Updated: 4 December 2025

What has happened?

Three London councils have been affected by a cyber security incident. These councils are:

• Westminster City Council
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and
• London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

The affected councils currently have limited access to their IT systems. Council staff are working to restore full access to these systems. Some council services may be disrupted while this work takes place.

Our response

We have paused accepting new complaints about these three councils. This temporary measure will give the councils time to focus on restoring essential services. The affected councils will provide updates as they have more information about service availability and recovery timescales.

I have a new complaint

We are not currently accepting new complaints about Westminster City Council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, or the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham until further notice. We will keep this page updated on when we will start to accept new complaints.

I am in need of urgent help

If you have an emergency or urgent need for council services, contact your council directly using their published emergency contact numbers. See below for their website deails.

I already have a complaint with the Ombudsman

If you have already submitted a complaint to us about one of these councils, we will continue to progress your complaint as far as possible.

Further information

For updates on the cyber security incident and how it is affecting council services, visit your council's website:

• Westminster City Council: www.westminster.gov.uk
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: www.rbkc.gov.uk
• London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham: www.lbhf.gov.uk