City of London

BBC

"Every building in London has a queer history.

Homophobia has just tried to wipe us out of common knowledge.

I started Queer Tours of London to dig into the mine of queer history and culture; rich with our own languages, forms of identification, communication, sexual flare and underground networks.

I love Tower Hamlets. It’s one of Britain's most courageous, freedom-fighting, anti-fascist, queer-empowering, beautiful boroughs.

I show people how London has a rich LGBT history. It isn’t some problem or something to ignore or tolerate.

Once you connect with your roots, and this sounds so cheesy, you become connected and begin to feel part of something bigger.

Never again should injustice or intolerance happen to anyone who’s marginalised. I harness history as a propeller for action today.

It’s about liberation, justice and joy.

Dan Glass, 35, Tower Hamlets

Follow BBC London's #GreaterLondoner on Instagram and nominate!

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of affray after a fight at Monument Tube station led to it and Bank station being evacuated during the morning rush hour.

Police were called to the station just before 09:00 after the fire alarm was set off during the altercation.

The stations, which are linked to one another, were evacuated with some on social media describing a "stampede" as people tried to leave.

British Transport Police said no weapons were seen being used during the fight and the two men remain in custody.

Both stations reopened soon after the evacuation and are running as normal.

A new code of conduct for cycling tour groups in the Square Mile has been given the green light by the City Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee.

It is intended to make cycling on the City's narrow lanes and streets safer and more pleasant for riders and pedestrians.

The corporation's Alastair Moss said the four major bicycle tour operators within the area have agreed to adopt the code which has "safety at its core".

The new code requires cycle tour firms to:

• Avoid riding on busy, narrow lanes where there is a safe alternative route
• Dismount on busy streets congested with pedestrians, during week-day lunchtimes (12:00-14:00)
• Dismount on busy streets at peak commuting times (16:00–18:30)
• Dismount at any other time when a street is busy with pedestrians

Getty Images

City of London Corporation

Tower Bridge has been drenched with water to stop its retractable centre from “jamming shut” in the extreme heat.

As temperatures hit 38C on 25 July, there were fears the iconic bridge might not open, because the materials it is made of expand when hot.

Street sweepers were used to douse the road surface and let the 125-year-old Victorian bridge cool off, so it could open four times a day, as normal.

There is a 15mm gap at the centre of its 76 metre-long bridge and the material can expand by up to 30mm in intense weather.

Jeremy Simons, of the City of London Corporation, which looks after the grade I-listed crossing, said: “With the help of a state-of-the-art sweeping and cleaning fleet, our staff have been working around the clock to minimise disruption, while ensuring there is minimal impact on the environment.

“With their efforts and quick thinking, we’re making sure that Londoners and visitors can enjoy the sunny weather and get on with their day.”

As well as carrying around 10,000 vehicles per day across the Thames, some 12,000 passenger journeys are made daily along the river at the height of summer.

Two men have been injured in a double stabbing in south London.

The men, both of whom are in their 20s, were attacked in Rock Close in Mitcham just before midnight on Tuesday.

One of them was taken to hospital for treatment.

No arrests have been made.

Anybody with any information is asked to contact police.

A man has been stabbed in the leg with a machete in Canada Water in a suspected homophobic attack, the Met said.

Officers were called at 15:12 BST to Surrey Quays Road, SE16 and found a man with a wound to his leg. He was taken by LAS to a south London hospital. The suspect is believed to have left the scene on a motorbike.A crime scene remains in place and there has been no arrests.At this time police believe there may be a homophobic motive for the attack”, Scotland Yard said.

A scheme designed at improving how police interact with people with autism across London is to be introduced.

Those individuals can carry either a Autism Alert Card or a larger "passport" which will identify them as having an autism spectrum disorder.

It will include information regarding the individual’s name and contact details for an appropriate adult.

The Met said cardholders would produce the information when they come into contact with police and "provide officers and staff with the information in order to aid understanding and effective interaction".

The scheme, supported by the National Police Autism Association, is part of a collaboration between the Met, City of London Police and British Transport Police.