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Sixth form students across Ealing have outperformed London and national averages in this year’s A-level results, with early figures also showing an improvement on 2025.

According to provisional figures released by Ealing Council on Friday (14 August 2026), 60.5% of A-level entries for 2026 were awarded A*-B grades, compared with 59.6% across London and 55.5% nationally.

The borough-wide figures are based on returns from the majority of Ealing secondary schools and remain provisional while final results are compiled. Of the schools reported so far, 98.2% achieved A*-E. Results have also improved on 2025, with the proportion awarded A*-B up three percentage points and A*-A grades up four percentage points.

https://www.ealing.news/education/ealing-a-level-results-outperform-london-and-national-averages/

TG Jones is to close its Greenford store next month, bringing to an end a retail presence at Westway Cross dating back to when WHSmith was one of the retail parks’s original anchor tenants.

The store will close on 26 September 2026 following the approval of a restructuring plan for TG Jones, the company has confirmed to EALING.NEWS.

https://www.ealing.news/news/tg-jones-confirms-closure-of-former-whsmith-in-greenford/

A vulnerable Ealing resident who police believe was being exploited by a criminal gang has been moved to safety after officers investigating suspected “cuckooing” arrested an alleged drug dealer.

Plain-clothes officers from Ealing Common and Hanger Hill neighbourhood police teams carried out an operation on Tuesday (4 August 2026) after receiving information that a resident of a house in multiple occupation (HMO) had been cuckooed and crack cocaine and heroin were being dealt from the property.

https://www.ealing.news/crime/ealing-police-arrest-drug-dealer-in-cuckooing-investigation/

A man has been found guilty of murdering his partner at her home in Hanwell after she called her mother shortly before her death and said she was in danger.

Alvin Gitahi, 43, of Uxbridge Road, Ealing, was convicted of murdering 35-year-old Vivienne Baraka following a trial at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday (6 August).

Police were called to Riverside Close, Hanwell, at around 3.15pm on 26 March 2024 after concerns were raised for Vivienne’s welfare.

https://www.ealing.news/crime/man-convicted-of-murdering-partner-at-hanwell-home/

Opinion: Hanwell resident and Green Party member Dominic Kirkbride reflects on the successful community campaign that stopped plans for a 24-hour casino on Hanwell Broadway and argues it showed what can be achieved when residents and politicians work together.

He says Prime Minister Andy Burnham's calls for putting "country before party" and his willingness to work across political divides should be an example for Ealing Labour and council leader Councillor Peter Mason to follow.

Read Dominic Kirkbride's opinion:

https://www.ealing.news/news/opinion/opinion-ealing-labour-could-learn-from-andy-burnhams-willingness-to-work-with-others/

Ofsted has told Labour-run Ealing Council it must take “urgent action” after inspectors found “weaknesses” in services for children in need of help and protection.

The education and children’s services watchdog said some children were being left vulnerable to abuse or neglect, with some not receiving the right assessments or having serious allegations of abuse appropriately investigated.

Ofsted said: “Too many children are left in situations of unassessed risk of harm, do not receive the right assessments or timely multi-agency responses, or do not have their serious allegations of abuse appropriately investigated. This leaves some children vulnerable to abuse or neglect.”

The findings followed a focused visit to Ealing children’s services on 24 and 25 June 2026.

Unlike a full inspection, the focused visit did not result in a new overall rating. Ealing Council’s children’s services remain rated “good” overall following an inpsection in 2024.

https://www.ealing.news/news/ofsted-tells-ealing-council-urgent-action-needed-over-childrens-services/

Three people have been arrested after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed during the New Gen Festival in Walpole Park on Wednesday evening (29 July 2026).

The teenager was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. Police said his injuries were not life-changing.

Two boys, aged 15 and 16, and an 18-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of affray shortly after the stabbing, which happened at around 6pm. All three have since been released on bail while police continue their investigation.

New Gen Festival, organised by and for young people aged 10 to 25, returned to Walpole Park for its fifth year, showcasing music, dance and emerging talent. Organisations behind the event included Bollo Brook Youth Centre, Ealing Council, JE Delve and a range of community partners.

https://www.ealing.news/crime/three-arrested-after-teen-stabbed-at-new-gen-festival-in-walpole-park/

Residents living near a planned data centre in Park Royal have protested over concerns that another data centre in the area could add to problems with dust, noise and heat.

Locals from the nearby Wesley Estate protested outside the site of the planned Kao Data development at Frogmore Industrial Estate, Acton Lane, NW10, earlier this month (17 July 2026), ahead of demolition work.

