Author: News Desk

What I Rent: We swapped our USA townhome for a £1,750 London houseboat Welcome back to What I Rent – Metro’s tenant diary series exploring what renting is like in the UK and further afield. For last week’s sister column, What I Own, we looked back on a previous visit to Brighton, where 36-year-old Biro Florin bought his £1million townhouse outright in 2023. This week, we’re back in London visiting Maisy Dewey and Harrison Kent, who moved from Philadelphia last year. As they struggled to find a pet-friendly property that would accommodate their fluffy friend, Kipper Von Spot, they took the plunge and rented a houseboat on…

How a teenager tried shooting the Queen during her birthday parade | UK News It’s been over two years since Queen Elizabeth died peacefully aged 96. But she had an almost close brush with death 41 years earlier. During the Trooping the Colour parade in June 1981, a teenager fired six blank shots at the Queen as she rode her horse down The Mall. The incident made headlines around the world, with the Queen visibly shaken as her horse Burmese was spooked by the gunfire. The would-be assassin, 17-year-old Marcus Sarjeant, had travelled to London for the parade with the…

Exact date and where UK weather could see temperatures reach 23°C | UK News Temperatures dropped below zero across the UK overnight with a low of -2.7C° recorded in Yorkshire – but warmer temperatures are on the way. The Met Office has said this weekend will see temperatures reach the high teens and even twenties, with some areas to see warmth of 23°C soon. Widespread frost overnight on Thursday saw all four countries of the UK plunging below zero degrees Celsius and temperatures getting as low as -2.7C° in Topcliffe in North Yorkshire. The weather service said it is the…

This is what it’s like to live next to a neighbour from hell Every time Jenna* leaves her terraced South London home, she takes a deep breath and steels herself in case she bumps into ‘her nuisance’. It’s the phrase she uses to refer to the woman who lives next door and has made her life a misery ever since Jenna – who is going by a pseudonym to avoid further drama with her neighbour – got a video doorbell. ‘We just wanted a bit more security. But once we got it, things kicked off,’ she recalls. ‘We had a…

William and Kate pay to restock food bank after thieves empty shelves | UK News The Prince and Princess of Wales have helped keep a London food bank going with a ‘surprise’ donation after thieves raided its warehouse. Staff arriving at the Southwark Foodbank in Peckham on Monday morning were devastated to find shelves previously stocked with thousands of pounds worth of goods had been emptied. William and Kate donated £3,500 to charity Pecan after hearing about the theft, which will cover the costs of the goods stolen and the damage caused. Peter Edwards, chief executive of Pecan, said: ‘This…

Bishop claims war-torn Sudan is ‘safer than London’ | UK News A city in war-torn Sudan is safer than London, according to a bishop who was trying to encourage the soon to be appointed UK special representative for Sudan to visit Port Sudan. The Bishop of Leeds, Rt Rev Nick Baines, made the remarks even as the Foreign Office advises against all travel to Sudan because of the ongoing conflict in Khartoum and other parts of the country. Port Sudan, on the Red Sea, serves as the seat of the internationally recognised, military-backed government. Sudan descended into conflict in April…

Moment Banksy’s iconic Girl with Balloon artwork ‘stolen in heist’ | UK News This is the moment a hooded figure shattered the glass door of a London gallery and stole Banksy’s Girl with Baloon artwork. CCTV footage showed the individual banging on the door of Fitzrovia’s Grove Gallery for about 30 seconds before breaking inside at about 11pm Sunday. They darted into the gallery and took the framed picture off the wall before heading out with it in their hand and walking through Tottenham Court Road. An investigation into the missing piece was launched and later referred to the Flying…

Paul Merson says Chelsea would not rule out selling Stamford Bridge superstar Cole Palmer after another pundit tipped him for a shock move to Premier League rivals Manchester United. Palmer has been Chelsea’s most important player since his £40m move from Manchester City last summer, scoring 25 goals in his first season in west London. The 22-year-old, one of Chelsea’s few recent success stories in the transfer market, had more goal involvements than any other player and won the Premier League Young Player of the Season and PFA Fans’ Player of the Year awards. Following his heroics throughout the 2023-24…

Gabriel was fortunate to see his goal stand in the north London derby on Sunday, believe Arsenal hero Paul Merson and former Tottenham star Les Ferdinand. The Brazilian defender scored the only goal of the game as the Gunners picked up a vital away win despite being without key players Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. It was a frustrating afternoon for Spurs as they had plenty of possession and efforts on goal, but struggled to break down a disciplined Arsenal side and didn’t create many clear-cut chances. It was also a frustration for the home fans as they conceded a…

Kai Havertz says he and his Arsenal team-mates were ‘very happy’ to welcome Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling to the club and believes he is an ‘incredible’ signing. Sterling made the move from west to north London on transfer deadline day, joining the Gunners on a season-long loan deal. The 29-year-old has won four Premier League titles and played for Manchester City and Liverpool as well as the two London giants. Despite his standing, Sterling was exiled by new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who banished the England regular from first-team training and told him to leave towards the end of the…