From that polka dot dress to a new viral jacket for every season, Zara is a high street favourite.

But did you know the 50-year-old fashion favourite is part of a bigger family?

Parent company Inditex also owns popular brands like Bershka, Pull & Bear, and Massimo Dutti — as well as one you might never have heard of: Lefties.

Hailing from Spain, and with stores currently across Europe and the UAE, Lefties is set to rival the likes of Primark, with on-trend clothing at a budget price point.

Where will the first Lefties store open?

There are currently four UK locations being considered for Lefties’ UK debut, all of which could get a store next year.

There’s the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex, which is home to a Zara, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear, and, of course, the rival market of Primark.

Bluewater shopping centre in Kent is another location, which already houses many Inditex brands, and a Primark, too.

In the capital, there are two possible homes for Lefties, the first beingtheinternational shopping hub Oxford Street, which is set to be pedestrianised, or Westfield London in White City.

Inside Lefties

First opening its doors in 1993, the store was originally an outlet for Zara’s last season stock. Essentially, it was where the leftovers went – hence the name.

There are currently stores in the main cities of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Morocco, the UAE, and more.

With lines for women, men, girls, boys, and babies – all with accessory and footwear collections, too – it has also branched out into homeware, sportswear, and underwear, leaving no stone unturned.

The new store is expected to be around 20,000 square feet, and when inside, you could easily mistake it for a Primark store, with a similar layout and clothing presentation.

While the UK website is not yet live, the Spanish site offers dresses from around £8 and basic tees from £5. It’s far cheaper than the likes of Zara, where basics start at around £12.99.

Primark’s competition

Primark is by no means a small fish in the fashion world, with a reported 6% increase in sales in 2024, taking it from £9billion in profits in 2023 to £9.44billion.

That’s not to say it’s not feeling increasing pressure from the likes of other fast-fashion retailers such as Shein and Temu, with Primark’s parent company Associated British Foods Plc projecting a levelling out in sales for the second half of this year.

The arrival of Lefties in the UK would certainly add another element of competition on the high street and online, although the two brands already compete in Spain, which is Primark’s second-largest market.

And the Lefties expansion won’t just stop in Britain, it’s planning on expanding into the Middle East and North Africa, as well as relaunching in France.

A murder investigation has been launched into the death of an elderly man who was allegedly attacked by a fellow patient at a London hospital.

Andrew Farmer, 85, suffered ‘serious injuries’ in an assault at Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith on September 18.

He died a week later on September 25

Fellow patient Anatoliy Podmazko, 70, was arrested at the scene and charged with GBH.

The Met said a murder investigation is now underway and detectives are working with the Crown Prosecution Service as that inquiry progresses.

Detective Inspector Kirsten Hadleigh, who is leading the investigation said: ‘Our thoughts remain with Andrew’s family and friends at this undoubtedly difficult time.

‘We remain in close contact with Andrew’s loved ones and are keeping them up to date with the progress of our investigation.’

Paul Wrigley, Andrew’s partner, said: ‘My partner through thick and thin for 60 years. Now sadly missed.

‘An Oxford First – whatever he touched, he touched deeply – opera, Devon topography, the underprivileged. Scholarly but with a wry sense of humour. Rest now, my dear friend.’

The M25 has closed clockwise following a serious crash between a car and a lorry cutting off access to Heathrow Airport.

All four lanes within J14 A3113 Airport Way were forced to close just before 5am.

A man has been taken to hospital after being rescued by firefighters.

It is expected they won’t reopen until midday.

The Metropolitan Police, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and South East Coast Ambulance Service are all at the scene.

Drivers are being diverted through exit sliproads, but queues remain as long as 60 minutes.

Surrey Fire and Rescue said: ‘The carriageway remains closed clockwise at junction 14 with motorists being diverted via the slip roads.

‘National Highways is providing traffic updates.

‘The Brigade was called at 0441 and firefighters from Hayes Fire Station, along with Surrey Fire & Rescue Service, attended the scene.

‘The Brigade left the scene by 0623, with the incident left in the care of the Metropolitan Police and National Highways.’

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London is burning from e-bike fires caused by faulty batteries and chargers – and more people are at risk of being killed.

Some 165 fires involved the vehicles in 2025 up to September 28, averaging about 18 per month.

If this rate continues, London will surpass 200 incidents in a single year for the first time, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said.