Campaigners argue that the existing air-quality monitoring network does not provide continuous automatic coverage across the Park Royal data centre cluster capable of detecting short-term pollution spikes and want continuous automatic monitoring across the cluster.

Joining residents at the protest were North Acton Labour councillor Blerina Hashani and Brent Green councillors Amandine Alexander, who represents Harlesden and Kensal Green, and Suzanne Gallagher, who represents Kilburn, alongside members of Ealing Friends of the Earth, Parents for Future and Pull the Plug.

Councillor Hashani voiced her concerns about the proposed data centre and said a controlled parking zone (CPZ) survey would be carried out following residents’ complaints about parking by workers at existing data centres.

Separately, 14 Green councillors across Ealing and Brent, including North Acton councillor Marijn van de Geer, have written to the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) objecting to the demolition application.

https://www.ealing.news/news/residents-protest-over-park-royal-data-centre-pollution-concerns/

A takeaway restaurant in Southall has been ordered to pay £6,800 after admitting serious food hygiene offences, with its director ordered to pay a further £2,020.70.

SAI20 Limited, trading as Abi Fast Food at 233 The Broadway, alongside its director, Velventhan Ganesalingham, were prosecuted after Ealing Council officers repeatedly found unsafe food storage, poor cleaning and contamination risks at the premises.

The council began investigating following a routine inspection in January 2025. Officers found meat curries being kept at unsafe temperatures, risks of cross-contamination, poor cleaning, inadequate staff training and no properly functioning food safety management system.

Hygiene improvement notices were served, but a follow-up inspection in March 2025 found they had not been complied with. Staff were unable to answer basic food safety questions, while safety records were blank or incomplete.

A further inspection in May 2025 found around 20kg of curries, rice and meat dishes being stored at room temperature instead of under refrigeration.

Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court heard that a toilet also continued to open directly into a food preparation room despite earlier advice from officers.

The company and Mr Ganesalingham pleaded guilty to six offences each when the case was heard on 8 July 2026.

The takeaway was also given a food hygiene rating of zero following a further inspection on 28 January 2026. Inspectors found that improvement was needed in hygienic food handling, major improvement was needed in the cleanliness and condition of the premises, and urgent improvement was required in its management of food safety.

SAI20 Limited was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 in costs and an £800 victim surcharge, taking its bill to £6,800.

Ganesalingham was fined £600 and ordered to pay £1,180.70 in costs and a £240 victim surcharge, bringing the combined total for the company and its director to £8,820.70.

Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Food businesses have a legal duty to ensure the food they sell is safe for their customers. In this case, officers found serious and repeated failures, despite giving advice and serving formal notices requiring improvements.

Councillor Nagpal added: “Our food safety team works hard to protect residents and visitors. The council will continue to take action against businesses that put public health at risk by failing to meet basic food hygiene standards.”

https://www.ealing.news/news/ealing-council-prosecutes-southall-takeaway-over-food-hygiene-breaches/

Ealing Council, together with Hounslow and Southwark councils, has been told to apologise and pay compensation to a couple after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found faults in the handling of a proposed adoptive placement.

The faults included prospective adopters being led to prepare for adoption leave before the match had been formally approved, delays in arranging a meeting with a medical adviser and failures to properly record key meetings and communications during the matching process.

Ealing Council was the lead authority for Adopt London West, the regional adoption agency responsible for finding an adoptive family for the child. Hounslow Council was the child’s corporate parent, while Southwark Council was responsible for assessing and approving the prospective adopters.

The decision, made public last week (16 July 2026), relates to an adoption process in 2023. The Ombudsman found the faults caused the prospective adopters avoidable distress, grief and uncertainty, as well as unnecessary time and trouble in pursuing their complaints, but said it could not conclude the proposed adoption would have gone ahead had the faults not occurred.

The couple had been approved as prospective adopters and believed they were on course to have a child placed with them, but the proposed placement did not go ahead after several “meet before match” meetings.

As part of the Ombudsman’s recommendations, Ealing, Hounslow and Southwark councils must each apologise to the couple and pay them £750 in recognition of the injustice caused, amounting to £2,250 in total.

Ealing Council was also told it must reimburse expenses the couple incurred during “meet before match” meetings after the Ombudsman found they had not been told in advance that the costs would not be covered.

