London's Knife Epidemic

Knife crime remains a critical public safety crisis in London, UK, where over a thousand weapon-enabled offenses are recorded monthly and incidents occur multiple times daily, casting a shadow over communities. 

Indeed, the persistent volume of offenses highlights a deeply entrenched challenge.

According to Metropolitan Police data, more than 3,300 knife-enabled offenses were logged in the first quarter of 2026 alone. These monthly figures include hundreds of actual injury-inflicting stabbings alongside thousands of broader knife-threat or possession offenses. 

Specifically, official records from early 2026 show totals of 1,097 offenses in January, 1,003 in February, and 1,209 in March.

Data from the Office for National Statistics indicate there were 49,151 total knife offenses in England and Wales for the year ending December 2025. Because Scotland and Northern Ireland record their crime statistics separately, ONS figures in this context specifically focus on just England and Wales. 

And of this total, London accounted for 28%, although the capital saw a 17% fall in recorded knife crime compared with the previous year. This localized volume persists even as official data showed that homicides fell to their lowest level in nearly 50 years. 

Published crime statistics showed 172 homicides involving a knife or sharp instrument were recorded by police forces across England and Wales in 2025, compared with 217 in 2024. 

Last year's number of knife-related killings is also the lowest since comparable data was first collected in 2010–11.

The dataset also shows that the total number of homicide offenses last year – when there were 503 offenses – fell by 6% compared with 2024, when there were 534. 

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, homicide offenses include murder, manslaughter, infanticide, and causing or allowing the death or serious injury of a child or vulnerable adult. 

Katie Kempen, chief executive of the charity Victim Support, noted that the overall fall in knife killings was welcome "but every case is one too many".

[Additionally, offenses involving firearms decreased by 9% in 2025 compared to the previous year, dropping to 4,753 offenses from 5,241]. 

Having spent time in London between 1975 and 1979, I can tell you firsthand that the city does not feel as safe as it once used to be.

162-year-old Guinness

Bottles of Guinness dating back to 1864 have been found on a shipwreck about 5km off the coast of Dover – and now the explorers want to “rebrew” the stout. 

Up to 20 bottles of stout were discovered by a team of divers exploring the wreckage of the Mindora sailing barque last summer, but only recently have they acquired a survey report linking the cargo to a recorded ship of that time. 

Since making the discovery, Stefan Panis, an expedition diver who made the discovery, and Paweł Truszynski, a technical diver and historical researcher, have begun what they call “Project Jurassic Beer”. 

Truszynski said they have enlisted the help of Kevin Verstrepen, professor of microbiology and genetics at Leuven University in Brussels, in an attempt to rebrew the Guinness to mimic exactly how it would have tasted in 1864. 

Verstrepen said it is not likely they can retrieve living yeast cells from the bottles – though they will try. In that case, he will take a “modern sibling” of the original yeast, once the DNA is analysed, to get as close as possible. 

Truszynski said if they succeed in their quest to “rebrew” the old Guinness, “we will unlock a form of liquid time travel”. 

The group also contacted the Guinness Archive team at St James’s Gate in Dublin, Ireland to cross-reference their findings, he said. 

A spokesperson for Diageo Ireland said the Guinness Archive team “have been in communication with the divers to gather more information and evaluate the find”. 

“Discoveries like this provide a fascinating window into our past and help build a deeper understanding of our heritage”.  

The bottles were discovered resting in the ship’s cargo under temperatures of 4 degrees, constant high pressure and absolute darkness – perfect conditions for preservation. 

The Mindora, which collided with another vessel off the coast of Dover on November 27, 1864, had set sail from London to Vancouver, Canada a week earlier. Lloyd’s Register Foundation, which oversee the Lloyd’s Register of Ships from 1764 to 1999, could not officially confirm the site, as the divers did not make the discovery in conjunction with the foundation. 

However, digitised links to the survey report for a ship called “Mindoro”, likely to be the Mindora, were sent by the foundation to the divers upon request. The report was written up on September 3rd, 1864, with the surveyor having first visited the ship on November 17, 1863. 

Zach Schieferstein, archivist with Lloyd’s Register Foundation, said discrepancies in the records of ship names were not uncommon in the 19th century. 

As per The Irish Times report published August 05, 2026.

Rape Epidemics in Two Countries

India's rape epidemic is abhorrent and alarming. 