Four people have died from e-bike fires in the capital, none of whom used or owned the vehicle.

Sofia Duarte, 21, was at her boyfriend’s flat on Old Kent Road after they finished a New Year’s Eve shift at a nightclub in 2024 when an e-bike near the building’s front door suddenly exploded while charging.

A second e-bike nearby then also exploded and the fire spread through the home, trapping her inside.

‘She was the first person to die in London in a fire caused by an e-bike in , and the pain has only gotten worse,’ family friend Alda Simoes told Metro.

‘Her mum is getting worse day-by-day. All the anniversaries and holidays which are being celebrated without her daughter, it is becoming too much.’

Why do e-bikes catch fire so easily?

Fires involving lithium batteries – which are used for e-bikes and e-scooters – can spread rapidly and produce a toxic vapour, LFB said.

Batteries, chargers and e-bike conversion kits bought from online marketplaces are at greater risk of malfunctioning because they have not been subject to the same level of regulation as high street shops, LFB added.

Most recently Eden Abera Siem, 30, died in hospital after a fire broke out at her home on Lordship Lane, Wood Green, on June 21 due to a faulty battery.

Mark Reece, an e-bike safety expert at Rev Monkey, told Metro: ‘The rise in fire incidents is largely tied to poorly manufactured or unregulated batteries, often found in off-brand, counterfeit bikes or heavily modified setups, that are flooding the UK streets.

‘E-bikes are the future, but only when safety is prioritised through buying from a legitimate, trusted e-bike supplier.’

What can be done to help prevent e-bike fires?

A petition, created in tribute to Sofia Duarte by her mother Maria and family friend Alda Simoes, resulted in a ban on all non-foldable e-bikes on most of Transport for London’s services.

Ms Simoes said: ‘We had to channel our energy somehow. Sofia did not die in vain. Her death will prevent others.’

In February an e-bike exploded on a London Underground platform at Rayners Lane and in April last year an e-bike exploded at Sutton Station.

The LFB said gig economy companies should do more to raise awareness about fire risks from e-bikes.

It wrote to delivery companies Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo this week to ask them to share safety advice with their riders.

In October last year the Department for Business and Trade launched a campaign calling on people to buy only safe electrical products from reputable sellers.

Pamela Oparaocha, LFB’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection, said: ‘We continue to see the devastating consequences of e-bike and e-scooter fires in London.

‘Our thoughts are with the family of Eden as well as all those who have been impacted by fires in recent years.

‘Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are worryingly common in London.

‘Since the beginning of 2023, we have attended a fire, on average, every other day, and some of these fires have destroyed homes and claimed lives.’

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A Romanian man managed to get travel documents and fly into the UK despite having been deported three times for stealing.

Gigi Bratasanu, 48, is a prolific pickpocket with a history of ‘preying’ on Londoners for their valuables.

He was originally deported in October 2022 following his conviction for a string of thefts but returned in August last year.

Bratasanu was put on another flight back to Romania in September 2024 but re-entered the country just weeks later to continue his offending.

After serving a prison sentence, he was deported for the third time in January.

Despite having been served three deportation orders in as many years, Bratasanu was able to obtain an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to get back into the UK.

An ETA lets you travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family or certain other reasons for up to six months.

Inner London Crown Court was told he claims he only came back to get a hair transplant – not to steal again.

Bratasanu pleaded guilty to knowingly entering the UK in breach of a deportation order last week.

Prosecutor Claire Langevad said: ‘This is the first time – perhaps oddly – he’s been prosecuted for the breach.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has faced mounting pressure over immigration and has announced plans to make every adult in Britain have a digital ID card in a bid to curb it.

His new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also taken a tougher stance on migrants seeking indefinite leave to remain.

In the year ending March 2025, there were 44,125 detected illegal entries, 14% more than in the previous year. Nearly 90% of those arrived on small boats.

The Home Office told Metro it remains fully confident in the integrity of the ETA system.

Ms Langevad told the court: ‘Mr Bratasanu is what has been described as a Romanian pickpocket. He has a history of being deported from the UK.

‘The first [order] was [dated] October 3, 2022. It seems he was deported on February 27, 2024, following an issue with the deportation order.

‘He then returned to the UK in August 2024. He was detained and put back on a flight in September 2024.

‘Back he comes in October 2024, when he is arrested for further offences, and he is deported for the third time following a custodial sentence in January 2025.

