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Tourists and grisly murder enthusiasts following the path of notorious Victorian slasher Jack The Ripper through London's East End are causing present day problems for local residents. Eggs and vegetables have been hurled at tourists and there is a growing dislike among parts of the community for the "circus" caused by the tours.

Now fears are mounting that a new film about Jack the Ripper, starring Hollywood pretty boy Johnny Depp (left), will only add to the misery. From Hell, which stormed in the US box office at number one, is expected to renew interest in Britain's most famous serial killer. Tours of the Whitechapel and Spitalfields area of have been taken for nearly 50 years but the trouble has erupted only recently.

Residents are angry at what some call the "zoo or circus" passing by their homes and the growing numbers who take part. Eggs have been thrown during tours and two weeks ago a 53-year-old woman was reported to have been shot at with an air rifle and her tour group pelted by rocks thrown by local youths. Official tour guides have defended their tradition and say they are sensitive to the feelings of locals.

Councillor Ala Uddin, who represents residents in the Spitalfields ward, which includes part of Whitechapel, said: "I know there are reservations from the community, they say the place is like a zoo or circus with large numbers of people visiting." "When people suddenly see about 200 people coming into their street they can feel intimidated."

Tours can continue for 12 hours, starting at 0800 in the morning and finishing around 2100 at night. What also angers residents is the volume of tourists arriving is not matched by their spending in the area, he said. Tower Hamlets council's policy is to welcome visitors interested in the heritage and history of the area, he said. "But some residents do not see it as being to their benefit," he said. Tour guide John Muffty, who owns an official London Tourist Board blue badge for taking tours, was leading a tour when an egg was thrown.

"I suspect it was more like kids than anything else but I do know that there have been complaints in the neighbourhood, mainly about the larger groups that go round. "There is concern that the film is coming out, which will arose more interest, and some residents are not happy about that." Mr Muffty said numbers on his tours are small and the egg-throwing incident was the first he had experienced. David Tucker, from London Walks, said his group does have larger numbers, but he stressed it would not be as many as 100.

"We are extremely sensitive to the locals and we do not stop in front of anyone's house. We do walk past but if these people live in the city people are going to walk past." "You have to ask is it better to take one larger group or eight parties of 12 people through?" he added. Mr Tucker, who used to take Jack the Ripper Tours said Londoners themselves go on the tours and businesses in the area are pleased with the increase in trade.

He maintained that they have never had any incidents of residents complaining directly to his tour group but said the trouble may well come from "cowboy" operators who are cashing in on the interest. From Hell, which refers to a taunting letter written by the Ripper, giving his return address as From Hell, is due out in the UK in February.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, has given his backing to a national advertising campaign being launched this weekend to promote better understanding between Britain's communities including Tower Hamlets Islamic community. The campaign, devised by the Commission for Racial Equality, focuses on the multicultural diversity of the British population, which numbers 56 million, uses over 300 languages and has at least 14 faiths.

The advertisement features photographs of men, women and children as a snapshot of the different ethnic communities that make up the British population. Ken Livingstone said: 'London's success and dynamism rest on its diversity and I am pleased to say that the vast majority of Londoners live side by side in harmony and friendship.

This ad expresses the desire of right-thinking people everywhere to keep our society tolerant and welcoming. In the current international situation there are particular concerns on the part of British Muslims that they may become the victims of a racist backlash. My support for this advertising campaign underlines the fact that London must stay a zero-tolerance zone against racism.'

The Mayor's backing for the current CRE drive follows his involvement in a previous campaign in which he was one of the featured models. It comes at a time of heightened fear of reprisals that have been reported amongst London's Asian and Muslim communities

A two-month war on crime is about to be set in motion in Tower Hamlets in a bid to put local crooks out of business. Police plan to specifically target prostitution, robbery and drugs in the area. The operation, which has already visited Hackney, Westminster, Islington and Haringey, aims to target and arrest offenders involved in crimes such as street robbery, burglary, drugs, prostitution and motor vehicle crime.

Operation Sabre, which is due to be launched on October 15, is a strand of Operation Strongbox, a successful London-wide initiative to provide boroughs with extra resources for tackling crime. The unique initiative will provide Tower Hamlets with additional support from the Territorial Support Group and mounted branch as well as from the traffic and dog sections.

The combined teams will assist with a number of covert operations and high visibility patrols across the borough. Tower Hamlet's borough commander Chief Supt Rose Fitzpatrick is certain the eight-week operation will see crime levels in the borough fall. She said: "Our aim is to make Tower Hamlets safer for all the people we serve. Operation Sabre brings extra resources to help us do this by cutting crime in Tower Hamlets. The increased police presence will also help us to reduce the fear of crime and provide reassurance to our communities."

Thousands of Tower Hamlets residents are set to join in the celebrations to mark Black History Month of the coming weeks. A host of events have been organised to mark the contribution the black communities have made to the borough. Bethnal Green and Bow MP Oona King will kick-start the calendar of events at the Brady Arts Centre on Friday October 5.