 

From the harrowing daylight rape* of a woman on a bustling street in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on September 04, 2024 to the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 09, 2024, India’s exploding crisis of sexual violence against women is not just a series of grim statistics – it represents a national tragedy. And a national shame.

 

[*Instead of intervening, passersby filmed the sexual assault on their phones and posted the video on social media, where it quickly went viral].

 

These incidents are far from isolated or random; they are glaring testaments to a systemic collapse across the country. In 2022, the last available government figures reveal a staggering 31,000 reported cases of rapes, amounting to 85 rapes per day. 

 

These horrifying numbers are only the tip of the iceberg, with countless assaults concealed beneath layers of societal pressure, fear of retaliation, and systemic failures.

 

But India is not alone on this appalling issue. UK is equally as bad. 

 

There is one rape reported every hour in London, according to police data published on Friday. Almost 8,800 cases were handled in 2023, which is an average of 24 each day.

 

The figures, obtained by state broadcaster the BBC through Freedom of Information requests, show a further 11,000 reports of other sexual offences. 

 

The totals increased by 14% over the last five years to almost 20,000 in 2023, which means that sexual violence or rape was reported to police every 26 and a half minutes, on average.

 

Charities concerned with protecting children and women against sexual violence said the true extent of such incidents is far higher. The London-based Rape Crisis center claim only one in six women who are raped report the crime. Among male victims that figure is said to be one in five. Only one in four will report other types of sexual assault.

 

Shockingly, the police statistics also reveal that over 4,300 children reported being a victim of rape or sexual assault in 2023.

 

And following a series of high-profile incidents of violence against women by serving London Metropolitan Police officers, the issue of public confidence in policing has received even greater attention. Only four out of ten people in England say they trust the police, with the UK capital’s cops getting the lowest score, a survey suggested in April. A total of 657 Met officers were under investigation for sexual abuse, domestic abuse, or a combination of both last year.

 

Note: I don't know about elsewhere – but the above has been amply highlighted in the media worldwide.   

Animal Series by Banksy

Elusive artist Banksy produced nine animal-themed murals in nine days in London, UK. 

 

The frequency of artworks is unusual for Banksy – whose identity is publicly unknown – and who usually spaces out his pieces over months, leaving fans speculating about the meaning of the different animals and awaiting a “big” reveal. 

 

It all started with the mountain goat on August 05, 2024, appearing to be perched on a ledge with rocks falling off and depicted in Banksy’s signature stencil style on a wall in Richmond, west London. 

 

The next day, the street artist added silhouettes of two elephants with their trunks stretched towards each other on two blocked out windows on the side of a house in Edith Grove, Chelsea, followed by three monkeys which appear to be hanging from a railway bridge of a subway station near east London’s Brick Lane on Wednesday last week.

 

Then the silhouette of a wolf, howling at the sky, appeared on a satellite dish atop a heavily graffitied building in Peckham, southeast London, on August 08. It was allegedly stolen less than two hours after an image had been posted online to the artist’s Instagram account by two people with a ladder, according to BBC News. The Metropolitan Police said they had been called, but no arrests had been made.

 

On Friday, a mural showing two pelicans eating fish above the yellow sign of a fish and chips takeaway shop in the northeastern London neighborhood of Walthamstow made an appearance.

 

The following day, there was another artwork depicting the silhouette of a large cat with an upturned tail stretching out its body, on an empty, distressed advertising hoarding in Cricklewood. Hours later, men who claimed they were “hired” from a “contracting company” turned up in north-west London to take the hoarding down supposedly for safety reasons.

 

On Sunday, Banksy showcased piranhas swimming on a City of London police sentry box. The glass-paned box – which has been painted with what appears to be translucent spray paint to turn it into what looks like a giant fish tank – is located on Ludgate Hill near the Old Bailey court.

 

Barriers were put around the piranha design after it was unveiled, as Met police turned up to examine the piece. The local authority later said it had been removed to a safe location. 

 

A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation said on Monday: “We have moved the artwork to Guildhall Yard to ensure it is properly protected and open for the public to view safely. A permanent home for the piece will be decided in due course”.

 

On Monday, Banksy revealed his eighth artwork, a mural of a rhinoceros on Westmoor Street in Charlton, south-east London. It is situated on the side of a building and had been designed to look as though the animal is climbing on to a clapped-out silver Nissan Micra with a traffic cone on its bonnet.

 

Later in the evening, a man in a balaclava with a can of white paint was filmed spraying a tag on it while a crowd shouted: “Don’t do that”! By Tuesday morning the car had also been removed. 