‘He has then gone on to make an application under the ETA travel authorisation on April 13, 2025. I understand he travelled in on that, despite being subject to a deportation order.

‘He is then subsequently arrested on June 18 by British Transport Police officers and has remained in custody since.’

Defence lawyer Maddison Fisher told the court Bratasanu has called Spain home since the age of five and has a wife and two children living in Madrid.

‘He tells me he came to the UK to get a hair transplant,’ she said. ‘He got that transplant on April 24 or 25. He says while the price is the same in Madrid, in the UK the quality is better.’

Sentencing him, Judge Freya Newbury told Bratasanu: ‘You are somebody who has a history of what you might call recidivist thieving behaviour.

‘It appears that previously you came over to London to prey on people and take their wallets and phones and so on.

‘You were arrested on June 16 in the UK again, although this time you apparently didn’t come over to thieve – apparently you came over for a hair transplant.

‘I’m not sure about all of that.’

The judge imposed a sentence of two years in prison, telling Bratasanu that he would have served up to 40% of that term were he to stay in the UK.

‘But that is not going to happen in this case, because you will once again be deported,’ she added.

A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘It is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases, but when foreign nationals commit serious crimes in our country, we will always do everything in our power to deport them.

‘This government deported almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in its first year in office, a 14% increase on the previous year, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.’

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A jeweller to A-list celebrities has said wearing his pieces has become too dangerous in London.

Stephen Webster, whose clients include Kate Moss and Madonna, said wearing gold watches around the UK’s capital is ‘making yourself a target’.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘You have to be smart. You can’t go around London flaunting, “Here’s my gold Rolex”. You’re an idiot.

‘It will attract the wrong kind of attention and can make you a target.’

It comes after Blue Stevens was stabbed to death in central London during a reported attempted watch robbery.

The ‘loving’ father was stabbed outside of the Park Tower hotel and casino in Knightsbridge in July.

A cousin told Metro: ‘He had two lovely kids and was a loving father he lived for his children.

‘He was such a nice person a real good person.’

Asked about the suspected watch robbery they said: ‘Yes he really loved watches of all kinds.’

Between January 2022 and March 2024, around 4,300 watches worth more than £3,000 were stolen in London, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Of these, only 57 were recovered.

In 2023, violent crime in London reached record levels, with even friends of disgraced royals treading carefully around the city.

Caroline Stanbury, friend to Prince Andrew, said she avoids wearing ‘tons of jewellery’ when she visits the UK due to safety fears.

But Mr Webster said he has not heard any reports of his jewellery being stolen as he prefers to make ‘every day’ style jewellery.

He said: ‘‘I don’t make necklaces that cost $10 million. I make jewellery that people wear, literally, every day.

‘I chose not to do that many years ago. I’ve not ever had someone who’s come to me and said, “I’ve been mugged for my Stephen Webster jewellery”. Never. So far, so good.’

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A fire has ripped through an Odeon cinema in south east London with Londoners being warned to stay away.

Firefighters were called to Beckenham High Street this morning with flames seen coming from the Odeon Cinema.

Footage shows smoke billowing into the sky with the fire coming from the roof of the white building.

The London Fire Brigade said: ‘Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters have been called to a building fire on High Street in Beckenham.

‘The fire is producing a significant amount of smoke and we are advising people in the area to keep their windows and doors closed at this time.

‘The incident is causing major traffic disruption in Beckenham and we are asking people to avoid travelling through the area whilst the incident remains ongoing as road closures are in place.

‘The Brigade received the first of 18 calls at 0759 and Control Officers have mobilised crews from Beckenham, Bromley, Woodside, Forest Hill and surrounding fire stations to the scene. A 32-metre turntable ladder from Forest Hill is also attending.

‘The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.’

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Sir Sadiq Khan has given a brutal assessment of the government’s first 14 months in power – but insisted there’s time to turn it around.

In a football analogy, the London Mayor told a fringe event at Labour’s annual party conference that his party was the equivalent of two-nil down after playing less than 20 minutes of the match.

Ipsos revealed yesterday that Sir Keir Starmer is more unpopular than any other Prime Minister in the history of the company’s approval polls, which date back to Margaret Thatcher.

That means he has a lower rating than Boris Johnson in the aftermath of Partygate, or Liz Truss after her mini-budget.

Asked about the findings, Sir Sadiq told an event organised by The Times that his party ‘can’t pretend things are better than they are’.

