A dumper truck drove over the right leg of Michael O’Donovan, 41, from Bromley, while he was kneeling to clean steel ‘shuttering’ used to form reinforced structures and pillars.

His injuries were so severe his leg required amputation above the knee. His pelvis was also fractured in the incident on 30 June 2005.

Principal contractor Sir Robert McAlpine Limited and sub-contractors McNicholas Plc (now Skanska Utilities Ltd) and Maylim Limited were all prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over the incident.

The City of London Magistrates’ Court heard the HSE investigation showed all three companies had failed to ensure vehicles and pedestrians were properly segregated on site.

It also found the cleaning of shuttering was neither properly planned nor carried out safely.

Following the hearing HSE inspector Loraine Charles said:

“Traffic needs to be managed effectively on all construction sites. Had proper controls been in place, this appalling incident would never have happened. As it is, Michael O’Donovan has suffered a severe injury and his life has been changed for ever.

“At construction sites, workers and vehicles need to be separated wherever reasonably practicable. There was no demarcation between the route the dumper took and areas where people could work or were working on this site.

“None of these three companies had carried out a meaningful assessment of the risk to workers of being struck by plant in general and the dumper in particular.”

Sir Robert McAlpine Limited, of Maylands Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974  and was fined £19,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.

Sub-contractor Skanska Utilities Limited, of Denham Way, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth, admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £17,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.

Maylim Limited, of Evans Avenue, Watford – sub-contracted by McNicholas Plc to undertake the work on the South Bridge area of the site – pleaded guilty to the same breach and was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.

Grewcock will join the likes of Lawrence Dallaglio and Jason Leonard, together with Welsh legend Ieuan Evans, who will manage the Northern Hemisphere XV against an all-star Southern Hemisphere XV side which will be overseen by Australian and All Black World Cup winners Michael Lynagh and Sean Fitzpatrick.

This year’s fixture, which will mark the tenth anniversary of Britain’s Armed Forces Operations in Afghanistan, promises to be an even bigger attraction to rugby fans than the first Heroes Rugby Challenge in 2008 when over 52,000 spectators helped raise £1.46m for Help for Heroes.

The aim of the Heroes Rugby Challenge and the international all-star cast on show is simple – to pack out Twickenham Stadium on 3rd December and raise more than £1 million for Help for Heroes, supported by J.P. Morgan, in the process.

And Grewcock, who retired from rugby in the summer and is now enjoying his first season as Bath Rugby’s academy director, admitted he did not have to think twice about packing down.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the Northern Hemisphere side and I’m really looking forward to being back at HQ again,” said Grewcock, who will also line-up with a host of players from the Armed Forces as well as star names from the world of rugby.

“The Heroes Rugby Challenge is a great opportunity to see some of the best rugby players in the world in action.

“But it’s also an opportunity for rugby fans to come together and show their support for the brave servicemen and women who serve our country in areas of conflict.

“To achieve this, we need the public to really get behind this game and show their support by buying a ticket and encouraging everyone they know to do the same.”

Rugby fans can show their support for the Heroes Rugby Challenge by visiting the Facebook page www.facebook.com/heroesrugby or receive updates via Twitterwww.twitter.com/heroesrugby

Heroes Rugby Challenge, Saturday 3 December 2011 at Twickenham Stadium, kicks off at 1630. Ticket prices start at £30 for adults, £10 for under 16’s, and are available through Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 2492

The agreement follows six months of constructive discussions with union representatives, and will allow LU to meet the demands of extended services in the most efficient way.

In return for agreeing to these temporary changes to existing working arrangements during the Games, all train drivers employed by LU on 26 July 2012 will receive a one-off payment of £500. In addition, shifts of a certain duration or which finish after 01:30hrs will attract extra payments. The change of working arrangements and rewards are separate to the ongoing discussions on pay which LU and the unions are engaged in.

LU’s Managing Director, Mike Brown, said: “This agreement is a good deal for London Underground, our drivers and those thousands of customers who will be attending the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games. LU is committed to ensuring that the train service we provide contributes to the successful operation of the Games and I am pleased that we and the unions have been able to engage in constructive dialogue to reach this agreement.”

