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3 January – After a trial based on new forensic evidence, two men are convicted of the racist murder of black London teenager Stephen Lawrence, 18 years after the attack.[1]
23 January – John Anslow, a prisoner charged with murder following a fatal shooting in 2010 escapes from the van transporting him to a court appearance following an armed ambush near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.[2]
4 April – As many as 50,000 homes in northern England are hit by a power blackout after heavy winds, snow and ice bring down electricity cables.[6]
6 April – A ban on the display of tobacco products by retailers comes into force in England in a bid to reduce the number of young people taking up smoking.[7]
Local elections result in Labour making gains and winning the largest number of councillors in contested seats in England.[8]
Boris Johnson is re-elected as Mayor of London with 51.5% of the vote.[9]Ken Livingstone subsequently says it would be his "last election".[10] In the London Assembly, Labour becomes the party with the greatest number of seats, with minor losses for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The British National Party loses their only seat. Of 25 seats, the final tally stands at: Labour 12, Conservatives 9, Liberal Democrats 2, Green 2.[11]
11 May – Five children die in the Allenton house fire, a sixth later dies in hospital. The parents of the children are later charged with their murders.[12]
5 July – The Shard, the tallest building in Europe and the tallest habitable free-standing structure in the UK at 309.6 metres (1,016 ft), is officially opened.[15][16]