He said voters were angry about the lethargic pace of change since the election, which he blamed on the ‘inheritance’ left by the Tories, before calling on the PM to ‘accelerate the pace of delivery’.

The Mayor continued: ‘We’ve also got to be better at telling the story we’re trying to do.

‘If this was a game of football, what I’d say is it’s a 90-minute game, we’ve played almost 20 minutes and we’re two-nil down.

‘We’re two-nil down, and we’ve got to make sure we use the rest of our time in the game, three-and-a-half years, to turn it around. I think it’s possible.’

A Liverpool supporter, Sir Sadiq used the example of the time his team were three-nil down at half time in the 2005 Champions League final, only to defeat Milan on penalties.

It was the latest in a series of assessments from top Labour figures at the conference, pondering how their party has fallen so quickly so fast.

Among the most high-profile has been Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who has been scathing in his criticism of the government as questions swirl around a potential bid from him to replace Sir Keir.

Speaking at a different event taking place simultaneously with the Sadiq Khan Q&A, Burnham said his intention has simply been to suggest new approaches.

He said: ‘The thing that I’m doing is putting forward ideas that in any scenario – whoever is the leader – I think Labour needs to take on board. That is what I’m saying.

‘The only thing I’ve launched is a debate about how do we get a plan together to beat Reform. I’m of course talking about the General Election.’

Like his London counterpart, Burnham also called on the government to ‘tell a story about this country and where do we want this country to go’.

Elsewhere in the Times event, Sir Sadiq declined to follow the PM in describing Reform’s recently announced deportation policy as ‘racist’.

He told the audience: ‘I think it’s a really loaded word, and so I’m very careful when I use it for the obvious reason, I don’t want to devalue this really powerful word’.

However, the Mayor conceded the occasional need to ‘call out people’, pointing out he recently used the word to describe US President Donald Trump.

This afternoon, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined Labour’s plans to reform the legal immigration system with a shake-up of indefinite leave to remain.

In a speech on the main conference stage, she announced the status would only be granted to people who meet a number of conditions after arriving in the country.

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A gunman disguised as a Deliveroo rider shot an eight-year-old girl and her father in front of their family, a court has heard.

Jazz Reid, 34, allegedly shot the child twice and her 34-year-old father five times on November 24.

The father and daughter, who both survived, were sat with relatives in a car in Ladbroke Grove, West London, when eleven shots rang out.

Reid is accused of carrying out three separate shootings, always in his delivery rider disguise, between October and November last year.

Police found a 9mm self-loading pistol loaded with 17 live rounds hidden beneath a concrete slab outside his home, jurors heard.

Each shooting was planned and executed with ‘precision’, prosecutor Michael Goodwin KC told Old Bailey jurors on Monday.

Reid would drive a hire car to the area, change into his Deliveroo disguise – complete with a takeaway box – and cycle an e-bike to his intended targets, it is claimed.

In the first shooting on October 9, Reid allegedly fired twice, hitting Ameile Buncombe in the thigh at the victim’s home in Notting Hill.

In body-worn video shown to jurors, the victim told police the assailant was carrying a ‘kangaroo’ bag, before correcting it to ‘Deliveroo’, as he was treated at the scene.

On November 11, Reid fired four shots at a north London address linked to the father, who was the subject of the third attack, it is claimed.

No injuries were reported to police on that occasion.

Thirteen days later, Reid allegedly shot the eight-year-old girl and her father in their car on Southern Row in Ladbroke Grove.

Mr Goodwin said: ‘Eleven shots were fired, five hit (the father) in the back, chest, abdomen and pelvis area.

‘Two shots hit his daughter in her buttocks and foot.

‘Both (victims) and other family members were sat in a car used regularly by the family.

‘They had nowhere to escape to when the defendant opened fire on them.’

He continued: ‘Each of these three shootings are alleged to have been targeted shootings. They were planned and executed with precision.’

Reid would drive hire cars from his Uxbridge home and park near an associate’s flat on the Swinbrook Estate in North Kensington, the court heard.

He allegedly used the flat as a ‘cover location’ where he could park his hire car without arousing suspicion.

He would collect the e-bike and Deliveroo outfit from the flat before cycling to the location of the attacks, it was claimed.

Mr Goodwin said: ‘He was disguised as a Deliveroo driver when he carried out the shootings. All three occasions involved a Deliveroo driver riding an e-bike.’

