The information on this page is intended for journalists If you click NO you will come back to Mynewsdesk.com KCK Jamaican takeaway at Southern's Thornton Heath station in south London is vying to be voted Britain’s best railway station business The World Cup of Stations is organised by the Rail Delivery Group on behalf of train companies and celebrates the importance of rail and its role in supporting communities this year’s focus is on the businesses that make stations vital community hubs KCK brings the vibrant flavours of the Caribbean to Thornton Heath passengers serving everything from succulent stews to fried plantain Voting for is initially on 14 October at www.raildeliverygroup.com/WorldCupOfStations If KCK and Thornton Heath make it through this first round then there will be a semi-final on 17 October and a final on 18 October with the winner being announced on 21 October Customer Services Director at Govia Thameslink Railway said: “Our station businesses are part of us and the communities we serve We wish everyone of them shortlisted for this exciting contest all the very best!” Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group said: “Local businesses in stations up and down the country are proving to be at the very heart of the communities they serve and we want to shine a light on the very best stations in England “All of the stations nominated are making a positive impact on their local community and the variety of businesses at stations is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff as well as the importance placed on supporting local businesses.” National Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses said: “Railway stations up and down the country are home to a huge range of small firms regular commuters and day trippers on a daily basis These businesses contribute such a lot to our local economies and are a great source of employment “Not only do railway stations house an array of businesses they are vital for providing visitors with easy access to local high streets This competition is a great way to shine a light on the excellent and varied small firms based in and around transport hubs across the UK showcasing the products and services they have to offer.” The contest begins as a new report from WPI Economics finds that travelling by rail contributes over £9bn each year to independent businesses and in the region of £23bn to high streets across the country (see Notes to editors) found that travelling by rail contributes over £9bn each year to independent businesses and in the region of £23bn to high streets across the country The overwhelming majority of people (70%) say that having a train station helps their local businesses thrive Four in five passengers across the country support businesses in and around train stations and on local high streets when travelling by rail That equates to an estimated 3.4m rail passengers shopping at local businesses each day The report also found that local high streets benefit more when people travel by rail than by other modes of transport with rail passengers in the UK spending an average of £32 in the towns and cities they depart from Travelling by train also supports independent businesses: with people grabbing a coffee or purchasing a gift before they head out on their train journey local businesses across the UK see an average of £7 spent by each rail passenger on every departure Last year’s competition saw over 72,000 votes cast across 12 heats with Wemyss Bay in Scotland taking the crown stations from all over the UK will compete showcasing the best local businesses that make our train stations more than just places to catch a train The competition has been running since 2019 The previous winners are Wemyss Bay (2023) Stourbridge Junction (2021) Glasgow Queen Street (2020) and Huddersfield (2019) Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows: www.southernrailway.com, www.thameslinkrailway.com, www.gatwickexpress.com, www.greatnorthernrail.com When you choose to create a user account and follow a newsroom your personal data will be used by us and the owner of the newsroom for you to receive news and updates according to your subscription settings To learn more about this, please read our Privacy Policy, which applies to our use of your personal data, and our Privacy Policy for Contacts which applies to the use of your personal data by the owner of the newsroom you follow Please note that our Terms of Use apply to all use of our services. 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CloseA group of talented pupils from St James the Great Primary School in Thornton Heath have recorded their very own Christmas single Joy on Christmas Day was written by Ziad Khwiss the school's choir director in October to get the pupils in the festive mood The choir will face stiff competition from the likes of Wham and Mariah Carey in their bid to top the Christmas charts Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionEditor's recommendationsSchool choir bids for UK Christmas number one 00:01:30School choir bids for UK Christmas number one 1:30 Up Next Merz defeat 'an obstacle not a catastrophe' Video 00:01:05Merz defeat 'an obstacle not a catastrophe' 1:05 Watch: BBC reports from pier 33 - the gateway to Alcatraz 00:01:44Watch: BBC reports from pier 33 - the gateway to Alcatraz 1:44 Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE Day 00:01:25Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE Day 1:25 Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster Video 00:01:21Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster 1:21 'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 00:01:20'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 1:20 Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 00:02:54Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 2:54 Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 00:01:32Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 1:32 Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 00:01:11Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 1:11 Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 00:00:50Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 0:50 Ros Atkins on.. 