts are now open at Tooting station, giving wheelchair users and other passengers of restricted mobility, access for the first time.

The £5.4m investment to construct two new lifts at Tooting station began in spring 2023 and was completed by Network Rail in January. Following final testing, the lifts are now fully open.

The lifts provide step-free access from the main entrance of the station and down to platform level.

In addition, the project team installed new CCTV cameras to enhance the security of the station, as well as widening footways.

The grandson of the last woman to be hanged in Britain is calling for the case to be brought back into court.

Former Tooting resident Ruth Ellis, was 28 years old when she was hanged on the morning of July 13, 1955, at Holloway prison, north London.

The mother of two had been convicted of murdering her lover, David Blakely, in a public shooting.

Now, Ellis will be portrayed by actress Lucy Boynton in the ITV production A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, which will be aired from March 2.

Streatham RedHawks secured a vital three points in their quest to unseat NIHL 1 South leaders Slough Jets with a 5-2 win over the visiting Romford Buccaneers on Sunday, writes Christopher Beal.

Buccaneers netminder Sonny Phillips and his defence withstood an early hammering in the opening period as the hosts created chance after chance.

But Luke Brittle broke their resistance on 19 minutes.

Romford responded at 22:16 with Nathan Williams equalising, Elliot Dervish quickly putting them in front.

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested for conspiracy to commit murder after a stabbing on Friday.

Cops were called to reports of a stabbing in Bramley Road, between Ladbrooke Grove and Notting Hill, at around 7.30pm.

Officers and London Ambulance Service crews attended the scene and found a teenage boy suffering from stab injuries.

He was taken to hospital where his injuries were deemed not to be life-threatening.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Streatham RedHawks bounced back from a disappointing defeat on home ice the weekend before with a 7-1 win over visiting Swindon Wildcats 2 on Saturday, writes Chris Beal.

Coach Ben Paynter said he was looking for a response from the team following the third-period collapse against the Slough Jets and he got exactly that.

Streatham opened the scoring early on through JJ Pitchley and then Luke Brittle assisted Aiden Doughty.

Police are appealing for the public’s help to find a vulnerable man who is missing from Woolwich.

Paul Merrett, 28, was last seen leaving Greenwood House Memorial Hospital on January 22.

It is possible that he got onto a bus towards Shooters Hill, police say.

Mr Merrett is described as a white man, of a slim build with brown hair.

He was last seen wearing a black jacket, a black jumper, blue jeans and light blue crocs.

Streatham split this past weekend’s NIHL South 1 games with a win on the road and a defeat at home on Sunday, writes Chris Beal.

The Redhawks came away from Solent on Saturday with a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Solent Devils. Danny Ingoldsby, Ziggy beesley and JJ Pitchley with the goals for the RedHawks, putting them 3-0 up before Liam Coleman and Alex Murray scored in the late stages.

HERNE HILL HARRIERS

Lily-Rose Brown took centre stage by winning a South of England indoor gold medal at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre on Sunday, writes Geoff Jerwood.

Brown, 16, now competes in the U20 women’s category.

The Streatham resident rounded off a busy day with heat, semi-final and final in the best way by taking the 200m win in 25.15 seconds. Her time was just outside her PB, a strong effort at the end of three races.

A woman has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after a prosecution by the RSPCA.

Shannon Beecher, 27, of Gleneagle Road, Streatham, pleaded guilty to two offences of failing to address her Italian mastiff’s weight loss and failing to meet her pet’s needs.

The defendant appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Friday where she was sentenced to eight weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, and banned from keeping animals for a decade.

A rebel Labour councillor still waiting to make his maiden speech more than 1,000 days after being elected has accused the party’s local leadership of ‘silencing’ him.

Lambeth councillor Martin Abrams was elected to represent Streatham St Leonard’s for Labour at the local elections in April 2022, during which the party swept to victory — winning 57 of the 63 seats on the council.