Wasps go into the game on the back of a confidence boosting 20-15 victory over the reigning champions Saracens and Young says that a large vocal crowd could make a massive difference as his side aims to continue their good form from the weekend.

“It’s my first game in front of the home fans and so I’m hugely looking forward to it,” he said.

“The players and management were obviously delighted to start the campaign with a win but we’ve no doubt that this weekend we’re going to have to be better again because Leicester are a quality team who will be frustrated after a defeat last weekend, and a frustrated Leicester side will be very dangerous.”

Young said he was looking forward to meeting the Wasps home fans at Adams Park.

“From what I could see there were a large number of Wasps fans at Twickenham last weekend and they were fantastic in their support. It will be great to see them this weekend when the team are back at home and I’d encourage them to be as loud and vocal as possible so that Adams Park can continue to be somewhere that is an extremely difficult place for away teams to visit.

Young added that despite the delight with a win on the opening day, no-one at the club is getting carried away.

“I asked the players for commitment and I got it. I have asked them this week to move on and focus totally on Leicester and they are doing that now. We did some things well last weekend and some things not so well. It was a win and a good one but it means very little now going into a game against a top side like Leicester. There is nothing like facing a quality team to focus the minds and we’re going to have to be at the top of our game on Sunday.”

London Wasps take on Leicester Tigers in round two of the Aviva Premiership this weekend at 14.15. The game is live on ESPN.

Edd Thrower, Will Hurrell, Greg Bateman, Mike Denbee and Ed Jackson are all set to make their competitive debuts for the Exiles, while captain Jon Mills makes his 100th league appearance.

“I’m more than pleased with where we are,” said Jones. “The players are excited and looking forward to playing now and our injury list is shortening, which is very important for the marathon ahead of us.

“It’s a great milestone for any player to play 100 league games for any club. Jon is a hugely respected player in professional rugby, especially at London Welsh where he is an example to all the other players.”

Welsh go into the game on the back of two encouraging performances against Gloucester and London Irish, while the lack of a friendly fixture last weekend may have proved a blessing in disguise.

“Players never play 100 per cent fit throughout the year, but having said that it was an opportunity for them to get over bumps, strains and bruises. Gloucester was a physical game,” said Jones.

And it doesn’t come much tougher for the Exiles than facing Championship favourites Leeds Carnegie at Headingley on opening weekend of the new season.

“I’m sure they’ll be focused to show everybody how good they are and be keen to go straight back up,” he said.

“So the challenge is there before us and at the end of the day you’ve got to play everyone home and away, so let’s get out and do it.

“They’ve had a couple of tough friendlies against Newcastle and Newport Gwent Dragons, so first game up it’s going to be the usual menu of lots of enthusiasm and people trying to put things into action from the summer camp.

“It’s an unknown quantity and we’ll just have to play what’s in front of us, which is important.”
London Welsh team v Leeds Carnegie: 15. Edd Thrower, 14. Will Hurrell, 13. Paul Mackey, 12. Simon Whatling, 11. Liam Gibson, 10. Gordon Ross*, 9. Rob Lewis, 1. James Tideswell, 2. Dan George, 3. Greg Bateman, 4. Gary Johnson, 5. Matt Corker, 6, Jon Mills ©, 7. Mike Denbee, 8. Ed Jackson.

Replacements: 16, Vili Ma’asi*, 17. Billy Moss, 18, Adam Brown, 19. Lee Beach, 20. Jack Winter-Moates, 21. Alex Davies, 22. James Lewis.

* Denotes full international

Thousands of residents and businesses are being sent information and detailed maps about the Central London Zone, which will be based around Hyde Park, Green Park and St James Park, to help them plan for when the London 2012 Games arrive on their doorstep. Numerous Games venues will be based in central locations such as Horse Guards Parade, and free to view cycling and athletics events will take place on some of central London’s most famous streets. Several “National Houses” are proposed to be located in the area and Hyde Park will also host a Live Site where people will be able to soak up the Games atmosphere on giant screens.

