A suicide bomber loose in London? A police force caught between the twin demands of liberty and civic protection? Foreigners in our midst with mischief on their minds?

The themes in Joseph Conrad’s 1907 novel The Secret Agent are so keen that this new theatrical interpretation could have been commissioned by the Relevance Board, funded by Relevance UK from a brief by Relevant & Relevant.

Any problems? No problems on the Tube. The only difficulty is on the road.

DLR: DLR is running fine.

River: No river-based problems.

Road: The southbound bore of the Blackwall Tunnel was closed while repairs to a manhold cover were carried out. It seems to have reopened but tailbacks are reported at 4:30pm.

A FUTURISTIC project overlooking Poplar Dock will be considered on Thursday.

Fast food giant McDonalds and Trafalgar Way Ltd are hoping to get planning permission for the Helix-London scheme, having already failed with a bid for a 397-unit scheme in May.

CANARY Wharf Group has upped its contributions to get the green-light for a hotel.

Subsidiary South Quay Properties is keen to build a 37-storey hotel dubbed Newfoundland to the west of the estate.

But Tower Hamlets Council deferred its application in August, asking for more cash for local services.
Newfoundland would feature 150 rooms, and 78 serviced apartments.

The company has now raised its Section 106 contribution from £915,284 to £1,115,284, including an additional £100,000 donation to the Isle of Dogs Community Foundation.

THE credit crunch is forcing housebuilders to do more and more to entice buyers.

The market has become so tough that major housebuilder Barratt Homes is offering to pay buyers’ mortgages until 2010 if they agree to purchase an apartment at one its Maple Quays or Elektron developments.

Adam Lawrence, regional managing director of Barratt London and Thames Gateway said: “Our customers have told us that they are worried about getting a mortgage and the wider economic picture."

Only a couple of decades ago, the idea of going to an Italian restaurant was pretty exotic.

I remember discerning diners flocking to the Pasta Pasta restaurant on the seafront near Hastings,
humming to themselves at the unique prospect of eating tagliatelle cooked in an actual professional kitchen.

Since then the British have been treated to everything from dim sum to shark vindaloo, and we’ve started taking the delights of pizza and pasta for granted.

But for me, it’s hard to top the taste of a freshly-made Italian-style pizza when it’s done well.

ARE you this week’s Face In The Crowd?

Each week we send our snapper out on to the estate to capture a face who wins a meal at Via in West India Quay. If you are this week’s Face, phone 020 7510 6055.

ROBERT Green had a day to forget as West Ham were brought down to earth with a bump by a battling Bolton side at Upton Park.

Green, who manager Gianfranco Zola expects to be included in the latest England squad, was at fault for all three of the visitors goals on a difficult day for goalkeepers in the East End rain.

MICKY Steeds failed in his bid to win the vacant British cruiserweight title last night.

The Isle of Dogs boxer was beaten by veteran Rob Norton on a unanimous points decision in Burton-on-Trent.

TWO men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a Canary Wharf banking executive.

Frank McGarahan, 45, the chief operating officer at Barclays Wealth, died following an attack in Norwich city centre on Saturday night.

Brothers Tom and Ben Cowles, who are 21 and 20, of Beaumont Road, Costessey, were remanded in custody after appearing at Norwich Magistrates Court on Friday, October 3.