Tower Hamlets Council is likely to face tough penalties after it was disclosed that the borough has the second largest number of  ’chargeable’ fire brigade call-outs to lift breakdowns in London.

Lewisham teenagers and pensioners will continue to swim for free in the borough following a decision by the Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock.

Where to find them: Parks, gardens and woods When to hear them: All year round Diet: Buds, shoots, seeds, nuts and berries The capital’s second most common bird is not a particularly popular one. However, the woodpigeon is a distinct species from its more urban cousin, the feral pigeon. While the feral variety is the [...]

Where to find them: Everywhere, especially gardens and rooftops When to hear them: All year round, most vocal March-June Diet: Insects, worms, berries

Where to find them: Gardens, streets, urban centres When to hear them: All year round Diet: Seeds, crumbs, scraps The great opportunist of the bird world, house sparrows flourished in London as the capital grew and grew in the 19th century. They fed on man’s leftovers and the chirping of the cockney sparrow soon became synonymous [...]

Where to find them: Almost anywhere When to hear them: All year round Diet: Seeds, cereals, crumbs Most people’s least favourite bird is, for better or worse, the most common in Tower Hamlets, and flourishing throughout London. The species is descended from domestic pigeons, which were in turn derived from wild rock doves, which are [...]

Where to find them: Parks, particularly around reed beds, gardens, urban centres When to hear them: All year round Diet: Insects, fruit The starling is a real urban success story, often more numerous in cities than in the countryside. They’re noisy little birds with a repetitive chirpy song, punctuated by distinctive “wolf whistles”. You should [...]

Where to find them: Gardens, parks, commons and hedges When to hear them: All year round Diet: Seeds, insects in summer These spectacular little songbirds are becoming more and more common in gardens along the East London Line. In Tower Hamlets, they were the fifth most common bird in the survey. This can only be [...]

Where to find them: Parks and gardens When to hear them: All year round Diet: Insects, seeds, nuts A garden regular, the green and yellow great tit is particularly partial to living in nestboxes. They’re relatively common up and down the East London Line, and make a for a charismatic garden visitor; they’ve been know [...]

Where to find them: Hedgerows, parks and gardens When to hear them: All year round Diet: Worms, seeds, fruits, insects The red-breasted robin has been voted the nation’s favourite bird. In London, it has taken to a 24-hour urban lifestyle and can often be heard singing at night next to streetlights. As we enter spring [...]