George McNaught became the first PCSO in London to be awarded the commendation of the High Sheriff of London after he wrestled a gun out of the hands of a woman at Victoria station in 2009.

He was handed the certificate by the police commissioner at the time, Paul Stephenson, for tackling the woman after she pointed a gun at him and a young boy.

Colleagues in the professional standards unit at Westminster police station began investigating McNaught in August 2011 following a complaint from a Nottingham resident who was sent an incorrect fixed penalty notice for cycling on a pavement in London.

Similar tickets were found to have been issued to a victim in Kent, whose name McNaught discovered on the tag of a bag that had been lost in the capital.

A month later, the investigation found a further 350 false tickets issued over 18 months.

McNaught was arrested on September 13 and a search of his home uncovered the CS gas canister.

The PCSO was sacked from the Metropolitan Police after admitting the offences when interviewed.

Sergeant John Hammatt said: "I am very pleased with the culmination of what was a very complex investigation.

"George McNaught breached the trust of his colleagues and most importantly the trust of the public.

"The judge delayed sentencing until July but told George McNaught to be under no illusion of a custodial sentence.

"I think these comments show exactly the seriousness of his actions.

"I hope that this sends a strong message to all staff that the Metropolitan Police Service will not tolerate such behaviour."

Westminster City Council is extending its usual bank holiday free parking scheme to run from Saturday, June 2 to Tuesday, June 5, on single yellow lines or in parking bays.

Councillor Daniel Astaire, business leader, said: "With such a unique opportunity for businesses, and millions of visitors expected to line the streets to see the royal family during the jubilee weekend, we have decided to extend the scheme further still.

Road closures will be in place from 7am and removed by 10pm each day, with resident permit holders able to pass through closed barriers on production of a utility bill or similar document.

Albert Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Jubilee Footbridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Millennium Footbridge and Tower Bridge will all be closed.

FULLY CLOSED: Abingdon Street; Arundel Street; Atterbury Street; Aylesford Street; Bridge Street; Claverton Street; Dean Stanley Street; Great Scotland Yard; Grosvenor Road; Horse Guards Avenue; Milford Lane; Millbank; Northumberland Avenue; Old Palace Yard; Ponsonby Terrace; Savoy Street; St Margaret Street; Surrey Street; Temple Place; Victoria Embankment; Westminster Bridge; Whitehall Court; Whitehall Place.

PARTIALLY CLOSED: Chelsea Bridge Road; Cockspur Street; Ebury Bridge Road; Great College Street; Great Peter Street; Horseferry Road; Little Smith Street; Lupus Street; Ponsonby Terrace; Romney Street; St Georges Square; Thorney Street.

Eighteen other people have been remanded in custody after officers carried out a drugs operation in Soho.

Walterton and Elgin Community Homes, a resident-controlled housing association in Westminster, put on a successful international day for the third year running on Saturday.

Community members with roots around the world set up stalls in Tamplin Mews Gardens, showcasing traditions that included music and dance and food while youngsters enjoyed face painting and games.

It was partly funded through the council's Harrow Road ward budget.

Shopworker Shanaz Begum, 56, and butcher Enkarta Balapovi, 53, have been given police bail and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, June 7.

Balapovi also faces five charges of rape.

The Your Choice: Your Community Week, which ends on Friday, involves Westminster City Council trying to show how it is working to discourage gang violence.

Young people and parents have been able to speak to professionals such as the council's gangs and serious youth violence teams, along with staff from the Fresh Start employment and the Tell It Parents Action Group.

Nickie Aiken, council leader for children, young people and community care, said: "I share residents' concerns about escalating youth violence and gang involvement across Westminster, and the north-west of the borough has seen a particular rise in incidents over the past three years.

"My door is always open for residents to share their concerns and ideas around the issue of gangs, but I hope that this dedicated week will help us to be even more available and receptive to local people's views."

Westminster gangs and youth violence worker David Savizon said: "I'm also looking forward to hearing the feedback, which will be invaluable in shaping our gangs work in the future."

The Office for National Statistics have created a map of the Olympic Torce relay route from Land's End, Cornwall, around the country until it reaches the site of the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, in Stratford, East London.

