Act now to make the most of summer, councils told

Councils in the capital have been urged to support "popular and exciting" ideas like outdoor dining and late-night openings in a letter written by two deputy mayors for London.

Justine Simons and Howard Dawber said they want to boost the economy and tourism ahead of a pilot scheme granting Sadiq Khan new strategic licensing powers.

Last week, London Councils, which represents the 32 boroughs, called for a new power-sharing arrangement with the mayor, giving them a formal say over the capital's strategic direction.

Sacha Lord, chair of the Night Time Industries Association says: "This looks like good news for London and I hope the rest of the UK follows suit."