In its report, the Ombudsman also recommended a number of service improvements for the councils and regional adoption agencies involved, including clearer written guidance for prospective adopters on “meet before match” meetings, expenses and photography, as well as improvements covering encrypted messaging and the handling of adoption-related complaints.

https://www.ealing.news/news/ombudsman-criticises-ealing-hounslow-southwark-councils-over-proposed-adoption/

Ealing Liberal Democrats, Ealing Green Party and Ealing Conservatives have launched a cross-party challenge over a decision by Labour-run Ealing Council concerning the future of West Middlesex Golf Club.

The formal “call-in” process, backed by 23 opposition councillors, follows Ealing Council cabinet approval on 9 July 2026 of an agreement involving the surrender of the club’s existing 76-year lease and the granting of a new short-term lease until September 2027.

https://www.ealing.news/news/ealing-opposition-parties-unite-to-challenge-council-decision-on-golf-club/

Ealing North MP James Murray has been replaced as Health Secretary just 67 days after being appointed, as new Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham reshuffles the Cabinet following his arrival in Downing Street today (20 July 2026).

Yvette Cooper has been appointed Health and Social Care Secretary, returning to the Cabinet after previously serving as Foreign Secretary under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. She had earlier served as Home Secretary before moving to the Foreign Office.

Mr Murray, who has represented Ealing North since 2019, was appointed Health Secretary by Mr Starmer on 14 May 2026 following the resignation of Wes Streeting.
Before moving to Health, Mr Murray was Chief Secretary to the Treasury, having previously served as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury after Labour came to power in 2024.

Posting on X following Ms Cooper’s appointment, Mr Murray said: “Huge congratulations @YvetteCooperMP on becoming Health & Social Care Secretary.
“It’s an immense honour to have served in that role since May.
“I know Yvette will do a brilliant job, as part of a government under Andy that puts the care of people at the heart of everything it does.”

At time of writing, it is not yet known whether Mr Murray will be given another government position as Mr Burnham continues to make appointments to his new administration.

https://www.ealing.news/politics/ealing-north-mp-james-murray-replaced-as-health-secretary-after-67-days/

Ealing-born football star Bukayo Saka has become only the fourth England player to score a hat-trick at a men’s World Cup after helping the Three Lions beat France 6-4 to finish third at the 2026 tournament.

The 24-year-old Arsenal forward grew up and went to school in Greenford, first as a pupil at Edward Betham Primary School and then a student at Greenford High School.

Saka scored in the 37th minute and three minutes into first-half stoppage time before completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute of Saturday’s (18 July 2026) third-place play-off in Miami. For his outstanding efforts on the pitch, he was named FIFA Player of the Match.

Saka has also been honoured in Ealing. In 2022, he was awarded the Freedom of the Borough by Ealing Council, while in 2017 he won the sports category at the Dr John Roberts QC Achievement Awards, run by Acton-based youth organisation Descendants.

Saka began his football journey with local side Greenford Celtic before joining Arsenal’s academy at the age of seven. In October 2025, he returned to Edward Betham as part of a community football initiative backed by online bank Chase.

During the visit, Saka said: “I was lucky to have teachers and coaches who believed in me, not just in football but in life. Feeling supported to explore your interests and having good people to help you can make all the difference.”

Headteacher Caroline Chamberlain described Saka as “always hardworking, kind and determined”, adding: “It’s wonderful for pupils to see how those qualities can carry you far.”

https://www.ealing.news/sport/from-greenford-to-world-cup-history-as-saka-scores-england-hat-trick/

Police in Ealing say they are seeing an increase in burglaries, with offenders checking homes for unlocked doors and open windows before breaking in.

Residents are being reminded to always lock doors and windows whenever they leave home, keep valuables out of sight and consider using CCTV, doorbell cameras and outdoor lighting to help deter burglars.

Posting on Met Engage, PCSO Joshua Nesbitt, of Ealing Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We are currently seeing an increase in burglaries across the Ealing cluster. In a number of incidents, offenders have been checking properties beforehand to identify vulnerabilities before gaining entry through windows and doors that have been left open or unlocked.”

Police are also appealing for anyone with CCTV or doorbell camera footage showing suspicious activity to come forward.

PCSO Nesbitt added: “We are particularly interested in hearing from residents who may have witnessed individuals acting suspiciously around homes, looking through windows, checking door handles, entering gardens without reason, or otherwise behaving in a manner that causes concern.”

Anyone witnessing a burglary in progress should call 999. Non-emergency information can be reported by calling 101 or through the Metropolitan Police website.

https://www.ealing.news/crime/ealing-police-warn-of-rise-in-burglaries/

Complaints and enquiries made to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman about Ealing Council rose by 20% last year, with 37 complaints upheld following formal investigation, newly published figures show.

