Controversial plans to redevelop a mosque were given the green light – much to the delight of Merton’s council leader.The Darul Amaan mosque, in Merton High Street, Colliers Wood, was granted planning permission by Merton Council to demolish the current single-storey structure and build a new three-storey mosque with a basement, dome and minaret.

A premier late-night bar raided by police for drugs was set to undergo a “revolution” in its management after the council spared its licence. Bar Sia, in the Broadway, was temporarily stripped of its licence by Merton Council after a police raid on Friday, March 4, in which four people were arrested for possessing drugs.

Residents across Merton celebrated the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. At St George’s Church in Morden, more than 70 people watched William and Kate tie the knot on April 29. The event also featured craft activities for children and a barbecue.