A scheme to part-pedestrianise Tower Hamlets ' Curry Capital' this summer have been shelved by Tower Hamlets Council following an extensive consultation process with residents and businesses in the area. As well as deciding they want to see the road kept open to traffic, respondents have told the council they are keen to see more shops in the area and restaurant and bar closing times to remain at midnight. The major consultation exercise began in September, with local residents, businesses, interest groups and focus groups given the chance to say how they wanted to see Brick Lane evolve.

Among the main questions was whether people were keen to see a continuation of the Brick Lane 'restaurant zone', which has seen planning applications for restaurants in the area encouraged and has lead to Brick Lane being known as a Mecca for London's Curry Lovers. Results from the consultation show that 36 per cent of the 1,163 people questioned want to see a continuation to the restaurant zone, while 48 per cent of people are against it. Six out of 10 people said they are against an extension of restaurant opening hours from Thursday to Saturday night and want the closing time to remain at midnight.

Just 16 per cent of people questioned want to see opening times extended. Asked if they want to see the experimental part-pedestrianisation of Brick Lane, 36 per cent of respondents said they are in favour and 52 per cent are against. In response to these findings, Councillors have agreed not to progress with plans for part pedestrianisation of Brick Lane for the summer months of 2002. Also, the stretch of Brick Lane, between Hanbury Street and Hopetown Street, has been re-affirmed as a local shopping parade, as identified in the Unitary Development Plan - a framework for the development and use of land in the borough.

This designation means that planning applications for shops along this stretch of the road will be encouraged. Closing time for restaurants will remain at midnight where residential amenity is an issue. Betheline Chattopadhyay, Lead Councillor for the Environment, said: "This wide-ranging consultation process has been a great success and given us a clear indication of how residents and businesses living in this area want to see it evolve. "We have acted on the feedback we received.

We will not be implementing the temporary closure of Brick Lane this summer because it was feared that it could effect local businesses and there were concerns it could also make congestion worse locally. 'Additionally, people told us they didn't want the local restaurants and bars opening later because of fears over an increase in noise and rubbish levels. They would welcome more shops locally, however, so that they didn't need to travel so far for their daily shopping needs."

A range of environmental improvements are planned to be introduced in the Brick Lane area from the beginning of February. These will include traffic calming measures and streetscape improvements. Over the next few months work will progress on a local area strategy which will focus on this issues raised in the consultation.

Two armed robbers fled with a large quantity of cash after a raid on security van in Ben Jonson Road, E1, yesterday morning. The security van made an unscheduled stop outside at newsagents and as the guard left the van, two men approached him with a sawn off shotgun.

He was pushed to his knees and the attackers ordered the second guard who was still inside the van to hand over the cash. Sacks containing a large quantity of cash were handed to the suspects, who then sped off on a motorcycle.

The victims were treated for shock but otherwise unhurt. The suspects are described as Asian and wore crash helmets and dark clothing. Anyone with information is urged to call the police on 020 8345 4226.

The weekend has been marked by violence when Tower Hamlets was hit by two gun incidents. The first incident took place in the afternoon on Brick Lane E1 when it appears that five men in a silver Rover K-registration car came under fire while they left their car. Four of the occupants were black and one was Asian.

Four of the men managed to scramble back into the car when the shots were being fired and the fifth man- a black man-fled on foot. The silver Rover drove off and three cars - a BMW, Saab and a Peugeot (believed to have been driven by the suspects) sped off from the scene.

Twenty minutes later, an occupant in the Saab fired at the man who had fled the silver Rover again in Bethnal Green Road, E1. He escaped unharmed. The silver Rover got as far as Farringdon Road at the junction with Goswell Road, EC1, where the remaining occupants got out of the car. One of them - a black male - had gun shot injuries from the earlier incident in Brick Lane.

They managed to flag down a passing ambulance, which took the injured man to a London hospital where he received medical treatment. He remains in hospital in a stable condition. It is believed the remaining three occupants of the Rover - two black and one Asian - went to a nearby bus stop where they boarded a London bus. Police have yet to trace these three and are anxious to do so. Police managed to stop the BMW car nearby and three occupants - all black males were arrested.

They have been taken to various police stations where they remain in police custody. It appears that robbery could have been the motive. However, police are keeping an open mind at this early stage. Detective Sergeant Nick Linfoot, from Operation Trident, which is investigating the incident, said: "We are anxious to trace the three men who fled the Farringdon Road area on a London bus. "We are naturally concerned for their safety and would urge them or anyone who knows their whereabouts to contact the police as soon as possible. "It is also vital that we hear from anyone who may have seen what happened in the original incident in Brick Lane as it's important that we have a clear understanding of what led up to the altercation."

Anyone with information should contact the incident room in Putney on 020 87885 8707 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Police have launched an appeal for witnesses after an arson attack on the Limehouse Bangladesh cultural centre and mosque on the 15th of this month. The building in Stocks Place, E14 were set alight in the early hours of the morning by a gang of youths.