 

A spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the local authority where the rhino mural was located, said: “It’s a real shame that a mindless vandal has defaced the mural, which has already drawn visitors and brought so much joy to many".

 

FYI, the tagged graffiti on the rhino appeared to be a dollar sign and a V. Banksy is not universally popular with street artists because of his mainstream success and his use of stencils rather than free painting.

And finally, a ninth animal work, outside London zoo, was confirmed as a Banksy on Tuesday. It pictured a gorilla appearing to lift up the shutter on which it is painted, letting birds and a seal escape, while the eyes of other animals lurked in the darkness. 

The latest mural was “an absolute shock and surprise to all of us here at London Zoo”, Karl Penman, commercial operations manager at the zoo said. 

“If it is the full stop, what a great full stop to end on”, Penman told AFP.

The BBC had reported that the art piece was the last in the series. 

In the meantime, locals and tourists alike have been enjoying the artworks that are still up. They'd better because these artworks will not be permanent.

British Store Cupboard Classics

If you’re in the UK right now, check out the Ice Cream Project at The Village in London by Anya Hindmarch – it’s a celebration of cult food brands transformed into ice-creams and sorbets. 

Hand-made in small batches in Devon and available in 500ml tubs (£10) and by the scoop (£3.50), the flavors are inspired by some of the most well-known UK food brands. 

Try a scoop of Heinz Beanz, a rich, sweet flavored ice cream brimming with protein or delve into a tub of Heinz Mayonnaise Original, a surprising rich and creamy ice cream with the zestiness of lemon and tang of vinegar. Or Kikkoman Soy Sauce, a piquant toasted sesame ice cream laced with umami-rich naturally brewed soy sauce. Or Heinz Tomato Ketchup, a delicious combination of sweet, salty and tangy flavors. Or Kellogg’s Coco Pops, a delightful milky chocolate ice cream interspersed with the crunch of chocolate-flavored toasted rice. Or Polo, a refreshing mint sorbet laced with tiny pieces of smashed Polo.

“Making ‘everyday things in an extraordinary way’ has always been a passion of mine and is the reason why I love to play with iconic brands”, said Hindmarch: 

“The Ice Cream Project sets out to challenge perceptions, working with the most sophisticated ingredients and recipes in an artful way”. 

Store employee Hannah Wearne describes the Project, which runs until August 28, as offering a new twist on "British store cupboard classics". And it's proving a hit. 

"We sold out of six weeks' worth of ice cream in four days, so we've been really, really popular... We've got our own regulars which is really lovely", she said. 

You can purchase these frozen desserts at The Village on Pont Street in London as well as other Anya Hindmarch gifts and accessories. 

An update: Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has tested negative for drugs, the government announced. Marin agreed to take the test on Friday – at her own expense – to allay concerns about her wild partying. 

[For background info, please read my post “Finland's Sanna Marin Fights For Her Right To Party” published Sunday]. 

And on Twitter and TikTok, women in Finland and even Denmark are posting dance videos in support of Marin, tagging their post with #SolidaritywithSanna.

Not Your Typical Zoo

You’ll typically see wildlife in a zoo – but at UK's London Zoo aka ZSL London Zoo or London Zoological Gardens, you’ll find more than just animals. 

Head to their reptile house in search of the endangered Siamese crocodile (Scientific name: Crocodylus siamensis) and you will find something that looks much too inanimate to be drawing a crowd of zoo visitors to watch it "in action". It's a handbag that has been made from the skin of one such crocodile. 

The bag was seized by UK border officials at a London airport back in 2018 and handed to the zoo in order to highlight the impact that the illegal wildlife trade is having across the globe. 

There are no live Siamese crocodiles at the zoo – and that is fairly understandable given that there are only between 500 and 1,000 are thought to be left worldwide due to habitat loss and hunting. 

Although the zoo's display has been in place for the past few years, an August 01, 2022 tweet from a visitor, @sleepy_homo showing a photo of the bag has gone viral on Twitter, sparking renewed interest in the illegal trade. 

Reptile and amphibian curator Dr Ben Tapley said he was pleased that awareness was spreading. 

"It's great to have all these fantastic animals here but the handbag has caught people's eye", Dr Tapley says. "We wanted to educate our visitors about it and create a talking point. Anything which shines a spotlight on the illegal trade is great". 

Since 2000, the 196-year-old zoo in Regent's Park, London have provided a home for more than 3,000 animals confiscated by the UK Border Force as part of their work at airports and ports.

