More than 371,00 immigrants who were admitted to Britain, claimed state benefits in the UK last year, according to official figures compiled by the government for the very first time.

Hurray! Following the departure of its leader Colin Barrow, Westminster council has decided to drop its plans for off-peak parking charges.

A couple of days ago, I got offered a job back in Beijing (as regular readers of this website will know, I recently spent a year working in China) totally out of the blue. China is arguably the only country to have emerged from the financial crisi relatively unscathed yet this time around I wasn’t remotely tempted to take up the offer.

Each month Jane Egginton brings us her letter from London. This month, Jane gives us the low-down on London’s plans to mark Chinese New Year

The CD-Traveller team share their top 2011 travel experiences and look at the top spots for 2012

The Travel Channel’s Sarah Cawood on staycations, the Scottish highlands and why she loves lying on a beach

Later today we’ll get to know the outcome of Transport for London’s high court challenge against a proposed tube drivers’ strike on Boxing Day

Stuck for something to do with the kids in the capital today? Why not treat your little ones to a storytelling session with Santa at tibits restaurant, Heddon Street, W1.

More passengers chose to take off from Gatwick rather than its bigger London rival, Heathrow, throughout November. Gatwick reported that it saw an extra 12,800 fliers last month – representing a rise of 0.6 percent.

As anyone who has ever visited London knows, the perils of travelling by tube are only too familiar…. severe delays, the noisy neighbour who plays their iPod so loud that the whole carriage can hear it. Then there is the drunken reveller who positively oozes booze and the guy who chooses to eat his takeaway on the seat next to you.

A poll by the Institute of Public Policy has revealed that the majority of the capital’s dwellers consider themselves to be Londoners first and foremost and English second.

Each month, travel writer Jane Egginton, brings us her letter from London. This month it’s December and Christmas is coming… As things are warming up for the festive season, Jane makes a very enjoyable visit to that great British tradition, the pantomime

You’d think Westminster would want to encourage people to visit the capital during the 2012 Olympics (and help boost Britain’s economy), but the evidence suggests otherwise.

Which are the most popular places to go in the UK for overseas visitors? Counting how many of us visit our own cities isn’t easy but for those coming from abroad, the International Passenger Survey provides some answers and now, Visit Britain has played looked at the data and come up with some answers.

At the launch last month of the Great campaign – a project aimed at promoting Britain abroad to tie in with next year’s London Olympics, David Cameron declared “In 2012 there will be only one place to be. We are determined to make the most of this opportunity.”

A new poll by Drinks Internationalm has revealed that London has five of the world’s top 10 bars.

Tom Jenkins of ETOA- European Tour Operators Association – has been pointing out that the Games could be cause a downturn in tourists to London as people stay away. Hotel rates are treble the price says ETOA. Is that not enough to dissuade the tourists who would normally come?

Each month Jane Egginton will be bringing us a letter from London. Travel writer Jane loves living in London and will be giving you the latest news from her favourite city in the world. This month, Jane takes us on a tour of Hackney, perhaps the capital’s most exciting borough (certainly one of its most notorious).

UPDATE: 5 Nov. Qantas is now offering free tickets to anywhere in Australia to those who were caught up in the shut-down. If you were involved and haven’t been contacted by the airline, do so yourself. Passengers entitled are those with bookings between October 29-31st.
It’s been a week from hell for Qantas.

A recent report revealed that Brits are pessimistic about 2012 travel. However it might be more accurate to say that Brits have been put off holidaying abroad, for domestic tourism seems to be soaring – according to figures released by VisitEngland at the annual ABTA Travel Convention in Palma, Majorca.

Homeless tour guides are showing tourists the grittier side of London life. The idea – the brainchild of Unseen Tours – allows visitors to the capital to see the street s of Shoreditch, Covent Garden, London Bridge, Mayfair and Brick Lane from, well the streets.

Heathrow airport has been ordered to pay a £500,000 penalty after an investigation revealed passenger queuing times at security checkpoints were longer than the London airport previously reported.

This week the capital is going crazy over Peruvian food thanks to the Cookbook Cafe at InterContinental London Park Lane’s ‘Flavours of Peru’ – a week-long gourmet food festival celebrating contemporary Peruvian cuisine, in association with the Embassy of Peru.

British beer lovers should head north. The weather may be grim up north, but the cheap beer will cheer you no end.

With London restaurant festival in full swing and with less than one year until the 2012 Olympic/Paralympic Games, Londoner Keith Alexander, tells us why he heads to Hampstead and adores the capital’s royal parks

I happened to see the Sarah Jessica Parker film, I Don’t Know How She Does It, last night. The film, based on Alison Pearson’s best selling novel, was shot in Boston and had the effect of making me want to book a break in Boston.

Earlier in the week we posted a story about the imminent closure of Gaby’s Deli– a cheap and cheerful Charing Cross Road café loved by the likes of Michael Gambon and Vanessa Redgrave.

CD-Traveller tells you what’s hot and what’s not in the travel world. This month, it’s good news for Glasgow and Gothenburg and gourmands in London, but we’ve lost trust in TripAdvisor…