The events will attract many thousands of spectators and additional visitors, and there will be significantly more pedestrians in the already busy area.

In order to ensure the extra pedestrians are able to get around safely and that the Games can run effectively – with the minimum of disruption for those who live and work in the Capital – some temporary changes will need to be made to roads in the Central London Zone. TfL will be putting in place additional pedestrian and road traffic management in central London during the 2012 Games which may include restricting turns into roads, suspending parking and loading bays, and changing bus lanes and stops.

In addition, parts of the Olympic Route Network (ORN) will run through key areas of central London. It is expected to begin operation just a couple of days before the Games begin, and TfL plans to end the operation of the ORN as soon as possible after the Olympic Games. The Paralympic Route Network (PRN), which will be significantly reduced in size, will similarly be installed just a couple of days before the Paralympic Games.

In addition, a small number of the events, such as the Olympic Cycling Road Races and Marathons, will take place on roads that are part of central London’s ORN. On those days a small number of additional road closures will be needed and an Alternative ORN (AORN) will be used to keep London moving’. All but one of the road events, the men’s Triathlon on 7 August, will take place at weekends.

Peter Hendy, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “Next summer will be a tremendously exciting time to be in central London. Shops, restaurants and other retail outlets in the area are set to benefit from the thousands of extra visitors, while local residents will have the world’s most important and exciting sporting and cultural event on their doorsteps.

“Central London’s transformation into a major sporting venue does mean that some changes need to be made to roads and footways, and the maps and other information we’ve published today are the result of the work TfL and Westminster City Council have done to find the safest and most effective way to manage the area during the Games.”

LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe said, “London as an Olympic city is going to be magical place to be next summer.  The world’s greatest city will take on an added dimension and this is particularly true in central London.  With sporting events, cultural events and other Games-related celebrations on top of the vibrancy you’d find on any day of the week, there will be challenges.  However by talking to residents and businesses now, I hope we can get everyone prepared so people can enjoy the special atmosphere the Games bring and continue with their everyday lives with minimal disruption.”

Leader of Westminster Council, Cllr Colin Barrow said: “Westminster is used to hosting major sporting events but the 2012 Games will present a unique set of challenges and will involve changes to the transport network. We are working closely with TfL and other agencies to ensure that the needs of residents and businesses are balanced with the important task of keeping London and the Games family moving.

“Test events this summer give us an important opportunity to gain insight into how Westminster will deal with this great occasion. We would ask businesses and residents to plan ahead and contact us if they have any concerns.”

Richard Dickinson, Chief Executive of The New West End Company, said: “According to a recent survey by Visa, the 2012 Games will provide a much needed £5bn boost to the UK economy including 18,000 new jobs every year until 2015.  That’s great for both Londoners and London’s business but to maximise the benefits and minimise the problems we need really robust plans that are also well communicated – especially on areas like transport.  These plans usefully kick start the process to make sure London is at the top of its game in 2012.”

TfL is continuing to work with Westminster City Council and other partners to find the safest and most effective way to put in the temporary road changes in the Central London Zone, and are about to begin engaging with businesses and residents. All 68,000 businesses and homes in the affected area, which will be centred around Horse Guards Parade, The Mall and Hyde Park venues, will be sent information, including detailed maps, during the coming week.

The event, which is also part of the testing programme for the London 2012 Games, will see the world’s best triathletes compete on the 2012 Olympic Triathlon Course, while the following day, 4,500 amateur triathletes will get the chance to race on the route their Olympic heroes will compete on next year.

Hyde Park Corner will be partially closed to traffic on Saturday 6 August from 05:00 to 12:00 and then again on Sunday 7 August from 05:00 to 16:00. Other closures during these times will include Park Lane in both directions from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner, Spur Road and access to Birdcage Walk from Parliament Square. Hyde Park will also be closed to vehicular access from 00:01on Friday 5 August until 05:00 Monday 8 August 2011.

London buses which normally use these routes will be placed on local diversions or curtailed to common departure points at Marble Arch, Portman Square, Sloane Square and Victoria Station. Posters will be placed at bus stops that will not be served by buses and Customer Information Assistants located around Hyde Park to assist customers on the day.