Blazing Hot UK

The UK could have its hottest day on record this week, with temperatures forecast to hit up to 41C (106F). In fact, according to BBC, London is set to be one of the hottest places in the world today, with temperatures soaring above the Western Sahara and the Caribbean. 

The Met Office have already issued a red extreme heat warning on Monday and Tuesday in much of England, from London and the south-east up to York and Manchester. Grahame Madge, a spokesperson said that temperatures reaching 40C would be a ‘historic event’.

The current highest temperature in the UK is 38.7C, in Cambridge in 2019. 

The remaining parts of the UK – including Wales and Scotland – are reportedly under amber alert, which is also issued for high temperature. While there is no warning in place for Northern Ireland, temperatures are predicted to reach 30C today. 

New Zealand-based meteorologist Ben Noll compared the temperature forecast for the UK with other hotspots in the world and said on Twitter that almost 99 percent of Earth's surface will be cooler than the country!

"The highest predicted UK temperature on Tuesday (near 41C) would be hotter than about 98.8% of Earth. The only hotter places include California and the Plains in the US, the Sahara Desert, France, Belgium, the Middle East, India, and western China", Noll said in his tweet. 

The red (or level 4) alert is defined on the Met office website as being reached "when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system. At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups.

A Feisty Tiger in KL

It’s the Year of the Tiger, so don’t be too surprised to see a tiger ready to pounce on you just outside of Pavilion Elite, Kuala Lumpur. 

Well, it’s all thanks to Samsung‘s “Tiger In The City” campaign to help get ready for Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022. And KLites would be happy to know their city is amongst five cities in the world chosen to showcase the ad. 

Besides Kuala Lumpur, the other four cities to showcase the billboard of the tiger are New York, London, Dubai, and Seoul.

The ad shows a 3D tiger bursting through digital barriers – and Samsung says that it aims to showcase how “Samsung’s next smartphone line-up is set to help users own the night with new advancements to its low-light smartphone photography technology”.

 

The tiger billboard ad in Pavilion isn’t the first 3D ad to wow Malaysians. Last year, there was a golden bull billboard ad to celebrate Chinese New Year. 

If you’d like to see the 3D billboard for yourself, you can go to the said mall from now until February 09. The golden bull ad did pull quite a crowd, so this one might be a popular attraction as well. 

Sadio Mane scored the winning spot-kick – after missing one in the opening minutes of the game – as Senegal claimed their first Africa Cup of Nations title with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over seven-time winners Egypt. 

Mane stepped up to make history for the West African nation on Sunday at the Olembe Stadium in Cameroon’s Yaounde, and banished the memories of the team’s 2019 failure when they lost the final to Algeria. 

Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved from Egypt’s Mohanad Lasheen in the shoot-out to allow Mane the chance to seal the win and gain just reward for Senegal, who had been by far the better side in the final but spurned numerous opportunities to win the game. 

Egypt had their goalkeeper Mohamed Abo Gabal to thank for getting them into the shoot-out as he was outstanding in keeping Senegal at bay in what was the fourth time in as many games they had played extra time in energy-sapping conditions.

Anyway, congratulations, Senegal!

A Covid Christmas

Someone forgot to tell Covid that it's Christmas! 

And you know the coronavirus situation in the UK is fast deteriorating when Premier League matches are being postponed pretty frequently. 

Infections surged to 2.3 million before Christmas according to latest official data – the figures from the Office for National Statistics showed an increase from 1.4 million in the week to December 23 – the highest since comparable records began in autumn 2020. 

And a study by the UK Health and Security Agency revealed the reduced effect of vaccines as Omicron spreads – with even a double-dose of AstraZeneca providing no effect against symptomatic infection from the variant from 20 weeks after the second jab. 

Even for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, effectiveness dropped to 10% after the same period. 

Therefore, the claim by UKHSA that boosters can offer good protection against hospitalisation – apparently rising to an 81% reduction in risk after a third jab. 

Interestingly, I read that in London, around one in 15 people was likely to test positive for Covid in the week to December 23, the highest proportion for any region in England! Aww geez! 

Again in England, infections were highest among two age groups, each dominated by a different variant: those aged from two to school year six – more likely to be Delta cases; and those aged 25-34 years – more likely to be Omicron. 

The NHS are already on a war footing and as Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the health service was facing a "perfect storm" of rising Covid hospital admissions and illness alongside increasing staff absences. Meaning, things are likely to get worse!