The relay started last week and now people can follow the flame with figures by clicking on the map locations on the ONS website.

It gives an array of details, including population, life expectancy, unemployment rate, crime, average earnings and even how much residents recycle.

Striking differences are in life expectancy with a woman in Westminster expected to live until the age of 86. That is one of the highest in the country and comparable with 83 in Cambridge and 79 in Liverpool.

Westminster also has the highest crime rates, with 96 committed per 1,000 people while Browness-on-Windemere, in the Lake District, has the lowest with 21 with an average house in the borough costing £829,401.

That is compared to £163,152 in Hastings, £172,133 in Leeds and £493,416 in Wandsworth.

WESTMINSTER'S VITAL STATISTICS
Population: 253,100 people.

Population density: 11,784 people per km2.

Life expectancy at birth (males): 83.8 years.

Life expectancy at birth (women): 86.7 years.

Unemployment rate aged 16+: 7.5 per cent.

Employment rate 16-64: 64.5 per cent.

Working age people claiming benefit: 11.2 per cent.

Pupils achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE, including English and maths: 62.5 per cent.

Average house price: £829,401.

Work-place based earnings for full-time workers: £699 per week.

Recorded crime rate per 1,000 people: 96.1.

Household waste sent for recycling, reuse or composting: 24.1 per cent.

The 67-year-old World Affairs Editor was joined by pupils of St Vincent's RC Primary School outside BBC Broadcasting House last Thursday (17/5).

It marked a landmark moment for the four-year W1W Tree Planting Initiative, a partnership between residents, businesses, Westminster Tree Trust and Westminster City Council, to improve the borough streets.

Other celebrities who have reached for a spade to help plant trees along the way include Alan Titchmarsh, Barbara Windsor and Professor Lord Winston.

They were released from the top of the atrium in the £102million building, which opened to students last September, in a ceremony attended by staff, governors, students and Lord Victor Adebowale CBE.

Lord Adebowale, chief executive of social enterprise Turning Point, unveiled the plaque last Thursday and was taken on a tour of the campus, which has open plan teaching areas, specialist workshops, laboratories and studios, a sports hall and theatre.

The campus, designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen architects, has already scooped two building prizes - a Riba Award for London and an NLA (New London Award) - and overlooks the conservation areas of Paddington Green and St Mary's Gardens.

Applications continue to grow, with new courses beginning in September and a partnership with Westminster Academy helping to deliver more choice for 16 to 18-year-olds.

"All these achievements, since Paddington Green Campus opened its doors, put City of Westminster College in a very strong position for the future," said principal Keith Cowell.

See www.cwc.ac.uk for more details.

Edward Lear lived at 15 Stratford Place between 1853 and 1869 and called his poems 'nonsense ryhmes' that often began with the phrase 'there was an old man from' and were hugely popular with Victorian children.

His plaque was unveiled at his former Westminster home on Saturday (12/5) - the day that would have been his 200th birthday - as part of the council's Green Plaques Scheme commemorating buildings associated with people who made lasting contributions to society.

Councillor Robert Davis, council deputy leader, tried his hand at a limerick as he payed tribute to Lear this week.

He said: "Edward Lear was one of the finest artists of his generation and anyone who has ever raised a smile to a cheeky limerick has Lear to thank for his creativity in popularising the poem.

"He travelled extensively and worked all over the UK and Europe, but it is here at Stratford Place in which he spent most of his time in London.

"It is fitting that we pay tribute to him today on what would have been his 200th birthday and mark his contribution. Or as Lear himself might have said: 'There once was a man named Lear, who lived in a spot close to here. This plaque unveiled today, is a fitting way, to pay tribute on his two hundredth year.'"

Lear was born in Holloway and released his first publication 'Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots' at the age of 19 in 1832 and travelled Europe writing several books, including Sketches of Rome (1842) and Illustrated Excursions in Italy (1846).

His limerick collections include A Book of Nonsense (1846), Botany and Alphabets (1870) and Laughable Lyrics (1876) and his bicentenary is being celebrated with exhibitions and lectures across the world.

And he becomes the 97th person to honoured with a plaque in the borough and joins an illustrious list that include Oscar Wilde, TS Eliot, Jane Austen and the Bee Gees.

