Home news in brief
Shard free climber tackles second London tower
A free climber who was jailed for scaling The Shard has conquered a second London skyscraper less than a year after his release. George King-Thompson, 21, said he climbed the 36storey Stratosphere Tower in Stratford, east London, yesterday morning to draw attention to climate change. The former personal trainer chose the residential block because it overlooked Pudding Mill Lane Tube station which flooded last week following torrential downpours in the capital.
Mr King-Thompson said: “I picked this climb because a couple of weeks ago I saw a photo go viral of a Stratford station under water because of a flood following the heatwave” Mr King said after starting his ascent at 5am it took him less than 30 minutes to reach the roof, but he did feel worried at one point when his grip began to slip. When asked whether a six-month stay in Pentonville Prison deterred him from scaling a second skyscraper, Mr King-Thompson said he resolved to complete the feat while still behind bars.
Rapist jailed after campaign by victim’s daughter
A “wicked” rapist whose 13-year-old victim became pregnant in the 1970s has been jailed decades after the crime, following a successful prosecution pursued by his victim’s daughter. Carvel Bennett, now 74, admitted having sex with the youngster more than 40 years ago, but claimed at his trial that she had seduced him and consented, telling him she was 16. He was convicted by a Birmingham Crown Court jury in less than two hours, and jailed for 11 years yesterday. The fresh inquiry only took place after the victim’s now adult daughter campaigned for the case to be investigated. In court she was praised by the judge who said she had “pursued justice in this case for herself and her mother, doggedly and with determination”.
Double jabbed half as likely to contract Covid
People who have received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine are half as likely to be infected with Covid-19, a new study has found. Researchers behind the React trial, which has been tracking the disease throughout the pandemic, said that even if double-jabbed people come into contact with someone who has Covid-19, only one in 25 will go on to catch it themselves. And cases are generally milder among double-jabbed people who do get infected, they added.
The researchers from Imperial College London said that it was uncertain whether or not there would be an increase in infections in September when schools return and there is more indoor socialising. But they stressed that every additional person that gets vaccinated “is taking a decent chunk of potential transmission out of what may or may not happen in September”.
More than 15,000 al fresco seats approved to help recovery
Consumers have seen more than 17,000 extra al fresco seats on England’s streets within a year as part of a government strategy to help businesses recover from the pandemic. Councils have approved requests for at least 17,045 more outdoor seats, mainly for pubs, bars and cafes, but also hairdressers, hotels, coworking spaces and luxury retailers, according to analysis by PwC.
The fast-tracked pavement licences are valid for between three and 12 months and were introduced by the UK government in July last year with the intention of helping businesses boost customer numbers outside. At least 1,842 of 3,366 applications were made in March, April and May this year as the English road map unfolded.
Want your views to be included in The Independent Daily Edition letters page? Email us by tapping here letters@independent.co.uk. Please include your address
BACK TO TOP