Events covering arts, history performance business health and education will take place around the borough. They include:

A historical walk based on 18th century black literature.

An exhibition of pieces by Trinidadian painter and sculptor Morgan at Spitalfields Storytelling and poetry with local writer Pauline Stewart at Bethnal Green Library.

African Visions, a celebration of four prize winning authors Ama Ata Aidoo, Helen Habila, Zakes Mda, Ivan Vladislavic.

An African/ Caribbean family day at Mile End Stadium. Lead councillor for leisure

Ataur Rahman said: " Tower Hamlets is one of the most culturally diverse boroughs in Britain so it is fitting that we commemorate Black History Month with a top class programme of events. "We welcome anyone who wants to celebrate and enjoy the richness of multi-cultural life in the our area."

For further information on Black History Month call the African and Caribbean Development Forum on 202 8983 0088 or Brady Art Centre on 020 7247 0346. Visit the Black History Month website at www.actsofachievement.org.uk

Work is in progress on some exciting new educational projects, which are set to take hold in the Tower Hamlets. The improvements are available thanks to a new small Education Action Zone, which has been funded by the government and business partners BT, Morgan Stanley and London First.

The first part of the project to go live will be an 'interactive whiteboard' project linking primary and secondary teachers via computer technology on large whiteboard displays. Teachers will use these to pool skills and information supporting pupils making the transition from primary to secondary school. A range of other projects and activities have been agreed by headteachers to improve educational opportunities and raise achievement in Isle of Dogs schools.

The schools involved are Arnhem Wharf, Cubitt Town infant and junior, George Green secondary, Harbinger, Seven Mills and St Edmunds and St Lukes primary schools. Cyril Jackson, Holy Family, St Pauls with St Lukes and Woolmore primaries form a group of associated schools. Isle of Dogs small Education Action Zone (EAZ) project director Lyn Adams began working for the Zone at the beginning of September.

Lyn has previously taught in Tower Hamlets, been a headteacher in Canvey Island, and worked as an LEA adviser and OFSTED inspector. The new EAZ will be officially launched on 1 November at Seven Mills School, to celebrate all the hard work put in by local headteachers.

A record fine of £22,000 has been slapped on the owner of a poultry slaughterhouse in Tower Hamlets, which supposedly operated under Islamic Halal guidelines. Tajul Islam the owner of "Muslim Halal Live Chicken & Poultry" pleaded guilty to 11 charges relating to hygiene offences and placing the general public at risk at Thames Magistrates Court Bow E3 on the 21st September.

Mr Islam confessed that he rarely visited the premises and that he had very little control of the business. Environmental Health Officer's Adrian Grieves and Ken Marshall inspected the property at 14 Hessel Street E1 after receiving a gruesome complaint from the member of public about the quality of meat sold in the shop and were "horrified with the appalling working conditions they found"

The catalogue of problems included:

- The manager serving customers while wearing heavily bloodstained slaughterhouse overalls.

- A deeply scored and bloody cutting board nailed to bench - No towels or soap at the wash hand basin and chickens were sold still containing their innards intact

- A filthy staff kitchen (which was also being shared by the tenants living above) with rat droppings under the kitchen sink

- A walk in fridge should of been operating at 4C and was actually 25C and contained car tyres

- Slaughter house had equipment festooned with cob webs. Live chickens were walking freely through the carcasses of birds; part of the ceiling of the Slaughterhouse had collapsed exposing floor joists.

- Birds found drinking blood from the bleeding trough because no water was available - The only cleaning materials found on the premises were a container of washing up liquid and container of Domestos

- Staff toilets were broken and blocked.

Adrian Grieves Principle Environmental Health Officer said: "This was one of the worst premises I have seen in my 30 year career. Immediate action was taken to close down the business for six weeks while extensive repairs were carried out. The Food Standards Agency will now be handling the premises and considering a new licence application."

Police have busted a bid by a gang of right-wing extremists to storm and desecrate a mosque in London. Seven men armed with knives, baseball bats, CS gas and a gun were arrested in a car park in south London shortly before they were expected to carry out the attack.

Detectives believe the gang was planning an attack as misguided retribution for the US terrorist atrocities. The men, dressed in combat jackets and Doc Martin boots, were arrested after two officers from Wandsworth's private parks police spotted a Ford Transit van parked suspiciously in the car park of the Tooting Bec Lido at around 9pm last Saturday.

The unarmed patrol called the Met for a vehicle registration check and police officers arrived as the van tried to race out of the car park. They arrested the driver and his companion and found five other skinheads hiding in the back. The Met is understood to have had intelligence that the gang had planned an attack on a mosque.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "They were taken to a south London police station where they were bailed to return pending further inquiries." The arrests come as hundreds of extra officers are deployed across London to reassure the Islamic community and protect them from attack. Police say the number of such attacks is small and has fallen since a spate following the 11 September attacks in the US.