MAYFAIR: A moped gang smashed into a Vivienne Westwood store in Conduit Street shortly before midnight on Wednesday, making off with around 30 handbags.

Four people riding two Vespa-style scooters crashed through the door, before the two passengers ran into the shop and grabbed the bags.

Olympic marathon swimmer Cassie Patten here leads a pack of amateur triathletes during a swim in the Serpentine, Hyde Park, in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Read on for our feature on the how the park is getting ready to host the marathon swimming event and the triathlon during the Olympics in two years' time.

The Queen could soon be buying her fancy headwear in Bayswater after a royal hat maker unveiled plans to launch a shop in the area.

From members of the royal family to Hollywood film stars, Patey Hats has been creating made-to-measure headwear for more than 200 years.

Mark Field, MP for Cities of London and Westminster, here discusses the looming threat of protectionism in his monthly column for the Westminster Chronicle.

'A Double Raid on UK Plc as Overseas Buyers Swoop' was how the Evening Standard fearfully described both a recent bid by a US-Canadian consortium to buy British manufacturing firm, Tomkins, and the revival of merger talks between France's GDF-Suez and the UK's International Power.

Edgware Road is in danger of becoming the 'Las Vegas of London', Paddington traders and residents have warned.

This comes as Grosvenor Casinos, which owns the four-storey London Victoria Casino in Edgware Road, was given permission to expand its attached Quicksilver Gaming Centre amusement arcade.

PADDINGTON: A group of artists who are or have been homeless will stage their second public show at the Subway Gallery, from September 10 to 25.

The ART MINE exhibition takes place in kiosk one of the Joe Strummer pedestrian subway, at the junction of Edgware Road and Harrow Road, and will be open from 11am to 7pm, Mondays to Saturdays.

A landmark television series will allow viewers to go behind the scenes at three west London hospitals.

Surgery School, filmed for ITV, follows trainee surgeons at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith and Hammersmith Hospital in Shepherd's Bush, as they develop into the consultants of the future.

A Marylebone pub manager toasted his own success as he was named one of the best in the UK.

Graham Tobias picked up a 'best award' for his excellent trading performance as general manager of The Globe, in Baker Street.

LITTLE VENICE: Five music concerts will be held over three days as part of this year's Little Venice Music Festival.

Tickets can be bought for the concerts, which take place on October 1, 2 and 3, either in advance or on the day.

A 150-year commitment to the social needs of communities and the fabric of society is to end.

The Crown Estate proposes sell-off its four estates of affordable rented homes - Millbank (Westminster), Cumberland Market (Regent's Park), Victoria Park (Hackney & Bethnal Green) & Lee Green - a commitment that began with the development of Victoria Park, instituted at the behest of Queen Victoria and opened in 1850.