After each shooting, Reid returned his disguise to the Swinbrook Estate flat and drove the hire car home, it is claimed.

Mr Goodwin told jurors: ‘The defendant was arrested on November 26 while driving the hire car, and his home address in Uxbridge was searched.

‘Just outside the home, under a slab of concrete, officers found a 9mm self-loading pistol loaded with 17 live rounds.’

The court heard Reid’s DNA was found on the grip and muzzle of the pistol forensically linked to the third shooting.

A different gun was used in the first two shootings, with the defendant’s partial DNA identified on casings at the second scene, the court heard.

Mr Goodwin said: ‘This defendant had access to two separate firearms used to carry out all three shootings. The three shootings are forensically linked.’

It is alleged the defendant tried to cover his tracks by switching his sim card and changing his mobile phone handset.

But the evidence allegedly showed he phoned his contact on the Swinbrook Estate shortly before each incident.

The defendant’s car journeys to north-west London were tracked by police on CCTV, traffic cameras and through cell site data, jurors were told.

The e-bike and Deliveroo disguise were later recovered from the Swinbrook Estate address.

Reid has denied the attempted murder of the father and wounding the girl with intent. Neither victim can be identified for legal reasons.

He has also pleaded not guilty to wounding Mr Buncombe with intent on October 9 last year and a string of firearms offences relating to the incidents.

The Old Bailey trial continues.

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Locals have shared their concerns about safety near a London park after a man was fatally stabbed yesterday.

Police swarmed Camden Gardens yesterday afternoon after a 44-year-old man was stabbed and later died from his injuries.

The incident took place at about 3.30pm with families and dog walkers in the park. No arrests have been made as homicide officers hunt for the attacker. 

Locals said the stabbing took place near a makeshift shelter set up by homeless people who have moved into the gardens. A police cordon remains around the green where medical equipment used to help the stabbed man is strewn across the ground. 

Witnesses told Metro how families ran from the ‘horrific’ scene.

Mark Hanley, a school handyman with a young daughter, told Metro: ‘There were police everywhere, loads of them. There have been problems with the park.

‘It used to be nice for walking the dog, but there are now tents and shelters where homeless people are staying. It’s become a bit of a no-go zone, which is such a shame.

‘The council really need to do something about it. I don’t want my daughter going near it, it’s such a shame. It’s a horrific thing to happen.’

Metro has contacted Camden Council for a statement.

Police tape is still surrounding the park as detectives trawl nearby CCTV and forensics officers scour the area for clues.

Eva Kovacs, 31, a mother of three, said: ‘I heard shouting, looked out of my window and saw families running away from the park. There were police going in, and one said, ‘Someone had been stabbed.’

‘When we heard it was a murder, we were very shocked because it was the middle of the day and there were a lot of people around.’

Eva said the park is a ‘magnet’ for crime, with people going in and out of the tents ‘all the time’.

She added: ‘We know the homeless people need somewhere to go, but this situation is very serious.’

A third local total Metro: ‘Enough is enough, we have complained about the noise and problems in the park, which we cannot go in because of anti-social behaviour. Now that there has been a murder, the council need to act.’

Councillor Richard Olszewski, Leader of Camden Council, said: ‘We are deeply saddened by what has happened this weekend, and our thoughts right now are with the loved ones of the person who has died.

‘We are working closely with the police to support them on their investigation and to provide reassurance to our communities. For now, the park remains closed as a crime scene, and we have joint patrols in place with the police to provide visibility and reassurance in the area for the rest of the week. We are also providing outreach support to people sleeping rough here.

‘I encourage anyone who has any information about what happened at the weekend to contact the police, or report via Crimestoppers anonymously. I know our communities will pull together, and I want to reassure them we are there for them at this difficult time.’

A police statement said: ‘Met officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service (LAS) who treated a 44-year-old man for stab wounds before taking him to hospital.

‘Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he sadly died.’

Borough Commander Jason Sewart, who leads policing in Camden, has said: ‘My team are working at pace to establish the full circumstances that led to this man’s tragic death in Camden Gardens.

‘Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and friends at this very difficult time. They continue to be supported by specialist officers.

‘A crime scene remains in place and residents can expect to see increased patrols in the local area as we carry out enquiries.

‘We urge anyone in or around Camden Gardens to look at any CCTV camera footage and share anything that may be of use with police.

‘This was an isolated incident and we do not believe there to be any threat to the wider public.’

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