Thirty-two Mounted Branch officers and horses joined beat officers for a street briefing last Friday (11/5) as part of Operation Trafalgar.

It was a visible reminder of their campaign to reduce anti-social behaviour at the weekend with up to 400 extra officers deployed in the area on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.

Oxford Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Soho and Picadilly are some of the hotspots that will be targeted during the campaign.

St James Theatre has risen from the site of the former Westminster Theatre, in Palace Street, after millions of pounds of private investment helped transform it into a new centre.

Designed by Foster Wilson Architects, it will include a 312-seat theatre, and a studio space to hold comedy nights and live music including jazz and cabaret, with the first performance scheduled for September 25.

"St James Theatre will be a vibrant addition to the London cultural scene offering an unusual location for conferences and special events, with the bar and brasserie open for all-day dining," a spokesman said.

"Additionally the theatre has been fitted with state-of-the-art multi-media broadcast facilities which will be used to broadcast performances on the venues own BSkyB satellite TV channel."

The first season, produced by artistic director David Gilmore and his assistant James Albrecht, will be announced next month.

To find out more visit www.stjamestheatre.co.uk.

Westminster City Council has declared the issue as one of its key priorities this year and increased funding from £450,000 to £600,000 to launch a number of new initiatives.

The new strategy, called Breaking the Silence, will target all forms of domestic violence from psychological abuse and violence to honour-based violence and genital mutilation while covering both male and female victims.

Councillor Nickie Aiken, council children, young people and community protection leader, said: "Domestic abuse is often, by its very nature, a hidden problem that can take many different forms including emotional abuse as well as physical violence. Figures also show that domestic abuse is a common thread running through up to 80% of the UK's troubled families and is also a regular factor in young people's involvement in gangs and serious youth violence.

"Abuse in the home is one of the hardest issues to talk about and it often takes tremendous courage for victims to come forward, seek support, and talk about their experiences. But we want to reassure women, men and young people in the Westminster community who have suffered or witnessed abuse that we are ready to listen, and will do everything we can to ensure this important step is safe and as easy as possible."

The council will work with the police, health service and community groups to roll out the new scheme.

It will include a new domestic violence court in Westminster, to be launched in July, with alternative entrances for victims in order to protect their safety and identify and extra training for Westminster Domestic Violence Forum workers.

New domestic violence surgeries will also be rolled out to provide a one-stop service for victims and a befriending service will be created to link survivors able to offer advice to current victims.

A greater emphasis will also be put on GP referrals and expanding outreach work throughout the community.

"I am pleased Westminster is able to raise the bar nationally by shining a light on this vital issue and channelling extra funds into our prevention and intervention work, but it's also important to highlight the importance of more sustainable funding to take this work forward," added Ms Aiken.

"I urge Whitehall and the Mayor of London to lock in a longer term funding commitment to help local authorities better tackle domestic abuse in their communities."

Inspector Preston Gurr was returning home from night duty in the borough when his red Honda motorcycle was involved in a crash with a silver Mercedes C180.

The incident happened just before 7.30am on Saturday, April 28, in Mitcham.

Mr Gurr came off the Honda, sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Mercedes stopped at the scene but was not arrested.

Mr Gurr, whose brother also serves with the Metropolitan Police, is survived by wife Debbie and children Aidan and Kym.

Officers from the Road Death Investigation Unit at Hampton Traffic Garage continue to investigate.

l Did you know Inspector Gurr? Email your tributes to gregburns@trinitysouth.co.uk.

Conservative candidate Antonia Cox won the seat by a landslide with 1,448 votes with second-placed Labour hopeful Jack Gordon receiving 563 votes.

She replaces ex-Westminster Council leader Colin Barrow who stepped down from his post earlier this year to spark a by-election.

The election took place on the same day Londoners took to the ballot box to vote for the Mayor of London with Boris Johnson winning a second-term at City Hall.

Voters in West Central, that covers Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster, proved to be supporters of Mr Johnson and he received 104,020 votes - nearly 60 per cent of all votes.

The ward also re-elected Conservative Kit Malthouse as their London Assembley member after his 73,761 votes beat Labour candidate Todd Foreman's 44,630 votes to win.