The number of drivers caught on camera committing minor traffic offences, such as stopping in yellow box junctions, has leapt by almost 300 per cent in London (Ben Webster writes).

Local authorities issued 389,000 penalties last year, up from 102,000 the previous year. Since 2004, councils have been allowed to gather evidence of traffic offences from closed-circuit television cameras, which can be difficult for the driver to spot. The £100 fines, reduced to £50 if paid within two weeks, cover offences including disobeying no-entry signs, performing illegal U-turns, driving in pedestrian zones and blocking “keep clear” areas.

Two London boroughs, Camden and Ealing, each issued more than 100,000 penalties last year, according to figures collated by the Association of London Government.

Misconduct claim

A doctor told private patients that supplies of their allergy medication would be at risk if they did not invest at least £5,000 in his drugs company, the General Medical Council was told. Leonard McEwen denies any misconduct, or that he gave patient details to the family-run company. The hearing continues.

MP's seat upset

Labour MPs have accused an independent body that decides the make-up of constituencies of behaving outrageously because it wants to abolish the seat of a key ally of Gordon Brown. The Boundary Commission wants to scrap Normanton in West Yorkshire, held by Ed Balls. MPs will try to overrule it.

Child trafficking

Unicef has published a report on child trafficking across Europe in which it accuses Britain of failing to take action. The Home Office rejected the criticism, saying it had set up a team to deal with the issue and introduced an offence of trafficking for exploitation that carries a 14-year maximum jail term.

Room for homes

One million homes could be built on existing brownfield sites if councils did more to develop them, a minister said yesterday. Baroness Andrews, minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, said that there was also enough brownfield land for 400,000 new homes in the South East.

Ferry linked to Channel deaths

Detectives investigating the deaths of three yachtsmen in the English Channel are examining the possibility that their yacht hit a ferry. Officers boarded a P&O vessel, Pride of Bilbao, as it docked at Portsmouth after finding “something of interest” in its black box voyage data. P&O confirmed that it has provided information to assist the inquiry into the deaths of James Meaby and Rupert Saunders, both 36, from Tooting, South London, and Jason Downer, 35, from Kent.

Mother killed baby

A mother admitted killing her infant son a year ago, having previously blamed intruders for a fire at her house. Danielle Wails, 22, from Newcastle upon Tyne, admitted infanticide. She will be sentenced in October. She had postnatal depression, doctors said.

Life for muggers

Two teenage muggers who kicked a man aged 41 to death to steal £1.30 were jailed for life by Liverpool Crown Court. Scott Wells, 18, was convicted of Andrew Ablewhite’s murder after Michael McGarry, 18, pleaded guilty and gave evidence for the prosecution.

Carnival arrests

Police arrested 275 people at the Notting Hill carnival, a 65 per cent rise on last year. Four arrests were for firearm offences and 68 were for drug offences. The event was attended by about 800,000 people, and 10,000 officers helped to police it.

£18,000 fine

A woman who ignored parking fines for three years has been forced to pay £18,000. Roma Wheldon, 35, from Southend, Essex, threw the tickets away. But as the fines accumulated, Southend Council handed over debt responsibility to bailiffs.

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