Greenwich and Woolwich MP, Nick Raynsford, has again criticised the decision by Nationwide to close seven branches in south east London.

Raynsford secured an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on Friday afternoon where he, and other MPs from the area, highlighted the branch closures.

He called it “a crude and discriminatory exercise in which the leafy suburbs are favoured while inner London is punished”, pointing out that all the south east London branches inside the South Circular would close whilst those outside it would remain open.

He closing remarks in the debate were:

Unless Nationwide accepts that it is making a serious mistake and agrees to consult its customers further on options to maintain access to some branches in the area, it will stand accused of walking away from the inner city, from its history, and from social and economic responsibility. It will be a sad epitaph to the long, proud history of mutuality in the financial sector.

The full text of the debate can be found on Hansard.

A military hovercraft crashed into Blackfriars Bridge during yesterday’s military display on the Thames.

As spectators watched the impressive helicopter displays over the recently refitted HMS Bulwark at Greenwich Reach, Royal Marines were travelling up and down the river in fast boats and a LCAC hovercraft.

Local worker, Mike Paternott, witnessed the incident as the amphibious vehicle collided with Blackfriars Bridge shortly after 2.30pm. An MOD spokesperson confirmed the collision and said nobody was injured.

Read more at TheCity.co.uk or check out Mike Paternott’s set of photos on Flickr.

Spectators in Greenwich looked on this morning as HMS Bulwark put on a demonstration of her varied capabilities.

The amphibious assault warship arrived at Greenwich Reach yesterday having recently rejoined the fleet after an eight month refit.

This morning’s demonstration, on and above the Thames, allowed the Royal Navy to illustrate the warship’s versatility alongside a number of boats and helicopters.

HMS Bulwark’s Commanding Officer, Captain Alex Burton, said:

“HMS Bulwark is the country’s very own Swiss Army Knife. Totally indispensable and phenomenally versatile, she packs a punch with our embarked group of Royal Marines and delivers proven essential support to the softer humanitarian and disaster relief operations.”

HMS Bulwark will be moored at Greenwich until Monday.

A sushi restaurant in Nelson Road has been shut down after repeatedly breaking food hygiene laws.

Itoshii was closed down by the council temporarily last year but after persistently failing to meet basic food safety standards Woolwich Magistrates have ordered the restaurant’s closure and the owners have been banned from running a food business in the UK for 12 months.

Health and safety officers from the council have found a catalogue of hygiene violations in their inspections.

February 23rd 2010 Inspection

• Mouse droppings found in kitchen including the seals of fridge doors and inside a rice steamer
• Extensive mould found on the walls of the walk in chiller and on tube of food inside
• Work surfaces and the floor were “filthy”
• No hand basin in the kitchen for staff to wash their hands

April 20th 2010 Inspection

• Cardboard boxes found which had been chewed by rodents
• Large holes in the walls
• Mouse droppings in serving dishes
• Work surfaces were dirty

June 15th 2010 Inspection

• Dirty food containers were in use
• Owners had ignored council’s advice on food safety

September 21st 2010 Inspection

• Out of date cheese and cheesecakes in the fridge
• Soy sauce bottles contaminated with dead flies

In addition to being banned from running a food business, the owners, Thai Chung Ltd, have been fined £2800 and ordered to pay £2000 legal costs to the council.

Councillor Maureen O Mara, Greenwich Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety said:

“The Council is pleased that the court recognised the severity of these offenses and imposed an order which protects future customers from serious food safety risks. This case shows that on a number of occasions the Council provided good support to the restaurant to improve their standards.  However, our primary objective is to ensure the safety of the public and it was clear that despite our efforts, the restaurant could not get a grip on its important responsibilities… What we will not tolerate are businesses that continue to ignore the advice and put the health of customers at serious risk.”