The local fire brigade managed to control the blaze however the premises were gutted. Fortunately, no people were in the building at the time At the moment the police do not have any leads as to the identity of the assailants. Burglary appears to be the most obvious motive as a collection box was raided inside the premises, however racial motives have not been overruled.

Detective Sergeant Mark Adams of Tower Hamlets CID said: "This is a very serious incident that could have been a lot worse, had there been people in the building at the time of the attack. This is a place where people come to meet and to practice their faith, yet this has been halted due to the actions of the people involved. I would urge anyone who may have information to contact police as soon as possible."

Police are appealing for anyone with information concerning the attack to Limehouse CID on 020 7275 4558; if you wish to remain anonymous telephone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A pregnant woman was robbed of cash and a Playstation console after possibly being injected with 'date rape' drug Rohypnol. The attack took place on the evening of January 7, when the 29-year-old was walking through Bethnal Green Gardens.

A group of youths spotted the victim and then pursued her through the park. She was then grabbed from behind and then felt what she described as a sharp pain to the top of her leg and then began to feel drowsy.

She came around about four hours later after lying unconscious in the park. The victim then made her way to the local police station after realising she had been robbed of the console, cash and a number of benefit books.

She spent 2 days in hospital purely as a precautionary measure because of her pregnancy and has suffered no permanent effects from the attack.

Police are urging members of the public with any information relating to the robbery to call them on 020 8217 3751.

Fire fighters were called to a garage in Hadleigh Street to control a blaze on Wednesday evening. After battling the fire, which spread to the adjacent Bangabandhu School and the Baitul Amman Mosque, both in Malcolm Road, and The Wessex Centre in HadleighStreet, the fire brigade managed to control the situation.

There were no injuries and Police are as yet unsure what started the fire. As a result of the fire the school, mosque and centre will be closed until further notice.

Tower Hamlets Environmental closed down Butchers Hart Meats (who supplied produce to shops nationwide) on 9 January for failing to meet even the most basic food standards. The closure is yet another food standard scare to hit borough. After weeks of surveillance, officers obtained a warrant, and carried out a dawn raid closing down the premises for business.

The operation was launched after members of the public reported a 'nauseating' smell coming from the building. Officers found the premises to be completely unhygienic and a serious risk to public health. Utensils were left unwashed and on inspection environmental health officers found some of the meat failed to meet with food safety requirements.

Officers estimated that five tonnes of pork passed through the facility every week. Well over a tonne of pig's tongue (due to be canned) failed health tests, hours before it was due to be transported to a Factory in Enfield. The meat from the factory would have been sold onto national meat suppliers who would then sell the produce on to the major supermarket chains.

A network of Local Authorities swooped on 12 other food businesses across the country that had connections with Hart Meats. Tower Hamlets and Haringey Council are working with the Food Standard Agency with a view to issuing a Food Hazard Warning to allay the fears of members of the public who may have come into contact with the substandard meat.

The owner of Harts Meats was questioned by police and Environmental Health Officers at his home in Woodford, Essex. The business will remain closed until the health authority is satisfied it meets all health and safety requirements. However, Officers do not think that the business will reopen as both Tower Hamlets and Haringey councils are taking legal action. Principal Environmental Health Officer for Tower Hamlets, Adrian Grieves said: " By working with Haringey Council we have successfully closed down an illegal food business.

health risk these conditions created. We were staggered by the scale of the business. He has deceived the public and other food businesses for a number of years. Legal action will be taken."

If a member of the public has any concerns about Food Safety please contact the Food Safety Team on 0207 364 6800.

An ex-convict has claimed that Reggie Kray told him that he killed a young homosexual Peter Gillett, who served time with the east end killer in Parkhurst and Maidstone prisons, claims he was told the secret 16 years ago in prison.

His revelation, in Channel 5 documentary The Krays: Their Empire Behind Bars, comes after the feared East End gangster made a death-bed admission that he committed an as-yet unknown murder. This new admission adds yet more mystery to the Kray legacy. This week an alleged gay lover of Reggie Kray claimed Ronnie killed Reggie's wife, Frances, by forcing her to swallow a bottle of barbiturates (story below).

The Metropolitan Police are to investigate allegations that Ronnie Kray killed his brother Reggie's wife wife. It has been believed that Frances Kray took her own life. Reggie Kray's gay 'prison lover' claims that Ronnie forced Frances Kray to take the pills that killed her. However Reggie's widow, Roberta Kray, said Bradley Allardyce had taken her late husband's comments too literally.

Mrs Kray said: "Reg told me on several occasions that Ron had killed Frances but he didn't mean it in a literal sense. "What he meant was that Ron bullied and terrorised her and made her life a misery and Reg did nothing to stop him." She said re-opening the case would prove to be a "huge waste" of police resources. Bradley Allardyce was released from prison three years ago after serving nine years for armed robbery.