Because of the road closures within Hyde Park, the Triangle Car Park Barclays Cycle Hire docking station on Serpentine Road will be suspended from 20:00 on Friday 5 August until 08:00 on Monday 8 August. However, docking stations around Hyde Park will remain in operation.

Alan Bristow, Traffic Director for London Streets at TfL, said:

“With many major events taking place in London every year, the Capital and TfL are used to hosting successful international sporting events. However, we advise both spectators and people travelling through central London across the weekend to plan their travel in advance and, in particular, avoid driving in the Hyde Park area if at all possible.”

TfL has worked closely with the organisers and other external stakeholders to ensure every effort is being made to keep any traffic disruption due to this event to a minimum.  Event coordinators located at TfL’s London Streets Traffic Control Centre will closely monitor the road elements of the event to help ease congestion in surrounding locations.

In the spring, all boroughs were allocated £50,000 by the Mayor to help them decorate and dress their key celebration areas so that the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic experience enhances every corner of London. Many have already submitted proposals for how they plan to spread the ‘look and feel’ of London 2012 throughout those areas during the Torch Relay and the Games.

Today the Greater London Authority, GOE and LOCOG have sent London boroughs the official ‘Look Book’ from which they can now choose a range of London 2012 ‘Look’ materials. This will help ensure their corner of the city is part of the celebrations and excitement of probably the greatest event London has ever staged. A website will be launched in the autumn when boroughs can purchase their chosen items.

In addition to flags, banners and bunting, the 2012 Look Book is designed to help boroughs dress their unique public spaces by physically applying the look and feel to its buildings, pathways and streetscapes. This includes the use of artwork, light projections and planting ideas for flower beds.

This is the first part of a major programme that will also see London’s iconic landmarks and popular tourist venues spectacularly dressed to welcome the world to London in 2012.

This is the first part of a major programme that will also see London’s iconic landmarks and popular tourist venues spectacularly dressed to welcome the world to London in 2012.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

“When the world arrives next summer I want every corner of London to demonstrate its pride at hosting the world’s greatest sporting event. That means decorating not just our iconic landmarks and public spaces with the 2012 look, but ensuring every inch of the capital dazzles its visitors and the millions watching around the world. I hope the boroughs will embrace the chance to make their town centres and public spaces stand out during this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said:
“We have listened to what the boroughs and local authorities have said to us and so we are making the Look Book available as early as possible, giving them the time to plan and confirm budgets ahead of the Games next year.  There are options available to suit different budgets – from planting and lighting ideas to the larger more spectacular ways of celebrating London 2012 in their communities.

“We want all local authorities to have the chance to be part of this in whichever way they would like.  In just under a year’s time the eyes of the world will be on London and the UK creating a great opportunity for communities to engage and celebrate with London 2012.”

A total of seven clashes with Richmond FC, co-tenants of the Athletic Ground with Scottish, had meant that a period of negotiation was necessary for both clubs while mutually beneficial solutions were found. The clashes have all now been resolved, and the fixture alterations have provided some exciting opportunities for both clubs.

The alterations will see Scottish playing on a total of 5 Sundays during the first phase of the season. London Scottish CEO Tony Copsey commented:

“Although traditionally London Scottish play on Saturday afternoons, the number of clashes with Richmond, our co-tenants at the Richmond Athletic Ground have dictated that we will be playing on five Sundays this season.

Everyone at London Scottish is very proud of our club roots and over the course of the season Sunday rugby will allow us to promote that fantastic club ethos. Not only will it allow the Saturday Amateur sides to come along and support the 1st XV, it will also allow us to connect with our Junior and Mini sides that play on Sunday mornings. I have no doubt that they will provide a brilliant curtain raiser for a full day of rugby at the Athletic Ground.”

Scottish’s Championship season now kicks off on Sunday 4th September, at home to Rotherham Titans. To celebrate the season kick-off, the match is designated as a Family Fun Day, featuring interactive zones for children, face-painting and mini-rugby.