The figures, published in the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s Annual Review of Local Government Complaints 2025-2026, show the Ombudsman received 333 complaints and enquiries about Labour-run Ealing Council during 2025-26, up from 278 the previous year. It formally investigated 44 complaints, upholding 37 of them and not upholding seven.

Ealing Council recorded 9.59 upheld complaints per 100,000 residents, slightly below the London borough average of 10.2. Its uphold rate of 84.1% was also below the London average of 88%.

Among neighbouring boroughs, Brent, like Ealing, had 37 complaints upheld by the Ombudsman during the year. Hounslow had 26, while Hammersmith & Fulham and Hillingdon each had 20 and Harrow had 18.

https://www.ealing.news/news/annual-ombudsman-report-reveals-20-rise-in-complaints-about-ealing-council/

Clothing and homeware giant TK Maxx is set to move into The Oaks Shopping Centre in Acton next month, taking over the former Wilko store location.

The premises, sandwiched between discount retailer Lidl and the former Poundland store, is now covered with promotional hoardings announcing an August 2026 opening.

TK Maxx has also installed promotional displays on the windows of the vacant former Starbucks store on Acton High Street, helping draw shoppers’ attention to its new branch opening inside The Oaks.

The arrival of TK Maxx will bring one of The Oaks Shopping Centre’s largest vacant stores back into use. Wilko, one of the centre’s original anchor tenants when it opened in 2019, closed in September 2023 after the chain collapsed into administration.

It will also become TK Maxx’s third store in Ealing borough, joining its existing branches in Ealing Broadway and Greenford.

https://www.ealing.news/news/tk-maxx-set-to-move-into-the-oaks-in-acton-this-august/

Residents, commuters and businesses in North Acton have told EALING.NEWS that weeks of utility works on Victoria Road have brought traffic chaos, dangerous driving and misery, with lengthy delays and bus stop closures disrupting daily life.

Local anger over the roadworks looks set to grow after UK Power Networks, one of two utility companies carrying out separate works in the area, confirmed its works are expected to continue until September but gave no specific completion date, leaving disruption set to continue throughout the summer.

According to roadworks permits, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ (SSEN) works are due to finish this month, while UK Power Networks’ permit runs until 25 September 2026, leaving residents facing disruption throughout the summer and into early autumn.

The UK Power Networks works between Victoria Road and Atlas Road, alongside separate Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) upgrades in the area, have caused severe congestion since the end of May.

Locals say journeys that once took only a few minutes can now take up to half an hour. Many have also questioned why days can pass without any visible work taking place, saying all they can see is the disruption to their daily lives rather than any obvious progress. Some have also raised concerns about motorists overtaking stationary traffic by driving on the wrong side of the road.

One resident told EALING.NEWS: “I’m now having to leave my house at least 20 to 25 minutes earlier than I used to just to make sure I can get through Victoria Road and then on to the A40.

“Coming back is just as frustrating. I can come off the A40 and be at the top of the road, but it can still take another 20 to 30 minutes just to get home.”

Another resident said bus stop closures were making everyday journeys more difficult.

They told EALING.NEWS: “There are so many bus stops out of action on Victoria Road.  It’s so frustrating trying to use public transport with all these roadworks going on.  It’s really making life difficult for everyone who is using buses to go about their day to day lives.”

As previously reported by EALING.NEWS, concerns have been raised about dangerous driving especially when drivers are near the railway bridge on Victoria Road.

One local said: “I’m fearful when I get close to the bridge on Victoria Road because drivers are erratically overtaking cars caught up in traffic and driving on the wrong side of the road to get ahead of them. It feels increasingly dangerous for pedestrians, and I worry that a vehicle could end up mounting the pavement if someone loses control.”

The disruption comes on top of years of HS2 construction work in the area. Although the current utility projects are separate, residents say they have added to the long-running disruption experienced by people living and working in North Acton.

Responding to these concerns, a UK Power Networks spokesperson said: “We understand the disruption caused by these works.

“Although activity is not always visible, engineers have continued to carry out work and underground testing between Victoria Road and Atlas Road.

“We have worked with our partners to synchronise traffic management and reduce disruption.

“The project is expected to continue until September, as per our permit with the local authority, and will return the road to normal as quickly as is safely possible.
“We thank residents for their patience.”

https://www.ealing.news/news/north-acton-road-disruption-set-to-continue-until-september-as-residents-frustration-grows/