He spent three of those years in Maidstone prison, four cells along the landing from Reggie Kray. Reggie Kray, who died two years ago, was serving a life sentence for the slaying of Jack "the Hat" McVitie. Kray and Allardyce both denied they were more than just friends.

But Allardyce now says: "I am openly admitting for the first time that we had a sexual relationship as much as it was against my will and he knew it was against my will. "So I was always in denial." But he added: "There is not one day I would change with mine and Reggie's relationship." The pair spent most of their time at Maidstone prison together. Allardyce revealed that in prison Reggie Kray revealed to him the crime that haunted him the most - the apparent suicide of his first wife. "I was sitting in my cell with Reg and it was one of those nights where we turned the lights down low and put some nice music on and sometimes he would reminisce. "He would get really deep and open up to me. "He suddenly broke down and said 'I'm going to tell you something I've only ever told two people and something I've carried around with me' - something that had been a black hole since the day he found out.

"He put his head on my shoulder and told me Ron killed Frances. He told Reg what he had done two days after." The Krays' years of crime were ended by a team of Scotland yard detectives led by Leonard "Nipper" Read, who thinks the allegations should be investigated. Mr Read said: "Whatever else it is it is an allegation of murder - somebody has made an extreme allegation." Roberta Kray insists that there was "no doubt at all" that Frances had taken the pills herself. "Look at the circumstances. Frances was living in a flat with her brother and his wife," she said.

"I think it is ridiculous to suggest that at some point Ronnie Kray went around to see her without anyone else seeing him, persuaded her to take pills and then told Reg that is what he had done. "I think this is just a situation where Reg has said to Bradley 'Ron killed Frances, he made her take pills', but he didn't mean it in a literal sense."

A street named after a youth care worker, who was later exposed as a paedophile, has been renamed following a long campaign by one his victims. Prescott Close in Hornchurch, Essex, honoured the once trusted and respected carer and local magistrate Alan Prescott.

The close was built in 1994 on the site of St Leonard's Home, where Prescott had been superintendent. But it had to be changed after Prescott, formerly of Toynbee Hall, Stepney, east London, pleaded guilty to four offences of indecent assault against boys aged 15 to 19 in the seventies at the Old Bailey last October.

A spokeswoman for Havering Council said: "After the case a campaign was set up by one of the victims to change the street name. Following consultations with the residents it was renamed Harrow Close shortly before Christmas." Prescott, who was described in the trial as being a "pillar of the community", also did charity work and was a member of Havering Council. St Leonard's Home, which cared for disadvantaged children, was closed its doors in 1984.

Judge Jeremy Roberts told Prescott as he jailed him for two years: "You were in a position of authority, power and trust over the victims. "You were a figure of authority in the community and it is most unfortunate that behind the outward appearance of respectability, you were behaving in this way towards those in your charge."

Tube commuters were delivered another blow this winter when a whopping 11% rise in Tube fares was announced. Some of the most deprived areas within Zones 1 and 2 including Hackney and Tower Hamlets will be hit the hardest.

The new charges, which were introduced at the weekend, include an increase in the charge for a single journey outside Zone 1 from 90p to £1 and a seven percent rise in the price of a journey within central London from £1.50 to £1.60. The popular off-peak Travelcard has seen a 2.5 per cent rise to £4.10.

The weekly Zone 1 and 2 Travelcard also went up, by 2.1 per cent to £19.30. The Tube has now also introduced a new Travelcard, which can be used before 9.30am, but will cost an additional £1.20. Defending the rises, London Mayor Ken Livingstone said they averaged 1.7 per cent, compared with the 44 per cent rise between 1986 and 2000.

Firefighters rushed to a blaze in a hostel for the homeless in the early hours of the morning at Dock Street in Stepney. Almost sixty firefighters fought the blaze in the seven-storey building.

The fire is believed to have started at 2.30am, where more than 100 residents fled from Beacon House and were taken to temporary accommodation. The blaze has now been brought under control and five people were treated at the scene for the effects smoke inhalation Ray Sarton from the London Fire Brigade said: "Fortunately not many people have been hurt." The cause of the fire is under investigation, however early reports suggest that arson was not to blame.

The unwanted phenomenon of abandoned cars has begun to plagued the borough of Tower Hamlets. The cars that have become the bane of the community are both unsightly and a danger to local children.

The council does do its best to remove vehicles abandoned in the borough as quickly as possible. There are however a number of procedures that they have to carry out by law before removal can take place. If we think that a vehicle is a danger to the general public they can remove it straight away, but it can take many weeks before a dumped vehicle can be taken off the streets.

If you spot an abandoned vehicle in your neighbourhood, the quickest way to get it removed is to report it to them straight away. Tower Hamlets Council also offers a free disposal service for residents who need to dispose of an old vehicle.

To report an abandoned vehicle, or request to use their free vehicle disposal service email them at [email protected].

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