Stories of the week

Click on the links to read the full stories.

Story one: Two carjackers found guilty of killing a successful businessman will serve a combined sentence of 43 years behind bars.

Harjinder Singh Bhurji, 32, of Highbury Gardens in Ilford, was stabbed through the heart and left to die after refusing to hand over the keys to his Mercedes CLK in Stoneleigh Road, Ilford, in 2011.

Read the full story here.

Story two: Paul Canal paid tribute to his predecessor after being elected the new leader of the Redbridge Conservative Group following the resignation of Keith Prince.

The Bridge ward councillor was voted in on Saturday, with Robert Cole of Clayhall ward elected as his deputy. Read the full story here.

Story three: A 31-stone accountant has lost almost 10 stone for charity.

Chris Penny, who is 6ft, has raised £2,300 for Children with Cancer UK and changed his life. The 34-year-old, who works at NWN Blue Squared Limited, in Woodford Avenue, Woodford Green, started the challenge in June after his friend Amanda Conway lost her nine-year-old daughter Louise to leukaemia.

Read the full story here.

Story four: The owner of a restaurant set to open in three weeks' time has defended his application to remain open until beyond 1am at the weekend.

Councillors and those living near to the Manor House restaurant, in Wanstead High Street, have raised concerns about noise and anti-social behaviour from the new restaurant late at night.

Read the full story here.

Story five: A man has been jailed after admitting a string of residential burglaries.

Bungling unemployed Romanian national Constantin-Tiberiu Gheorge, 39, of no fixed address, left DNA at every single one of the 31 addresses he burgled across London, Kent and Essex, including one in Ilford.

Read the full story here.