Christmas gifts for families and friends were stolen from trains at Paddington station by an opportunist thief.

The thefts, totalling £9,000, took place in the run-up to Christmas between December 6 and 23 and typically between 8pm and midnight.

A man has appeared in court accused of burgling two houses and a hotel in the Bayswater and Mayfair areas.

Jimmy Dormer, 29, of no fixed abode, was charged with three counts of burglary at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday (5).

He was remanded in custody, to reappear on 12 February.

Cooking is believed to be behind a blaze which sparked at a Pimlico flat last night (8).

Part of the ground floor flat of a four-storey block on the Churchill Gardens Estate, in Churchill Gardens Road, was damaged by the fire.

Two landlords have finally seen the light after stripping blackout paint from the windows of their Pimlico pub.

Glass at The King William IV pub, in Grosvenor Road, was coated in black paint during the Second World War to keep enemy aeroplane pilots at bay during the night.

A green light has been given for a Crossrail station to be built in Paddington.

The existing Hammersmith and City Line, which dates back to the 1930s, will be demolished and replaced with a modern steel and glass building, partly powered by solar panels and with a green roof to attract birds and insects.

The power of football is behind a new project to improve the health of men in Westminster.

A grant of £139,000 will go towards Chelsea FC's community department, to use the football' to promote healthy lifestyles among men in the south of the borough.

Almost £70,000 was recovered from housing benefit cheats in November and December last year by Westminster Council.

During this period, 12 penalties and cautions were handed out totalling more than £26,000 which the council is set to recover from claimants.

Free computers have been given to a North Paddington charity to help adults with learning disabilities.

Pursuing Independent Paths (PIP), based in Shirland Mews, were donated two computers which will be used to support their work with people who have learning disabilities to work, study and take part in social activities with as much independence as possible.

Two students from a Victoria school have been recognised for their work in tackling bullies.

Gibril Kallon and Jonathan Lamboi, both 18, were commended for their dedication in working as peer mentors at Westminster City School, in Palace Street.

Dog psychologist Crissie Chambers will give a talk about pet safety in Queen's Park on February 17.

She will discuss how to be safe and secure around dogs.