Pablo Rovetto

I'm an NCTJ qualified reporter with video editing experience and working knowledge of media law, IPSO/OFCOM regulations, and digital audience journalism including SEO.

Is the right to protest being eroded in the UK?

Activists across different movements have criticised the amendments and emphasised that it will not deter them from continuing to protest. In fact, many of them expressed feeling that organised action was even more warranted.

At a Just Stop Oil talk at University College London, where supportive professors let the group speak to students worried about the climate crisis. There, they talked about their experiences and attitudes towards protesting.

One of its organisers, Sam Holland, 21, shown i
South West Londoner •

VIDEO: Trans Pride voices on trans rights and their journeys with gender identity

Trans Pride London saw trans rights advocates march from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park Corner on July 7.

Their aim was to reaffirm their validity and bring attention to the major issues faced by the trans community, such as hate attacks, anti-trans bills or housing and healthcare discrimination.

The protest, held a week after London’s main Pride event, was the largest since they started five years ago, with estimates of around 30,000 attendees compared to 1,500 in 2019.

We spoke to trans and
South West Londoner •

WATCH: Trade unions threaten to disobey proposed Strikes Bill

Union leaders warned they would disregard work notices as a result of the controversial Strikes Bill in a Parliament Square protest last month.

The bill, which would force some workers to work through industrial action, has been subject to criticism from the House of Lords.

However, MPs rejected the Lords’ suggested amendments in a vote shortly after the protest.

These amendments included protections for workers not complying with work notices as well as for unions incentivising workers to st
South West Londoner •

Teacher vacancies in London: funding frustration and pay problems

Teacher vacancies have seen a sharp spike across London’s schools over the last year, according to data from the Department for Education.

Some boroughs have seen their vacancies almost sextuple between 2022 and 2023, and most others have seen this trend increase over time.

This comes after the National Education Union and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) coordinated industrial action by teachers across the UK over pay and working conditions complaints
North East Londoner •

Tower Hamlets tenants struggling over service charge increase

Tenants of a major Tower Hamlets housing association are struggling due to a significant service charge increase introduced on 3 April.

Tenants under the Poplar Housing And Regeneration Community Association (HARCA), who own and manage over 10,000 homes, saw their charges soar and in some cases at least double.

The rise comes paired with steep heating charge hikes linked to the cost of living crisis.

Tower Hamlets councillor and Poplar HARCA tenant Mohammad Chowdhury, 43, had his service char
South West Londoner •

Nerve disorder recovery sees Morden mum walk and talk again

A Morden mum who was paralysed by a very rare condition which meant she had to learn to walk and talk again is now recovering after starting treatment in February.

Nicky Hayward spent 90 days in St Helier’s intensive care unit after falling ill with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a serious condition that affects the nerves.

At her sickest, she needed assistance to breathe, was put under sedation, and was so unwell that her family thought they were going to lose her.

Nicky, 52, said: “It was quite s
South West Londoner •

London drivers most likely to illegally hit & run

New research which studied car damage across the UK found that London drivers are more likely to ‘Hit & Run’ than drivers in other parts of the country.

Just 39% of London car owners said they would leave a note “no matter what” if they damaged another car without anyone witnessing it.

This is despite the fact that hitting a vehicle and not leaving your details is illegal under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act.

This compares with an average of 52% of motorists across the UK, according to a
South West Londoner •

Six in ten teens inspired by careers in TV shows

New research showed 62% of teens in London are inspired by careers they see portrayed in their favourite TV shows yesterday.

The Great British Bake Off, Grey’s Anatomy and Stranger Things top the list of shows that those aged 14-19 years old find inspiring career-wise.

This comes as 80% of Gen Z and 39% of millennials are estimated to have been inspired by TV shows.

Young MasterChef judge and Michelin-trained chef, Poppy O’Toole, said: “I love the idea that my story, and involvement in shows
South West Londoner •

Southbank Centre launches Christmas holiday run

The House With Chicken Legs, a co-production by two acclaimed theatre companies based on a best-selling novel, premiered at Southbank Centre‘s Queen Elizabeth Hall yesterday as part of their Christmas holiday run.

The Olivier-nominated Les Enfants Terribles and HOME Manchester will bring to life this story by Sophie Anderson through live music, intricate puppetry and projection.

The protagonist, Marinka, seeks a normal life where she can stay somewhere long enough to make friends, and her hous
South West Londoner •

Affordable homes and new library to be built in Hillingdon

Proposals for a new modern library, community facility and 95 affordable homes in Yiewsley were approved by Hillingdon Council’s Planning Committee last week.

The plans are split across two locations.

At the Yiewsley Library site, the plans include 50 affordable homes, and at the former Yiewsley Pool site a new library, a dedicated community space for residents and 45 affordable homes.

Improvements are also planned for Yiewsley Recreation Ground, which borders the development site, including