Queen Pop-Up Store in London

British rock icons Queen open a pop-up store "Queen The Greatest" in London, UK on Tuesday to celebrate the band's five decades in music. 

Formed in 1971, they went on to have worldwide hits with songs such as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "We Are The Champions", “Another One Bites the Dust” and "Fat Bottomed Girls". 

Through several themed rooms on two levels, the shop retraces Queen's career up to the 2010s, including their legendary concerts and tours of the 1980s. 

The store will be open for three months on the famous Carnaby Street, the heart of Swinging Sixties London, just a few steps from the shop of another cult British band, the Rolling Stones. 

A variety of memorabilia is on sale, including a Rubik's cube decorated with the faces of the band members, a "Queen" edition of the Monopoly board game and guitars signed by Brian May as well as the ubiquitous T-shirts. 

For Monopoly enthusiasts, they should know that the goal of this Monopoly game has been altered to reflect the band's legacy – instead of buying up real estate and utilities in an effort to bankrupt friends and family, players will instead attempt to achieve Queen-style greatness by following "the amazing gig history of Queen, from their very first at Imperial College in 1970 to their last with Freddie Mercury at Knebworth Park in 1986” and buying "gig locations and hit singles" as they go. 

Aside from the altered board and game narrative, Queen Monopoly boasts an assortment of new playing pieces designed after key moments in the band's history. In addition to May's guitar, players can choose from a robot (inspired by the News of the World album artwork), a bicycle (a nod to the bands' "Bicycle Race"), a vacuum cleaner (as seen in the video for “I Want to Break Free") and a hammer (an allusion to “Hammer to Fall”).

As Monopoly fans are well aware, this is not the first time the venerable game has launched a special edition tying in with some sort of cultural phenomenon. 

In addition to the above, a unique "Queen" pinball machine and concert footage projected onto the wall give the space a fan club feel. The band's greatest hits, such as "We Will Rock You" or "Killer Queen" provide the soundtrack, piped through speakers. 

"For a Queen fan it's an amazing opportunity to come here and be immersed in the world of Queen, to know that you can come here to speak with like-minded people... and be able to find mementos", Keith Taperell, vice president of Bravado, the company responsible for merchandising within Universal Music group, told AFP.

Gutsy Scotland Holds Off England at Euro 2020

I don’t follow Euro 2020 – but yesterday’s match sparked my interest because Scotland was pitted against the Auld Enemy. And both teams battled it out to end in a stalemate. 

It was only the fourth time in 115 editions of the world's oldest football rivalry dating back to 1872 that a game ended goalless and the first time ever at Wembley. 

England managed only one shot on target. Indeed, they did not deserve victory – but admittedly, they are still in a very healthy position going into their final game. 

Both teams are in Group D and they are scheduled to play to a conclusion on Tuesday. England who are level on four points with the Czech Republic who they will face at Wembley, and Scotland and Croatia, who each have one point, meet at Hampden Park. 

And I read that thousands of Scotland fans were in London ahead of their Euro 2020 match with England. Videos of the Tartan Army belting out Yes Sir, I Can Boogie on the streets of the English capital soon sprang up all over social media – becoming the unofficial Scotland Euro 2021 song! 

It started when a video of ecstatic players dancing to the tune went viral after Scotland clinched qualification for the tournament by defeating Serbia on penalties in November. 

FYI, the song by Spanish duo Baccara spent a single week at the top of the UK charts, way back in 1977. Here’s the original song:

 

And the Tartan Army with their renditions:

Last year it got a fresh lease of life when it was used by the "Keeping the Ball on the Ground" podcast as a tribute to defender Andrew Considine. 

The Aberdeen cult hero – who was called up to the Scotland team for the first time last year at the age of 33 – famously starred in a spoof video of the song on his stag do. The player was unrecognizable as he dressed in drag to strut his stuff to the tune alongside friends and his father, with the professionally-produced video being played on his wedding day in 2015. 

Considine was an unused substitute for the historic match with Serbia, which saw the Scottish men's team dramatically end more than 20 years of hurt by clinching a place at the European Championships. 

But a video tweeted by the Scotland National Team after the game showed him in the thick of the action as he boogie-woogied with team mates including Kieran Tierney, Scott McTominay, Leigh Griffiths and Callum McGregor. 

The video immediately caught the imagination of the Tartan Army, with jubilant fans starting a campaign to get the song back to Number One in the charts. 