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A programme of works is set to start this month on enhancing five district centres across Croydon after the Council secured £833k from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in 2024/25 The projects were allocated the funding by Executive Mayor Jason Perry to support local businesses and job retention by attracting people to the district centres The five areas to benefit are West Croydon (London Road) the market square stage and boundary walls in Central Parade will be refurbished and improved to support community events There will be improvement works to the Octagon façade which is host to the New Addington Pathfinders who provide support services across the district centre and area a new learning garden will be created in Collier’s Water Lane where school children can learn about food growth and nature through gardening activities caring for raised beds and observing micro-habitats the UKSPF funding will be used to set up power supply and support community events The new night and weekend market on Harris Invictus Academy forecourt is being organised by London Road Traders Association Footfall to High Street businesses in Purley and Selsdon are also hoped to get a boost by improvement works to district centres lighting and green space improvements in collaboration with Purley BID (Business Improvement District) new signage will help direct people towards the High Street and local green spaces and shop plaques will be introduced to celebrate local history in Selsdon’s 100th year The Council has been working with local partners and community groups to plan the projects Engagement included activities with pupils from Whitehorse Manor Schools – Brigstock Site to find out what they would like to see at the learning garden “We are delighted that these projects are getting underway which will help local businesses and communities across the borough with this welcome £833k of investment “We have been working with our partners and communities in these five areas to find out how their high streets can most benefit from the funding available and their input has been essential in shaping these plans.” Arriva announces electrification of its third London bus depot The operator’s Thornton Heath site in south London will run 109 zero-emission vehicles from spring 2025 following the successful installation of a new electricity substation and advanced charging facilities Thornton Heath is the third depot to benefit from Arriva’s £730m modernisation programme which will see all 14 of its depots in the capital electrified by 2030 – supporting Transport for London (TfL) in its goal to fully decarbonise the city’s bus fleet by the same year Arriva operates around 100 contracted routes on behalf of TfL (17% of all bus services in the capital) A new electricity substation was installed at Thornton Heath with 5km of underground cabling required to handle the increased demand from charging multiple buses simultaneously The depot will initially service 22 electric buses increasing to 109 once the project completes in spring next year following the removal of diesel refuelling tanks from the site Thornton Heath is the third of Arriva’s depots in London to be electrified after Brixton Tramshed and Enfield were connected to the grid in 2021 Work to electrify Arriva’s depots in Tottenham said: “I’m proud that our programme of depot electrification is gathering pace in London with this third depot now ready to serve a substantial fleet of zero-emission buses This represents a significant investment for Arriva and a commitment to working in partnership with TfL to deliver on their decarbonisation agenda we are reducing emissions and improving air quality whilst also setting new standards in passenger comfort.” © Copyright 2012 - 2025 | Vado e Torno Edizioni | All rights reserved | P.I shows the extensive leak at the Arriva run Thornton Heath garage which ironically received a £4 million investment to turn their fleet green by UK Power Networks A storage tank leak is responsible for the spill of 4,000 litres that entered the drainage system and later dumped into the River Waddle The clip shows fuel spraying out the rear of the tank and rapidly flowing down the road towards rain water drainage on Whitehall Road UK Power Networks said the investment will enable Arriva to run 109 new electric buses from the depot following energisation of new electricity infrastructure which was funded fast-tracked and built through the Networks’ Green Recovery Fund Arriva have confirmed they are working closely with Transport for London and they are taking the lead in investigation Although the local government body would not confirm the spill happened at Thornton Heath TfL said that there is no impact to buses at the garage as they can refuel elsewhere while the investigation continues Lib Dem MP Bobby Dean has written to Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP Food and Rural Affairs asking for his help to hold those responsible to account He also invited Mr Reed to meet on the banks of the river to see the damage for himself spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service and he said that the pollution is potentially the worst he has seen almost 20 years He told how the 4,000 litres of diesel that polluted the river on Tuesday (February 18) could have long-lasting consequences This damage is not just measured in days or weeks but potentially years this is potentially the worst incident since 2007.” A TfL spokesperson said: “Protecting the environment is fundamental to everything we do and we are working closely with the Environment Agency the London Fire Brigade and Merton Council to limit any environmental impact “Any pollution into London’s waterways is completely unacceptable and we will play our part in tackling river pollution both from roads we control and our vehicle fleet A full investigation is underway into what happened.” A spokesperson for Merton Council said: “The Environment Agency (EA) – leading the response to the oil spill affecting the River Wandle – continues to work with Thames Water to clean the water system and to also capture oil before it makes further progress in the river RSPB and National Trust are monitoring effects on wildlife including a small number of wildfowl which have been contaminated “Residents are reminded to keep away from the contamination and to prevent pets entering the water “Investigations into the spill are ongoing.” SWD Media is committed to working within and complying with the NUJ Code of Conduct © document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) SWD Media Limited A man in his 20s was rushed to hospital on Friday after broad daylight stabbing in a quiet residential street Police were called at around 1.30pm following reports of a knife attack in Buckingham Avenue in Thornton Heath Officers from the Met Police and London Ambulance Service attended and found a young man suffering a stab injury He was taken to hospital for treatment where doctors thankfully found his wound was not life-threatening A crime scene was put in place while the incident was dealt with Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD3586/6Dec You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 Picture: Buckingham Avenue in Thornton Heath (Picture: Google Street View) Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Officers