People

The first week back to work after Christmas is always hectic, but even more so for keepers at London Zoo.

On Tuesday (5) last week, zoo keepers at the Regent's Park-based zoo were head counting every animal during their annual stocktake.

Community champions in Westminster were last night honoured for improving the lives of people in the borough.

Shirley Nicolaou-Grana, David Hogarth, Alice Bailey and Christine Yau were all awarded prizes of £1,000 each at Westminster Council's neighbourhood leadership awards on Thursday (7).

Fifty people were evacuated after a fire broke out at a four-storey block of flats in Bayswater in the early hours of this morning.

The fire damaged part of the basement of the Leinster Gardens block.

A blaze broke out at a six-storey block of flats in Kensington Gardens Square on Wednesday.

Three left the building before the fire brigade arrive, and a further 30 were evacuated by police.

A Paddington woman has picked up an award after donating enough blood to save more than 225 lives.

Deidre Skinner, of Chilworth Street, was among 156 dedicated blood donors honoured by the National Blood Service at the Donor Awards Ceremony.

Sleigh bells rang and snow was glistening as a Bayswater estate was transformed into a winter wonderland.

A synthetic ice rink was put up behind Newbury House on the Hallfield Estate, in Bishop's Bridge Road, bringing young and old together for some festive fun yesterday.

Friends and family who watched as skaters made their way round the ice were treated to hot chocolate and warm waffles with maple syrup.

The event was organised by Westminster Council's housing arm CityWest Homes.

A modern twist on the traditional nativity scene can be spotted at a Bayswater church.

Mary is represented by a blue light, Joseph is shown as an orange light and a red and purple jewelled baby Jesus lies on a traditional bed of straw, in the abstract scene on display at St John's Church Hyde Park, in Hyde Park Crescent.

The piece was created by light artist Nicky Carter and installation artist Tony Heywood.

A flat fire in St John's Wood which killed two children is now being treated as non-suspicious by police.

Shortly before 3am on Thursday, December 17, police were informed of a fire at a four-storey block of flats in Cunningham Place.

A brother and sister who died in a flat fire in St John's Wood yesterday morning have been named.

Five-year-old Farah Rashid was pronounced dead at the scene of a flat fire in Cunningham Place.

A young girl has died following a flat fire in St John's Wood early this morning.

A man and a boy left the flat at a four-storey block in Cunningham Place before fire crews arrived.