The boogieing began in earnest once more as Euro 2020 got under way, with the 12,000 fans who were allowed to be inside Hampden belting out the song ahead of Scotland's opening match with the Czech Republic. 

The game – Scotland's first in a major tournament for 23 years – ended in a 2-0 defeat. Still, the result didn't appear to have dampened spirits too much ahead of the eagerly awaited clash with England at Wembley. 

The tune took off lickety-split as videos of fans who made their way south for the match, sang the song on planes and trains as they racked up hundreds of thousands of views on social media. 

And of course, the gutsy Scotland side held England 0-0 in this 'Battle of Britain'.

76 Million Cases and the 7-0 Rout

Covid-19 has raced past the 76-million mark!

In fact, in the UK, SARS-CoV-2 has decided to stay put! And so, the planned 5-day relaxation of Covid-19 rules for Christmas has been scrapped!

Sorry, folks, but for large parts of south-east England that includes London (all 32 boroughs and the City of London), Kent, Essex and Bedfordshire, Christmas is regrettably, cancelled.

Boris Johnson (left) just introduced a brand-new Tier 4 there. Meaning, in that area of England, residents cannot mix indoors with anyone not from their household.

And for the rest of England, Scotland and Wales, it’ll be limited to only one day, i.e. Christmas Day itself. No more 5 days. 

Putting aside the fact that I'm in Malaysia and so it won't affect me – but still, I have additional grounds to be joyful.

If you’re a Liverpool fan, you’ll know what I mean. The Reds scored a magnificent seven against Crystal Palace in yesterday’s Premier League match. 

In case anyone forgot, Liverpool are the title-holders for a reason. And this particular game showed just why they are the champs.

In only the third minute, Sadio Mane set up Takumi Minamino who feinted a shot before rifling the ball into the bottom corner. That was goal #1.

Thirty-two minutes later, Mane took the ball from Roberto Firmino and then zinged an instant shot low into the corner. Goal #2.

Then, Firmino and Andy Robertson linked to beautiful effect and which led the Brazilian finishing past Eagles keeper with the outside of his foot in the forty-fourth minute. Goal #3.

Jordan Henderson scored a rare goal in the fifty-second minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold's cutback presented him with the opportunity to send the ball into the top corner. Goal #4. 

Sixteen minutes later, Mo Salah sent a perfect pass into the run of Firmino and the No. 9 lofted a delicate finish over the keeper from a tightish angle. Goal #5.

The Egyptian had to wait until the eighty-first minute for him to score, nodding in after Joel Matip headed on a corner from Alexander-Arnold. Goal #6. 

And it was another three minutes before Salah netted a reaction header and excellent curling finish for goal #7. 

Did you know this was the club’s biggest ever Premier League win and also their biggest away win in the top-flight in 106 years? The Reds are top of the league at Christmas for the third year in a row – and what a way to win your first away fixture in three months! A damn good game, that’s for sure!

London Subway Squabble

Seeing is believing! 

A scene of what looks like a fight between two rats on a train platform inside of London's subway has won one of the world's top awards for wildlife photography. 

Taken by Sam Rowley (right), the picture was simply titled "Subway Squabble" – and it won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year's People Choice Award, an annual competition held by the Natural History Museum in London. 

It was chosen after it secured more than 28,000 votes from a shortlist of 25 images and having beaten 48,000 other pictures. 

According to the museum's website, the semi-professional photographer spent five nights for his project, taking his time to capture the photograph in London's metro system, where an estimated two million commuters use it every day. 

Rowley had glimpsed two rodents scampering toward a small pile of food when they began to get rowdy. In a split second, he snapped a photo of them fighting over the morsel. 

"The tunnels are a desperate place to live if they need to have a boxing match over a tiny little crumb", he said. 

Rowley declared happiness at winning the award: "It's been a lifetime dream to succeed in this competition in this way, with such a relatable photo taken in such an everyday environment in my hometown". 

Michael Dixon, director of the museum, praised the photograph, saying it "provides a fascinating glimpse into how wildlife functions in a human-dominated environment". 

He continued: "The mice's behavior is sculpted by our daily routine, the transport we use and the food we discard. This image reminds us that while we may wander past it every day, humans are inherently intertwined with the nature that is on our doorstep – I hope it inspires people to think about and value this relationship more". 

The photo can be seen at the museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition until May 31, 2020.

And here's Rowley's favorite Photoshopped version of the award-winning photo!

Rats with lightsabers!