intervened in a drug deal on Monday morning It resulted in one man being charged for dealing Class A and Class B drugs Arriva will add 109 zero-emission vehicles to its fleet at the Thornton Heath bus depot in London in spring 2025 To prepare for the electrification of its fleet it has now installed the necessary chargers Arriva installed a new electricity substation at the site “with 5km of underground cabling required to handle the increased demand from charging multiple buses simultaneously.” Thornton Heath is Arriva’s third bus depot in London to be electrified The operator has earmarked £730 million for the modernisation of all 14 of its bus depots in the British capital by 2030 which operates about 17 per cent of all buses in London wants its entire fleet there to run on electricity in five years “I’m proud that our programme of depot electrification is gathering pace in London with this third depot now ready to serve a substantial fleet of zero-emission buses,” said Jens Abromeit “This represents a significant investment for Arriva and a commitment to working in partnership with TfL to deliver on their decarbonisation agenda work is underway to electrify the bus depots in Tottenham Brixton Tramshed and Enfield were fitted with charging stations in 2021 arriva.co.uk I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology Officers found cigarette butts on the floor near where a BMW was parked before Michael Patrick Afonso Peixoto was fatally stabbed News | London Discarded cigarettes have helped convict a murderer after a father was stabbed to death in Croydon just days before Christmas Michael Patrick Afonso Peixoto, 27, was found with fatal stab wounds in Mayfield Crescent in Thornton Heath at roughly 10.30pm on December 19 last year Detectives discovered that a group of men had arrived at Mayfield Crescent and waited in a white BMW for around 30 minutes before Mr Peixoto and a friend arrived in a Vauxhall Grandland When Mr Peixoto got out of the car he was confronted by a man holding a large knife and was stabbed multiple times including in the chest as he attempted to get back into the vehicle The suspects then threatened his friend with a knife and forced her out of the car During a search of the area where Mr Peixoto died officers found cigarette butts on the floor Forensics found they were matched to Zak Baako All three were arrested and charged with murder and robbery within a month Following a four-week trial at the Old Bailey Baako was found guilty of murder on Friday Peat was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter but guilty of robbery All three men will appear at the Old Bailey on January 13 for sentencing Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe said: “Zak Baako arrived that day armed with a knife and was prepared to use it against Michael Afonso Peixoto “It’s been just over a year since Michael was killed, leaving his family including his young son devastated “Whilst this Christmas will be no easier than the last for his family I hope that this result allows them to start moving forward.” VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from her hospital bed after surgery Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from hospital BBC admits to ‘lapse’ in standards after Today coverage of Harry interview The sixteen-year-old boy fatally stabbed in Thornton Heath last week has been named as Demarie Omare Roye aged nineteen and from Croydon’s Grenaby Road appeared in custody at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on the morning of Thursday Demarie was taken to hospital by members of the public after being stabbed in Bensham Manor Road at around 3pm on Friday He died in hospital two days later from his injury A 22-year-old man has also been arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and on suspicion of murder He has since been released under investigation We'll never send you spam or share your email address Find out more in our Privacy Policy Please enter your username or email address to reset your password A bus network in Croydon has gone green after a £4million investment from UK Power Networks The energy company has funded new electricity infrastructure to enable the Whitehall Road bus depot About 109 new Arriva buses will be converted said: “Arriva UK Bus is committed to decarbonising our London fleet and the electrification of our Thornton Heath site builds on the millions of pounds we have already invested in creating the clean electrified and efficient public transport networks that communities in the capital deserve.” The power distributor has installed 5km of new high-voltage underground cabling and built new equipment at an electricity substation to enable the bus garage to go electric leading the green recovery projects for UK Power Networks said: “This investment is a watershed for Thornton Heath bus garage which can now electrify its bus fleet and usher in a new age of cleaner Government and Ofgem to identify projects where investment in electricity infrastructure could make progress said: “With more than 1,500 zero emission vehicles on London’s roads our programme of decarbonising the capital’s buses is playing a crucial role in the journey to Net Zero “Zero emission buses help Londoners breathe cleaner air and reduce the impact of road transport on our environment.” For information about Green Recovery see www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/green-recovery Pictured top: Joshua Alderdice from UK Power Networks with Neil O’Leary electric vehicle development manager at Arriva UK Busses (Picture: Nigel Bowles) SWD Media is committed to working within and complying with the NUJ Code of Conduct. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two 21-year-old men have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 30-year-old woman, the Metropolitan Police said The force said the men are believed to have been known to the woman, whose body was found at a property in Croydon She was pronounced dead at the scene in Bensham Lane in Thornton Heath, at around 7pm on Monday. At this early stage, we believe that the two men were known to the woman and there is no threat to the wider public The woman’s next of kin has been informed but formal identification has yet to take place. Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, who leads policing in Croydon, said: “We are saddened to hear about the loss of this young woman. “We are currently supporting her family while they process this shocking news. “At this early stage, we believe that the two men were known to the woman and there is no threat to the wider public.” A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Tuesday. Police appealed for anyone with information which could help the investigation to call 101 quoting ref: CAD 5952/20Jan.